Skip to content
HearingTracker
Log in

Resound Linx

This topic is closed.

299 replies140.3k viewsLast reply

Jump
Link to this topic

hello fellow members - this is not only my first post to this forum but my first post to any forum - not sure if i’m posting correctly - but i’ll give it an attempt

i have put off buying hearing aids for 30 years but am about to pull the trigger - i’ve narrowed it down to the resound linx 7 or linx 9 - audiologist is recommending the 7 coz my hearing loss isn’t severe - but i have lots of trouble in noisy environments - and i’ve read that 9 might b better than 7

additionally, the price tag seems high - for the linx 7 €5800 (euro), linx 9 €7100 (yikes) - i’ve seen prices here much lower - but live in ireland - there are other places in ireland i can get for less - but drive is longer.

w this audiologist - batteries free for 2 or 3 years, i’ll b upgraded for free (except for price increase) when linx2 becomes available, servicing no charge for the rest of my life (i’m 60 and expect to live to 111 !)

any advice wld b welcome - thanking in advance

:

     250    500    1k  2k  4k  8k

r 20 30 40 45 40 40

l 20 30 35 45 45 40

you don’t say where you are but, if there is a Costco in your area, I would suggest a visit to one before you commit. You have a mild loss and Costco’s private label aid is a Resound lacking only a couple of the features in the Linx. The biggest being able to use Apple products directly. A pair of those go for $1900.

Edited

thanks ken - i am in ireland, but i do go to boston usa a couple of times a year - thinking about getting the resound linx there at costco - but worried that wldn’t get after purchase service

In reply to @davino

I think you are entirely correct about the streaming issue being related to WiFi. I’ve done quite a bit of experimentation myself. My home WiFi is a dual band system. This is what I have found:

  1. With WiFi turned off on my phone streaming from iTunes Radio or Pandora works acceptably. Not audiophile quality, but adequate for casual listening.

  2. When connected to my home’s 2.4GHz WiFi band audio streaming is a disaster. The audio is distorted and broken up. Not suitable for any kind of listening.

  3. When connected to my home’s 5GHZ WiFi band the audio is much improved over the experience with the 2.4GHZ band. There is still some minor intermittent distortion, but not enough to be a major distraction.

My conclusion is that since Bluetooth operates on the 2.4GHz bandwidth, there is interference when trying to stream over WiFi on the same bandwidth. This certainly has been my experience.

I would be interested in the experience of others along this line.
John

In reply to @jbaugh

@JBaugh
The 2/4G band is cluttered and often causes problems for other devices. Your router is probably set for auto selection of the band. In the U.S., there are 11 available bands. You should be able to try the different bands by selecting them in your router’s setup.

The following is a synopsis from PCMag:

Most consumer devices that emit a radio signal — wireless routers, cordless phones, cell phones, garage door openers — operate in the ISM band, short for industrial, scientific, and medical. This band was cordoned off decades ago because such devices don’t need to broadcast very far and therefore (theoretically) won’t interfere with one another, and thus don’t need to be licensed and confined to a specific frequency, like a radio or TV station. The ISM band extends from 2.401GHz to 2.473GHz, but people call it the 2.4GHz band for short.

Today, tons of devices operate in the 2.4GHz band and, as a result, cause lots of interference with nearby ISM-type devices. In an effort to prevent this from occurring, the 2.4GHz spectrum is split into 11 “channels” (small bands), each 22MHz apart. In theory, these channels provide three frequency ranges whose signals never overlap. Or, to put it another way, three 2.4GHz devices using three different channels should never interfere with one another.

If I buy the Linx 9 will I miss having a Tcoil to interface with the Loop in church and movie theaters? Is there a way to compensate for this or is the Linx good enough that I will not need it? I know the Linx2 is out but I think Costco will now carry the Linx 9 and I just can’t pass up the price.

Edited

Technically, Costco won’t be carrying the LiNX 9. They’ll have their own version which is a close match, but not identical. The form factor will have a t-coil, but the will not. If you want t-coil and RIC, you should get the KS 5.

@rasmus_braun said:

Technically, Costco won’t be carrying the LiNX 9. They’ll have their own version which is a close match, but not identical. The BTE form factor will have a t-coil, but the RIC will not. If you want t-coil and RIC, you should get the KS 5.

Besides the tinnitus and Iphone, what differentiates it from the KS5 in a meaningful way?

@KenP said:

Besides the tinnitus and Iphone, what differentiates it from the KS5 in a meaningful way?

These may or may not be meaningful to you: New case design, more powerful processing chip, new antenna system, technology, auto acclimatization, and ability to use an ultra-power receiver. It won’t have the tinnitus sound generator.

I emailed ReSound in respect of the fact I have only recently bought my current generation Linx 961’s and now the Linx2 is about to be released. Per my previous post, I wanted to know if there will be an upgrade program in place - either very heavily subsidized or free, given the fact I just shelled out NZD$9000 less than 6 months ago for the 961’s. They have not replied after 3 days.

