Streaming Phonak Audeo B-Direct to MacBook Pro

Hearing Aids
#13

YUP - I agree. It’s just an extra layer of frustration for me - NOT being a techie - to try to muddle through all these features and standards.

I tried the experiment of running a Youtube video on my Samsung and … any guesses as to the outcome? Yup. NO streaming at all. Instead, the audio comes right out of my phone for all the world to hear! LOL.

So. Here’s where we are with the Phonak Audeo-B Direct. It ONLY - repeat ONLY - streams to ONE ear when used with my Android cell phone on PHONE calls. I will report back with the TV unit - which I hope is stereophonic.

I’m not a typical “millenial” type of person. I’m very happy using my laptop to surf message boards like this, read the news, and occasionally listen to CNN news clips. Our home theatre is A-OK for watching any other movie or program - hence my need for the TV streamer unit for the perfect listening experience.

Even my cell phone use is minimal. I have basically no apps on it, and do rare searches thru Mozilla Firefox (yelp, google map is about it).

All that said, I do feel I’ve been fed a bit of “hoo-hah” about these aids. I should’ve tuned in to the launch event to see what’s new with Audeo B. I still prefer the sound quality and ease of streaming with my Samsung of these aids vs the Oticon Opn. It seems that despite a few rounds of fine-tuning, I simply could never get the Opn aids to actually AID my listening! Instead, the experience was more like frustration mixed with fury at their not having any Android streamer. It bugs me blind when solutions are only for Apple platform or IoT (aka NSA!).

Most of all, I’m EVER so grateful for all you guys’ information, advice and probing to actually enlighten me about the choices and options out there. Very useful info!

#14

OK - I don’t do Facebook (or any other social media, being a cave-woman), but wonder if anyone tuned in to this and got any kernels of info about the technology behind the Audeo B-Direct? Cuz if it’s as simple as: “This only streams to ONE ear on a cell phone PHONE CALL and thassal!” then the launch would be about 5-seconds, eh?

#15

I’ve searched all over Phonak’s website, and it does appear that there is NO actual technical spec sheet to list the various features of the new Audeo B-Direct line of aids (vs the Phonak Audeo B line). I guess my search would’ve been easier if Phonak had used an entirely new NAME for the B-Direct! Like how about Audeo Phone/TV Streaming aid? Cuz the more I search, the more apparent it is that the Audeo B-Direct will ONLY stream hands-free with my Android cell phone on PHONE calls, sending the audio to ONE EAR only. It appears to stream in stereo via the TV streaming unit, without the need for any necklace or clip-on device.

I’m OK with these two capabilities, but I think Phonak could’ve done a much better job communicating how LITTLE the B-Direct actually does!

Then again, I doubt they’d have much success with a campaign entitled, “Lame, half-baked solution for the same cost as more fully-functional models now released!”
{: - /

#16

I just received my trial b90 directs and love them. I can make bluetooth phone calls hand’s free via my android. Who hoo! I don’t care that it streams to one ear only. I’ve been using one ear Bluetooth devices for years so it’s something I used to. Now I don’t have to take one aid out to use a bluetooth device.

I am on the phone a lot so these new 90 directs are a huge advantage for me. I love them!!

As for music listening I can hear well enough with the B90s to listen via a regular old speaker. If I want to listen privately to phone apps I put my ear buds over my in-the-ear receivers. But I may buy the TV connect device to stream without earbuds. If I do I’ll post a review.

The 90 directs lack general bluetooth connectivity but they are extremely useful for me!

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#17

Well there you are! I am in the exact same boat - altho I’m retired, so there is no work phone or even home office phone requirement. I also feel that the quality of the audio on the Audeo B-Direct is better than the Oticon Opn for SPEECH and even music. I go in today for some minor adjustments, but HEY! I am HAPPY-HAPPY with these so far. I have also gotten used to streaming calls to my LEFT ear, and find I do A-OK with it. What that will do my RIGHT ear’s word recognition is another matter, but it’s not like I’m on the phone hours a day. It’s just great that whenever and wherever I am, if I pick up a call, it’s going to stream hands-free into ONE of my ears. :slight_smile:

#18

@1bluejay I am wondering if you are still happy with your Phonak Audeo B-Directs–are they the 90s?I read some of your posts and it seems you did not like the Oticon OPNs. I am trying to decide on new hearing aids, probably one of those two. I would appreciate any insights!

#19

ibawaya, I am still SUPER happy with my Phonak Audeo B-Direct. I don’t know if these are the “90” series cuz my manuals are all at home … and alas, I’m over on the Big Island of HI having way WAY too much fun in the voggy sun. :slight_smile:

Every person is unique, and for me, my particular hearing loss curve, listening preferences and lifestyle, the Phonak hits all the right notes. I’m especially enjoying the edge of speech clarity these Phonaks have over my older Oticon Alta Pros. The TV streamer works SUPERB, and I am completely spoiled with single-ear streaming to my Android phone.

In stark contrast (for me!) the OPN miniRITE was a total disappointment. The so-called algorithm for speech clarity? Simply did not work EVER for me. It was incredibly frustrating to not be able to discriminate speech in any surrounding but a tomb. That means: doctor appointments (poor acoustics), travel (car, plane, airport, even outside with ambient noise), restaurants, large gatherings - completely unable to distinguish WHAT a person was saying even as I could see their lips move. I was also disappointed with the OPNs compared to my Oticon Alta Pro aids, which I’d worn for the previous 4 years - LOVING them! But they were ITE, not BTE, and somehow the speech in restaurants with my old aids was NEVER ever an issue!

