Bluetooth

The world we live in today is full of rapid technological advancements. These days, every phone, tablet, and computer company churns out a newer, better, faster model almost annually. Hearing aids are no different. Gone are the days of enormous, clunky devices that sit like bricks behind people’s ears, whistling loudly every time they move.

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Hearing Aids and Bluetooth: Audio Right to your Ears

Nowadays, most hearing aids are small enough that they’re barely even noticeable, with incredibly sophisticated technology that makes hearing better than ever. With these advances, almost every hearing aid available on the market includes Bluetooth connectivity for audio streaming, phone calls, and app control.

The benefits of Bluetooth streaming are boundless. The most common benefit patients report is improved understanding on phone calls. Anyone with a hearing loss will tell you that talking on the phone is a major headache. The frequency range of the human voice extends from 100 Hz all the way to 17,0000 Hz. However, in order to preserve bandwidth, phone calls limit the frequency range of audio to 300 Hz to only 3400 Hz. When you have hearing loss, you lose access to sounds in any frequencies where there is a loss, so speaking on the phone becomes even more difficult since the phone is already limiting the frequencies that are transmitted. While non-Bluetooth hearing aids do help, you still need to rely on holding the phone up to your ear and many patients run into issues with feedback.

Enter Bluetooth streaming, where now the call audio is transmitted through the hearing aids directly into the listener’s ear, amplified to their hearing prescription. People who have always had to take their calls on speakerphone can now have improved audibility without everyone around them getting to listen to their call. Many hearing aids also use the hearing aid microphones to pick up your voice for the call, eliminating the need to hold the phone up to your ear at all. Audio streaming through your phone works similarly, streaming any audio directly into the ears and amplifying it according to your hearing loss prescription.

All of the major manufacturers also have apps that can be used as a remote control for your hearing aids, where you can adjust volume, switch programs, and even adjust the directionality and frequency tuning of your hearing aids. Many apps even allow users to create custom programs that can be used in different situations according to their listening preferences. Some patients like these personal programs so much that they ask their audiologists to add them into the default programming of the hearing aids at their next visit.

With the exception of Phonak, most of the hearing aid manufacturers are made for iPhone (MFi). This means that the hearing aids use a low energy form of Bluetooth to connect to iPhones for streaming through the Accessibility menu. This form of Bluetooth is faster and reduces battery drain, and has the advantage of being extremely easy to set up as it only needs to be paired in one place. MFi hearing aids can also be paired to iPads and other Apple devices through the Accessibility menu. Apple devices also offer Live Listen through your hearing aids, so you can use your phone as a remote microphone. In a noisy restaurant, you can simply turn on Live Listen mode and hand the phone to the person you are speaking with to have their voice streamed directly to your ears. You can also use it to listen to the speaker in meetings or classes. 

If your hearing aids are MFi, you can still connect to Android devices if they have the ASHA Bluetooth protocol (usually found in more recent models- you can check compatibility through your hearing aid manufacturer website). Otherwise, each brand has accessories that can be used as a gateway to connect to Android devices as well as PCs.

Phonak hearing aids are slightly different as they are not MFi. This means they can connect via Bluetooth to almost any device that will allow it. In my time working with hearing aids, I have paired them to iPhones, Androids, Crickets, Google phones, laptops, and even flip phones! Phonak hearing aids use a traditional Bluetooth connection accessed through the Bluetooth menu of the phone. Whichever hearing aid is assigned as the primary hearing aid by the audiologist will be the hearing aid that connects to the phone via Bluetooth for audio streaming, then that aid sends all of the audio information to the other side through their own connection. For app connectivity, Phonak uses Bluetooth low energy, which pairs to both devices. So while with an MFi device you will have 2 hearing aids connected in the Accessibility menu, when connecting to Phonak hearing aids you will have 3 hearing aid connections in the Bluetooth menu.

Even if technology is not your cup of tea and the thought of Accessibility and Bluetooth menus makes you start to sweat, once it is set up Bluetooth connectivity makes wearing hearing aids a lot more hassle free. If you have trouble connecting your hearing aids, reach out to either your audiologist or your hearing aid manufacturer and they will have you paired in no time. Phone calls will start to go directly into your ears, causing less stress on the phone, and the large, user-friendly interfaces of the apps allow you to easily make adjustments without having to fumble around with tiny buttons on the backs of your hearing aids.

