Bring Auracast to Any Hearing Aids with the FlooGoo FMA120

@Craftwiz This is good news for people who don’t want to or can’t afford to update their hearing aids.

Thanks.

@Ranson said:

offering the FMA120 in separate transmitter and receiver versions

If you do decide to make a receiver version, hope it’s a USB-C connector instead of Type A

Using an adapter is a bit cumbersome especially if its sitting in your pocket.

Exactly as I was thinking, you can add people who don’t want to wait for widespread adoption,

@Craftwiz said:

hope it’s a USB-C connector instead of Type A

Another important advantage!

Yes, there will be a USB-C version (FMA121), though it still needs some time before release. It looks like this:

Size: 33mm x 33mm x 7mm (Final design may vary slightly)

While I can’t guarantee it, the adapter below might help improve comfort when using the FMA120 with your phone. You can search for “180° USB-C to USB-A” if you’d like to give it a try.

I discovered my S24 case is incompatible with the Anker USB-C adapter, it can’t fully seat into the port. It just barely misses; I can apply pressure and it connects but that’s not a workable solution.

Looking for a different adapter (love the 180 style) but here’s hoping that the length of the C-connector on the FMA121 is on the longer side.

This appears to be a contact issue. When audio playback starts, the dongle draws more power, increasing the current on the USB’s +5V line. If the connection isn’t firm, this can cause a voltage drop on the power line, which may prevent the dongle from receiving sufficient power and trigger it to reset as a protective measure.

You can try gently cleaning the four golden contacts on the USB connector using a clean piece of paper or cloth and see if that helps improve the connection.

Thanks for the update. I just tried that using the microfiber cloth from my glasses and no joy. Also tried the dongle in a third computer with same result: It maintains the connection for a minute or so and then begins to cycle intermittently,

Maybe a manufacturing issue? This was right out of the package yesterday and visually it looks OK. I’ll process a return through Amazon and order another one.

Great to hear it’s working now!

If you plan to visit public areas or events with Auracast broadcasts, you can perform a “Clean All,” then load the receiver mode firmware and install the FlooCast mobile app to receive them using your Philips 9050 hearing aids.

Thanks again for choosing the FMA120 — hope you continue to enjoy it!

Which firmware should we use - the 1.1.2 that the app defaults to or the AS1.0.6 for Auracast? Not many Auracast equipped places that I know of. Mostly just want to stream music at the best rate. Thanks!

AS1.0.6 is designed for users with legacy hearing aids that do not support LE Audio or Auracast. Since these hearing aids can already connect to a phone, AS1.0.6 allows the FMA120 to receive an Auracast stream—either from public transmitters or a personal broadcast from another FMA120—and relay it to the phone. The phone then plays the audio to the hearing aids. This setup also supports seamless transitions during incoming or outgoing calls.

Firmware 1.1.2, on the other hand, is intended for adding LE Audio/Auracast capabilities to legacy source devices, such as PCs or audio systems with USB audio output. In contrast, AS1.0.6 serves the receiving side, like hearing aids.

Here’s another user sharing their experience with this new feature:

https://medium.com/@WaynoGur/habemus-auracast-almost-any-phone-and-any-hearing-aids-even-if-they-dont-support-auracast-3461355b998947

The iOS version of FlooCast is now available!
To enjoy Auracast on your iPhone with any compatible hearing aids, please update your FMA120 dongle to firmware version AS1.0.7.

Firmware AS1.0.7 Download:
https://www.flairmesh.com/support/FMA120_AS1.0.7.zip10

FlooCast on the App Store:

‎FlooCast13

‎Transform your phone into an Auracast™ receiver! Simply connect the FlooGoo FMA120 (with Auracast™ receiver firmware) to stream broadcasts directly to your phone’s speaker, or to Bluetooth headphones, earbuds, or hearing aids.

In the app, go to ‘Setup’ and tap ‘New Pairing’ while the dongle’s LED is flashing rapidly. Once the connection is established, the app is ready to use.
No further setup is needed—just swipe down in the app to scan for nearby Auracast broadcasts.
Tap the broadcast you want, and when an icon appears next to the name, you should hear it through your hearing aids connected to the phone.
After selecting a broadcast, if you don’t hear audio through your hearing aids, open Control Center (swipe down from the top-right or up from the bottom on older devices) and make sure your hearing aids are selected as the audio output.

@Ranson

Thanks. This is great that it’s on iOS as well.

We’ve successfully tested it with an iPhone 15 (using a USB-C to USB-A adapter), an iPad, and an iPhone XS with an inexpensive Lightning OTG adapter, as shown in the photo below. I hope this helps users choose a suitable adapter for connecting the FMA120 to their iOS devices.

Just a note: the cable shown below isn’t an endorsement—it’s simply provided as a reference. I think most OTG cables should do the job.