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KS9 independent mic & streaming controls?

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Edited

Hi all,

This is all pertaining to use with an iPhone.

I currently have KS6’s by Resound and I’m considering KS9’s by Phonak. I still love the KS6s but feel like it’s time for an upgrade.

With my KS6s I can be on a phone call and adjust the volume of the caller and independently adjust the volume of my environment (ie turn down/off noisy office). I can also do the same while steaming music. I can adjust the volume of the music and independently adjust the volume of the environment. A friend has the KS9s and tells me that can’t be done. They aren’t independent? If he turns up volume of caller he also turns up volume of his surrounding environment.

Does anyone know if this is true? This would be a major dealbreaker for me if it is. Thanks in advance for any insight you can give me.

7 people in this conversation5 min readJump to latest

I don’t stream calls from my phone so don’t know. I do know that when streaming from the TVConnect if one pushes button to increase volume, it decreases volume from environment. Also can control from app. Hopefully somebody can confirm how it works with iPhone

@mrmeyers said:

They aren’t independent? If he turns up volume of caller he also turns up volume of his surrounding environment.

Can’t confirm iphone behaviour, just can share what I know from android how aids work there.

Yes, it’s dependent if you use button on , but in a opposite way - if you turn volume up using HAs buttons, what happens is that HA mics will go down to get less sounds from the environment.

That will happen for all situations when there’s streaming (bt, bt calls, tv) if you’re using button on HAs. And this doesn’t seem like phone OS related.

However, if you’re using app, then you have 2 options - you can increase the volume, which is volume of a source AND you can increase/decrease amount of environmental sound coming from the HA mics.

But.
During phone call on android I just can’t connect to the app.
For other streaming I can, but never managed to get the app up while being on phone call. So only thing that works are phone volume buttons (for source) and HA buttons (for environment sounds).
Maybe that part on iphones work, on my android (Samsung s8) doesn’t.

From the HA programming sw isn’t clear what exactly should happen through the ap vs through the buttons on HAs.

Your provider can add a mute program that will mute the ha mic. It is available in the target software. If you do diy programing you could do it yourself. But that is another thread.

In reply to @MDB

Thanks MDB but that’s not quite the same. I don’t want to have to increase the volume of the streaming phone call or music to decrease volume from environment. That’s essentially just cranking up the volume to drown out the background noise! I want to hear what I’m streaming (phone call or music) at a nice low comfortable level and reduce or turn off the outside world. I can do that on my KS6s and it’s great! Thanks for your input though, it will help me make my decision on the KS9s.

In reply to @Blacky

@Blacky said:

However, if you’re using app, then you have 2 options - you can increase the volume, which is volume of a source AND you can increase/decrease amount of environmental sound coming from the HA mics.

Hi Blacky,

You’re talking about KS9s and the myPhonak app?
I understand you’re talking about android os but can’t figure out a way to do what your saying here on the iOS. I can only do like MDB said earlier, turn up volume of streaming phone call/music/tv connect and drown out the environmental sound.
Thanks for your reply. Will keep trying.

In reply to @Blacky

Nothing to be sorry about! Thanks for your input. I think the bottom line is the KS9s can’t do what the KS6’s do. It’s probably more to do with Resound vs Phonak. Or maybe MFI (made for iPhone) vs regular Bluetooth. The KS6s are MFI which is probably what allows the independent adjustments of streaming volume and ambient sound on the iPhone. Think I’ll look into Resounds latest offering. Thanks again.

I use KS9s with an iphone (7 plus). I’m not aware of that feature, but it is also possible I have just not discovered it.

In reply to @mrmeyers

As KS6 and iPhone user, I don’t see any benefit to going to KS9s. I’m kinda kicking myself for not getting KS8s when they were available. I hope the next KS is and that my KS6s hold out til it’s available.
-kate.

I’m using KS9’s with an iPhone 8 on iOS 14 and when I am using Bluetooth streaming (whether it be music, phone call, or sound coming from my TV connector) when I raise the volume using the buttons on the hearing aid it progressively lowers the environmental sound input thereby increasing the streaming sound input (NOT a volume increase, just a change in the mixture of the two inputs). When I raise the volume using my iPhone volume control it actually increases the streaming volume. Hope this makes sense.

In reply to @HOHKate

Haha! My sentiments exactly, Kate. Only I don’t want to risk my 6s holding out. They’re near the end of their effective life and I’ve noticed they’re having more and more trouble holding on to a Bluetooth signal solidly. I’d rather make the move now and still have the 6s as decent backups. Thanks for your reply.

Edited

In reply to @bytes2bits

Thanks bytes2bits. That seems to be the consensus but it’s really not what I’m looking for in my . Plus, it seems that you can only make the adjustment using the buttons on the HAs. I’d rather be able to do from the phone or watch app like I can now. I’ve gotten used to the flexibility and independent control. It’s really cool not to have to raise the volume of the stream just to lower the ambient sound, or fumble with the HAs but rather discreetly make changes using the apps. I thought when first explained that raising the volume of the stream was just drowning out the environmental sound but a few people now have explained that it’s actually lowering the mic’s pickup. A decent solution I guess, but just not what I’m used to, or want. Thanks again for your reply.

In reply to @bytes2bits

Ok, so it IS the same as I described for android. Thanks for confirming it.

@mrmeyers
You missed up one thing. With app you can do both, volume and how much environmental sounds you let in the mix. For every streaming except during phone calls, then app on android refuses to connect.

With buttons you only affect this mix, and are not able to increase volume of the stream. Again, only for streaming.

For regular hearing programs buttons on HA and in the app have only regular volume up/down behaviour, not this mix.

Just streaming music from the watch. I can adjust volume on phone calls using the volume controls on the phone itself.

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