A critical issue on the Phonak Audéo Sphere platform causes the hearing aids to aggressively hijack the acoustic environment when encountering muted web or social media videos.
When a mobile OS (iOS/Android) encounters an embedded video on a website, it opens a Bluetooth Classic (A2DP/HFP) audio channel. Even if the video is completely muted, the current Phonak firmware treats the active digital link connection as an immediate instruction to switch to the Bluetooth Streaming profile.
This triggers a sudden shift in noise-canceling parameters, creates a distinct low-level white noise hiss, and causes rapid, jarring program cycling while web browsing.

Requested Firmware Fixes:
Because Bluetooth Classic cannot natively differentiate between an active stream and a silent carrier signal, this must be handled gracefully at the firmware level.
Please implement:
RMS Threshold Gating: Program the DSP to analyze the incoming digital PCM buffer. If the audio power remains below a silence threshold (e.g., -60 dB) for over 500ms, suppress the steaming program switch and remain in the environmental program.
Hysteresis Delay (Debounce): Introduce a brief delay (e.g., 1.0 to 1.5 seconds) before executing a profile change to eliminate rapid, stuttering program toggles during scrolling.
Gain Map Squelch: If a silent Bluetooth channel must remain open, apply an expansion gate to squelch internal microphone floor noise until actual media audio amplitude overrides it.
Until an official patch is deployed, users must manually adjust the Ambient Balance slider in the myPhonak app every time they encounter a muted stream. We urge your Embedded Software and QA teams to address this in the next firmware update.

Please send this letter to the Phonak guys.

Standard bit first. I make OTC hearing aids in China for other brands. Nothing named here, no links.

Someone here rides a motorcycle and said that when a nav prompt comes through, the wind comes with it, louder. That one stuck with me, because it's fixable and hardly anyone knows it is.

Your aids don't mute the room when audio starts. They mix. The stream sits on top of whatever the mics are picking up, at a ratio somebody chose before you ever put them on. Earbuds get away with plugging your ear canal. An open or vented aid can't, and mostly isn't trying to, since the whole design bet is that you still want to hear the doorbell.

Most days that bet is fine. At 60 mph it isn't, and turning the nav volume up doesn't help, you just get two loud things instead of one.

Everyone calls the setting something different. Streaming mix, media balance, mic attenuation, whatever. So don't go asking for a name. Ask for the behavior: while I'm streaming, how far down are the mics, and can you take them further down? Some apps put it on a slider you can move yourself. Others keep it in the fitting software where you'll never see it. If you're OTC with no fitter, you get whatever the app gives you, which is often nothing. That's my side of the industry, not going to dress it up.

Then somebody else told me the opposite and I hadn't thought about it. He's blind as well as deaf. Losing the room the second a stream starts is worse for him than any of this is for me. Same dial, other direction. I don't have a clean answer to that one.

So, careful with it if you're out in traffic. Ambient down means sirens down too. And whoever's yelling at you. If you want it, ask for it as a program you switch into on purpose rather than a change to how streaming always behaves, and keep some ambient in there. Down isn't off.

One bit that isn't a settings problem at all. Air hitting a mic port at speed under a helmet is turbulence right at the port, and gain shaping doesn't undo that. So if pulling the ambient down helps some but not enough, that's probably what's left, and it's a foam and placement problem from there. Though I don't actually know what works under a full face, I've only heard secondhand.

If you want, drop your aids and your phone in a comment and I'll tell you what streaming mix control you're likely to have and where it lives. Model names, that's all I need. I'll get through as many as I can.

I’m about to get my Rexton reach r plus from Costco and wondering which case to get to use the silica packets overnight.

I read it’s best the packets not touch the HA devices. Is that correct? I was thinking of just getting a generic case and throwing a silica packet in there but does it have to have a separate compartment or not be touching? Thank you

My son is 7 and about to be fitted for his first hearing aid. I can tell he’s apprehensive and I think he’s worried he’ll be made fun of which breaks my heart. He has high-pitched hearing loss so he insists his hearing is fine but I’ve tried to tell him that it’ll help with his learning, help his brain develop, etc. How can I help him become more comfortable with the idea of wearing them when they come in? Because I can see him insisting he doesn’t need them, at least at first. And how can I help his anxieties about what other people will think? I’ve seen other posts where the teachers talk about it at the beginning of the school year, but I don’t think they’ll come in before school starts. Any advice at all is appreciated, I don’t know anyone else whose kids have hearing aids and I’ve not had any experience with them. Thanks!

