A solution to the Vox problem for Hearing Aid users???
There have been several discussions of the problems hearing impaired guests have with the Vox units that Tauck uses.
Apple just announced that the new AirPods Pro 2 would have a "hearing aid" function, and that may provide a path to a solution for these guests.
The problem with hearing aids with Bluetooth is that the hearing aids implement "low power" Bluetooth which will not connect to standard Bluetooth. There are small devices that you can plug into a Vox unit which will create a Bluetooth link, but that link is standard Bluetooth, not low power Bluetooth.
The AirPods, however, implement standard Bluetooth. That should give hearing aid users the ability to have a device in their ears that is matched to their hearing loss, and can connect to one of those Bluetooth devices that can be plugged into a Vox unit.
The hearing aid software for the new AirPod will not be out until October. I ordered a set of the new AirPods ($250) and will trial the new Apple hearing aid software when it's released. On my next Tauck tour, I'll use a Bluetooth device on the Vox and attempt to connect it to the new AirPods to see if it will solve this long standing problem.
I'll report the results in a few months.
Comments
Hi Mike, are you talking about the AirPods Pro 2? I was just looking at these yesterday after the big announcement of new products. I'm not a hearing aid user yet, but keeping an eye on the rapidly approaching future. I'm in need of a new phone and spent some time studying their new products.
I look forward to your research. Thank you.
Not all hearing aid Bluetooth are identical. It is not necessarily low power, many use different codecs and they are designed to perform other functions such as answer phone calls, etc. For instance, my Phonac's work perfectly directly with my iPad, but not at all with my PC laptop w/Bluetooth. None of your discussion solves the basic problem with the Vox or Whisper which is that the most common version of each (used by Tauck) do not have or use traditional Blue Tooth to communicate- the TD/guide master units have multiple channels to transmit to the group using a different Bluetooth codec (some advanced units now use WiFi but that requires that the TD/guide carry a large, awkward box and everyone must have and use a cell phone or other WiFi compatible device to receive it).
My current solution which is not perfect, but has worked perfectly for our last two tours, is to use the small Bluetooth transmitter module sold by my hearing aid manufacturer. I use it with our TV, my laptop, the Vox, or another audio source I want to hear through my hearing aids. When on tour I just use a short cord to plug the small transmitter into the earphone outlet on the Vox. The transmitter syncs to my hearing aids automatically. Unfortunately, the transmitter module is not self-powered and the earphone jack on the Vox doesn't provide power. My solution has been to plug it into a small, portable, rechargeable (via USB) battery bank.
Other issues with Bluetooth devices:
latency. Depending on the device and hearing aids you are using you might experience latency- the audio in your hearing aids is delayed slightly from when the TD/guide is speaking. It can be annoying to some. It doesn't bother me since I'm usually looking somewhere else, not the TD/guide's mouth.
auto muting/disconnect When the TD/guide stops talking (Bluetooth transmitter does not receive audio from the VOX) in a given amount of time, the transmitter disconnects from my hearing aids (hearing aids disconnect from the Bluetooth transmitter?). That reduces stray background noise and is no problem in itself especially since there is an alert tone when it happens, however when the TD starts talking again, it can take a few seconds for the Bluetooth connection to be re-established and I often lose the first few words/sentences spoken by the TD/guide. When I first started using this setup I thought something was wrong or the battery was dying.
Small, rechargeable lithium battery, Bluetooth transmitter ("Phonac TV Connect"), Vox
Maybe I should have described this better. What I'm searcing for is a solution for my hearing problems with the Tauck Vox units.
Let me give a bit of background first. Many people who have hearing loss, especially older people, have the greatest loss in the high frequencies, as indicated by this sample audiogram.
What hearing aids do is boost the volume of the sound in the high frequencies compared to the boost in the low frequencies. The goal of this is to provide to the hearing-impaired person sound that is close to what they heard when they had normal hearing. This is called "equalization".
Normally, the AirPods provide sound amplified essentially the same across all frequencies. If I tried to use normal AirPods, I’d hear a lot of low frequencies and very little high frequencies.
Apple has worked with the FDA to get approval for the AirPods to be used as “over the counter hearing aids” which the FDA approved a year or so ago. Apple will provide software that does essentially what the audiologist does when s/he tests your hearing. This test will determine your loss curve - as shown in the above picture.
Based on that hearing test, the software in the AirPod will attempt to equalize the sound for your hearing loss. That’s exactly what regular hearing aids do.
So what’s great about the AirPod approach?
All the hearing aids I’ve used in the past years that included Bluetooth implemented low energy Bluetooth. And low energy devices will not connect to standard Bluetooth.
But AirPods are designed to connect to the iPhone over standard Bluetooth.
Next question: Why does that matter?
There are devices that you can plug into a standard audio output and it will generate a Bluetooth signal to send that sound to a headset – or an AirPod. Here’s a picture of a couple of those devices.
They’re designed to be used – for example – in an airplane so that you can hear a movie on your AirPods instead of wearing those large headsets that the airline provides. Or to hear sound from your computer in your AirPods and not disturb others in the same room (or an airport lounge) – if you used the speakers on your computer.
