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Streaming Jabra 30's Take Two

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Edited

I’m starting a new thread, because my previous one is long and unwieldy. I did, however, make some posts this am that could use answering.I wrote to specific people within the thread.

My main issue with the Jabras is that the streaming of phone calls isn’t good (& presumably other streaming). That is a step up from where it was, it was completely unintelligible before. Now, with the molds, and a lot of tweaking, I can make out what is being said, but the sound quality is really bad.

It took Jabra a long time to make the molds, since they moved. Right after my Costco appointment to get them, I had a lot of feedback!! I took off my mask very carefully and the came off, and the molds came mostly off!! Arghhh!

I have continued to have a lot of feedback, and the molds seem to come a bit out, even with no mask in play.

Clearly I need new molds, and probably either no vents, or very small. But I am up against a deadline to return these, if I do, by February 21st. Which would be very tight to get an appointment to have impressions taken again, get the new molds in (& they won’t even make an appointment until they are in) and then see how they are. If I did want to return them, I need an appointment for that!

I tried to get a referral to a fitter or Audi who is experienced, and I did get one, but she is booked up until February 24th! But they probably thought it was for a first appointment with a hearing test, etc. I’ll call back again.I also tried to get an appointment for the fitter I’ve had, but the phone was constantly busy & the vm box was full! I don’t think that he’s had much experience with molds.

I still have been wanting to make these work, if possible. They do really help me to hear better, but I’m still having to ask what was said, but the molds haven’t been made right yet. But maybe this just won’t work too well. The other 2 models Costco has have been out at least 1-1/2 years, so I’d hate to get the older model, and then want to return them when the new ones come out. I read here that Costco really doesn’t like it if you return them, and that would be returning 2 pairs. My fitter sounded alarmed when I mentioned possibly returning them.

When you get molds, can they be used with a HA from a different manufacturer?

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@Blue_Pearl1 said:

When you get molds, can they be used with a HA from a different manufacturer?

Basically no, unless by some chance the receiver is identical in two different manufacturer’s products.

Moulds can be made to go in deeper which helps to stop them from falling out. Also you can usually (maybe even always) block a vent if you want. Some manufacturers make kits of small plastic parts that can reduce the size of a vent or close it completely. If your moulds fall out, then they have been badly made and your audiologist should have them made again. This is normal, not rocket science!

I would ask them to extend the return period. Explain that you are still having issues and will have to return them if you can’t get them to extend the return period.

It never hurts to ask, and you wouldn’t know unless you do ask.

What phone do you have? I had a very difficult time getting my Pixel 9 to work with my Jabra EP 10s. My basic work expertise was trouble-shooting computer and network problems (older IBM mainframes and PCs), and those skills allowed me to find the solution.

The problem was that all the indicators said I had the volume at maximum, but something was keeping volume much lower, and that killed intelligibility and music quality. I won’t go into the fix, because this seems like a long shot, but if this is possibly your problem, let me know.

Edited

In reply to @david.hendon

@david.hendon

That’s what I thought, that molds can’t be transferred from one manufacturer to another.

I figured that was right that because they fell out, they weren’t made properly. The first time they fell out was immediately after I left the appointment to get therm, but that was because I took off my mask very carefully. I don’t know if that also means that they weren’t made properly? But they also dislodged somewhat repeatedly during the day, only somewhat, but still . . .

“Moulds can be made to go in deeper which helps to stop them from falling out. Also you can usually (maybe even always) block a vent if you want. Some manufacturers make kits of small plastic parts that can reduce the size of a vent or close it completely. If your moulds fall out, then they have been badly made and your audiologist should have them made again. This is normal, not rocket science.”

That’s what I would like, molds that are made to go deeper. Although I asked for skeleton locks to keep them from falling out, that didn’t work, plus they are really big and obvious (I’d prefer them not to be so big and obvious).

I am surmising that I need either tiny vents, or more likely, none at all. Does that seem right?

Thank you, @david.hendon ! I appreciate your help. It’s difficult to figure out what I need when I am just starting out with aids, and my fitter tries to get things right, but appears to be inexperienced, especially with molds.

I’m trying to make up for lost time, all these years that I should have had aids, but didn’t largetly due to repeated bad Audi experiences.

In reply to @user990

@user990

That’s a great idea!! It may not work, given how generous their policy is already, but given that they surely would like to prevent a return, it would really help a lot get a chance to make them work for me! Thank you!

