Philips 9050 and Auracast

Do you happen to know what 1.3.1 adds to the 1.3.0. The 1.3.1 must have come out just days after the 1.3.0.

From what I remember it was minor tweaks. I’ll look for the details and post here if I find them.

I wear (with great satisfaction) Philips 9050 HearLink hearing aids from Costco, with the firmware updated to 1.3.0 for the ability to receive Auracast broadcasts. I wanted to transmit the sound directly from my Sony BRAVIA TV (purchased 11 years ago) to my hearing aids using Auracast, avoiding the purchase cost of the proprietary TV adapter from Philips and giving me access to Auracast broadcasts wherever I am wearing my hearing aids (as Auracast becomes increasingly available in cinemas, churches, airports and auditoriums).

I used the Avantree website14 to order an Audikast 4 HA Audio Transmitter for Hearing Aids. Total cost (including sales tax and shipping) : US $74.80. The transmitter was delivered four days later. It took me less than 15 minutes to read the clear instructions and install the device. It has worked perfectly since I turned it on – sending crystal clear sounds to my hearing aids, and the sound on the TV set itself can be muted for silence in the room and house in case I am the only TV viewer/listener at the time.

I’m writing this to encourage any of you readers who have Auracast-ready hearing aids to consider this wonderful, reasonably-priced way to thoroughly enjoy TV broadcasts with perfect sound. So helpful for films with actors speaking with challenging foreign accents, etc. Check with your hearing aid provider or manufacturer to see if your aids are able to receive Auracast broadcasts.

Happy New Year!

I have the same issue with the Homespot. I have been testing it to use with my computer for audio. The sound starts out great but usually after a short while I get some static or distortion. The static/distortion will go in and out but seems to be pretty consistent issue for me. Tried different settings but never resolves the issue. Switch from SQ to HQ. Tried setting encryption on SQ or HQ. Adjusted the SQ Volume Offset to loudest to be sure my computer audio wasn’t clipping and causing the issue. If it wasn’t for this problem the Homespot would be perfect.

I’ve got the same transmitter and hearing aids as you with the transmitter connected to the TV by optical. I’m not getting distortion- at least nothing that my damaged ears recognise as distortion. In the past I did have issues with another transmitter that was connect by headphone cable. The sound would deteriorate over time to the point that human voices sounded like daleks.

I haven’t noticed anything I would say as distortion ether with my Phillips 9050 hearing aids with either the Avantree Oasis Aura or Homespot transmitters.

I’m connecting through RCA jacks from my TV and the square dance Hilton mixer/amplifier.

Update: I now experience distortion with my Phillips 9050 hearing aids. I seems to be mostly in the right hearing aid.

I’m connecting using the Hearlink 2 app on an iPhone 17. Are you using an iPhone or Android phone? I will say that the distortion is much less of an issue with my TV as opposed to the sound system at church. And I am connected through optical on the TV. I don’t have that option on the sound system. It’s connected from a balanced aux out XLR cable to a direct box (in reverse to convert to unbalanced) and then from 1/4” output to the 3.5mm input of the Avantree Oasis Aura transmitter. I had initially thought that the distortion may be caused by interference from the 2.4 GHz wifi and wireless mics. But after seeing that others have reported the same “distortion”, I’m inclined to think that it has something to do with the Philips 9050 HAs or possibly the iPhone app. And for whatever reason, it seems to be more of an issue with the right HA, although the left HA will on occasion have the same problem.