Q: starkey halo

Thank you, Greg.  Yes, I don't see a problem upgrading iOS on the iPhone 5.  It should serve you well.  Using just one Halo won't present a problem with performance at all.  Good luck on your surgery!

Jim

gratitude here Jim.

Thank you.

g

Hi, new to this forum. About to get new HAs (first time) and debating whether to get Halos or Linx2. Both seem to have streaming and pairing issues. Has anyone tried both?

Haven't tried the Lynx, and didn't know there was a Version 2.  From people who have tried both, they found both to be excellent aids, but the Lynx (ONE) had battery life issues, so I didn't consider it.

I think that the PAIRING issues have been addressed by iOS 8.3.  Mine have been paring and connecting WELL since 8.3, and the complaints on this board have dropped off.

STREAMING is another issue.  There, we're looking at the BLUETOOTH specification and the very tiny antenna that can FIT inside the hearing aids.  I stream VOICE podcasts every day, and find the streaming to be "adequate" for voice.  Not great.  Just adequate.  I wouldn't try to stream music.  Phone calls are A BLESSING with these aids.  The QUALITY is lacking, but ADEQUATE.  The blessing is that you hear the calls in BOTH EARS, which more than makes up for the lack of quality.  That's where having a very PATIENT and COOPERATIVE AUDIOLOGIST is extremely important.  You're going to want to make several trips back for TWEAKS.

Now, for the aids themselves, THEY ARE GREAT!!!!!  The sound from the microphones is unbelievably EXCELLENT.  CONTROLLING the aids with the iPhone is WONDERFUL.  Note that I very seldom use the software at all, I just use the basic iPhone settings.  That is fast and accurate, using a "triple-click" on the home button.  Just "Click Click Click" and slide the volume up or down, or change "program" from say "restaurant" to "car" or "home" or whatever you choose to name your "programs."  Your audi will work with you on setting those up.

I LOVE my Starkeys!

Jim Flannery

Littleton, Co.

Yes, mercboy, I've tried both Starkey Halos and Resound Linx. The halos lasted about a month with intermittent problems before they lost pairing completely with iPhone 5S. My audiologist has now given me some Linx to try but so far we have not been able to get them to even pair the first time (even when Apple replaced my iPhone). Needless to say they are also going back tomorrow and I will get my money back until these guys can produce a product that works as advertised.

IF anyone can genuinely solve this problem (not the solutions in these fora, I've tried all those multiple times), I will be eternally grateful.

Hello,

Sorry to hear about the problems you had with the Halos. Considering you had the same connectivity issue with the Linx, it is highly likely that the problem is with the iPhone.

What version of the IOS do you have on your iPhone 5? To be sure, you should have IOS 8.3, have the latest version of Trulink and updated firmware for the Halos. IF all those are true, the next step would be to make an appointment with the Apple Genius bar and specifically ask for someone familiar with accessability. AT your appointment, you can ask them to pair your Halos with another IOS device and see what happens.

My halos are paired to an iPhone 5, 6 and an iPad. The audio streaming works great up to about 25 feet then it starts to crackle. Music is also great since my audi tweeked  it based on my music preference.

HTH and good luck.

Thank you for the good thoughts but I've been down that track. I went to the Apple Store on Monday and they actually gave me a new phone. Even when set up as a new phone (iOS 8.3) with none of my apps on it, I could not connect to the Resound ones. Later at my audiologist we tried the Starkeys again but no joy. She is getting the Starkey rep in to see if they have any ideas but I am giving up on any HAs with iPhone connectivity. I've never got either to pair with my iPad Air either so my conclusion is the technology is too flaky to be commercial yet.

I think you will find from the folks around here that, barring an occasional problem, our experiences with the Halos pairing with Apple products is and has been pretty positive. That you are unable to make the connection is unusual and something that I believe can be fixed. This thread is lengthy and contains numerous suggestions for pairing and using Halos with Apple devices. As the Halos and iOS have gotten more mature, the devices have worked better together.

I realize you feel that the technology is flaky, but I think there are many participants in this thread who feel otherwise. I know I do. I would also make the recommendation to get to the bottom of the problem, rather than writing off the technology at this point.

However, choose the path you desire.

I concur with OldGnome for the most part. I have my frustrations with the HA's but I hear better. Yesterday my Audi did what he called speech mapping which is a new process that he said was expensive to obtain but he thinks helps  immeasurably. I have no probs with connectivity except that having an ipad with Bluetooth on causes a problem with streaming, and despite telling it regularly to forget the HA's it still tries to connect with them. I find trying to go from one device to the other simply frustrating.

When the last firmware came out, Starkey added Stream boost after my Audi and I had gotten the previous streaming program to work very well. Because Starkey made it impossible to disable stream boost, my audi reprogramed the sound on Stream Boost.

I also see no reason Starkey can't make firmware updates available to users so when we get the updte we do not have to sit around the Audi's office for 15 minutes waiting for it to happen. Instead we just go in and get him/her to tweak the things.

WOuld I give them up? Not on your life. I can actually hear for the most part now in many environments that with my old ones it was nearly impossible.

That's my take and I am sorry that anyone is having not so good experiences let alnone one that would make him/her give up.

