Oticon Real 1 - my experience

In reply to @prodigyplace

Mar 21, 2023

Thanks. Can you control the external microphones separately when doing streaming of phone calls, TV, podcasts, etc?

Lastly, do you know if a Mac will connect natively for bidirectional audio / video like a Zoom call or is intermediate device needed.

Thanks so much.

prodigyplace

Central Virginia

Mar 21, 2023

@mdboy said:

Lastly, do you know if a Mac will connect natively for bidirectional audio / video like a Zoom call or is intermediate device needed.

You need a ConnectClip to connect to a MacBook but you can connect to an iPad directly.

prodigyplace

Central Virginia

@mdboy said:

Can you control the external microphones separately when doing streaming of phone calls, TV, podcasts, etc?

I have not checked. I think the microphones are muted. If using a TV connector you likely can control the external microphone level. I know I could with my Rexton aids.

In reply to @WhiteHat

Ha ha.

Putting aside blue tooth levels and the like, I found the Lumity Apple integration a mixed bag. The native bidirectional access to Macs, iPads etc is awesome, but not being able to get to MyPhonak while on a call feels like a major miss. Similarly, I thought the “ambient control” mixing board approach was a poor substitute for controlling external mics. Lastly, a lot of us rely on Apple Watch for a range of activities which can’t integrate with the Lumitys.

As a former software product manager who understands how the sausage is made, I find it hard to understand how Phonak ignored all these requirements unless they made the determination their Lumity base technology and market position were so strong they could basically do whatever they wanted and still be highly profitable

TXGalAuthor

@mdboy said:

Thanks. Can you control the external microphones separately when doing streaming of phone calls, TV, podcasts, etc?

I don’t see a way to do that. Also, I’m watching tv while streaming music to the hearing aids on and off, and I don’t sense that the external mics are muted. The TV volume sounds the same whether I play music or not.

@mdboy said:

If you happen to have an iPhone, how would you rate the integration between iPhone and Reals?

Except for the two bluetooth lapses, quite good. When I have bluetooth enabled it routes calls and music to my hearing aids quickly and I don’t have to fuss with it.

danka

Malaysia

What type of receiver are using for the Oticon Real? 100 , 105 in an aclyric mold or power dome?
Thanks

danka

Malaysia

In reply to @ToriNi

What type of receiver are using for the Oticon Real? 100 , 105 in an aclyric mold or power dome?

Volusiano

@mdboy said:

Thanks. Can you control the external microphones separately when doing streaming of phone calls, TV, podcasts, etc?

Of course you can. There are several ways.

For on-the-fly control:

Via MFI on the iPhone:

Go to the Control Panel, select the Hearing Aid icon, and it’ll get you to the screenshot below. Just slide the Microphone Level slider to control its volume. This is NOT the streaming volume of the phone call or podcast or music or video sound from your iPhone (you control that via the iPhone volume buttons). This is exclusively for the mics on your hearing aids.

If you connect the More or Real directly via , I don’t know much about this, but I assume that there’s probably some kind of control similar to the Apple MFI interface to let you adjust the mics volume separately from the streaming volume. Otherwise use the alternate methods below.

Via the ON app:

Open the ON app and once connected, select the Mic icon at the bottom right (see screenshot below), then control the volume slider to adjust the mic volume on the . Again, the streaming volume is adjusted either by the phone volume buttons, or you can select the Speaker icon in the middle then adjust its slider. That’s the differentiation between the mic volume and the streaming volume.

Manually, while you’re streaming, just reach to the hard buttons on your aids toggle the mic volume up or down. If you have the disposable battery version, you can mute with a long press if left as default. There’s no Mute option on the hard button for the rechargeable version. In that case, just keep toggling until minimum volume, which should be almost as quiet as mute.
If using the ConnectClip (like with an Android phone or a laptop with ):

Below is a screenshot of the ConnectClip manual on page 27 to tell you how to mute the HAs mics. I don’t think there’s a way to control the mics volume on the fly (short of muting it per the manual). Of course you can have your audi do the mic volume preset via Genie 2 as outlined in option 5 below.

Below are some option to control the streaming volume (not mic volume) from the ConnectClip:

Not on-the-fly control:

Preprogram in Genie 2:

You can have your audi go into the Genie 2 Accessories menu and select either Phone or TV Adapter or ConnectClip and adjust the HAs’ Mic level relative to the streaming volume. You can also preset the streaming volume loudness in there as well. And you can adjust the sound quality to be Fuller or Brighter and the Power Bass perception as well. Below is an example screenshot of the Phone setup in Genie 2.

Zebras

@mdboy said:

a) Can you adjust the external volumes microphones separately when you are either on the phone or using BT to stream music, podcasts, TV, etc.

