starkey halo

Just for fun

I had trouble with only one aid connecting but discovered it was because my iPad had BT on. I turn BT off and the aid connects. Then you can turn BT back on. I am not sure why the aids and iOS can't be made to let one decide which device has control of the aids. I also have a rpoblemw ith my iPAd wanting to connect to the aids whether or not BT is on when trying to play video. I gave up on trying to pair and connect them to the iPad. It was a pain. Anything but smooth. I'm not sure it has anything to do with it, but I turned Handoff off on both devices. The prob is Handoff is a feature I want to use.

I am mostly satisfied with the devices. I hear in most circumstances much better than with my previous pair of aids and the features that work are good to have.

Hello people,

I am on a test period of Halos i110 and owner of an Iphone 4s running ios 8.3 (beta of course). I am almost sure that the first time that i paired my HA on the phone everything worked Ok. The first time that BT reconnected I didn't manage to keep both HAs connected even if I tried everything. Actually, when the left connects, connection to the right fails and viceversa. also hearing through BT connection is worse than hearing directly from the phone. In this thread i read that this is a common problem of iphone 4s, but I read also that even upgraded devises have connectivity problems...

Lately halos also connect with android mobile devices, (Samsung, HTC etc).

so my question is upgrading to a newer iphone? and which one ? As long as I read the 5, 5c and 5s even older than the 6 seems more reliable. Should I wait for next winter ? Apple told that 2 or more devices will be present untill next september.

Switch to Samsung or HTC ?

I write you from Greece ... the Halos are not so much in use here (because their prise mostly) and as you understand Audis are not good informed. Upgranding to new mobile device also, is ruther expensive to make it more than once.

Every opinion is welcome.

Thank you in advance.

Yes, it will be "better" with the later iPhones. You should understand that STREAMING audio (phone, podcasts, music) will NOT sound good, even with the newer phones. This isn't a problem with the iPhone, or iOS, or even the Starkey Halos. The problem is the BLUETOOTH connection and protocol. That hasn't yet matured. The sound will have what we call "artifacts", and will be a tinny quality.

When you have trouble with just one aid, that is usually an indication of a fault in the aid. Understand that the Halos aren't big enough to contain a full-sized antenna to receive the signal.

When used as hearing aids, the Halos are WONDERFUL. Controlling them with the iPhone works really well. But STREAMING audio TO the aids is not wonderful. I use mine for VOICE PODCASTS and PHONE CALLS. I find the audio "acceptable." Not wonderful. I wouldn't use them for music.

You do have wonderful food there in Greece -and healthy food! I enjoy the Greek restaurants here in the Denver area. 😀

But you know either left or right connects .. BOTH does not connect . Thanks for supporting greek cuisine !

I have been using my Halos for more than ten months now with my iPhone 5S. I do not use them for streaming audio. I have to use a noise-canceling headset when I am on the phone. I have had very few problems with my Halos. In fact yesterday was the first time I had any difficulty at all in a long time. I merely had to reboot my phone and everything was back to normal.

I agree with dogsitter that the Halos are not much use for quality listening.

Are you able to get the release version of iOS 8.3?

I already have 8.3 in my 4s but no luck. I don't bother for music streaming, but listening clearly to calls is something really important for me, specially because of the nature of my business.

Old Gnome,

I've looked at headsets and can't find one that doesn't squash or pinch when combined with the Hearing Aids. Can you tell me what brand you are using. I REALLY miss being able to use my t-coils with my computer. Halo streaming is fantastic when it works, but, for me, it is inconsistent. It also can't be used with my Macbook.

-Thanks

I'm using these: vmoda crossfade lp2 :

http://www.amazon.com/V-MODA-Crossfade-Over-Ear-Noise-Isolating-Headphone/dp/B00 HYH7HXA/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1429744974&sr=8-1&keywords=vmoda+crossfade+lp2

They WILL pinch a little, but the cups are soft enough that they will "flow around" the aids. For that reason, I don't keep the aids on if I'm going to listen to the earphones for a long time. NOTE: your aids WILL NOT pick up sound from the headset.

This headset is VERY comfy! It has good sound too. You can get a Beats cord if you want to use it for phone calls. The Beats cord is VERY GOOD:

http://www.amazon.com/Replacement-Beats-Headphones-Discontinued-Manufacturer/dp/ B00ILV7VGG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=142974…

Whoops! I just noticed that it has been discontinued, but is listed IN STOCK so I'm going to order some more RIGHT NOW!

I don't use my Halos when I use the headset on calls. I will have to look at the headset when I am in my office in the morning.

Just4Fun00 - I just reread your post and noticed the comment about your MacBook and being unable to stream from there to your Halos. That is expected - the Halos use low power Bluetooth connection and that is not supported by the MacBook (folks - I think I remember that right. Please correct me if I am wrong.)

My headset is a Jabra Evolve 80. It works very well as a phone headset on my iPhone and my Cisco desk phone. It performs extremely well for music. It is noise canceling and I hear virtually nothing of my surroundings, even when I am on an airplane.

Thanks Old Gnome,

I appreciate the information. One more question: "Do the ear covers press or hurt when combined with the Halo's?" I seem to have issues with every headset when it comes to the size of the earpieces. They are so small that they press uncomfortably against my ears and Halo's.

Yes, you are right about the MacBooks not being able to use the Halo BT. I called the company when I first got the Halos and the representative told me that the Halos would not work with the MacBooks. Nor did he ever expect that to be the case. So, I started searching for comfortable headsets. I'm going to check into those that you and others have mentioned in response to my questions.

While I'm at asking questions, does anyone know what the firmware update does? Bug fixes, additions, deletions, etc?

Thanks again to all of you. This is the best place to come for correct information regarding the Halos.

-Rachel

I am not aware of any headsets/headphones that are designed to be worn with hearing aids. The microphones on the Halos are at the top of the behind-the-ear piece and are poorly positioned for use with headphones anyway.

I stil have to max the volume to hear what I can when I am on the phone or listening to music.

Sorry, Old Gnome. This isn't a reply to your last post. I don't know how to post on a different subject. I seem to only be able to "return to hearing, go to original post or reply to original post" but not start a new subject. But I have a new subject:

Starkey Halo and Theatre Use.

I will be attending a lot of plays this summer. The Stratford Festival season begins in May with Hamlet. The plays are not miked. Headphones are available but I have never found them very satisfactory. Do you (or anyone else who may read this plea) have any advice on maximizing the Halos for use in theatres? Or am I being just overoptimistic in hoping there might be a way to enhance the theatre experience?

I think you are correct that there is no way to start a new question without it showing up in some other part of this forum. I've always "changed subject" by looking for something similar, then hitting reply.

Optimizing for a theatre is where Soundscape would be useful.

I still find that cupping my hands behind my ears helps in watching TV by using my hands as "reflectors." It has occurred to me that something like "Mickey Mouse Club Ears" could be modified as passive reflectors/concentrators. I'd be very open to a hat that was designed with that in mind. NO, I AM NOT KIDDING. Some enterprising inventor could become a Billionaire by inventing a hat-like passive reflector that we could use. It shouldn't cost more than a standard baseball cap, and the "reflectors" wouldn't have to be very large. "Batteries not needed."