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Windows 11 and Connecting to Hearing Aids

Anonymous
2024-05-07T19:02:06+00:00

It appears that Windows 11 has made it possible to connect several hearings aid without having a in between device. I have Truhearing Premium 5 hearing aids can these pair to Windows 11 Bluetooth directly?

Windows for home | Windows 11 | Devices and drivers

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  1. JosephT71 9,210 Reputation points
    2024-05-08T02:39:34+00:00

    You need to look at the specs from the hearing aids manufacturers. Phonaks spells out that their hearing aids are Bluetooth 4.2 so they will work with all computers.

    https://product-support.phonak.com/s/article/Bluetooth-compatibility?language=en_US

    Whereas your hearing aids manual doesn't mention specific Bluetooth versions and bluetooth profiles at all. The manual only tells you bluetooth with iphone.

    You are talking multiple and different things. Let me clarify it for you further.

    1. Hearing Aids manufacturers want to make more money. So they each create their own proprietary wireless protocol that are incompatible with each other. And you need to buy their accessory clip.
    2. You CANNOT standardize things when hearing aids companies don't want to.
    3. iPhone and Android phones are mandated by the FCC to be hearing aids compatible. So Apple created "Made for iPhone" wireless protocol and Google created ASHA (Audio Streaming for Hearing Aids) protocol for android phones so that hearing aids companies can link their devices to the cell phones. Again both sides are mandated by the FCC to work nicely with each other.
    4. Computers use wifi and bluetooth --- they are unlicensed spectrum. Anyone can use these radio frequencies. So they are not mandated by the FCC compatibility law.
    5. Windows 11 has Bluetooth 5.3 low energy.
    6. If you bought a computer 3 years ago with comes with Bluetooth 5.1 chip, then no amount of Windows OS update is going to change the fact that you don't have Bluetooth 5.3 low energy. So you need to buy a brand new computer that has a bluetooth chip that has Bluetooth 5.3 low energy or you need to buy a brand new Bluetooth 5.3 dongle.
    7. You need to buy a brand new 2024 hearing aid model that specifically tells you that it comes with Bluetooth 5.3 low energy.
    8. Competition (from FDA allowing non-medical dispensers selling hearing aids) and new competitors that come from consumer electronics (instead of traditional hearing aids manufacturers) will eventually force the hearing aids manufacturers to adopt the actual bluetooth 5.3 standard.

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  1. Anonymous
    2024-05-08T03:04:28+00:00

    Well your the first that has spelled this out this clearly. As for point number two absolutely who wants to lose a chance to make an extra buck. And yes I was aware of the mandate for cell phones. And don’t forget my iPad.

    And yes no matter what I still need a dongle why not I have no choice.

    Again thanks for the clarification as it will be helpful for others who find this. It was very helpful for me to get this all straight in my mind.

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  2. Anonymous
    2024-05-08T01:45:31+00:00

    Thank you for this answer. I was already aware of most of what you said as I have had hearing aids for years. I have purchased my share of devices to make Bluetooth work with my Computer and TV. I know they could standardize all this if they wanted to and that computers could have a built-in system for Low Frequency if they wanted to. But alas it looks like I am going to have to pay $250 for a Microphone clip for my hearing aids. My other clip quite working yesterday.

    I did hear that Widows 11 was working on compatibility with LF and that some the less expensive hearing aids work with Windows 11.

    Thanks again for your thoughtful reply.

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  3. JosephT71 9,210 Reputation points
    2024-05-07T19:35:35+00:00

    Your hearing aids never advertised as a real Bluetooth device. If it is a real Bleutooth device, they would have advertised it as having Bluetooth 5.x in the manual.

    https://www.truhearing.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/UG_TH-Premium-Advanced-5-RIC-EN_Rev01_SCREEN.pdf

    The only reason why you can pair hearing aids with an iPhone is because FCC requires cell phones (which uses publicly licensed radio frequencies) to be hearing aids compatible. Computers don't use licensed RF channels so they are not covered by the FCC requirement.

    https://support.apple.com/en-us/106349

    You will have to ask your audiologist to see if your hearing aids manufacturer sells a bridge dongle device (such as bernafon's soundclip-a for bernafon branded hearing aids).

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