Oticon ConnectClip - audio cuts out

@cvkemp said:

the VA shields me from those issues.

@cvkemp: Does the VA cover the cost of repairs to your backup devices once you’ve been issued with new primaries?

Yes for me because it is in my records that I must always have backup aids available. Not sure if that is the case for everyone. But it was put in my records in November of 2018 after my first appointment with my current audiologist. After that anytime I go to the clinics I am asked if both sets of my aids are functioning. Just two day both sets of my aids were completely checked for functionality and both sets were adjusted to my latest audiogram.

@cvkemp: That’s a great way to do it. I remember when that entry was made on your records. I honestly don’t know what VAC’s policy is. I imagine it’s the same. For a much smaller country with a minuscule defense budget compared to yours, VAC does an outstanding job for those of us with service-related injuries. I’m very grateful to them.

There are the veterans here that decry about how bad the VA system is, and I haven’t seen it, but I don’t have battlefield injuries. And unfortunately if while the veterans were still in the military if they didn’t get their issues correctly documented they have issues getting the needed support from the VA,I have heard some say that medical issues were intentionally left out of medical records to make officers and senior NCOs look better and not have management skills questioned. And in the same token I know of veterans while in the military refusing to go o sickbay because they might be written up for making a mistake that caused their injuries. There were a lot of pressure to be healthy and not complain about anything.

@cvkemp said:

I preferred the streamer pro I had with the Alta Pro aids I had even with it being much larger than the connect clip.

Oh, man, I hated that thing!
You had to wear the antenna around your neck.
No stereo, only Mono.

I’m a CClip guy, all the way!

I guess before my time with the VA they ceertainly were a nightmare, but since I’ve been in the system (2013) I’ve had nothing but the highest regard for the VA.

After about three weeks the audio issue resurfaced on the replacement ConnectClip.

v1.4.1 firmware and more 2 aids are v1.4.1 as well.

I had to recharge the ConnectClip and plug it into the adapter while I went to go cook dinner. I came back about two hours later and resumed my video and the audio began cutting in and out.

Previously I called Oticon and was on hold for an hour and finally walked over troubleshooting instructions with a factory reset and removal from the laptop (M1 Mac Pro). This will be the third clip with the same issue so I am not sure what on earth is going on.

Just posting back here to make others aware and time to email my audiologist.

The only obvious thing I can think of here in your situation is that maybe there’s some kind of wireless interference with your Bluetooth connection in your home. That would not be easy to determine, short of maybe try to use the ConnectClip in a different environment away from where it usually happens to see if you can rule it out or not.

This is my first pair ever so I’ve been learning a lot!

@Volusiano When it happens I connect the usb portion to my M1 Mac and the devices charges up a little until I return to continue watching. I could’ve gone out of range for the connection but it should re-establish and after a factory reset you would expect the repairing to resolve the issue. I also find the mode switch won’t toggle into remote mic at all after this audio issue starts.

I’m waiting to hear back from my audiologist from sending the data off to Oticon for assistance. Nothing as of yet.

@bwjones said:

I also find the mode switch won’t toggle into remote mic at all after this audio issue starts.

Yeah, usually if you’re able to establish a connection with the ConnectClip, one indication of it is that if you cycle down from the default program 1, instead of cycling backward to program 4 (or 3 or 2, depending on how many programs you have in your aids), it would cycle into the remote mic mode of the ConnectClip. If you don’t see it go into the remote mic mode when you cycle down on the program button, that’s an indication that you haven’t been able to establish a connection with the ConnectClip through and through.

There are 2 types of connections when the ConnectClip plays an intermediary device between your hearing aids and the source device. One is the standard BT connection between the ConnectClip and the source device. The other is the (proprietary BLE) connection between the ConnectClip to the HAs. You can verify that a connection is established between the ConnectClip and the HAs when the blinking yellow light turns solid. You can verify that a standard BT connection is established between the ConnectClip and the source device when that solid yellow light turns solid blue, and when audio is detected from the source device, the solid blue light turns solid orange (or red?) and you should start hearing audio. The other green light next to it just indicates that the ConnectClip is on and the battery is good. If the battery is low then that green light turns orange (or red?).

What colors are the 2 LED lights on the ConnectClip when you have an issue with the connection? These 2 LED lights can tell you a lot about where the connection issue occurs for debugging purposes?

Connect Clip.pdf (100.6 KB)

Here are the notes I took as soon as I experienced the issue again. I can get the solid yellow light with the HAs pairing to the ConnectClip and the solid blue light for the Mac Bluetooth connection. When audio is playing the blue light turns orange and when the audio skips the light blips over to blue and then goes back to orange and the sound returns.

I can see the Connect Clip cycle on my iPhone when it experiences the audio issue as well if that helps. I would very much love to use the device.

I appreciate your time and responses as well.

Edit: The blue light is a blip and isn’t on the ConnectClip long when the audio skips, it’s a second or so and then back to orange. The audio plays in both HAs so I believe those are connecting just fine.

And the issue exists with all these source devices? If yes, then it’s probably something wrong with the ConnectClip. The only other thing to rule out is whether you tried with all these source devices in one location (at home?) where there may be wireless interference at that location, or whether you already tried at various locations with the same bad results. If the later, then interference can probably be ruled out.

I’ll give it a try when we go out tomorrow away from home. I find it strange there would be interference without any changes in the home for two weeks and then the issue crops up. I’ll post back late tomorrow and see what happens.

There can be things happening around your home as well, like your next door neighbors might have acquired and activated some kind of wireless gizmos. Or perhaps some ISP added some kind of wireless internet service in your home area. It’s just hard to say… There are so many things wireless nowadays that there’s no telling what can interfere with what over the air anymore.

The easiest way is to do some more elimination test by trying it elsewhere outside of your home environment, if it’s an easy thing to do at your convenience. Usually the cause may be the thing you suspect the least. For example, I’d been battling with this low quality audio in my Windows 11 laptop for weeks in trying to stream some audio from Windows 11 to my iPhone. It turns out that the “Enable Audio Enhancement” feature in the driver properties of my default system audio speaker was the culprit for the low quality sound. Who in a million years would think that a box checked to “enable audio enhancement” would actually degrade the audio quality instead of enhancing it?

I have the same issue with my Connect clip. Started about 2 weeks ago. I’ve tried different locations, same thing happened, audio cuts every 60 seconds or so. I’ve had my connect clip- for over a year, this issue just started.