When I go on my next Tauck tour, I will plug one of the Bluetooth devices into the audio output of the Vox unit, and pair my “hearing aid” AirPods to that device. That will allow me to hear what is being said over the Vox, and have the sound be equalized to my hearing loss.
If this works, my wife will be very relieved – she won’t have to relay things to me any more
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I will report the results for the benefit of other Tauck guests here who wear hearing aids.
I just got new Lexie hearing aids that use Bose technology, and they are connected to my iPhone via blue tooth. Is that low power blue tooth or regular blue tooth? By the way, these are my third pair of hearing aids and the first that have worked well for me.
I did some research a while back and could only find one hearing aid that implemented full Bluetooth. I don't remember if I looked at Lexie hearing aids.
I did some searching just now and it looks like Lexie uses low energy Bluetooth. You'd have to contact them directly to be certain.
On our Budapest to the Black Sea trip this past July I decided to use a small Bluetooth transmitter/receiver to connect my hearing aids to the Vox units. It worked better than expected. I was able to hear the commentary clearly and was able to adjust the ambient noise to just the right amount, so background noise and speech were just right.
For reference I am using Phonak Audeo hearing aids and an iPhone. I was able to pair my hearing aids directly to the Bluetooth device in transmit mode. My Bluetooth device is a Trond BT-DUO which I got from Amazon for about $25. If you are interested in seeing this on Amazon do a search for “trond bluetooth transmitter receiver”.
My wife was able to use a separate device and pair it to her airpods. She said the sound quality, comfort and convenience was far superior than using the provided ear pieces. She does not have any hearing issues like I have.
BTW I am waiting to get my hands on one of the new Phonak Audeo Sphere hearing aids with the AI chip. They are supposed to be game changers for us who struggle in noisy environments.
I have Oticon hearing aids and they an item called Connect Clip that syncs to my hearing aid, with the local guide's permission I clip it to their collar and it acts as a speaker, their voice goes right to my hearing aide.
My Lexi B2 Plus manual says they utilize Bluetooth Low “Energy” wireless technology. Is that the same as low “power”?
@Sealord Just looked it up. The offical name is Low Energy and I just called it Low Power.
@gladysorlando984 - I think you must mean it works like a microphone and then transmits to your hearing aids using the low energy version of Bluetooth. You would be limited to staying fairly close to the guide - Bluetooth does not have a lot of range - not as much range as the Vox units.
It's the same technology that connects between my Oticon hearing aids and my iPhone and I've found that if I'm listening to music and walk out of a room without my iPhone, I lose the connection fairly quickly. But as long as you can stay fairly close to the guide, that will work fine.
@JohnS - It looks like the Phonak Audeo implements full Bluetooth. You're lucky.
If my Oticon hearing aids implemented full Bluetooth, I could do the same as you using the devices in the picture I posted.
Let us know how those Phonak Audeo Sphere aids work for a noisy environment. All of us with hearing loss suffer in a noisy environment.
I'll be glad when all hearing aids implement full Bluetooth instead of low energy Bluetooth. It will make all of our lives better.
@MikeHenderson I am not exactly sure about the full Bluetooth on the Phonaks. As you can see on the screen shot below I have 2 connections with LE and I know that stands for Low Energy. Here is what I found on the Phonak website.
Phonak hearing aids use multiple versions of Bluetooth® for connectivity with mobile devices:
• Bluetooth Classic, which includes the Hands Free Profile (HFP) for phone calls and the Advanced Audio Distribution Profile (A2DP) for streaming media.
• Bluetooth Low Energy (LE) for connecting with Phonak mobile apps.
When pairing Phonak hearing aids with your mobile device, you will find three devices listed in the Bluetooth menu: one connected via Bluetooth Classic for streaming media and phone calls, and two connected via Bluetooth LE for using the myPhonak app.
My Phonak Audeo Sphere purchase won't happen until next year when my insurance will pay for most of it. I got new HA's this year.
JOhnS - I think you're a Bluetooth addict
Not directly related to the current topic of hearing aids, but on my last several Tauck surveys, I have added in comments something to the effect: "It would be nice if you joined the 21st century and had Voxes with bluetooth so we could use our own wireless earbuds."
My Phonacs and most of the newer hearing aids are designed to automatically reduce background noise. My audiologist programmed them with my actual hearing spectrum. I can also, program them with 4 user-defined spectrum profiles. I have a little pocket remote that allows my to change volume and select from any of the 4. While one profile does a better job reducing background noise in restaurants, etc. it is still not the best. Trying to hear the radio while riding in a car is also problematic and acknowledged so by Phonac and my audiologist.
Question, how many male hearing aid users have been told their hearing loss falls right in the middle of the typical frequency range of the female voice? Seriously!
I need to check, but think I still have a year to go before I can get a new (free) set of hearing aids from the VA.
You can pair ups to 7 Bluetooth devices but can only connect to one at a time. Also, range is only about 30' so it is not suited for guides and groups.