So I then called the NZ ReSound office and spoke with them and asked the same questions. I was told by their Marketing guy (who apparently spoke to his Marketing people at HQ) that the Linx2 will be released in NZ on 11 April and when it is released it will be up to the individual resellers to decide what - if anything - they will offer to existing Linx customers. Not good enough I’m afraid. I’ve worked for lots of companies where we have always offered free or heavily discounted upgrades for the latest model to customers who have recently purchased the then current model. I’m pretty pissed with the response and I’ll be damned if I’m going to part with ANOTHER $9000 (if I had that much money…).

Can someone who is high up the food chain at ReSound please offer their comments? I have not been wearing my ’s for the last 3 months due to the fact I am very frustrated with not being able to hear people to the side of me nor in noisy environments. I’m fully aware this is an ongoing process but it is taking up too much of my time going back and forth to the audi for adjustments and then waiting 2 weeks before I can see her again. I know I would probably be going thru the same thing had I selected another model/brand.

Based on the little I know about the Linx2 it seems it will help me - especially with the sound focus feature in the new version of the Smart App (BTW the new version of the Smart App is available now for those who don’t know :p).

On another note, Apple is rumored to be releasing iOS 8.2 on Monday (US time) which promises to resolve issues with , calendars, and numerous other things. The changelog is here: http://bgr.com/2015/03/05/ios-8-2-release-download-change-log-notes/

Under ‘Stability Enhancements’ it mentions connectivity with Made for iPhone HA is improved, and under ‘Bug Fixes’ it fixes a BT calling issue where no audio is heard until the call is answered. The new Smart App also promise faster connection time between the HA and the iPhone but I haven’t tested this as yet. Has anyone else had the opportunity?

Cheers,
Richard

@richierich19681996 said:

I was told by their Marketing guy (who apparently spoke to his Marketing people at HQ) that the Linx2 will be released in NZ on 11 April and when it is released it will be up to the individual resellers to decide what - if anything - they will offer to existing Linx customers.

It sounds like they may be saying they will accept a return, although they can’t come out and say that. You could take their response and talk to your pro about it and ask for a return, but I would do it now before any more time passes.

I had a return one time that was a couple of months past the 90 day trial period because I made the case that what they sold me was not powerful enough. So to return it the pro called the manufacturer right there in front of me on speakerphone to get a return number. The rep knew when it was purchased (about 5 months earlier) but didn’t even question my pro on why she was asking for a return.

Remember your pro is Resounds customer. You are not really their customer. It is like the relationship between General Motors and their dealers.

Hi: I just (2 weeks ago) got the Resound Linx and when I went to pick them up, I asked about the new one which my audi had not heard about. She called Resound and was told that it was only for the ringing in the ears and that I didn’t need to be upgraded. Last week I was looking at the tutorial on the app and there was this new feature mentioned that I couldn’t find on my app. I had an appointment with my audi and she called them again. Low and behold, the person she had spoken to at my last visit (when I picked up the new aids) was incorrect! Needless to say, my audi was not happy about this, but as of now, they are allowing us to return the aids and get the newer version with no price difference. There is also an upgrade to the software that the audi has to get as well. I am only the second person she has put in these aids, so we’ll see how it goes. Does anyone have the new ones yet? The only issues I’ve had so far is that the aids sometimes turn to mute and unmute with no warning. Nothing that bad tho’.

That’s good to hear re getting the LINX2 at no price difference.

I wonder if the software upgrade is another new one or the one that was released about Oct/Nov last year. Does anyone know?

In reply to @Pavane

I see good ole Apple has released iOS 8.2. They say it has “improved connectivity for paired made for iPhone hearing aids”. I have an iPhone 6 with iOS 8.1.3 and Smart App version 3.0.0. I downloaded the 3.0.0 version of the Smart App a few days back and it seems to be better, plus, you get the mute button back. It also has a display to show the progress of finding or pairing with the aids. I don’t have any problems with it per se. The 2 problems I am having is that wi-fi drops all the time and I have to toggle it off and then on again. Also, if I leave my iPhone in the bedroom and walk to the kitchen, the Smart App disconnects from my Linx (I know this because I get the exclamation mark in the App) and I then have to close the App, toggle Bluetooth off then on and restart the Smart App to get them connected again if I need to make an adjustment. I am not lazy and can do this, I just don’t think I should have to do it. Shouldn’t they reconnect automatically? Any comments form anyone that has downloaded iOS 8.2 are welcomed…

Hi Cicada,

I downloaded and installed iOS 8.2 last night (what a mission - but that’s another story…). Thus far I have not tried it on my due to the issues I’m having with them (see post further up). After tomorrow when I get (another) adjustment made on the Linx then I will try it out using the iOS 8.2, Smart App 3 and iPhone 6 combo.

I did notice on the Smart App that connection time to the HA was considerably faster, as well as the audio kicking in when it switches to the HA when making a call. I didn’t receive any calls tho so I don’t know if incoming audio connects faster. I haven’t come across the WiFi issue you’re having. Yet.

Cheers,
Richard

Related discussions