Bluetooth Hearing Aids
Did you know that a modern hearing is able to stream the audio output of your TV via bluetooth? The principle is also transferable to other bluetooth devices such as your smartphone. If you establish a bluetooth connection between your phone and your hearing aid, you'll perceive the music or phone call directly through your hearing aids.
Your smartphone's voice assistance can also be used with your hearing aids via bluetooth. Depending on the settings, the audio can be distributed to both ears, giving you superior stereo quality.
Moreover, other devices, such as laptops or tablets, can easily be paired with your hearing aid via bluetooth as well. In addition, accessories, such as an additional microphone, can be connected to your hearing device. Bluetooth connectivity thus opens up numerous pathways for you to participate more actively in social life - despite your hearing impairment!
Bluetooth as a trend
When you look at the current selection of hearing aids offered on the market, you'll quickly realize that wireless technology is here for good. This can be attributed to the growing demands of everyday life. Whether in private or at work, nobody wants to be restricted due to their hearing loss.
With the latest models, you no longer have to! Whether in a meeting, at conferences or business lunches, there is a suitable accessory with bluetooth connectivity for every occasion, improving speech comprehension.
An increasing number of younger people are struggling with hearing problems. So why not reach for a good hearing aid with a bluetooth function, to have as little impairment in your life as possible?
Connection via Bluetooth
You can establish the connection between the hearing aid and the external device using an app on your smartphone. This allows you to transmit all sound output directly to your ears - simply, conveniently, without any effort.
For this, neither a cable nor a headset is needed for making calls. With a suitable app, you're also able to pair the TV with your hearing aid. If the TV doesn't have an integrated bluetooth function, the appropriate accessories - TV connectors offered by several brands - will remedy the situation.
In addition to the obvious advantage of growing comfort, distracting noises are automatically minimized. This provides you with extremely clear sound output. The sound output can be adjusted via app on your smartphone - here you can control the sound and its volume and adapt it to your individual needs.
Bluetooth Classic vs. Bluetooth Low Energy
Basically, there are two types of bluetooth technology - Bluetooth Classic and Bluetooth Low Energy. Bluetooth Classic is found in any audio streamers and receivers. It helps produce a voluminous, clear sound in the hearing aid. Streaming via this type of bluetooth is supported by iOS devices.
As the name suggests, Bluetooth Low Energy is more energy efficient than Bluetooth Classic. In addition, it provides faster transmission and is available for both, iOS and selected Android devices. However, it shows a reduced sound quality compared to the Classic technology.
The low energy variant is now the standard in hearing aids and is used by most manufacturers. Only Phonak, Hansaton and Unitron fall out as they're the only ones still using Classic Bluetooth technology. The advantage here lies in the fact that the hearing aid microphones can be used for phoning.
Bluetooth Apple vs. Bluetooth Android
Apple uses a special made-for-iPhone feature that is tailored specifically to Apple products. This results in the hearing aids being able to receive streaming, but not transmit. Say, you can listen to music or even the audio of a phone call, but you can't use the microphones on your hearing aid for that very phone call.
Android, on the other hand, uses the ASHA standard. ASHA stands for Android Streaming for Hearing Aids. It works similarly to Apple's, but the standard is only available in newer devices.
Is Bluetooth Technology Reliable?
Generally, a bluetooth connection is stable. However, if the transmitter and receiver are out of range, the connection may be interrupted. Due to other radio frequencies, the bluetooth signal is very rarely disturbed. Mostly, there is only interference noise, but not a complete interruption of the signal.