Canuck Bob
Level 1 (0 points)

Q: General questions on iphone compatible hearing aids, please?

I'm an oilfield salesman that travels and am in need of my first hearing aids.  I have classic old guy hearing loss and it is medium but I'm overdue for h/a's.  I'm missing an important part of my life and want to hear birds sing again!  I currently use a 5S with 9.2 and a Plantronics Voyageur Legend bluetooth.  I value the hands free for safe driving and mostly for note taking and wear it all day.  I don't stream music or videos, no vehicle bluetooth, and no other iOS devices.  The goal is good h/a's and good phone use.

 

I'm looking at the Starkey Halo and searching scared me a bit with questions I barely understand!  Googling found lots of reviews but they all seem written by sales agents or competitors.

 

Where is the bluetooth microphone on the Halos?

Is the phone call sterio or mono?

Does the hearing aid function remain while on the phone?

Considering my basic needs, any warnings other than the stupid cost of these things?

I'm also considering a 6S, would this be a better phone for the Halo teaming?

Are the iphone apps clumsy or glitch prone?

I miss conversation in meeting rooms, restaurants are tough and lounges are terrible for hearing?

Generally are you happy with new h/a's and Halos in particular.

Any features a newbie would not recognize that you like?

MacBook Air, Mac OS X (10.7)

Posted on Dec 18, 2015 3:31 PM

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Canuck Bob

Q: General questions on iphone compatible hearing aids, please?

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  • by OldGnome,Helpful

    OldGnome OldGnome May 21, 2016 3:04 PM in response to Canuck Bob
    Level 3 (781 points)
    Apple TV
    May 21, 2016 3:04 PM in response to Canuck Bob

    Let me know if you need more detail.

     

    Where is the bluetooth microphone on the Halos?

    --> The onboard microphone is on the top of the behind the ear portion. If you are using the Halos as your "ears on the phone," you will still speak into the phone's microphone.

     

    Is the phone call sterio or mono?

    --> Not true stereo, but you will hear the call through both hearing aids.

     

    Does the hearing aid function remain while on the phone?

    --> You can either leave the hearing aid microphones active or mute them. It's your choice.

     

    Considering my basic needs, any warnings other than the stupid cost of these things?

    --> Don't be afraid to test drive a few models, unless the first one really works well for you.,

     

    I'm also considering a 6S, would this be a better phone for the Halo teaming?

    --> I can't comment on that, except to say that my experience with multiple iPhones over the years leads me to have great confidence that each new model is better than the previous one. There are occasional bumps in the road, but Apple is pretty good about solving them. YMMV

     

    Are the iphone apps clumsy or glitch prone?

    --> Not in my opinion.

     

    I miss conversation in meeting rooms, restaurants are tough and lounges are terrible for hearing?

    --> That did not change for me. It's the nature of amplifying sound without being able to directly select which sounds to amplify and which to mute.

     

    Generally are you happy with new h/a's and Halos in particular.

    --> I am very happy.

     

    Any features a newbie would not recognize that you like?

    --> I like the ability to set a geographically sensitive "SoundSpace," where you can control the volume up and down and the bass/treble back and forth. It's a crude tool, but it works.