If this AirPod "hearing aid" works, it could be a significant advance for lower income people who have avoided hearing aids because of the cost. There are less expensive aids available than the top-of-the-line hearing aids that sell for $7,000+ a set, but even the lower cost ones are expensive if you don't have a lot of money.
For $250 you get the top-of-the-line AirPods supported by a major company. The disadvantage is that the AirPods are not discreet - you have these white blobs in your ears - but to some people that's a status symbol.
Mike Anderson you are right the Connect Clip does act like a microphone, it's supposed to be a distance of 6 feet, but sometimes I wander off because my back hurts if I just stand in one place and so far I didn't have any problems. I just find it such a relief not to carry the vox.
I received the AirPods today. There's a software feature that allows you to take a picture of your audiogram and it will equalize to that. Very nice.
The software release coming in October allows you to create an audiogram using the iPhone and the AirPods.
Much as I love my iphone and airpods, Apple is famous for "planned obsolescence", not to mention random misbehavior I hope your new Airpods hold up for a long time!
If they work well, I'd buy a new pair for $250 every year and be very happy.
I've been playing with them and so far, I'm very satisfied with the sound. The sound for music is much better than my hearing aids. I've put in my audiogram and the music sounds the way it should.
However, they do not work as hearing aids yet. I can use them as regular AirPods (to listen to music) and they equalize to my hearing loss but when I have them in, they're like ear plugs right now. To hear what someone is saying I have to take at least one out. The hearing aid functionality is part of IOS18 which has not been released yet.
So it sounds like the hearing aid AirPods require a smart phone either to operate or program? I don't know what a new iPhone costs today, but think the cost of the pods and iPhone could push the cost well over $1000. Still a lot cheaper than high-end hearing aids. Maybe that will put pressure on the hearing aid vendors to lower their prices?
From what I read, it appears that you need an iPhone to do the audiogram which you use to program the AirPods. I don't know if you can use someone else's iPhone to do that. I appears that you can control the AirPod from various touches on the AirPod. I've read how to do it but it would take me some time to learn it.
Thinking of people of lesser means, I guess most of them have a smartphone, but it may not be an iPhone. No indication that the AirPod hearing aids will work with a non-iPhone smartphone. When looking at cost, for $7,000+ you get a set of high end hearing aids. For about $1,000+ you get a set of hearing aids AND a smartphone.
It may not be a good time to be a high end hearing aid manufacturer. Note that the FDA approved over-the-counter hearing aids already and some are available now. But Apple would kick that to a new level.
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[I just discovered a problem. A charge on the AirPod Pro 2 will only last 6 hours. You can charge the AirPods with the case (which you can carry in your pocket) but you'll be without a hearing aid until it's charged. And 6 hours of operation means you'd have to charge twice a day. That's a killer for using it as a regular hearing aid.
But it will work for use with the Vox on Tauck tours since they don't normally last more than 6 hours.
Also, I found that Amazon has the AirPod Pro 2 for $200. Apple charges $250 if you order from them.]
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Maybe they will work as hearing aids. While the charge only lasts 6 hours, you could purchase two sets for about $400 (street price) and switch to the second pair when the first set runs out of charge. The case will charge the AirPods so the first set will be charging in your pocket and you can switch back to that if the second set runs out of charge.
$400 is just an unheard of price for hearing aids. The sound quality is very good - better than my Oticon hearing aids - and they implement full Bluetooth.
I downloaded IOS-18 today and tried to find the Hearing Aid function on the iPhone. Couldn't find it. Called Apple. Looks like it won't be in the software until IOS-18.1
I got IOS 18.1 and still no hearing aid functionality. (October 6, 2024)
Since we're only 2 months away, if you want to get these, consider waiting for Black Fri/Cyber Mon.
We just returned from Classic Italy, Small Groups. I asked if the Vox had Bluetooth and was told it was not available. I put the ear piece over my Phonak Audeo hearing aid in my right ear and I could hear the guides. Unfortunately, at the end of the tour, the cone shaped ear piece of my hearing aid that was in the ear canal broke off, from assumed pressure from the Vox ear piece. I have my hearing aid out for repair and they are ordering a new part. I have been struggling with only one hearing aid. I wondered if anyone else had damage to their hearing aid from wearing the ear piece? How can we encourage the company to upgrade to Bluetooth? I have the TV link and an iPhone that I could use in the future.
I don’t understand why they are using such an outdated method. We’ve had wonderful devices with two much cheaper tour companies.
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Same is true of their buses. I did a tour with another (less expensive) )company whose buses had much more legroom between rows and also had wifi.
I was just on a tour with another company and the van we used (small group) had WiFi
One of my best investments at $26.99 was the Bluetooth transmitter/receiver I purchased from Amazon. See my post above in this thread. If you have hearing aids that connect to Bluetooth this should work. It weighs 3.2 oz which includes the rechargeable battery that lasts for about 10 hours of use.
My husband uses Bose over the ear earphones that connect to the Vox, and it has worked well for him.
Almost all hearing aids implement Bluetooth LE (Low Energy) rather than full Bluetooth. Bluetooth LE hearing aids will not connect to standard Bluetooth.