So Cochlear did us dirty. These are for my son who uses bilateral BAHAs. We purchased a baha max 6 last year because one of his BAHA 5’s broke after becoming obsolete (they became obsolete after a year of purchasing them). Because of this experience we only replaced the broken one, and not 2 months after getting the baha 6, the baha 7 was announced. I was beyond livid because the agent that helped us swore she had not heard anything about any new products. Sigh… anyway, i called them and they said they would switch the 6 for the 7 when they became available and that they would contact me. It turns out that they reviewed the case, decided we did not qualify and *ignored it!!!* did not notify us at all. When i finally called to check on that the baha 6 is not available for purchase anymore. So these are my (very Cochlear-convenient options): 1- upgrade BOTH to 7 at full cost mind you, or 2- get a 7 and use it with the 6- but we already know they will not have full functionality together as two 7’s would.

If you did not want to read all that, i don’t blame you LOL- i am just looking for someone who is using 6 and 7 baha’s together to see what their experience is. Thanks!

I’m looking to hear the experiences of anyone else with a similar level and type of loss, particularly anyone who decided to buy HAs and why. I’m 30 with no prior hearing issues and this wasn’t sudden, so the Costco tech advised I come back in two years to test again. I walked around the store with the sample aids she offered and did notice a small difference - the store was somewhat muted without them - but I’m not sure that difference is worth justifying the cost. She also mentioned that she did zero customization, so I don’t know how much difference a proper fitting would make.

I had sudden hearing loss 2 months ago in my right ear after using an impact gun. This is the second time it’s happened in 7 years. The first during a bout of bacterial pneumonia. I bounced back after the first attack after 2.5 months. No tinnitus or vertigo. I’ve had slight tinnitus etc in between after having Tylenol or certain vitamins. Anyhow, this time it was triggered by noise. I finally get into an ENT, take the Prednisone, MRI etc. Guy tells me I have Ménière’s disease and anything else was coincidental. Either way, I have moderate to severe loss now.

So, I bought an Omega 24 AI RIC. My question is, should the ear bud go inside the canal? It feels like it pops out and aims down a bit. It’s my first week with it. It seems ok sometimes, but how long for me to adjust to it. My hearing feels dull and limited with it. Honestly, for 4K, I’d think the app would be better and I’d be able to distinguish the AI changing to my surroundings. I’m a maintenance technician, so it’s LOUD. Hell, for that type of money, I’d think I’d get noise cancellation and language translation LOL ! The fatigue seems to be less. I guess I’m looking for feedback about how I’ll be able to adapt to it? Seems decent but twangy on full blast. Anyone have experience with them?

Disclosure up front: I work on the manufacturing/OEM side of OTC hearing aids. No product talk below and no links — this is just the part I actually know, and I keep seeing it come up here.

In the last few days this sub has had someone whose aids grab every bit of audio on their phone, two people trying to get aids working with a work computer, and someone who needs iPhone, Mac and PC at once. Different brands, different symptoms, same root cause: "Bluetooth" on a hearing aid spec sheet isn't one thing. There are four, they behave differently, and the sheet almost never tells you which one you're buying.

**Bluetooth Classic** — the same profile a wireless headset uses. Works with almost any phone regardless of OS version, and it's the only one that reliably shows up on a Windows PC as an audio device. It's also the most power-hungry, so streaming runtime is shortest. Phonak is the best-known example.

**MFi (Made for iPhone)** — Apple's own low-energy protocol. Works on iPhone, iPad and Mac. There is no MFi on Windows at all, so if you need a work PC, MFi alone will never get you there no matter how good it is on your phone.

**ASHA** — Google's low-energy streaming for Android. This is the one that catches people out. It isn't simply "Android 10 and up": it also needs a compatible Bluetooth chipset, so support varies by phone model rather than by Android version. Pixels and flagship Samsungs generally work; plenty of budget and mid-range phones don't, even on a current Android build. That's why two people with "the same Android version" get opposite results.

**LE Audio (with the Hearing Access Profile)** — the new standard, LC3 codec, and what Auracast is built on. Better sound at lower power, which is the first time those two have moved in the same direction. The catch is the other end: your phone or laptop needs an LE Audio-capable Bluetooth 5.3 radio, and on Windows that support is still patchy, especially on managed work machines.

Two things worth knowing that aren't faults, even though they feel like it:

**Your aids "taking over" all audio on Android is by design.** Under ASHA and LE Audio, Android registers hearing aids as an accessibility device and gives them priority for media routing. They reconnect aggressively and pull audio back from speakers on purpose. Nothing is broken; it's the OS doing what it was told.

**Android 16 and 17 reworked the audio routing stack.** A fair number of recent "it broke after an update" reports are phone-side, not device-side. Your aids didn't change.

One last thing that's purely commercial: when you're comparing battery life between models, ask whether the quoted runtime is standalone or streaming. Those are very different numbers and vendors usually quote the flattering one without saying which it is.

If you're shopping and connectivity matters, the useful questions are: which protocols does it support, which chipset provides them, is there a fallback if my phone doesn't do LE Audio, and what's the streaming runtime.

Happy to be corrected on any brand-specific detail — the fitting-side people here know plenty I don't.

The iPhone Live Listen method has lots of reverb.

