Concept vs reality: problems with the AudioStream

[Julius]

Finally decided to join the forum to talk with you about my AudioStream experience 

A few months ago I upgraded from Sonnet 1 to Sonnet 2 on both ears. The main reason was the support of the AudioStream. I listen to music, podcasts and videos every day and for long periods of time. Depending on the day, I can easily get up to 8 hours of audio streaming. For the Sonnet 1, I used a $30 Bluetooth receiver from Amazon connected to a telecoil. While this solution was good enough because there was simply no alternative for the Sonnet 1, the AudioStream for the Sonnet 2 took audio quality to a whole new level. Suddenly the music had depth. The bass in particular could be heard much more clearly. Also the connectivity and the need to NOT have cables and other extra things on your body or in your pockets was something I've been waiting for for a long time. Needless to say, there is no turning back now.

Sadly the concept of the AudioStream and how it’s marketed doesn’t match the reality (at least for me). As my daily driver the AudioStream looks more like a prototype of the product it is advertised to be. Here’s a list of problems I am experiencing daily:

1. Bad range: As a dog owner I‘m going for a walk with the dog multiple times per day. Especially in this situation outside, the very bad range of the stream is noticeable. You can’t put your phone into your (jacket) pocket without having a bad connection in form of micro audio dropouts, which prevent any chance of a nice and undisturbed music listening experience. My solution for now is to constantly hold my phone beneath my head, so it’s only a few centimeters away from the AudioStreams. Even then I have to be careful not to move my head suddenly, as that could result in audio dropouts. How can that be such an extreme problem while AirPods exist since years?

2. Interferences at stream start / end: At the start and end of an audio stream you hear two short interferences on each side when the streaming mode is turned on and off. That are 8 interferences per stream and up to 1600 interferences per day for me. Hearing these unpleasant sounds so often makes me sick. I‘m at a point at which this sound hurts and gives me a headache if heard too frequently. When I first talked to the support about this I thought the sound is an actual unwanted interference. As I know now „it can’t be turned off“ it seems to be a wanted indicator. Why did they choose this exact interference sound and why is there no way of turning it off? Wouldn’t „just starting“ the stream be a much better user experience?

3. Random interferences: You may experience sudden loud and very unpleasant noise interferences any time during your audio stream or at start/end. You need to reboot the stream to make it work again.

4. Random interferences when your second AudioStream joins the active stream: You may experience another sudden loud and very unpleasant noise interference (sounds different) when you have an active stream running and turn on your second AudioStream. You need to reboot the stream in order to solve the problem.

5. Random bad connection when stream starts: sometimes the audio sounds very broken when starting an audio stream, even though the streaming device is not even a meter away. You need reboot the stream in order to solve the problem.

6. Audio won’t play: sometimes you will just not hear anything from the playing stream, even though everything seems normal on the device. One of the following options will fix it (sometimes you need to do all): restart the playing application, turn off and on your Bluetooth and/or reboot your streams.

7. AudioStreams sometimes won’t connect or start the stream until I open the hearing aids menu in the settings and click on them.

8. Long time until they switch into „call mode“, leading to weird situations in the first 20 seconds of incoming calls in which the caller is already speaking but I can’t hear anything. Can’t switch audio output fast because call menu and audio is very bugged when the audio stream tries to set itself up. Also don’t want to turn off the feature in the settings because the AudioStream is fantastic for long (expected) calls once it’s configured. 

9. Streaming mode lowers volume of microphone. Why did that one have to be and is it specially done this way? It‘s significant harder to perceive the surrounding or understand other people. Noise cancellations should be an optional mode, not the standard.

(Feature request): Please let me check in the app if a firmware update is available, so I don’t have to make updating and reconfiguring the AudioStreams part of my daily routine.

 

The concept and the idea of the AudioStream is perfect and really suits my needs. Sadly the current version of AudioStream doesn’t really match the concept due to the many described problems I experience so often every day. I really want to love the product as the idea of it is so fantastic, but I’m really having a hard time.

Does anybody experience the same problems or has solutions?
I really hope we can expect a major software update soon which fixes a lot of the problems. Sadly it seems like we rather have to wait for an actual new generation of the AudioStream or another product.
Thank you very much for reading and sharing your thoughts

 

Notes:
- Streams were already swapped two times by the support in order to try to fix problems
- Software is up to date but problems still occur. Currently waiting for a new AudioStream as one broke and is currently unresponsive after the latest software update with the AudioKey2 app.
- The streams were reconfigured many times already with no avail, leading to obscure names like „PlsFix‘s Hearing Devices“. 
- AudioLink is not an option: quality is so much worse and has constant noise interference which gets louder depending on the volume level. A worse experience than using the $30 Bluetooth receiver again.
- I‘m using an iPhone 14 Pro and an iPad Pro 4, both on the newest iOS/iPadOS

[Mary Beth]

@Julius

I appreciate your detailed list of experiences and issues with AudioStream.

Just to clarify though for others, AudioStream works with both Sonnet 1 and Sonnet 2 as long as the newer WiFi rechargeable battery adapter or disposable battery pack is in use.

