Skip to content
HearingTracker
Log in

Resound Future - static noise while driving

This topic is closed.

41 replies20.2k viewsLast reply

Jump
Link to this topic

I am trialing the resound Future and both the Ha are working as expected. My problem - While driving the car, my left (left ear needs more power) makes some static noise like burning wood kind of static noise. If I am at stop sign or signal then the noise stops but soon I start driving it starts it back.
I called dispenser at Costco and he says he is not aware of these kind of issues. I have tried two differant cars so it is not car and I have tried driver side and passanger side and it is same noise problem while driving or being passanger.
May be some other users may direct me to correct theory. Is my left HA is bad and need to replace? I have follow up visit on 5/20 as the dispenser is on vacation for 10 days. I am not sure what could have cause this static noise on only one ear?
If I am not driving, then there is no static or any kind of noise issue. Even if Iam in the car and car engine is running (in parking lot) then there is no noise, it just happens while driving.
Any thoughts?

9 people in this conversation20 min readJump to latest

It is possible this one aid is defective and is overwhelmed by the background noise of driving. If you got another one, it might be fine. One way to test this theory in the absence of your vacationing audiologist is to take the aid into a noisy bar, restaurant, or party, or ride in a different but equally noisy vehicle. Does it make the static noise then as well?

I also wonder if you could be experiencing wireless interference for some reason (though if that were the case, I doubt it would be dependent on the car moving). But you can test this idea easily enough. Before riding in your car again, try opening the battery door for a second to power it off and then holding down the button as you close the battery door. On the similar (non-Costco version) Alera, this boots up the aid with the wireless circuitry defeated temporarily. You should hear double beeps instead of single beeps if you time the button press correctly. (This is also called Airline Mode, because this is what you’re supposed to do with a wireless aid like the Future or Alera on a plane that is landing or taking off when they tell you to turn off your electronic devices.) It also adds about 12-16 hours of battery life to the wireless Futures or Aleras if you boot your aids up this way when you’re not going to be using the wireless features for a while.

Thanks Hamjor. I will try it in wireless mode and see if that causes same problem? I have tried it in Smart two door and mini van and both had same static noise.
I will post the update once I try that tomorrow while going to work.

In reply to @hamjor

I had the same issue. I was told by tech when getting them adjusted that it was most likely interferance from my sat. radio. I also had it happen in the car when I disconnected from the function. That lasted for 30-45 seconds. I did return the aids today.

My audi was on the phone with Resound tech support asking about the static. It didn’t make sense to me. They clam the static was from some interference in my car most likely the satellite radio.

Bikey, do you have a satellite radio in the car? And for both Bikey (if you have a satellite radio) and for Phil57 as well, is the satellite radio original equipment built into the car? Or is this a portable satellite radio like the Inno or the XMP3i and you’re using an modulator? If you power the car’s built-in sound system (or a portable satellite radio) completely off, does the static noise in the aid stop?

Unless you’re using an FM modulator to wirelessly play your portable satellite radio through your car’s FM radio, as far as I know, satellite radios are passive receivers only that are not transmitting a radio signal any more than an AM/FM radio built into the car is transmitting a radio signal. I realize any electronic device can cause interference if the stars are aligned (badly), but it doesn’t make a lot of sense to me. Also it doesn’t explain why Bikey doesn’t hear static when the car is running, the sound system is presumably running, but the car is stopped at a stop sign.

In reply to @Phil57

@Phil57 said:

My audi was on the phone with Resound tech support asking about the static. It didn’t make sense to me. They clam the static was from some interference in my car most likely the satellite radio.

I’ll have a $1 on the fact that it’s nothing to do with the radio in any case. Pretty much all radios are designed to remove, not introduce noise.

Now, ignition systems OTOH, they do produce a spark, just like a radio transmitter does. Most of your car electrics also run on something called a Field-bus to run all the gizmos over shared wiring. It’s perfectly possible that the Future/Alera isn’t as well shielded as it should be or that some of the integral wiring/case structure isn’t grounded as well as it ought to be.

