Costco Kirkland Signature 6.0

@rasmus_braun said:

The hearing aids are built to use Apple’s proprietary technology for direct streaming. No Android app will be able to replicate that. At least not without a license from Apple, and I don’t see that happening anytime soon.

Yes you’re right. Ironically I had posted this information myself earlier in this thread. The new app will allow remote control functions without the phone clip, but you’re absolutely correct that this will not include streaming.

@rasmus_braun said:

The hearing aids are built to use Apple’s proprietary technology for direct streaming. No Android app will be able to replicate that. At least not without a license from Apple, and I don’t see that happening anytime soon.

I haven’t heard anyone giving any near term hope to direct streaming with Android. The Android operating system is not proprietary -so Google licensing won’t be needed. However, if Google is working with HA manufacturers I haven’t heard of it. In fact see further below for evidence to the contary.

Things are broken for Resound and Android. At present the Resound LINX App ONLY works with the Samsung Galaxy S5 and also apparently no longer functions at all now that Samsung has updated the phone’s operating system from Android Kit Kat to Android Lollipop. It does not sound like Resound and Google are talking with each other does it?

This is frustrating for Android users. There are hundreds if not thousands of Android apps that function properly across various manufacturers devices and Android operating system versions - hearing aids being notably absent.

I use KS5 with Phone clip and Android. Having had this “almost but not quite as good” solution, I look forward to being able to ditch the intermediary device with my next HA’s. I guess time will tell whether I have to give up Resound or give up Android.

@rasmus_braun said:

The hearing aids are built to use Apple’s proprietary technology for direct streaming. No Android app will be able to replicate that. At least not without a license from Apple, and I don’t see that happening anytime soon.

Quoting from the Android Play Store:
The ReSound Smart™ app is compatible with the following devices:
Samsung Galaxy® S5
Running Android OS version 4.4.2-4.4.4 ”Kit-kat” and above.
Not compatible with OS 5.0 “Lollipop”.

@KenP said:

Quoting from the Android Play Store:
The ReSound Smart™ app is compatible with the following devices:
Samsung Galaxy® S5
Running Android OS version 4.4.2-4.4.4 ”Kit-kat” and above.
Not compatible with OS 5.0 “Lollipop”.

The ReSound Smart™ app enables you to control and personalize your hearing experience – intuitive and discretely.

It is the first hearing aid app with a direct connection between your ReSound Smart hearing aids and your Android mobile device. ??????????????????????????

I think the point here is that it still does not directly stream audio from the phone to the hearing aids. That does not look to be an option for the foreseeable future. I had spoken with a tech guy at ReSound, about the forth coming App for the KS6, and he reiterated that it would allow remote control functions directly to the hearing aids (volume, program, bass, treble, and I think the GPS-related functions), but it would not allow media streaming directly. The Phone Clip + would still be needed for that.

One tech also stated that the ReSound branded android apps would not work with the KS6, which required the Kirkland Signature Navigator app. I haven’t tested this, so am only going by what he is stating.

@Baywood said:

KS6 Streaming fading. I have received the following email from ks6userportal.com:
Thank you for contacting Costco Member Support.

There is a firmware update coming in May that should solidify the connectivity issues with streaming.

Your tech support rep confused the models. The firmware update is for the LiNX2, not the KS6.

@rasmus_braun said:

Your tech support rep confused the models. The firmware update is for the LiNX2, not the KS6.

The contact was thru the KS6 site? Hoping! May is around the corner.

@Baywood said:

The contact was thru the KS6 site? Hoping! May is around the corner.

There is no technical reason Android couldn’t have direct streaming. Apple/Resound are using BLE to stream the audio, which is not a “standard” protocol yet, but this is how protocols get changed, someone develops a way, and it becomes a standard. This is especially true in the development of Bluetooth.

But having said that, I think the use of the Phone Clip+ is a better solution today than the iphone direct streaming because of the microphone issue. I do like the features of the new app, but they are not necessarily dependent on a direct connection.

@KipinTacoma said:

At bit of a high-jack here, but… Is everyone finding the certified audiologist support at Costco to be comparable to a standard medical clinic, or maybe my HMO in Washington State (Group Health)? I would like the confidence to know that the testing and support is all there if I decide on these HAs. Thank You

Houston, TX, Costco on Bunker Hill. The certified audiologist support I had there was excellent and compared favorably to the serviced I have had at Houston Ear Nose and Throat in the past. Testing and support was very professional.

Hi all:

got my KS6’s today and love them. Tricky pairing but finally did. At first, it would only see one HA. After trying everything, what worked was being sure I closed battery doors exactly at the same time. My question has to do with listening to music on the iPhone. I hear the music only in the left HA while the right HA is open to hear the surroundings. Is that the way it supposed to work or is there a setting I’m not familiar with?

You should hear the streamed signal in both ears. If you open up the Choice app and check the Connection screen, does it show both hearing aids connected?

I can feel where you are coming from. The day I was fitted the store was wall-to-wall. I really don’t notice much difference between the auto and the noise program. I am sure it can be made better but the default prescriptive setting for noise seems puny.

@LarryJ said:

Hi Rasmus:

yes it it shows both. Also the hearing aid settings in iPhone are set to stream to both HA’s. Possibly it is a software setting. I’ll check this out in two weeks when I have my next follow-up.

Btw I had to turn off wifi at one point to get any streaming. Then I was able to turn it back on without losing the streaming (left ha only though).

Something wrong here. I can hear music in both ears when playing music on my iPhone and I never had to turn off WiFi. Lots of times I’ll be connected to the internet with WiFi and open the YouTube app and listen to videos and it works fine. Nothing like listening to Anna Kendricks do Steal My Girl on Spike’s Linc Sync Battle when everyone thinks I’m working at my desk.

@LarryJ said:

Hi all:

got my KS6’s today and love them. Tricky pairing but finally did. At first, it would only see one HA. After trying everything, what worked was being sure I closed battery doors exactly at the same time. My question has to do with listening to music on the iPhone. I hear the music only in the left HA while the right HA is open to hear the surroundings. Is that the way it supposed to work or is there a setting I’m not familiar with?

Forgot to mention that when I first got mine the left side kept going in and out so the audi reloaded the program again and it has not been an issue since. If you are hearing in only one ear I would ask that the programming be reloaded and see if that corrects it.

LouisInTexas, when I am streaming anything (music, phone call, etc) my wife can hear it from up to five feet away. And I don’t have it blasting into my ears by any means. Streaming into hearing aids can be heard by others nearby (maybe it depends on the buds that are used).