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Costco Kirkland Signature 6.0

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My local Costco in Kalamazoo, MI was getting their training on Friday. I think you are right, the KS6 will be available in each store following the factory training. The training is provided at each location instead of flying everyone to a central location.

I got fitted with the 6.0 today. Initial thoughts., The setup on the iphone was easy. Need to be patient when it is trying to pair them though. The iphone as a remote worked slick. nice benefit is that I can help the fitter with adjustments. When I go back in 10 days I can say how many more steps +/- of bass, treble, volume and left or right for different programs I would like loaded. At least I have something more meaningful to describe what works and what does not. That has always been a frustration with getting them adjusted correctly was the fitter trying to interpret what I was saying.

Previously I had Revo+ for a little over 6 years. These sound a bit different…or the better so far but had to turn down treble around the house a couple of steps. So far I have tried the streaming on a phone call…works good but will need to test more scenarios. I tried the “find me” option by having my wife hide them…found them quickly. I have never lost or misplaced a pair but this is a nice feature. My concerns will be with streaming and battery life. My Revos got about 10 days, I assume these will be less. Tomorrow I get to try them at work. I host a conference call and have a meeting in a conference room with a fan in the ventilation system that is loud and makes hearing certain voices difficult. It will be interesting to discreetly tweak the controls. I will update as I get a chance to try them out.

I’m doing some research for my wife. She bought the Bernafon Verite (5? 7?) at Costco 5 years ago, and is looking to replace them. They’ve worked well, although they’ve had to replace the receivers fairly frequently (despite her fairly meticulous care).

We were just at the store, and learned of the Kirkland Signature 6.0. Seems attractive, especially with the price > $600 less than she paid for the Bernafon’s.

I’m trying to sort out the iPhone/Android connectivity issue. We’re all Android, and not really wanting to change teams, unless there is a compelling reason to do so.

If I’m understanding it right, the iPhone hardware/software will allow direct streaming of audio (music, cell phone calls, etc.) to the KS6, while Android requires an intermediary device, like the Phone Clip + to achieve the same functionality.

  1. My first question concerns fully hands-free cell phone calls with the iPhone. Does the hearing aid contain a microphone that would pick up my wife’s voice during a phone call, and transmit this to the phone? If not, how is her voice picked up hands-free? (With Android, the Phone Clip + has to be worn close enough to her mouth to pick up her voice, so that seems straight forward, right?)

  2. My second question: is it known what functionality the upcoming Android App (they said today it’ll be available in June) will provide? I see there is a current Resound Android App available now. Will that not work with the KS6? Will the new App provide additional controls?

TIA.

Don

Edited

My understanding is the iphone microphone is used, so it is not really hands free. The Linx works with the Samsung 5 in the same way as the iphone, so my guess is the new app will expand on that for Android.

@Don said:

My understanding is the iphone microphone is used, so it is not really hands free. …

No hearing aids for me as yet (soon!), but I do have an iPhone… When I’m at home I usually use it in speakerphone mode and thus hands-free. So at least in some conditions one can have both hearing assist via and hands-free.

In reply to @Don

@Don said:

My understanding is the iphone microphone is used, so it is not really hands free. The Linx works with the Samsung 5 in the same way as the iphone, so my guess is the new app will expand on that for Android.

Thanks. If that’s the case, then I’d see little point in switching to iPhone, since it still wouldn’t be completely hands-free (in the same way that a conventional Bluetooth Headset can be completely hands-free).

I’m guessing she’ll benefit from the Phone Clip +, and stick with Android, although this item seems disproportionately expensive (especially relative to the overall cost of the KS6’s!).

Don

I have an appointment tomorrow for a hearing test, and plan to purchase the KS6. I’m in KS5s now, and the 6 is slightly smaller in form factor. I’ll also get the new TV Streamer 2, as it appears that the old TV Streamer isn’t compatible with the KS6. I already have original and updated ReSound remotes, and the Phone Clip +, and I’m anxious to see what, if any, improvements in should quality and speech discrimination the KS6s have over the 5s.