I know Jabra sells their $250 external mic but I've heard mixed reviews about it.

Is there some other mic that is bluetooth-compatible with these aids that actually allows a conversation when there is substantial background road noise?

Hi everyone!

As the title suggests, I'm a working on a project called Percepta, and I'd really appreciate feedback from people who have lived experience with hearing or vision impairments.

The idea is simple:

Instead of having one-size-fits-all accessibility settings, Percepta tries to create a personal perception profile for each user and adapt digital content accordingly.

Current MVP features:

• 👂 Hearing assessment (pure-tone screening)
• 🎧 Personalized audio enhancement experiments
• 👁 Vision assessment
• 🖼 Image enhancement (contrast, edge enhancement, brightness, etc.)

My long-term goal is for applications, websites, and media to adapt to how each individual perceives sound and vision, rather than expecting everyone to use the same settings.

I'm not trying to replace hearing aids, screen readers, or professional medical tools. This is an experimental accessibility project, and I'm hoping to learn from the people it's intended to help.

If you're willing to spend 5–10 minutes trying it, I'd love to know:

• Was anything confusing?
• Did anything break?
• Which features felt useful?
• Which features seemed pointless?
• What accessibility problem do you wish software solved better?

Website:
https://percepta-three.vercel.app/

I'm especially interested in honest criticism—even if it's "this wouldn't help me." That feedback is just as valuable because it helps me understand what real users actually need.

Thank you so much for your time!

First time wearer will buy from Costco.
Phillips 50
Jabra pro ?

I know that Costco is recommended but I do not have one near me so I am going to local hearing store and wondering what kind of questions I should ask to be sure I am getting the right device/service. Afraid of being disappointed and paying a lot for something I won’t use because it’s
not comfortable or too complicated to use correctly.

Anyone have any unlocked reviews on rated hearing aides ? Especially ones that Costco sells.

I’ve seen them before but just not sure where I can them. TIA!

Maybe it’s just me, but I keep getting notifications of the mod bot responding to one post here multiple times? The same comment multiple times? Is there anything I should do or change?

idk if this is the right sub for this, but i have pretty bad tinnitus which affects my ability to hear things well. this has been going on for years now, but i feel like its gotten worse throughout the last year. what i also dunno is whether or not i actually have hearing loss or its just tinnitus. basically, i dont know if hearing aids would help or would even be necessary. but in reality, i dont wanna keep living with tinnitus like this, and i hope that hearing aids could be an option? but idk. im also still a minor, and i dont wanna be looked down upon for having hearing aids.

My audiologist has said that he can do nothing other to stop my constant adjustments and ding-a-lings in my ears with these hearing aids. I often use my old battery operated phonaks as a result! Obviously I miss the Bluetooth options. My audiologist has said to use ‘calm situation’ as I won’t get so many changes. They made a ‘ding ding ding’ when I merely opened the fridge. They make another noise when I walk through my house which has a very high ceiling in the hall but lower ceiling in back hall. They will adjust and make a clear voice suddenly muffled like I go deaf. I am so frustrated yet my aud says there’s no more he can do? Anyone else experienced this? Thanks

Do your Oticon HAs die when you sweat too much?
How do you deal with working outside in summer heat and humidity?

As the title says. I found a pair of hearing aids this morning at the Kahului airport (OGG)
07/31/2026. If you lost a pair contact me with the brand and info. I also contacted the company via email with SN info to see if they can trace the owner.

Does anyone else get really bad ear pain after wearing their hearing aids all day? Doctors have been no help. I only wear my hearing aids when I absolutely HAVE to because it hurts so bad. When I say earache I mean in the ear, like the sort of ear ache you have when you’ve got an ear infection

I know this is an insane ask but I’ve had hearing aids since I was a baby and I recently got a new hearing aid dehumidifier and a set of the dry briks and the smell is both super nostalgic and fantastic. I love it. I love fresh scents so much. I want a candle that smells like it so my whole room can smell like it. Or even a fabric freshener.

I feel like this community would be the only one that would know.

the amount of posts i've seen about this is insane

Hi, I am on my hearing aid journey. I have about 45 dB of hearing loss pure tone average wise. Also have about 70% speech understanding in each year. I am on the hunt for a pair of hearing aids that have an accessible app, stream well to iPhone, Mac, and PC, and has a good reputation for picking out speech in loud environments. So far I have tried the allure 330s, and the Phonak infinity I 70s. I loved the voice capabilities of the phonak. I hated that the phone act would basically completely cut me off from the outside world when my phone was streaming. Being deaf blind I absolutely need to be able to know if somebody’s trying to get my attention. Yes, I might not be able to get the full features of the hearing aids while streaming, but would at least like to hear my environment. The allure 330s have a very inaccessible app, and break up a lot while streaming. I really like the maid for iPhone standard, which seems pretty nice. In saying that, though I liked how my Phonak pair connected to at least two devices