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Why do so many hearing aid apps have pitiful reviews?

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Edited

I looked at as many reviews as possible for the aids my audi recommended, but failed to look at any of the corresponding app reviews (my bad). Now that I purchased some aids and went to download the app, i see the reviews are awful. The Jabra app I downloaded is the same as Resound 3d app and, just as pitiful reviews. Out of curiosity, I looked up the My Phonak app reviews, and, yep, just as bad. Oticon, Philips, etc. almost as bad. I find it hard to believe that so many rate these apps in the 2 star range, yet on this site not much mention of app issues? I usually trust app reviews, specially when the same problems are mentioned by most every reviewer. My personal rule, from app store experience has been not to download any app with less than 4 stars.
Is connectivity still just to new to expect that aids/apps will work as the manufacturers claim? Are manufacturers getting ahead of themselves in a rush to push this technology out to consumers? How can $30 cheapo headphones have better, easier, and more reliable connectivity than $5k aids?
Or am I just expecting to much (although nothing more than what the manufacturer claims)?
Tnx

28 people in this conversation23 min readJump to latest

Personally I feel that people overlook the real purpose of hearing aids, and either want them to be or expect them to be like earbuds or airpods. Sure apps are useful but they aren’t that overly required for my hearing aid experience.

Edited

Cheapo headphones don’t have to use low energy BT ( aka ), so their connectivity is better. However, even with BLE my ’s always connect to my mobile for streaming music. It’s the different connection the app uses, that has the problem.

I have Phonak Marvel and every time I try to connect it is very nice, if it actually does connect. I am not only able to change the volume or program, but I can also change bass/treble or low sounds harder/hard sound softer, speech focus and noise reduction.

The real purpose of HA is hearing. I am very happy that the aids connect directly to the sound systems instead of to speakers-to-air-to hearing-aids. I am catching up with listening to music, that I have neglected for years. Speech is important, but it not the Alpha-Omega of hearing.

I have Phonak Paradise ’s with the myPhonak App. I don’t like the APP, yet.
However, it was recently improved by Phonak. My issue:

  • leave autoset,
  • select an app
  • put iPhone away.
    When I check, the hearing aids are on autoset again. The selected App isn’t being used.

I’ve only had them 2 months. Point is that the APP was upgraded recently. Dr Cliff has a video on it.
Frankly, I don’t know if it’s the APP, or the guy that’s using the APP… :dizzy_face:

@DaveL said:

When I check, the hearing aids are on autoset again. The selected App isn’t being used.

You can save and name a profile and select it again afterwards. Is it different for iPhone than for Android?

Between my audiologist and I we’ve used all the profile slots. I talked to him about that last time.

I also said, I want my hearing aids to work. I want to comprehend what others say. In auto mode I have to take out my iPhone and start the app to see what program I’m in. That’s rude, if someone is talking to me.

I’m 75 and have new hearing aids. I have a lot of learnin’ to do.

Am some one that doesn’t want to have to even think about the fact I wear hearing aids once I place them one and I’m my ears. And 99% of the time that is true for me.

In reply to @DaveL

@DaveL said:

Between my audiologist and I we’ve used all the profile slots

Why does he use your app’s profiles? Shouldn’t he be tuning the programs on your ?

The fact that your using the app and are willing to tune your aids is a great way to start learning! Looking at the dependency we have on our aids, I think it is wise to invest the time.

My number one priority is to hear better and improve word comprehension. But every new aid seems to require an app to either adjust, customize, or calls and music. So the best aids can make for a bad experience if the app is crap. And the reviews are crap. Most of the reviews appear to be from experienced aid users, not first time users. Then I feel we are back to the manufacturers not fully supporting app development and over-promising technologies at our expense.
I guess I just have to wait and see how it goes and grateful for Costco’s 6 month trial period. Soon I will have to wear BT headphones or stream as my job will require it and I need a very reliable connection. Taking out aids and inserting BT headphones everytime I get a notification gets old fast.
Sometimes wonder if its better to just wait althoughter on getting new aids until hearing aid BT technology catches up.
Sorry for sounding negative, just irritating that the manufacturers seem to be ignoring these issues while still promoting the technology.

I have the Oticon More1 aids, I have an app that I may open once or twice a week. I can do what I need to do from my hearing aids, the connect clip, or the iPhone control panel. I will say I can go 95% if the time with out needed to make any adjustments. While I have the default program, t-coil, TV adapter, and now the MyMusic programs, I find that I seldom is ever need them. My loss is severe in the 1500 to 3000 range and my speech understand was the hardest to fit. But with many adjustments, and the patiences of a wonderful audiologist it has happened. The key I have found is taking the time needed to get the aids adjusted correctly, and it will not happen in one or two adjustments, it can take 5 or more to get them correct.

In reply to @Markismus

He has tuned my Paradise Hearing Aids to my needs. He did as Dr Cliff suggests.
However, the tuning isn’t complete. Each visit is helpful. I make notes, email him where I suggest changes, and then he makes the changes.

Last visit I told him that the “clarity” button on the autosens setting seemed to help. So he made a change. He made other changes too.

What I need–make the changes in my settings so I’m good to go and don’t need to select some custom program in memory. I’m getting there.

Thanks good to hear. My I ask what phone you use?

My Costco audi called today and My aids are in, but I’m on vacation so can’t do a pickup appointment for a week.
I relayed my concerns and she went online and read the reviews while we spoke. She has sold 55 pairs of these aids herself, me being 56. She said she has run in to a few connectivity issues but it’s more phone specific and has very few complaints. She is really easy going and easy to talk to and feels that we should be able to solve any issues, so we shall see.

If I end up liking the aids long-term as much as I did during a short demo, and have only issues I would be willing to change to iPhone. I was really impressed with them during my demo. Thanks for the reply

Sorry if I am hijacking a thread but hopefully this question is in line with the spirit of the original poster’s question.

Are the apps necessary for someone who just wants the to work as a HA? No streaming, no Alexa, no . etc.

I ask because I am usually disappointed when I expect an electronic gizmo to do something outside of its primary task. If I were to buy new top of the line HAs from one of the main manufacturers would I need the app at all? Thanks

The apps are not “necessary” at all. They are relatively recent addition to hearing aids. Volume control and program changes can usually be accomplished by button changes on the hearing aid. Apps do allow additional control, but I would guess most hearing aid users don’t mess with them after a few months. For some people though, they seem critical.

I think many hearing aid users, myself included, tend look over the main reason for hearing aids. To help you hear better. But many of us are fascinated with the technology, hearing aids becoming “ear buds”, streaming capabilities, fall detection, schedule reminders?, etc. And just another app on your phone. I often have wondered if hearing aid manufacturers did not add this technology to the hearing aid and just focused on better hearing capabilities what would hearing aids look like. I think the / would be much smaller than they are know. Yes hearing aids have gotten smaller from the old analogs but in my opinion the BTE/RIC are not small enough due to the technology and hardware added to the hearing aid. But we are in the age of advancing technology via phones so we can embrace it or leave it by just using a hearing aid for its main function…to help you hear better.

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