While even ten years ago being able to listen to phone calls and audio directly through your hearing aids may have seemed like a pipe dream, it has become almost ubiquitous among today’s hearing aids. With the introduction of over-the-counter hearing aids, the Bluetooth capabilities of hearing aids are likely to soar to even greater heights. As technology advances, these connections are only going to get faster and better. Ten years from now, who knows where we’ll be?

Bluetooth

Hearing Aids

Jabra Enhance Plus

OTC Hearing Aid
Advanced technology
Connectivity
Sound enhancing
Jabra Enhance Plus is a miniaturized 3-in-1 earbud designed for hearing enhancement as well as calls and music.
Jabra Enhance Plus

Lexie B2 Powered by Bose

OTC Hearing Aid
OTC
Rechargeable
Smartphone App
Lexie B2 OTC Hearing aids are receiver-in-canal devices that you can fit, program, and control on your own, without assistance from a health care professional.
Lexie B2 Powered by Bose

Oticon Intent

Prescription Hearing Aid
4D Sensors
BrainHearing
Bluetooth LE Audio
Oticon Intent Hearing Aids are designed to cater to a wide range of hearing needs, offering a blend of advanced technology and user-friendly features.
Oticon Intent

Oticon More

Prescription Hearing Aid
Battery Life
Sound Processing
BrainHearing™ technology
Oticon More Hearing Aids provide a higher level of clarity and better hearing, allowing users to enjoy a higher quality of life.
Oticon More

Oticon Own

Prescription Hearing Aid
Custom-Made
BrainHearing™ technology
Deep Learning Network
The Oticon Own stands out in numerous ways. It provides superior audiological performance and blends that with the latest technology and innovation while creating a discreet, hard-to-notice device that is comfortable and highly effective.
Oticon Own

Oticon Real

Prescription Hearing Aid
Precise
Balanced
Natural Sound
Oticon Real Hearing Aids give you precisely tuned sounds that are not only surprisingly lifelike but also naturally balanced.
Oticon Real

Phonak Lumity

Prescription Hearing Aid
Bluetooth
Rechargeable
Waterproof
Phonak has announced their newest platform, Phonak Lumity, and will launch the new line with 3 rechargeable models. While the 3 styles do not look much different from the previous Paradise generation, they do offer an upgrade in speech processing and speech understanding.
Phonak Lumity

Phonak Sphere Infinio

Prescription Hearing Aid
Artificial Intelligence
Auracast compatible
Rechargeable
Phonak's latest innovation, the Audeo Infinio Sphere, marks a revolutionary advancement in hearing technology. These cutting-edge hearing aids are engineered to dramatically improve speech comprehension in challenging background noise, while also offering enhanced connectivity options.
Phonak Sphere Infinio

ReSound Omnia

Prescription Hearing Aid
Noise Reduction
Natural Sound
M&RIE receiver
The ReSound Omnia is a hearing aid designed for those with mild to severe hearing loss that automatically adjusts to allow a person to hear what and who they want to hear, creating a realistic experience.
ReSound Omnia

Resound Nexia

Prescription Hearing Aid
Auracast
Bluetooth LE
MicroRIE Design
game-changer in hearing aid technology, Resound Nexia is designed to cater to individuals with mild to profound hearing loss, offering an unparalleled sound experience.
Resound Nexia

Sony CRE-E10

OTC Hearing Aid
OTC Hearing Aid
Rechargeable
Bluetooth
Sony, a globally recognized consumer electronics brand, has taken a significant stride into the healthcare realm with its latest product offering: the Sony CRE-E10 Self-Fitting hearing aids.
Sony CRE-E10

Starkey Evolv Ai

Prescription Hearing Aid
Artificial Intelligence
Custom Earmolds
Sound Quality
The Starkey Evolv AI is one of the most well anticipated hearing aids out there. It is considered one of the best innovations in the latest models because of the artificial intelligence that’s built into it as well as the added features that give users more control.
Starkey Evolv Ai

Starkey Genesis AI

Prescription Hearing Aid
AI-assisted
Sound Tuning
Neuro Processor
Starkey reimagines what AI-assisted hearing aids can do with their most breakthrough product yet — the Genesis AI Hearing Aids.
Starkey Genesis AI

Widex Moment

Prescription Hearing Aid
Rechargeable
Personalization
Clear Sound
Using machine learning and ZeroDelay technology, the Widex MOMENT provides superior clarity of sound that is pure, natural, and undistorted.
Widex Moment