Hearing Aids and Bluetooth

[davyjohns]

Had new hearing aids today which are Bluetooth enabled. Can adjust the volume, connect to the TV, Tablet and Mobile. Can answer phone calls, hear and speak through the aids.
Unfortunately they don't allow the phone to connect to the car when connected to the Aids.
Tried to make a call using voice activation. The screen showed the call being made but nothing. It dialled the right number (must hold contacts in its memory) but was unable to connect because the phone was not connected.
The car detected the phone as I approached and was able to open the doors, input the PIN and drive and I was able to make and receive calls through the Aids (had to use the phone to place a call but could answer with the Aids).
Found that the Aids have Airplane Mode. Then the phone connected and was able to use the screen and the Aids still maintained their hearing function. Useful if the passengers need to hear the conversations.
The phone, therefore, is only able to connect to one Bluetooth device at a time.

 

[M3noob]

Looking forward to some Resound LINX Quatro 9s and anticipated some jiggery pokery...

I am currently using a HTC U11 but switching to a Pixel 4 so I can charge wirelessly.

The HTC and the car worked flawlessly until they didn't 2020.6.4 may have fixed that? My aids were never invoved.

Which aids and phone combo are you using?

 

[Medved_77]

Had new hearing aids today which are Bluetooth enabled. Can adjust the volume, connect to the TV, Tablet and Mobile. Can answer phone calls, hear and speak through the aids.
Unfortunately they don't allow the phone to connect to the car when connected to the Aids.
Tried to make a call using voice activation. The screen showed the call being made but nothing. It dialled the right number (must hold contacts in its memory) but was unable to connect because the phone was not connected.
The car detected the phone as I approached and was able to open the doors, input the PIN and drive and I was able to make and receive calls through the Aids (had to use the phone to place a call but could answer with the Aids).
Found that the Aids have Airplane Mode. Then the phone connected and was able to use the screen and the Aids still maintained their hearing function. Useful if the passengers need to hear the conversations.
The phone, therefore, is only able to connect to one Bluetooth device at a time.

Can you link different Bluetooth devices to different profiles in the car? Then can you switch user profiles whilst driving?

Not sure if this would work or if it helps the problem you're trying to overcome.

 

[Dilly]

I had the same problem in my previous car. My iPhone would work happily with car, happily with hearing aids, but not both.
I think it was in limitation in the phone of sharing a Bluetooth service.
I wasn’t an issue if my wife was in the car with me. I’d take my hearing aids out )

 

[NewbieT]

Voice activation / calls are playing up in one of the latest versions- it might not be you! Try a reboot.

 

[Mr Miserable]

I haven't heard about that.

 

[m3p_uk]

Maybe need a new phone? Which one have you got

 

[davyjohns]

Which aids and phone combo are you using?

The Aids are Phonak and the phone is a Sony Xperia.
The 'problem' is that the phone can only make one Blutooth connection at a time like most Bluetooth devices.
This is not a problem when I receive a call. I can answer by touching the right hearing aid. If I want to make a call I cannot use the cars facility unless I switch the Aids to Airplane Mode and let the phone connect to the car.

 

[davyjohns]

I’d take my hearing aids out

Or just switch them off.

 

[Dilly]

Thank heavens I don’t have Bluetooth glasses. I’d be flying blind

 

[M3noob]

Thank heavens I don’t have Bluetooth glasses. I’d be flying blind

Close call. I just sold my Google Glass

 

[BruceW]

I am using Signa hearing aids and an iphone 10. The phone's bluetooth connects to my hearing aids and my 2017 MS without a problem, and operates just fine using the car's microphone and speaker system.

 

[m3p_uk]

Older phones could only connect one device via Bluetooth at a time but new ones can connect many. Not sure how old/what model your Sony Xperia phone is but sounds like you might need to upgrade to a newer one

 

[bellbrie]

On a slightly off-topic question - do you hearing aid wearers notice any significant difference to the background noise levels, having switched to an EV?
My son is deaf and has cochlear implants and am interested in if he will notice any improvement over the existing ICE cars we have.
Thanks.

 

[davyjohns]

Certainly hear the indicators better, any creaks and cracks, tyre noise is also noticeable. In heavy rain it can sound like being in our conservatory.
Some people complain of wind noise but I find the tyres are the loudest dependant on road surface, but also found this in a Jaguar XE.

 

[Lightbulb]

Any updates to this

I just got some Oticon zircon 2 hearing aids to test out with the Bluetooth functions which connect to your phone

I have an iPhone X which has Bluetooth 5 (so supports multiple devices) but it will not work with my car anymore

My phone will connect to the Bluetooth audio in the car but won’t connect as a key

Since I got the hearing aids a few days ago to try out, I was having issues with the car where I would come up to it and I would have to use phone to unlock, would get inside and the Tesla would start playing music from my phone but would want me to tap the card key to allow me to drive

Am wondering if I need a newer phone or the hearing aids on a different frequency

 

[Neilman]

I have some high power Siemens Impact Pro DSP hearing aids for my deafness - not Bluetooth though.
They have excellent noise cancelling capability that almost completely eliminates road noise.
My own hearing, as well as being very poor volume-wise suffers from frequency loss - can't hear anything above 1kHz
So, if my car squeaks I can't hear it. Is that an advantage?

For info Bluetooth does have many frequencies (or channels) but they all use the same "pairing" frequency to start with.
Early implementations of Bluetooth were 1-to-1, i.e. you could only pair one device with one other device.
The very latest implementations of Bluetooth can have 1-to-many pairings set up.

 

[Lightbulb]

Interesting.

I just disconnected both and then added my hearing aids first to see if it would make a difference and the car wouldn’t even let me pair the phone as a key with the hearing aids paired already. The moment I unpaired the hearing aids the phone connected as a key immediately.

I’m going to contact the hearing aid manufacturer and see what they say

 

[davyjohns]

In my experience the phone can only connect to the hearing aids or the car, not both. I normally get in and start the car then switch on hearing aids. The car seems to have claimed the phone first. Although if I am listening to the TV through a bluetooth connection an alert sound on the phone takes priority over the TV for a few seconds (annoying but tolerable)