To be fair, both the Oticon and Phonak BTE aids have an annoying habit of “hair rustle” and “eyeglasses clink”. Wearing a hat in winter is a prob, too, with rustling and feedback. But hey, I’ll just move to HI and throw my hats away! :wink:

The best thing a person can do for themselves is try out BOTH the Oticon and Phonak models and see which one is best for your own lifestyle and listening/connectivity preferences.

You’ll likely find good things and bad things with each one, so it’s a matter of priorities. For me, the SPEECH was a huge plus for Phonak; initially, stereo streaming on the phone was a real worry with the Phonak being only single ear. But I am happy with the decision I’ve made.

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#21

@1Bluejay Aloha! Thank you for your response. I hope I can find a way to try both the Oticon OPN and the Phonak–trying them out seems challenging here. I am really tired of not hearing speech clearly now, so I appreciate your comments on that. Have fun, though I think that goes without saying in Hawaii.

#22

Your type of loss can have an impact on your brand choice. With @bluejay, she has fairly flat severe loss. Some find that even with aids they don’t get anywhere close to perfect results. An added auditory disorder can impact results.

She and I have a lot of problems with noise. An aid that allows more noise is problematic. She found that and chose the right aid for her.

Another may have a lot of problem with soft voices and choose based on that. The list of needs vary.

These tend to be things that the audiogram doesn’t answer. WRS, additional test and the interview process are tools used by best practice fitter. Those who do this are are who to seek. There are a lot out there who aren’t. If you don’t have a well qualified fitter, brand means nothing.

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#23

^^^^ Very well said! There is a lot left to the end-user in the case of aids: we have to be persistent and articulate, and keep trying models and fine-tuning what we have till we have a solution that works for our needs and listening preferences.

#24

Ibawaya, there are a LOT of positive comments on the Oticon Connect Clip in a different thread here. Hope you can try that out in addition to Phonak’s solution. I’m SO HAPPY for the folks who are satisfied with the Oticon streamer. I would’ve LOVED to try it out too, but as KenP says, my bigger issue was simply never being able to discriminate speech with the Oticon OPN miniRITE.

#25

@1BluejayI hope I can try both also. But I prefer not to buy extra accessories if possible, since I hate carrying things around.

#26

^^^ Well then, in our (highly) imperfect world, you can go two routes: automatic pairing with the iPhone compatible Oticons (or other similar models out there), or single-ear pairing with Android device using Phonak Audeo B-Direct.

As far as I know, neither of these strategies require any other gizmo or gadget to pair - and that is a very good thing! :slight_smile:

#27

Hey @1Bluejay, I’ve figured out the rebooting glitch on my own Audeo b-90 directs. It actually has to do with Bluetooth connection to your cellphone. In my case with the iPhone 8, it reboots whenever I stray too far away from it.

This issue is addressed on the Phonak website, it reboots in order to reattempt a bluetooth connection

#28

^^^ Intriguing! It could be the reason for my own random reboots … I get in to see my aud-guy on Wed to see if a firmware update can fix it?

It’s odd that my aids reboot when my Samsung cell phone is on my person even! I’ve had the aids reboot while at a booth making a purchase, only to go … UM. DUH. No. Can. Hear! It takes about half a minute for the irritating reboot to complete.

My reboots seem random, in that they go down maybe once in 6 weeks or so? I even wondered if someone else’s electronic device could be triggering it? No idea! But I do appreciate your insight here, which I’ll share with my aud-guy tomorrow.

I’ll come back and post what he says and the HOPEFUL outcome of a fix. If I have to leave my aids with him to send in to Phonak, so be it, but I will be back to wearing the Alta Pro Oticons ITEs again. Like going from a comfy running shoe to a small flat with no arch support. Ah, gets the job done anyway …

#29

I have a feeling it’s safety related: driving for instance. The ability to hear your surroundings in general. I could be wrong.

#30

Hey all! Om going to try out THE phonak thing. Im only hearing in One ear and that ear too has hearing loss. Im born with it. And in curius about this paring with phone with phonak. Always been irritated when i have to pull out My aid to hear THE call haha but … phonak B direct seems like the sulution. And THE tv conector…Can you simply connect it to a PC and then use THE aid as a headset?

#31

I am in the same boat as you, hearing in only one ear. I am going to be trying a Phonak Bi-Cros solution, with an Audeo B-Direct in my left ear and a microphone only Phonak in my right ear. I hope to pick them up later this week. I ordered a TV Connecter too.

I went to a specialist because my right ear hearing has been dropping due to an acoustice Neuroma. She recommended that I try a Bi-Cros solution to hear people on my right side.

#32

Yeah that “sit in the wrong Side” while talking i regorgnize. But…do you hear with both? Or Do you medan you only have the mic in the deaf ear? Got a bit Lost there haha.
Ok ill try out THE cors maby Also. But do cros have bloothot?

Thanx for the reply!

#33

I hear with both now, but the right ear has zero speech recognition now. The specialist recommends waiting 6 months and getting another MRI to see if the size changes. I had just bought some new ReSounds and she suggested I go back and see if I could trade them in on a BiCros solution. They agreed to do that.

I hear enough with the ReSounds to get some sound from the right side. Kind of like having peripheral vision only in my right eye except it’s for hearing. The BiCros system will take some getting used to. It is supposed to transfer the sound coming into my right ear over to the left side and then mix it with the left side. My Audi said that Phonak has the best system for doing this… I think Starkey does too.