#1

Everytime I post something on this website, I’m sure I show my ignorance of BT so here goes again. I purchased a pair of Philips 9040 a couple of months ago (previous KS 9 and android user) and found it nearly impossible to keep these new HAs connected and I tried about everything and was ready to return them and go with Phonak. About a week ago, another poster complained about the same thing and a registered provider essentially recommended to forget about hearlink . Well, I got rid of Hearlink and just connected the HA to the android and have not had any problems using the phone and streaming via the phone. So, other than keeping track of the battery life, why do I need Hearlink?

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#2

Hearlink adds a streaming equalizer, remote fitting, program changer, and right and left volume control.

If you don’t want or need if those features, then maybe you don’t need it.

So far Hearlink has been able to connect to my Google Pixel 6a.

#3

You don’t need it! Tech is trying to cater to a diverse user base. Some users like to have a lot of control over their devices. Equally I come across many people who don’t want to use an app and are happy to let the aids work automatically as they should. If you had a need to have volume control or a program selection for different listening situations or the tcoil then these could be added and you could manually access them with the buttons on your devices. Beyond that the app will inform you of your estimated remaining battery time and a streaming equaliser as already mentioned. Everyone will vary on how they value these extras.
If you needed the remote fitting service you could always install and uninstall the app when needed

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#4

Thanks for the advice. I wish my HA provider would have made the same comments when I complained to him about my connection problems. I am perfectly happy to “let the HAs do their thing” so I don’t waste my time on them. I just want to be able to hear. Have a great day.

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#5

The app does exactly what I need and want it it to do. I use HearLink 2 to change programs or volume loudness. Since this is not done continuously, I reconnect each time I need. I think using the app is much easier than using the small buttons on the HAs. I never steam anything so I don’t know if staying connected to the app is needed to stream.

#6

For an initial user, to be able to adjust some settings can help with fine tuning the programming. If you cant “play around” with some of the settings you really dont know if the aids might be able to provide any better sounds than the inital programming. Small tweaks can have huge improvements for some. But you’ll never know if you dont experiment around a little. Of couse many just live with the inital programming and thats fine too.
I like being able to stream phone calls at my target and increase low freqs using the app when streaming music. If I adjust all streaming in SmartFit for heavy low freqs, my speech comprehension goes down with calls.

#7

Thank you for asking this, User322! I just ordered my first HAs, the Philips 9040, and was reading the reviews of the Hearlink2 app. This app seems to be universally disliked, and I was thinking I would not use it (my Audi had mentioned that I might prefer this). My concern was that I stream news and audiobooks all day, and I wanted to be certain I could do this without the app. Looks like I can–hooray!
So, will the functionality for answering phone calls change/improve without the app?

#8

Well, you don’t, but you’ll be missing something. There is a streaming equalizer in the app. It allows me to add bass and subtract treble, beyond what the fitter can apparently provide, and makes the streaming experience a lot better for me.

Also, there is a new equalizer that I haven’t seen discussed. I don’t know if it came with the firmware update I had or an app update. It just showed up! It allows for tuning bass and treble for non-streaming.

You need the app connected in order to have the benefit of these equalizers. I have Apple devices. I have no trouble getting reliable and automatic connection. I have two devices paired, phone and ipad. When I activate an audio source on either, the HAs automatically get the streaming sound. Nice.

#9

I find streaming better without having the app open. If I stream after opening the app, I keep losing connection to one of the aids. Perhaps this is an android problem. I have a Pixel 7.

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#10

We bought my wife a pair of 9030’s in Jan. 2023 primarily to make phone conversations easier. The Bluetooth connection from her Pixel 5a to hearing aids worked perfectly from Jan. to August and then started having big problems with staying connected. From reading reviews on the “Play Store”, it seems that others started having more problems about then. There’s a reason that the app scores a rating of 2.3 to 2.4 for Apple and Android.

The left aid would drop out, come back on and the right one would do the same thing and then both would lose connection, whether on phone calls or streaming music.

I contacted Philips and they recommended to bypass the app and just connect directly to the phone and things have worked flawlessly since. It seems like they “new and improved” the app to where it broke.

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#11

I have the 9030’s also and bluetooth was better with the earlier app than 2.0. 2.0 seems to NEVER stay connected, sometimes only connecting one side, sometimes connecting but not showing the programs and always going thru a long and frantic process to connect. While the older app didn’t do this, the bluetooth performance streaming music kept cutting out with the iphone in either a pocket or shirt pocket closer to the HA. It was so annoying hearing the music drop out of one side or another that I really stopped using it. If Apple can get rock solid connections from their Air Pod Pro 2.0 why can’t Philips. Yes the app barely earns a 2.0 rating and offers only minimal control which requires you to learn how to DIY or seek out a guru at CostCo. But I do need the app for some custom programs I’ve made for guitar playing that really work well. So I can’t do without it at this point.

#12

Well, my opinion may not be too popular here but I bought the Philips 9040 and had a terrible time keeping it connected to my android phone. One of the members here suggested doing away with the app and just connect the HAs directly to bluetooth. Of course the downside is one can’t make changes to the aids without the app but at least you can use your phone without worrying whether it will be connected or not.

#13

You can use the buttons on the HAs for volume/program changes tho.

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#14

I am about to order my first HA so that is not what I will comment on… Perhaps I will have something to say when I have some HA experience. I will comment about BT. I am old and retired, but have been in the computer business for at least 50 years. I have been a BT user on multiple Windows computers, multiple generations of IPhones and a very old IPad Air and a new IPad Air. Bluetooth does not like being attached to multiple devices at the same time. Whenever I have attempted to attach simple ear buds to my IPhone it works fine but disconnets when I power off the IPhone at night. Also when I place the IPhone on Airplane mode. When I attempt to connect the IPad at the same time as the IPhone, the IPad does not connect. I am forced to disconnect one in order to use another. This is a connection to simple earbuds… so I can’t yet comment on sophisticated HAs… perhaps they are more sophisticated, but I believe it is a bluetooth issue. I have never attempted to look for bluetooth settings. That is about my BT experiences. Have a nice day.

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