In reply to @philbob57

@philbob57

I have an iPhone 16 Plus. I don’t think that volume if the issue, but who knows if there is some other connection issue. The truth is that when using the speakerphone, the sound is not great etither, but it is a lot better than through the . I tried another carrier, but that didn’t help, If I could get the sound through the HAs as good as the speakerphone, I’d be satisfied.

Thank you.

Edited

@tenkan

“When you get molds, can they be used with a from a different manufacturer?

Basically no, unless by some chance the receiver is identical in two different manufacturer’s products.

One way I found around this is by using soft silicone moulds, I’ve used them with multiple brands as there pretty easy to swap out.”

@tenkan

Aha! I like the soft silicone ones (they’re all I’ve had so far). I now am looking at getting the kind that go deep into your ear. Also, I think I need either no vents, or very small ones.

Thank you! Many heads with knowledge sure beats one head with very limited knowledge of HAs fitting!!

Edited

Last week I went to a different Costco to a fitter that had been recommended to me. She squeezed me into her busy schedule, since I have limited time before my 180 day return window is up on the Jabras.

I was hoping to get impressions for new molds, but she was acquainting herself with my situation. I felt that she was probably more experienced, and definitely more willing to squeeze me in. But in fairness to my previous fitter, that Costco was extremely busy and booked up.

She gave me unvented Power domes. With these, the phone call streaming is better, but I still can’t hear quite a lot of words/names, even when I ask the caller to repeat themselves 1-2 times! There’s a lot of background sounds like static.

I still have quite a bit of feedback, although better than before. Also, the domes keep coming out some, or I push them in, but sometimes too far, and then I can’t hear—arghh!

I think that I have to have molds, hopefully deep in my ears and unvented.

It will be a squeaker whether there will be time for her to take impressions (assuming she can do that!), and get them back from Jabra, and try them out again, before my deadline is up to return them is up. I wrote something about whether Costco would give me a little extra time to do all this, but we didn’t get to that.

I was happy with her.

But I am realizing belatedly that the whole process of traveling long distances to the 2 different Costcos with 9 appointments so far, and at least 2 more to go, is way beyond my physical capacity. I had no idea that it would be like this. The new Costco is much further away; we had to take the subway, change trains, and walk a lot in the freezing cold. (Car is in the shop).

It would have been easier to see an Audi in a hospital-based clinic. Way more expensive, and my concern was getting a good Audi, when you are usually shooting in the dark.

Do the silicone unvented molds deep in my ear sound like a good solution to you guys?? And if I still have a lot of trouble hearing, at that point maybe I would need a more premium aid? Or more adjustments.

Hearing on the phone into the aids is harder than hearing ambient speech. But truthfully, I still have trouble with ambient speech, too. And I need tv streaming, once I can get beyond the basics.

Thank you, guys, and sorry for the thesis!

I think it’s time to return the Jabra 30 hearing aids and get a refund. You have done way more then you should have had to to get the hearing aids and molds to work for you.

If Costco will let you try a different brand of hearing aid, then that might help some, but you still might have the movement issue with the hearing aid.

You other choice is to see if there is a university that teaches audiologists that is near by and see if they take patients.

@user990

Thank you, @user990 ! I think that you are probably right.

I looked online, and so far, even though I am in NYC, it looks like there is NYU, which has bad reviews (waits of months to see anyone, and they cancel at the last minute, which leaves you with waits of months to reschedule). The other university based programs mainly seem to be private Audis with no reviews.

There is one other option that I will. call tomorrow, but it looks like they just partner with private Audis, etc. We’ll see.

Any other responses?

I could try to follow up with the new Audi that I saw last week, if she can do molds, and the deep in the ear molds. But it’s absolutely frigid here through the week with ice everywhere, and a long subway ride + walk on the other end. Arghh, we’re deep in winter, as is much of the country!

Note that I’m brand new to hearing aids (also from costco). I started with the Rexton Reach and just purchased a second set (Jabra Enhance Pro).

I bought the second set because I wanted to explore other options which costco does risk free and compare sound difference.

Everything about the Jabra 30 in my experience thus far is worse than the Rexton Reach from a streaming perspective:

  • unstable blue tooth streaming on modern phones
  • no ability within their app to disable blue tooth streaming / disconnect it (I still want bluetooh on my phone on to be able to adjust the hearing aids on the go)
  • the sound quality of the streaming itself is not good (allthough I’m setting on the concept that maybe they all suck)

I returned my Jabra 30 hearing aids too.

