Skip to content
HearingTracker
Log in

iPhone 12 Pro Bluetooth Crackling Noise issue with Phonak Marvel Hearing Aids

This topic is closed.

63 replies9.3k viewsLast reply

Jump
Link to this topic

In reply to @elliot.gingold

@elliot.gingold said:

How does one check for updates? Does this involve a visit to the audiologist?

With recent Resound , you can check in the app and even do the firmware upgrade yourself from there too. But I’m not aware that Phonak have implemented that facility yet. No doubt if they have, someone will come along and correct me.

Best

David

Here is a copy of a recent email I received from Apple

We have released numerous updates to address this issue which has resolved it for some customers. As stated before your Phonak hearing aids are not a Made for iPhone device like other models that are supported by our company. I have provided a list of made for iPhone models that are supported by Apple. I can gather logs and submit the issue up to our engineers as done in the past. Per Phonaks website it does state they support compatibility with your phone models. I would recommend reaching out to Phonak as they are the ones stating compatibility not Apple. Let me know a good time I can call you to collect logs if you would like to proceed.

I had asked Apple if they were going to do anything and the above was my answer. I have KS9’s but have the same issue as Marvels.

I had been communicating with Apple support for months and this the response when pressed for a resolution.

This has been a very interesting discussion.
Does anybody know how to check the Phonak firmware without having to see the audiologist. The Phonak iPhone app tells me nothing. Do Phonak have a software firmware website page anywhere to show all the releases done?

Hello Everyone,
Just an update.
How is everyone getting on with this issue.
I read another post about setting the Bluetooth bandwidth to fixed in the Phonak app then turning your hearing aids off and on. This seems to have improved everything for me with phone calls.
Thanks Gary.

image

Hello. I have been in touch with Apple within the past 48 hours. The significant static issue with Apple iPhone 12 (all models) and Phonak hearing aids has been on their Radar since Oct 2020. It is an Apple issue. They gave a fix in the wings and apparently it will be part of an upcoming software update. My hearing clinic is in touch with Phonak and Phonak will let them know once the update is available.

Gary, you saved my work day today!
I promised myself I would replace my iPhone X with a new phone after I have had my 2 COVID vaccinations + 2 weeks to kick in.
My X had battery issues and I had to keep it plugged in for more than 2 hours of ZOOM.
So “out of the frying pan and into the fire” I went by buying an iPhone 12 Pro. I honestly do not see much improvement over the iPhone X except better battery life, but a trade-off for the static that almost made me need to cancel my day of work. I found this thread and I tried switching the Bluetooth bandwidth to fixed and I was ready to go. I had put a call into my Audiologist, who spoke with Phonak, who said to turn my iPhone 12 off and then on every morning as a solution, though I have not needed to try that yet after switching to a fixed bandwidth. This solution may be helpful for some readers.
Steven

Hi Steven,
Glad it helped. I’ve not had to turn my iPhone 12 Pro off once since moving to the fixed bandwidth setting.
Cheers
Gary.

Hi Garywatson. I have just upgraded to iPhone 12 and had same issue.
I opened the bluetooth connection for the hearing aids and changed the device setting from Hearing Aid to Head Phone and the crackling has now gone.
There are different types of Buletooth and I’m gessing iPhone 12 has changed to a different type which has created this problem with Phonak Aids.

Good day! I just got my iPhone 12 Pro, moving from an iPhone 8. My Phonak Marvels were flawless with the 8, but I also had the tons of jitter with phone calls on the 12 Pro. After reading through all the comments, I tried a few things with no joy. I finally tried telling my phone that they were actually headsets, but that did not help, but I thought deeper and decided to shut off my phones and hearing aids, turn my phone back on and then my hearing aids. I now have crisp, clean audio on phone calls without any issues with jitter.
Thank you to everyone else who shared in this thread that lead me to the fix.

I have an iPhone 11 Pro. Two days ago, I picked up my Costco KS-10 hearing aids. I’m just learning all their many options, but one that disturbed me was popping, crackling, and scratching noises that contaminated cals, but no other BlueTooth uses of the tiny speakers in the hearing aids.

I tried the "trick of changing the profile of the hearing aids to “headphones;” that diverted the sound of incoming calls from the hearing aids to the iPhone itself. However, after I switched the sound profile for phone calls from “Adaptive” to “Fixed” and power-cycled the iPhone 11 Pro, the next incoming call had no static. We’ll see how long that holds up. It’s clear from many reports here that it’s not new to the iPhone 12 models, however. The most disconcerting report here is Apple’s reported running away from the issue by saying the Phonak products are not “Made for iPhone.” But then we have the equally vague assertion that Apple knows of the issue and will fix it. I have a feeling we’ll be power cycling our phones and hearing aids excessively until it’s fixed, or one or the other company will need to eat some crow and admit the problem resides with them.

Hello, I just purchased some KS9’s and I’ve noticed some crackling with the bluetooth, anyone else had this issue?
My other hearing aids are KS8’s and with the MFI bluetooth it was always clear, not sure if it’s a better system or if something can be done to fix this issue on the KS9’s.
Thank you

Yes, very common problem. Two things help;

  1. Turn Bluetooth off and on from iPhone Settings page and reconnect to aids (do NOT turn Bluetooth on/off from Control Center shortcut menu - this doesn’t properly turn the on and off!)
  2. In myPhonak app set the Bluetooth bandwidth to “fixed”

I know (1) is a hassle but it works for me. I have iPhone 12 Pro.

Some posters here claim it’s not a problem, just “user error.” However, there are SO many reports and so many almost witchcraft-like incantations recommended that it REALLY deserves intensive investigation by the manufacturer. Some recommendations, beside’s the one advocated by Sundance include power cycling the phone each morning. I went to Costco for my fitting follow-up last week, and the fitter did a firmware update which sadly did NOT eradicate the problem. There are an equal number of posters who say that changing the profile from fixed to adaptive as those who say it should be changed from adaptive to fixed. Until we see a majority of posters reporting that it’s fixed and that telephone calls are just as clear as streamed programming, I for one will continue to consider it a major issue, one that might cause me to return my at the end of Costco’s generous 6 month trial period.

Related discussions