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Bring Auracast to Any Hearing Aids with the FlooGoo FMA120

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You can verify this by powering the FMA121 with a regular USB charger. If the issue disappears—and the cables are confirmed to be good—then the problem is likely related to how the TV supplies power to its USB ports.

A more likely explanation is that when the TV enters sleep mode, the USB port may enter an undefined power state. If the adapter consistently works when it is plugged in after the TV is fully powered on, this would support that conclusion.

Hi @pcm71 , many users in Europe have already received their FMA120 units by ordering from Amazon US. For your requirements, an FMA120 is sufficient, as you do not need the 3.5 mm input available on the FMA121. Amazon handles all import duties and VAT/GST automatically during checkout.

The Philips 9050 recently received an upgrade, so it can now receive Auracast audio from the FMA120 in Relay Mode.

Thanks @Ranson for your quick response and the information about Amazon US.

My intention is to use your product with the TV and maybe with other devices. I believe I will be able to use it with more devices as long as they have a 3.5 mm audio input. This is why I was considering the FMA121. Anyway, I have seen both products on Amazon US.

I know my TV can output sound through the TV speakers and Bluetooth at the same time. Do you think there will be any delay between both audio outputs? I want to listen through my hearing aids (TV A2DP → FMA → /LE audio → ), while my wife listens directly from the TV speakers.

Moreover, I also listen to some low frequencies through the TV speakers at the same time, since I have normal hearing in the low frequencies and I use open domes with my hearing aids.

Have you tested a similar configuration and checked if the delay is noticeable?

Have you planned to release a new version with TOSLINK support to avoid the delay?

Thanks in advance

@Ranson said:

Regarding latency: since all PCs and TVs already compensate for the delay of classic Bluetooth

One thing worth mentioning again is that classic Bluetooth audio typically has a delay of around 150–200 ms. If a TV supports Bluetooth audio but does not handle this delay properly, users will easily notice a mismatch between the video and the Bluetooth audio. If you haven’t noticed such a delay before, it means your TV is already compensating for it.

You can perform a simple test to confirm this before making any purchase: pair a Bluetooth headset with your TV and ask your wife to check whether the audio from the headset and the TV’s built-in speakers remain synchronized. If no noticeable delay is present, then the additional ~50 ms introduced by an transmitter will not be an issue.

Using TOSLINK will not reduce the latency added by an external Auracast transmitter, and we are unlikely to produce a variant with TOSLINK input since most TVs released in the past 7 years already include Bluetooth.

For older TVs that only have TOSLINK and no 3.5 mm output, there are many inexpensive TOSLINK-to-3.5 mm adapters available on the market. Users can easily pair one of those with the FMA121 if needed.

Modern TVs (2018–2025):

  • Samsung: ~90% support Bluetooth headphones

  • LG: ~95% support Bluetooth headphones

  • Sony (Android/Google TV): ~85–90%

  • TCL / Hisense (Google/Roku TV): ~70–85%

  • Budget brands: 40–60%

Thanks for the device types, I’ve had been looking at the Avantree Audikast 4, the Floogoo fm120 looks good for my PC&Laptop but does not seem to be available on Amazon Canada.

@dawolf said:

the Floogoo fm120 looks good for my PC&Laptop but does not seem to be available on Amazon Canada.

It is available on Amazon US yet cannot be shipped directly to Canada unlike other FlooGoo products. I’m trying to find out why. I checked & it appears that they will ship to my Crossborder Pickups4 address in the USA.

Edited

In reply to @platypus

Just sharing an update—we’ve released a new iOS version of FlooCast that removes this limitation. Phonak users can now use the FMA120 or FMA121 to receive on iPhone.

We’ve also released PC apps for all platforms (Windows/macOS/Linux) for receiving. A useful example is in classrooms—students can now use their existing devices to receive Auracast, using either wired or Bluetooth headsets.

The macOS and Linux versions are open source as well.

Auracast™ Receiver - FlooGoo FMA120 — LE Audio / Auracast™ USB...19

The FMA120 upgrades phones, laptops, TVs, and other sources via USB audio—no driver required on Windows, macOS, or Linux. It adds aptX Adaptive (incl. Lossless) and Auracast™ broadcast, plus unicast for music and voice with -capable...

I may have missed a discussion about this elsewhere but what would be the use case for Phonak Eon (and its capability) and an iOS device with the FlooGoo dongle?

As far as I know, Phonak Eon currently only supports joining broadcasts via QR code on iOS, with no option to browse nearby broadcasts. With FlooCast on iOS, you can browse and select available Auracast broadcasts, much like connecting to a public Wi-Fi network, without having to find and scan a QR code.

More importantly, this also works with Phonak hearing aids that don't natively support Auracast, which is where the adapter offers the most value.

Floocast on iOS is acting as an assistant to pair the Phonak Eon aids? Or this is still using the dongle as an Auracast receiver and phone relay to the aids?

In reply to @Ranson

I have the EON and Samsung Galaxy S24+. Yes you need a QR code if connecting through the myPhonak app. However if you go to the phones settings and click "Connected devices" then "Audio Broadcast" you can see any broadcast you are in range of by pressing the "listen" button at the bottom of the screen. If the broadcast has not got a password set then you can listen to it. If a password is set for that broadcast then you do have to use the myPhonak app with a QR code.

I think all S23 phones and newer will work this way. It is quite possible that other recent Android phones that support Auracast will also work this way - but I have none to check....

That’s true for Samsung and other Android phones that support . Unfortunately, iPhones still don’t offer the same built-in Auracast features, so Phonak users on iOS need to rely on the QR code method rather than browsing and joining broadcasts directly through the phone’s settings, as you described.

That’s exactly where the plug-in solution comes in: it gives iPhone users a similar Auracast experience to what Samsung users already enjoy.

In reply to @user490

It’s a relay solution, so it works with almost all legacy hearing aids on iOS and older Android phones. Think of it like adding a USB webcam to an older PC instead of buying a new computer just for video calls.

This thread is about using the dongle to receive broadcasts. If you want to use your hearing aids as a wireless headset on a Windows PC, including both audio and microphone for Zoom meetings, please check out this other thread:

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