The other aspect to consider is wind noise, which can be pretty high especially at your ear nearest the window: this will cause the aid to flutter about as it kicks around dealing with that and other sounds inside the car.

It’s unfortunate, but it seems to be the way of lots of Resound products at the minute, some really good ideas but things fall apart in the execution. I do wonder if their product development/testing department really know what they are doing…

Here’s my guess. Since it happens when the car is moving and doesn’t happen when the car stops, it’s likely not electronic interference since the engine and all electronics are still running when stopped at a stop sign.

My guess is that there is no other noise for the hearing aid to boost so it boosts road noise. I’m noticing mine boosts air movenment, road noise, or any steady midrange noise, when there is no speech going on, on program 1. Other programs do not seem to do that.

@Don said:

Here’s my guess. Since it happens when the car is moving and doesn’t happen when the car stops, it’s likely not electronic interference since the engine and all electronics are still running when stopped at a stop sign.

My guess is that there is no other noise for the hearing aid to boost so it boosts road noise. I’m noticing mine boosts air movenment, road noise, or any steady midrange noise, when there is no speech going on, on program 1. Other programs do not seem to do that.

Er, no: door detection, multiple airbag/collision sensors, ABS and odometer/speedo are all live when the car is in motion. Even the breakthrough from the ignition will be different at different speeds.

However, you are right about the tyre/wind noise, it could well be a cause of discomfort - it doesn’t usually give a static-like sound though…

Well, this morning I tested it under flight mode (no wireless) and it still makes that noise. No I do not have satelite radio. I have tested in all four channels and it makes that noise. I have turn the radio, CD player etc off and still noise. I do not use any other accessories for radio, CD.
Important thing is my right does not make any static noise it is just left one. I do not have my settings at this moment but yes it was program to environment.
I am leaning toward bad HA as two of my cars - Smart and Scion are newer and Van is older and it make that static noise in all the cars. Driver side or passanger side.

OK, let’s get a board going, $1 a square. I’ll put my dollar on the hearing aid picking up background noise in the absence of speech. Mine does that and you could describe the sound from humming equipment or road noise as static, especially if it is not adjusted correctly. My noise program and party program do not have it, and neither does the music program but all three of those would specifically not boost background noise. On program 1, in a quiet environment or where there is one consistent hum of background, my Resound Future will boost that background and it is not a good thing (although it seems to be getting better).

It would be very easy to accidently change only one hearing aid and leave one unchanged, accounting for the difference in the way left and right sound.

@Don said:

OK, let’s get a board going, $1 a square. I’ll put my dollar on the hearing aid picking up background noise in the absence of speech. Mine does that and you could describe the sound from humming equipment or road noise as static, especially if it is not adjusted correctly.

I’ll put my dollar on your square! My guess is it’s not a bad aid, just bad programming. I would be willing to go a step further and bet an additional dollar as to the fact that it has to do with the combination of NT II and DFS Ultra settings. There is some louder (while driving) ambient car/road noise that is being picked up (if I had to guess around 2k +/- 500Hz), considered voice, amplified to an extreme, then considered not voice (and possibly even feedback), and it’s oscillating (very quickly) back and forth.

If I’m right, there are many ways this can be addressed, but a simple test would be to disable (not lower, but disable) NT II and retest, or if you want to kill two birds with one stone, disable both NT II and DFS Ultra and retest. Again, these settings would be only for testing, I’m not suggesting that you leave the option(s) disabled as a way of fixing the problem.

In reply to @Phil57

@Phil57 said:

My audi was on the phone with Resound tech support asking about the static. It didn’t make sense to me. They clam the static was from some interference in my car most likely the satellite radio.

Gotcha, now it makes sense… It’s been my audi’s experience that Resound techs are very nice people that are very knowledgeable in how to use the programming software. They also usually have a good grasp on what options should be adjusted given a particular problem or symptom. However, there is no in depth understanding of the actual firmware algorithms and how they control the sophisticated electronics as they are NOT engineers.

