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Need advice on LE audio firmware for new Phonaks thru the VA. Alternatives?

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In reply to @DonRadlauer

@DonRadlauer said:

How are you finding that? When (and if?) the LE Audio upgrade of the Spheres comes through, I might need (well, want, really) a couple, if they actually work…

The Aura works great, easy to pair, and great sound with the codec.

Only problem is for now, the device doesn’t support , so it’s great for streaming from my laptop, but not for hands-free phone. They plan to release a dongle in the near future which supports both.

Right now there are some others on the market like the FMA120 which supports both.

In reply to @cvkemp

@cvkemp said:

I don’t want to deal with an add on USB plugged in to my phone and and putting my phone in my pants pocket

Chuck, you have a enabled phone, you don’t need a dongle for it, the dongle would be for a person with a TV, Streamer, or computer to enable Auracast to the . plug it into the device USB port, pair it, and forget it. No TV Adapter, CClip, or other $$$ stuff needed.

Auracast is not only for public venues.

The problem with that on the TV is it kills the audio to the TV speakers. I have what I need for my INTENT1 aids, my backups, I will not need much with the Spheres the miracle of Bluetooth classic. The Reger ON will double as my TV adapter.

In reply to @TambourineMan

@TambourineMan said:

I was curious about how you were able to switch so quickly with the VA. In Intents have only been available since February 2024 and I thought you had to wait 5 years (after the trial period eneded.

The 5 year wait is no longer required. If your audi agrees you need new aids within 3 years, they’ll update you. I’ve been updated from the OPN to the OPN S to the More, and Intent since 2020.

In reply to @TambourineMan

@TambourineMan said:

Bluetooth LE Audio devices that use Bluetooth 5.2 or 5.3 generally do support Bluetooth Classic audio as a fallback. This means that if a Bluetooth LE Audio 5.3 device cannot establish an LE Audio connection, it can revert to the older Bluetooth Classic audio (such as Bluetooth 4.0) to maintain compatibility with devices that do not support LE Audio. . . . “

With your Pixels you can just go to your Hearing aid quick setting tile, and turn LEA on or off with 2 taps, too. Easy Peasy.

The Intent is not as robust as the Sphere in very loud noise settings, but I’ve never even had to add a program to my Intents, so YMMV.

Edited

In reply to @cvkemp

@cvkemp said:

The problem with that on the TV is it kills the audio to the TV speakers

Yeah, you’re probably right. I haven’t needed it for my TV as I have a 5.1 surround system, and can adjust the center channel to up the dialog, when needed.

EDIT : @cvkemp the transmitters which cost $60 have optical (TOSLINK) input.

So the speakers are still on.

Well we just use the built in speakers of the TV. And I have the TV adapter for my INTENT1 aids and I will have the Roger ON for my Spheres and they can piggy back on each other. I am very satisfied with my audiologist’s decision. I had already come to the same conclusion.

In reply to @DonRadlauer

@flashb1024 said:

Avantree C82 Aura dongle

I don’t know what phone you have. Is it an android? I have a Pixel 8 and 9 and didn’t know they have capability until looking into new hearing aids. It is hidden until y ou enable it in Developer Options:

“. . . To use Auracast, users must first ensure their device is running Android 15 or Android 16 (Beta) and that their audio device supports and Auracast. For Pixel 9 devices on the Android 16 beta, the feature is initially hidden and requires enabling Developer Options and toggling “Enable Bluetooth LE Audio Broadcast UI preview” to access the “Audio sharing” settings page. Once enabled, users can start a broadcast by connecting an Auracast-compatible headset and selecting “Share audio” or join a stream by tapping “Find an audio stream”. . . . “

Of course this won’t help you until the Spheres get Auracast.

In reply to @flashb1024

THANKS. I did not know my Pixel 8 & 9 had . I now see the setting. I thought I had to turn it on in Developer settings and did so for the P8P, but the P9P shows it in Accessibility. Now if I just had an LE Audio device to use it with :frowning:

In reply to @user990

I see the transmitters are dirt cheap ($50) but can they be implemented on things besides a computer or phone? Do they work with all TVs or do you need a transmitter from HDMI, optical or audio out?, What if the TV has a USB port (probably with audio out)? What about receivers such as a Denon AVR-s770H AV?

In reply to @TambourineMan

@TambourineMan said:

The battery life on the new Spheres is only 7 hours using AI Speech clarity, so a backup pair may be important.

If you get the “Ultra” firmware update, that 7 hours changes to around 11 hours - which is a lot of time to be in noisy, horrible, crowded environments. (All the cool kids are running Ultra. You don’t want to have to sit with the Chess Club at lunch, do you? :roll_eyes: ) Especially after the upgrade, it does not seem like battery life on the Spheres is a problem - unless mmmmaybe you’re waiting table in a noisy restaurant or equivalent.

Keep in mind that Spheric Speech in Hell mode is not normally operating except in these challenging environments - it’s not something most people will need or want in more normal conditions. So even the 7 hours was a fair bit - and 11 hours is way more than most people will need in a day.

In reply to @flashb1024

@flashb1024 said:

The Aura works great, easy to pair, and great sound with the LC3 codec.

Only problem is for now, the device doesn’t support LE Audio…

That’s confusing… I chatted with someone from Avantree a few weeks ago, and IIRC she said that it would support streaming from my PCs, assuming my Spheres were ready. Which they aren’t, so it’s all a bit theoretical at this point.

What’s the FMA-120? How many do I need? :thinking:

In reply to @DonRadlauer

How high is up? (From how many devices do you want broadcast using ?) The FM120 has A2DP-to-Auracast Relay and is a competitor to Avantree’s transmitters. It works with both and classic . More info on amazon.

Anyway what caught my eye is that it is also an Auracast receiver (but does not say it is for smartphones although it says its compatible FWIW). I am wondering if if I get an adapter if it would work as such on my phone and receive Auracast broadcasts which could be re-transmitted to my Spheres if/when I get them.

Edited
@TambourineMan said:

I am wondering if if I get an adapter if it would work as such on my phone and receive Auracast broadcasts which could be re-transmitted to my Spheres if/when I get them.

Yes, the FMA120 (dongle) (and FMA121) can be used with a (non ) smartphone and Phonak hearing aids (with classic bluetooth) to receive Auracast transmissions. See FMA120 receiver mode3

User Guide: Auracast Receiver (PDF)

grafik

In reply to @firenzel

This is absolutely fantastic and a game changer! Have you actually used this to do what I was seeking? FlooGoo needs to up their marketing game. I could not find the FM121 available on Amazon Australia or US (or even on AliExpress), but the FM120 seems to be able to do what I seek with a firmware change.

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