I told the fitter that I was happy with my Phillips 9040 hearing aids and just wanted . But for some reason he put me in Jabra 30 hearing aids, and music and streaming is horrible.

So I now have the Phillips 9050 hearing aids on order and look forward to trying them.

In reply to @Blue_Pearl1

I have the Jabras with tulip domes. They fit well and are very comfortable.

I also live in NYC. Booking appointments at the two Costco hearing aid locations can be problematic, often with long wait times, but for swapping domes, replacing filters etc, you can just walk in and they will do it there and then. (They will also give you extra domes and filters.)

I don’t know whether tulip domes will work for you, but they might be worth trying.

In reply to @Redsz

@Redsz said:

unstable blue tooth streaming on modern phones

I’m curious which specific phone you are referring to. Also wondering if it’s possibly the same as @Blue_Pearl1

I have no issues at all with my Jabra 30s and my Samsung S25. (I upgraded to the S25 from an S10 that I knew would not be compatable - before trying the Jabra 20s.)

I’ve used several generations of Resound however, so the J20/J30’s sound was similar to what I’ve been used too. It still took my brain awhile to aclimate though.

@shootist said:

I have no issues at all with my Jabra 30s and my Samsung S25. (I upgraded to the S25 from an S10 that I knew would not be compatable - before trying the Jabra 20s.)

I have a google pixel 8 running the latest version of android.

Edited

In reply to @Redsz

@Redsz said:

Everything about the Jabra 30 in my experience thus far is worse than the Rexton Reach from a streaming perspective:

  • unstable blue tooth streaming on modern phones
  • no ability within their app to disable blue tooth streaming / disconnect it (I still want bluetooh on my phone on to be able to adjust the hearing aids on the go)
  • the sound quality of the streaming itself is not good (allthough I’m setting on the concept that maybe they all suck)

@Redsz

(Sorry, I’m late to get back to these posts).

@Redsz

Everything about the Jabra 30 in my experience thus far is worse than the Rexton Reach from a streaming perspective:

  • unstable blue tooth streaming on modern phones

  • no ability within their app to disable blue tooth streaming / disconnect it (I still want bluetooh on my phone on to be able to adjust the hearing aids on the go)

  • the sound quality of the streaming itself is not good (allthough I’m setting on the concept that maybe they all suck)

Well, interesting post, although it’s always hard to know if someone else’s experience is relevant to mine.

  • the sound quality of the streaming itself is not good (emphasis mine) (allthough I’m setting on the concept that maybe they all suck)

Yes, I have found the Jabra’s streaming for phone call is awful. But how to know if it is the aids, the phone (iPhone), or what. Why do some people have no problem with it? I think that they are all Android users, but someone said that they didn’t think that it would be that differerent with , which iPhones don’t have (Grrrr).

I have been trying everything to make these aids work and will try one last thing tomorrow, which is to remake the molds, which I definitely do need. The fitter for tomorrow is supposed to be very good with molds, even refashioning them with tools.

If that doesn’t work, then I will return the aids and try something else. I hope that if she uses her tools, and if the streaming calls is still bad that I can still use the molds for another set of aids). A lot of ifs!

Edited

In reply to @user990

@user990

I returned my Jabra 30 hearing aids too.

I told the fitter that I was happy with my Phillips 9040 hearing aids and just wanted . But for some reason he put me in Jabra 30 hearing aids, and music and streaming is horrible. (emphasis mine).

I didn’t realize that you said this before about the Jabras! Maybe I missed it. Do you have an Android or iPhone: I don’t know if that is the issue or what.

I am likely spending way too much time and effort to make these things work for me. I haven’t even tried another model on in the store!

I also wonder if Bluetooth interference from other devices of our own or neighbors is part of the issue?? If so, there isn’t much to do about it except maybe turn off other Bluetooth when I’m trying to stream. But if I had to do that for most phone calls, that isn’t practical.

In terms of Costco, aren’t the other aids available kind of older, so they might not be advanced enough either now or soon?

I’m surely way overthinking all this. I was concerned though that someone said if you returned 2 sets of aids, you couldn’t use Costco anymore.

In reply to @chrisb

@chrisb said:

also live in NYC. Booking appointments at the two Costco hearing aid locations can be problematic, often with long wait times,

@chrisb

also live in NYC. Booking appointments at the two Costco hearing aid locations can be problematic, often with long wait times,

Yup, me, too. Plus, for me, all of the nearby Costcos are a minimum of an hour away, and I can’t get there by public transportation on my own anymore, and driving is also difficult, including parking.

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