In reply to @hamjor

@hamjor said:

Bikey, do you have a satellite radio in the car? And for both Bikey (if you have a satellite radio) and for Phil57 as well, is the satellite radio original equipment built into the car?

Commercially available consumer satellite radios won’t negatively affect the Aleras.

@hamjor said:

…as far as I know, satellite radios are passive receivers only that are not transmitting a radio signal any more than an AM/FM radio built into the car is transmitting a radio signal. I realize any electronic device can cause interference if the stars are aligned (badly), but it doesn’t make a lot of sense to me.

Lol. Well there is actually an oscillator in all of the receivers, and technically they should be considered active, not passive. However, I must agree with you in that the stars would have to be badly aligned for this to have any affect (read: it doesn’t).

In reply to @Um_bongo

@Um_bongo said:

I’ll have a $1 on the fact that it’s nothing to do with the radio in any case. Pretty much all radios are designed to remove, not introduce noise.

Now, ignition systems OTOH, they do produce a spark, just like a radio transmitter does. Most of your car electrics also run on something called a Field-bus to run all the gizmos over shared wiring. It’s perfectly possible that the Future/Alera isn’t as well shielded as it should be or that some of the integral wiring/case structure isn’t grounded as well as it ought to be.

This all makes good sense to me, but I’m still going with something being picked up by the mics and being processed. The main reason for my guess is I have helped my neighbor tune up his older boat as well as also being out on the water with him while it was running (at everything from long idle periods to close to full throttle). The engine is an old school big block V8 that has a points distributor with non-resistive plug wires. If you want to talk about RFI/ interference generators this sucker is king! Anyway, even when I have leaned over the running motor, I have never received any type of interference with my Aleras (although I have never been in his boat and attempted to stream to the aid).

In reply to @Battery_Ears

I’ll put my dollar on your square! My guess is it’s not a bad aid, just bad programming. I would be willing to go a step further and bet an additional dollar as to the fact that it has to do with the combination of NT II and DFS Ultra settings. There is some louder (while driving) ambient car/road noise that is being picked up (if I had to guess around 2k +/- 500Hz), considered voice, amplified to an extreme, then considered either not voice (and possibly even feedback), and this is oscillating (very quickly) back and forth.

If I’m right, there are many ways this can be addressed, but a simple test would be to disable (not lower, but disable) NT II and retest, or if you want to kill two birds with one stone, disable both NT II and DFS Ultra and retest. Again, these settings would be only for testing, I’m not suggesting that you leave the option(s) disabled as a way of fixing the problem.

Yes, when I go back. I will ask my Audi to disable both the option, go into my car, drive and come back to him and disable one and leave the other on. I really am not willing to disable these functions but for test purpose, it will be fine. Will see how it goes.
Until then, I am just taking the left out and keep the right HA on. I can’t stand that static noise in my left ear all the time while Iam driving.

@bikey said:

Yes, when I go back. I will ask my Audi to disable both the option, go into my car, drive and come back to him and disable one and leave the other on. I really am not willing to disable these functions but for test purpose, it will be fine.

There is no reason to have to live with the options disabled, the plan would be to just determine what’s causing (or contributing to) the problem and then change programming from there. Thus, if the static is gone when both are options are disabled, please have the audi give you the details about how they were set (especially if NT II is per environment). Also, please keep in mind that the options need to be disabled/off, not lowered/mild.

Also, just so you know, it’s very easy to swap the aids (from left to right and right to left) in the software and then also physically swap the receivers (very simple and takes about 15 seconds per instrument). This will allow you to determine if the right one does the same thing when programmed and worn as the left one.

In reply to @Um_bongo

My satellite is original equipment with GM. I thought it was noise from the car that was the problem but I really don’t know enough about the science to diagnose the problem.

Related discussions