Turning the microphone level down still allows the Bluetooth streaming to come through at correct volume.

Thanks very much. Perfect!

In reply to @Volusiano

Thanks very much for all the detail. This is exactly what I expected to see and similar to how my Resound Enzos work. With the Enzos I can also use the iPhone accessibility triple click shortcut to manipulate volume.

As best I can tell with the Lumitys, the only real way to manipulate HA microphones while streaming a phone call or other audio content is to set the HAs microphone volume level relative to the streaming volume (which Phonak calls “ambient control”) – similar to what’s shown in the step 5 option above.

For myself, particularly when I’m exercising or driving and like just a little HA microphone volume and full-ish streaming volume, the Lumitys don’t provide the options you’ve shown above with the Oticon.

Very much looking forward to trying out the Real 1. Thanks again.

ToriNi

Hertfordshire, UK

In reply to @danka

@danka said:

What type of receiver are using for the Oticon Real? 100 , 105 dB in an aclyric mold or power dome?

I am using 105dB receivers with custom molds. Audiologist said these were upgraded from the Mores that I had trialled last month and are more powerful so there is room for the future should I need it. So far, I have had to turn down the default volume setting!

It’ll take a while for me to get used to them, especially coming from and custom molds that I have worn for at least 38 years. Even just the size of them is madness. I just can’t believe I can wear such a small pair of hearing aids and hear as well as I can, especially compared to my OPN PPs. Streaming is so much better too.

I have a couple of Teams meetings today so will see how they go online… I’m in Denmark for the week, and this is where I have got them and going back Friday for some minor adjustments including turning the default volume down!

danka

Malaysia

Thanks for the wonderful photo. I am having More 1 with power dome. In the next appt with the Audi, I will get acrylic custom molds with 105dB. Can the 105dB receiver be removed from the acrylic mold for cleaning or changed if not functioning?
My last resort will be . If customs molds with 105dB will be able to improve hearing capability or solve my hearing loss, then I am happy.
As Oticon is MFI, streaming sound or voice directly into the ear is wonderful. That’s what I like. If custom molds solved my minor problem, then I will not look for Oticon Xceed 1 .
Have a nice day and safe flight back to UK.

prodigyplace

Central Virginia

@danka said:

In the next appt with the Audi, I will get acrylic custom molds with 105dB. Can the 105dB receiver be removed from the acrylic mold for cleaning or changed if not functioning?

I am waiting on my 100 power molds. My understanding is the receiver cannot be removed but the wire can be replaced. My audiologist cautioned there are old and new style wires which are incompatible. I think the molds use different .

glucas

Are you sure you cannot set the balance of the Lumity hearing aids using the up and down buttons? I am not sure this works when taking a phone call, but it certainly works on Phonak aids when streaming. The up and down buttons set the external mic balance v what you are streaming via bluetooth or the TV Connector. This can also be set when using the App. I would be amazed if you can’t do this on the Lumity.

Yes, the up and down buttons work as a virtual ambient control mixing microphone volume with streaming volume. Hitting the + increases the strength of the phone caller’s voice while decreasing external mic power. Hitting the - button does the opposite. The problem I have is I often can’t find the sweet spot where I have just the right amount of external mic volume but also enough phone call volume. The same holds true when streaming audio or when using the Roger On device.

I’m seeing my today to understand if the “ambient control” mixing board control for streaming (whether on phone or with other audio content) can be modified such that I have a better control of finding the sweet spot which varies based on whether I’m driving, exercising, listening to TV, in a crowded place, in a calm situation, etc. My fear is the synchronous nature of the automatic mixing will always be deficient in some situations.

Finding the sweet spot of external mic volume and streaming volume is quite easy on my Resound Enzos and apparently on Oticon Reals since external mics are controlled independent of BT streaming. The Reals also have the separate advantage of optionally using the iPhone mic (instead of the mic) when making calls in noisy places.

I understand Phonak is just trying to keep things simple and their approach probably works for the majority users who just want great speech in noise and other base functions. For myself, I do spend a great deal of time using extension capabilities and want solid control of the mix of BT streaming and external mic volumes.

glucas

OK. Understood. I think adjustments can be made in Target to set the starting point relative DB level of the external mic - I know by default it’s -3 DB when streaming. But it sounds to me like the granularity of the ambient balance changes is too coarse for your liking if you can’t find a sweet spot.

Bucco

Has anyone tried the MyMusic program with the Reals? I am finding the Reals default program greatly reduces the beat in music, probably because of the Sudden Sound Stablizer. Music sounds far better on my default program on the OPNs than on the default program on the Reals. Vocals are much “brighter” with the OPNs than the Mores.