ReSound has made an app for the Apple Watch that works with the Lynx2. Will Costco be able to make a comparable app for the KS 6?

My KS6 came in early, picked them up yesterday. Wow! Very cool the way I can control with iPhone 6. Plus I can listen to the music on my phone by just pulling up the music and selecting a song. When in Twitter or Instagram and I run a video that has sound the sound comes through my hearing aids. What I like is that with 3 quick touches on the home button it brings up volume control for the hearing aids. I can hear the TV great so not sure if I need a TV streamer at all. These replaced analog aids that were like 25 years old. These are great hearing aids and I would recommend them without a second thought. At $1,799.99 compared to other hearing aids at $3,500 to $6,000 they are an unbelievable bargain.

In reply to @huntindog

@huntindog said:

I have had my 5.0s for about 5-6 weeks now. They work pretty good, though the left one might be having some trouble. I sometimes get a crackling noise from it, like there may be a loose connection.
I really like the remote, and don’t have or desire an Iphone… So if I were to decide to go to the 6.0s, what would I be gaining/losing?

Is a remote confirmed as a option? What is the cost?

The remote is not included. The price is $149.00. I just ordered my KS6 and remote yesterday for del. on 24 Apr.

In reply to @LouisInTexas

Got my pair of KS6 yesterday and am very pleased so far though these being my first I dont know how they compare with others. I did see in the setup they have a feature called Sound Shift which is similar to the Juna Frequency Composition which is good news. I guess I’m going through the same thing as anyone wearing HAs for the first time with loud paper sounds and keyboard typing noises though overall everything is so much better to understand, conversations, TV…everything.

The Costco app is really just a UI over the native Apple stuff with Favorite Places added which is fine, especially as Apple is more likely to add more stuff with time. Streaming music works fine but sounds a bit weak, however I was never an earplug guy anyway preferring music through speakers. Phone calls also work well but there is a 2-3 sec delay when answering an incoming call before the stream kicks in, which is annoying but there is however, no delay on outgoing calls.

I think these things are an excellent buy but as I said I have no real experience with HAs.

I wanted to contribute something, as I’ve been helped by forum members in gathering information to help my wife. There has been some confusion about the various Smartphone Apps, Android vs iPhone, what functions do or don’t work with each, what is coming down the road, etc. Here’s what I’ve learned:

iPhone:

Kirkland Signature Choice App is available now in the Play Store. It provides remote control function (volume, left/right, program choice, bass/treble, some location function) directly, with no other hardware or software needed. In addition, it enables streaming of audio (music, cell phone call, etc.) directly to the Hearing Aids, also without the need of any other hardware or software. But for a phone call, even though the voice of the person you’re speaking to goes directly to your ’s, you still need to speak into the iPhone’s microphone for them to hear you, so this is not a fully ‘hands-free’ solution. There is also additional drain on the battery, especially with streaming.

Android:

Kirkland Signature Navigator App is available now in the Play Store. It provides remote control function (volume, left/right, program choice; no bass, treble, location options), along with audio streaming (music, cell phone), but all of these functions require having the Phone Clip +. This should work for most current Android phones.

The Android Equivalent of Kirkland Signature Choice App is in development (whatever they’ll end up calling it). This will provide remote control function (volume, left/right, program choice, bass/treble, location function), directly to an Android phone, without the need for the Phone Clip +. However, it is not known which specific Phone/Carrier Brands and Models will support this direct functionality. It definitely will not be all Android phones.

Further, even if your Android Phone is supported by this Android Equivalent Signature Choice App, it will not support direct audio streaming (music, cell phone) to the HA without the use of the Phone Clip +.

Resound does not have a time-table for release of this new Android App, or at least no date they were willing to share with me.

We’re an Android family, and the benefits of the iPhone in this context are just not compelling to us. We ordered the Phone Clip + which will give her basic remote control functionality, and when clipped to her shirt, will give true hands-free cell phone calling. If the new App works with her phone, and adds a few functions, that’s great, but it doesn’t seem crucial.

Hope this is of help to those new to this aspect of Hearing Aid technology.

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