I don't know if my experiences will generalize, but I wanted to post it.  Since purchase the Starkey Halos connected to my IPhone by Bluetooth fitfully, and eventually they would not connect at all. They also would no longer connect to my IPad.  The audiologist sent me to an Apple Store, where I obligingly was given a new IPhone 6, which connected in the store but no longer would connect once I synced it with my computer. The hearing aids connected without difficulty to other IPhones or IPads! A helpful tech support person at Starkey suggested I erase setting and contents from my phone.  Tested multiple times, the phone connected without difficulty if I booted up without my Apple ID or even with a newly created Apple ID, but would not connect if booted up with my Apple ID. Another Apple store genius suggested I boot up without any ID but then go to Settings/ITunes & App Store and put in my ID.  Since trying that work around, the phone quickly and easily Bluetooth connects to the Halos.  Go figure!  Hope this is the long term solution! Hope my experience helps others!

Doug, I'm going to intersperse my answers with your questions for continuity below.

_______

A word of praise to this thread for information about the Halos!  I have gotten more and better information here than anywhere else even copying several posts for my audi to see.  It has helped me troubleshoot several issues.  I have severe/profound hearing loss.  I have had the Halo i110 for about a month.  I have the ear molds with the embedded 70 - which is the most powerful ITE device you can get.  These might be replacing my current Oticon ITE aids with bluetooth streamer. I have several issues that have been discussed on this forum, so I would like some more wisdom from this group.
1. I have an iWatch.  When I answer a phone call from the watch, it does not transfer to the Halos.  That does not seem to be a problem with others in this forum.

Your iPhone has to make a decision whether to send the sound TO THE Apple WATCH or TO THE AIDS or TO THE CAR RADIO or TO THE iPhone itself.  So what you are finding is "an urban interchange" with various exit points.  I don't have the Apple Watch, so I can't see your SETTINGS.  You might play with the settings to see if there's a way to disable taking phone calls on the watch.  I had to turn off BlueTooth on my car radio for just that reason.

2. My main issue is hearing quality with the streaming - phone and other.  The sound quality is poor (tinny sound and distortion).  The ear molds have made it tolerable but the distortion - especially with louder sound, is difficult. 

STREAMING is just that: tinny.  It will take some time for this to be perfected.  For phone calls, I find it to be far better than other solutions simply because you hear in BOTH ears.  Yes, tinny, but quite understandable.  I also listen to VOICE podcasts, but wouldn't want to listen to music.

3. Using Trulink to adjust the phone streaming is very awkward.  The app crashes often, sometimes takes 10-15 seconds to answer call and get app up for adjustments.  I have also found that one size fits all does not work with phone calls with different callers - men, women, loud, soft, etc.  

I agree.  I almost never use Trulink.  I just use the "triple tap" on the Home Button to adjust volume.  Very fast, very easy.  Note that you have to tap ONCE to wake the phone before you can triple-tap, so it is "Tap...TapTapTap".

4. I do not use Stream Boost in the Setting portion of Trulink - but when the app crashes with streaming, it always brings Stream Boost up (by default?).  I really do not have a single Trulink setting that is usable. I have found the Trulink adjustments very limiting.

On the rare occasion when I use Trulink, it doesn't crash for me, so I'm not familiar with that.

5. The NORMAL (Basic) Halo setting for general hearing is fine (my word recognition almost doubles) and the CAR setting is wonderful!  But my Oticons can give me that.  However, my main problem is phone calls.

Yes.  You're using the MICROPHONES, which are EXCELLENT.  I love 'em!!!

6. I find the inability to adjust volume without iWatch or iPhone is problematic.  If I get into an unexpected loud situation (elevator, groups of people, etc), the sound becomes very distorted and unpleasant.  The 5-10 seconds to activate iphone or iwatch to adjust volume is too long.

Thats where Triple-Tap became my best friend.  Fast!  Easy!

My Audi wants me to try a Seimens Hearing aid with a streamer.  I am going to give it a shot.  I know that my hearing loss is bad, but wonder if I am approaching the point where aids cannot help me much.  If I had to make a decision today, I would most likely stay with my Oticons and look again next year.  The Halos and Trulink offer great promise. I am not sure they can help me yet.  My ENT says that I will be a candidate for Cochlear in my lifetime.  I am in my early 60's.

You were "born too soon."  Like the rest of us, we're guinea pigs to sort this out for those who follow us down this path.  Think of yourself as a PIONEER!!!

Jim Flannery

unixman@mac.com

Littleton, Colorado

" I almost never use Trulink.  I just use the "triple tap" on the Home Button to adjust volume.  Very fast, very easy.  Note that you have to tap ONCE to wake the phone before you can triple-tap, so it is "Tap...TapTapTap"."

What about the TruLink widget? That'd be Tap...SwipeDown...

I'll be darned!  I never saw that!

THANK YOU, ED!

An update on my situation. We had no joy with the new iPhone 5S so eventually Starkey offered brand new Halos to see if it could be resolved, but after 90 minutes with the audiologist last night and him on the phone to Starkey for a lot of it, we still could not see the Halos on my phone. So we have now tried brand new phone and brand new HAs with no joy. Only suggestion now is a rogue app. Does anyone know if its possible to find out the date I downloaded various apps? this might help me track down the culprit.

Failing this Audio suggests I try and hit Apple up for a iPhone 6!

I'm not sure you can get a full listing of apps when they were loaded, but if you launch theApp Store and tap Updates, you can see this history of when apps were updated.

When you started with a brand-new phone, did you load any apps before trying to pair the Halos?