How is the streaming of the Oticon ConnectClip, versus Phonak Audeo Marvel's built-in streaming?

Trader Gary is not the only one having better results with TV connector connections. My wife’s KS9 aids have no problem with drop outs.

From doing much reading on this forum you will find very few members having these connection issues. Most are very happy with the Phonak Marvel/KS9 aids.

Hi John,
I have a TV Connector and it doesn’t use Bluetooth. I just tested my TV Connector and I can maintain a connection for close to 20 feet away!

I wonder if maybe the make and model of phone can make connection differences.

Our home is a contemporary and is open centrally to different floors, so I’m sure that makes a big difference. Kate often leaves her Pixel 3 XL in her purse on the first floor and can access it from anywhere on the 2nd floor when it rings. At the most the BT must go through one wall or one floor and sometimes just line-of-sight. We’ve had our home now for over 30 years, and yes, we are really thankful that we found it when we did! It’s quite unique and we love it! It has skylights everywhere and you can grow plants literally anywhere! It’s also a great design for WiFi propagation!

@TraderGary said:

I have a TV Connector and it doesn’t use Bluetooth. I just tested my TV Connector and I can maintain a connection for close to 20 feet away!

Sounds like a great house and that it works well for short range RF connections.

Do you pair the TV Connector to your hearing aids? The reason I ask is that is typically part of configuring a Bluetooth system.

I just looked at the technical data sheet and the manual for an Oticon TV Adapter 3. No mention of Bluetooth but it does state that it uses the 2.4 GHz (ISM band). I also pair the aids with the adapter. Dredging around the FCC database I found the application for the Oticon adapter - sure enough it does use Bluetooth. The listed power output for Bluetooth is 4 mW and there is another power level of 21 mW for another mode in the same frequency band that is not marked as Bluetooth.

The manual for the TV adapter claims a range of up to 50 feet with a maximum emission of 17.1 dBm EIRP. I have no idea how to convert dBm (dB-milliwatts) to transmit power as I haven’t a clue as to antenna gain. In my case, I can walk away from our living room TV (adapter under it) through the dining area and kitchen into the garage and still hold a good connection to the adapter (about 45 feet).

The same FCC site also has the doc for the ConnectClip - it lists two Bluetooth power levels (1 and 5 mW) and two other modes of 8 and 12 mW that are not marked as Bluetooth.

The technical data sheet for the ConnectClip lists two wireless range figures:
up to 33 feet with Bluetooth Class 2 devices (e.g. mobile phones)
up to 65 feet between ConnectClip and hearing instruments

I have no idea what the modes not marked as Bluetooth are but they are in the same band as Bluetooth and other 2.4 GHz unlicensed devices.

The FCC site also lists a number of Oticon hearing aids - most show Bluetooth with 1 mW or less for power output.

I have Oticon OPN1 ITE hearing aids, and the connect clip, and two of the TV connects, and the phone connect. My hearing aid stay connected to my TV connect through as 3 walls and almost 50 feet in distance. The connect clip will stay connected to the phone connect for at least that same distance.

And it’s also the low band frequency of WiFi.
2.4 GHz WiFi can connect to well over a hundred feet.

That is also true. And it depends on the strength of the device that is connected to the wifi router most of the time. It has to do with the round trip and the connection in both direction.

The 2.4 GHz band used for WiFi and Bluetooth is a part of the RF spectrum set aside for unlicensed low power devices. Another part is for the 5 GHz band used for WiFi. The 5 GHz band is wider hence the possibility of high data rates although the range is typically less and 5 GHz doesn’t penetrate walls and other obstructions as well as 2.5 GHz does.

WiFi has much greater range for a number of reasons. The maximum transmit power permitted for civil use in the WiFi frequency ranges in the US is 1 Watt (higher for the military). Also, the antennas can be directional - that further increases the effective power. Along with the increased range WiFi can have much higher data rates (much higher than Bluetooth) although there is a tradeoff between range and data rate. We use WiFi at a remote field site (not much interference from other devices) over a half mile but we use fairly high gain, directional antennas on both ends. The access point, although powered by a solar powered battery system, can transmit at 1 Watt on both bands simultaneously but draws up to 14 Watts to do so.

