Sony Bluetooth Mic and iCom

[Rod]

Hello there,
I'm a long time hearing aid user. Have just been fitted with a pair of Phonak Nadias 9s about 2 weeks ago and I'm very happy with them so far. I am still interested in acquiring an external mic / fm system to have on standby in case I need to use it.

Before spending some more hard earned on a zoomlink/smartlink with receiver I have been looking at other options.

I have came across this external bluetooth microphone made by Sony.
The model number is ECM-AW3 and can be bought for about $150 from Amazon. It seems that Canon makes a similar unit.

Has anyone tried pairing this mic to the iCom and can report on the outcome?

[aero777]

Originally Posted by Rod

Hello there,
I'm a long time hearing aid user. Have just been fitted with a pair of Phonak Nadias 9s about 2 weeks ago and I'm very happy with them so far. I am still interested in acquiring an external mic / fm system to have on standby in case I need to use it.

Before spending some more hard earned on a zoomlink/smartlink with receiver I have been looking at other options.

I have came across this external bluetooth microphone made by Sony.
The model number is ECM-AW3 and can be bought for about $150 from Amazon. It seems that Canon makes a similar unit.

Has anyone tried pairing this mic to the iCom and can report on the outcome?

Hi Rob. I see the Sony unit has a microphone and a receiver, so you would use the iCom instead of the receiver. I haven’t heard of anyone using this product. It doesn’t look like there's a clip on the mic, although it says it comes with an arm band (?). It might work, just make sure the company you buy the Sony unit from has easy returns in case it doesn’t work.
Oticon makes a nice BT microphone for its streamer, I wonder if any of the hearing aid providers on this board has tried to pair the ConnectLine Microphone to an iCom? That would be a neat experiment for someone to try. And, who knows, you might be able to sell a few more Oticon BT mics if it works.

[aero777]

BTW, glad to hear you like the Naidas. Are they the S (Spice Chip) Naida? If so, are they the SP or UP version with power slim tubing or standard tubing? Curious because I’m getting a pair of the S Naidas soon.

[Rod]

Originally Posted by aero777

Hi Rob. I see the Sony unit has a microphone and a receiver, so you would use the iCom instead of the receiver. I haven’t heard of anyone using this product. It doesn’t look like there's a clip on the mic, although it says it comes with an arm band (?). It might work, just make sure the company you buy the Sony unit from has easy returns in case it doesn’t work.
Oticon makesa nice BT microphone for its streamer, I wonder if any of the hearing aid providers on this board has tried to pair the ConnectLine Microphone to an iCom? That would be a neat experiment for someone to try. And, who knows, you might be able to sell a few more Oticon BT mics if it works.

Hi Aero,
Yes that Oticon BT mic does look interesting. I've got an appointment with my Audiologist for a review / adjustments today and I will be asking her about this.

When I enquired about an FM system my Audiologist advised I should wait till see how these Nadias go. So far they have been working very well and they really haven't failed any noisy situation tests I've thrown at them so far. The Nadias I have been fitted with are the SP spice versions with thin tubes.

My last hearing aids were Phonak Perseos ITE and unfortunately they failed miserably at a funeral I attended to recently where I could not understand what the female priest/vicar/pastor was saying. That was just one embarrassing example but the Perseos generally failed where the speaker is at some distance and is softly spoken, hence the desire to have an external mic on standby.

I suppose one test I could try is to go to church and see if these Nadias are up to it without buying an external mic.

I have ordered a very cheap $10 FM mic from Dealxtreme (cannot post any links, the item number is 34753) and will see how that goes, plugging the receiver into the iCom but the Sony or the Oticon external BT mics would be a much neater solution if they work with the iCom.

[aero777]

Originally Posted by Rod

Hi Aero,
Yes that Oticon BT mic does look interesting. I've got an appointment with my Audiologist for a review / adjustments today and I will be asking her about this.

When I enquired about an FM system my Audiologist advised I should wait till see how these Nadias go. So far they have been working very well and they really haven't failed any noisy situation tests I've thrown at them so far. The Nadias I have been fitted with are the SP spice versions with thin tubes.

My last hearing aids were Phonak Perseos ITE and unfortunately they failed miserably at a funeral I attended to recently where I could not understand what the female priest/vicar/pastor was saying. That was just one embarrassing example but the Perseos generally failed where the speaker is at some distance and is softly spoken, hence the desire to have an external mic on standby.

I suppose one test I could try is to go to church and see if these Nadias are up to it without buying an external mic.

I have ordered a very cheap $10 FM mic from Dealxtreme (cannot post any links, the item number is 34753) and will see how that goes, plugging the receiver into the iCom but the Sony or the Oticon external BT mics would be a much neater solution if they work with the iCom.

Yep Rod, all of us hearing impaired folks experience the occasional hearing faux pas now and then. Unfortunately, calling you Rob in my first post goes much farther than just hearing loss. Sorry about that.

The Phonak FM stuff is hideously expensive, so if you can find an alternative you can literally save thousands.

Make sure they have StereoZoom set as one of your manual programs; it’s supposed to: "allow a very specific focus on the chosen sound in front of the wearer". Also, you might ask your programmer to add a manual program called “Reverberant Room” for attending church. “This program is optimized to provide distortion free, comfortable speech understanding in environments that have a lot of echo/reverberation” .

Did they make you a custom earmold to use with the thin tubing?

[Rod]

Originally Posted by aero777

Yep Rod, all of us hearing impaired folks experience the occasional hearing faux pas now and then. Unfortunately, calling you Rob in my first post goes much farther than just hearing loss. Sorry about that.

The Phonak FM stuff is hideously expensive, so if you can find an alternative you can literally save thousands.

Make sure they have StereoZoom set as one of your manual programs; it’s supposed to: "allow a very specific focus on the chosen sound in front of the wearer". Also, you might ask your programmer to add a manual program called “Reverberant Room” for attending church. “This program is optimized to provide distortion free, comfortable speech understanding in environments that have a lot of echo/reverberation” .

Did they make you a custom earmold to use with the thin tubing?

Hi Aero,
Thanks for the advice. I've received the MyPilot today and had some extra programs programmed into the aids. The programs I've got are Phone via T coil and Mic, ZoomControl, StereoZoom and Mute (for snoozing at busy truck stops - deafness does have it's advantages!).

Unfortunately while the Audiologist was programming the Mute program the RHS aid stopped working and now I have to wait till Tuesday for a repair/replacement. Turning the aid off and on didn't do anything. It couldn't even connect to the computer.

Very frustrating and no chance of testing the aids this weekend! Was hoping to pick up a replacement tomorrow (Friday) but will have to wait till Tuesday. Will be asking the Audi to program “Reverberant Room” when I pick them up. That program will also be handy for those large hotels with wooden floors that creates a lot of echo.

Yes I've got custom earmolds. They seem to be a lot more comfortable and less noticeable than the old ITE Perseos. They are transparent in colour and they don't seem to penetrate the ear as much as the ITE.

Was told the Oticon BT mic will cost about $600. The Audiologists wasn't sure that they will pair with the iCom but seemed keen on testing it out.
Still, there may be a chance that a remote mic is not required with the Nadias. I think for $600 I may as well spend a little more and get the Bellman Domino Pro and T loop so it can also be used with the old Perseos in case the Nadia break down (hopefully they won't break down often, the Perseos were very reliable). After spending so much for these Nadias, the price for the Sony mic does look very attractive though.

Decisions, Decisions.