Hearing aids can’t use much power so the maximum transmitted powers are about 1000 times less and the antennas aren’t as sophisticated (or large ) so the maximum range is much less. Also, in many locations where a hearing aid is useful there is a significant amount of RF interference from things like microwave ovens, other unlicensed RF devices, and other Bluetooth and WiFi devices.

I need help, My phonak Marvel hearing aids are paired to my android via blue tooth but for some reason I cant figure out how to stream the music to them?
I have a samsung note 8
Can someone help me?

I originally purchased Marvels to use with my iphone, android phone and laptop. I use skype for business on my laptop for several hours per day, so whatever hearing aid I chose had to support this. When I purchased the Marvels, they only could only be paired with one device at a time, which was a show-stopper for me, because it required me to reboot my laptop every time. (The single pairing issue has since been addressed by Phonak and newer versions of Windows 10 do not require rebooting when re-pairing.) I also found that the Marvels frequently disconnected from my laptop, which was very disruptive and for me it was a show-stopper.

Because of these two issues, I switched to Opn S hearing aids. These hearing aids support MFi so they connect directly to my iphone. They automatically connect to the iphone when I turn them on. They use the ConnectClip to connect to the laptop or the android phone using Bluetooth Classic and the connection to the hearing aids is Bluetooth LE. The ConnectClip is reliable (zero disconnections) and the sound quality is good. They are connected to the iphone and the ConnectClip at the same time. For me, this is very handy, because that way, I can leave them connected to both my iphone and my laptop all the time.

If you have an iphone, I recommend the Opns. The MFI connection is superior to Bluetooth Classic. If you have a Pixel 4, according to Oticon, the Opns will support ASHA with a firmware update. If you have an android phone that doesn’t support ASHA or a laptop, the Marvels might be a better choice. Of course, you should always consider which hearing aid works best for your particular needs. For my situation, I didn’t notice any difference substantive between the Marvels and the Opns, so my decision was based on connectivity.

It sounds like you’re only paired with Bluetooth LE to the phone and this allows only connectivity to the phone app, MyPhonak. What you need to do is pair your phone to your Marvels so they connect using Bluetooth Classic. You know you are paired using Bluetooth Classic when you see your connected device as “R-Phonak hearing aid” when you tap and hold on the Bluetooth Icon in settings. Redo your pairing process until you see that.

Hi Max.
I find a perceptible sound delay when watching a YouTube video. The sound and the video are slightly out-of-sync.

When listening to my Primephonic.com1 music subscription any delay is, of course, irrelevant.

What about using a TV-connector connected by a wire to the audio output of a smartphone or laptop?
Will there still be a sound delay?
Notebook > wire 3.5 jack > TV-connector > hearing aids

I do not detect any sound delay when using my Phonak generation 2 TV-Connector with my laptop.

Trader Gary - My apologies if I am “crashing” this thread, but I have a related question that I have not seen addressed elsewhere. I’m a long-time HA wearer, who recently began using Phonak Marvels. They are quite good! I have my Marvels synced to my iPhone, and I also have them paired with my work laptop, as I am on video conference calls for as much as 6-8 hours a day using Zoom or Teams. My current connection is through BT, and even though they are paired, I must turn the HAs off/on each morning as I’m preparing for my day on the laptop (attempts to connect without the off/on process have failed). This length of streaming (6-8 hours) is draining significant battery power - particularly from the right HA, which controls BT. My question to you us this - I recently heard that using the TV Connector with my laptop would be much more battery efficient and a better option than BT for my work. However, I’m concerned about the ability of the TV Connector to pick up my voice through my HA microphones. Does the TV Connector pick up my audio input into the conversations? From what I’m reading in this forum, the TV Connector uses a proprietary Phonak connection instead of BT, but I’ve not found any reference to the bi-directional use of the TV Connector. Any input would be appreciated. Thanks in advance.