I find the audio quality of AudioStream excellent and especially enjoy the separate left and right musical input.  Its range inside my home is very good but outside it requires my phone being held, on a lanyard or in a shirt pocket.  The inability for users to adjust the mix ratio is a significant issue for me and why I do not use AudioStream for daily streaming.  Like you, I stream for hours a day while doing other things.

@Ralph34 see Julius’ comment #3 above.  Is that similar to your experience?

Med-El moderator recently commented that a firmware update is coming soon.  I do not know what that firmware update will address nor when it will be available but there is a website that lists firmware update info for AudioStream.

https://www.medel.com/support/product-support/accessories/audiostream/audiostream_firmware_whentoupdate

[John F]

1- Range yes.  It’s an annoying issue.  I want to say the signal while outside (I’m always walking pups as well) is due to the signal getting lost so to speak whereas inside the walls keep said signal from going off to Timbuktu.  Something like that.  Inside it’s mostly normal.  The whole ‘don’t turn head a certain way’ to maintain connection is super annoying especially when walking pups or even just out walking.

 

2- Is this referring to the clicking (or multiple clicking) sounds.  MedEl is aware of it.  It seems like it disconnects and reconnects during this.  Why it cannot stay connected is one of those great mysteries MedEl has never addressed.  Keeping the Crossfade setting down to a max of 1-2 seconds helps prevent the clicking sound.  
 

3- Haven’t experienced this.  I did have one ear playing something I could not figure out last night while watching some show.  It was random.

4- My AudioStreams start at the same time.  Even the times I press play on something and being slow getting each ear on, they act as normal.  

5- Yep Definitely happens.  Not often but a few times I’ve sat down, go to press play for whatever and have to immediately stop and restart the AudioStream due to static and whatnot.  Unsure why.  Just a bad connection I’d assume.

6-  Oh yeah, Have seen this a few times per week.  All seems fine, you hear the clicks and then nothing… I wonder if this is actually an iOS issue moreso than an AudioStream problem as it wasn’t a problem before  few months ago.  🧐

 

7- This happens more often on the iPad.  Again, thinking it’s more an iOS issue.

 

8- Yep.  Ultra irritating.  Unless you’re making the calls, you have to wait through the clicking to finally talk/listen to the caller.  
 

9- This one, it depends on your programming.   If there’s wind filtering and such, then yeah the mic is affected.  If you’ve got a naked map, then not so much.  
 

I’ve got an iPhone 14 PM & iPad Pro 6th Gen.  I think some of the common issues is an iOS problem.  Audiologists will be receiving the updated Maestro 10 software in April or so, along with the HearCare app that’ll allow them to connect to users (Telehealth type) although I believe it’s limited what they’re able to actually do but we’ll see.  
 

Instead of going through the pairing and updating process, just keep an eye on this forum.  Folks will post about it pretty quick!

[Julius]

@Mary Beth 

Thanks for the correction regarding the Sonnet 1 compatibility. I was allowed to test AudioStream for Sonnet 1 but had major problems like their range and bad connectivity. It seems like I hoped that the Sonnet 2 would bring improvement for the AudioStream.

If you don’t use the AudioStreams for daily streaming, may I ask you what streaming solution you use and recommend instead?

The MED-EL support has told me last week to update my streams because of „a recent update“, which didn’t bring any noticeable difference to me sadly. I‘m also a bit shocked about the release date of the last firmware update (Januar 2022, more than 2 years ago). Maybe they haven’t updated the page for a while or „we‘ll forward this to Insbruck“ didn’t help very much since my last reports to them last year.

 

@John F

2: Yes, I‘m talking about the double clicking sounds. But they happen for me as an expected signal at the start and end of a stream from your smartphone. Sure they also happen when the AudioStream looses connection during the stream and tries to reconnect. I have already configured crossfade for my music apps, sadly that doesn’t help with other apps:
- More than 2 seconds when a YouTube ad is blocked or I‘m searching for a new video
- More than 2 seconds when Plex / other services auto play the next episode after the previous one has ended
- A lot of social situations in which I am pausing the playback for 2 to 30 seconds.
- Scrolling through social media feeds with auto playing ads / video posts (want them to do that, just without clicking)

4: It happens for me when I change batteries of one CI for example or the connection of an AudioStream breaks for a short time

5: The recent firmware update is supposed to bring improvements for this. It would be interesting to hear if that fixed the problems for you, personally I haven’t noticed a difference.

6 & 7: If the bugs are caused by iOS I‘m curious as to why this doesn’t get fixed at some time. I‘m having these issues since iOS 16. I also didn’t find any reports online. I‘m curious as to how to handle these issues. A statement by MED-EL would be welcome so I know who I have to talk with about these type of issues.

9: I‘m pretty sure I got a „naked map“ as I explicitly expressed this wish at the configuration of my Sonnets. The filters are activated on other programs I don’t use because their audio quality sucks and voices are quieter than without filters.

 

Happy to see that I found people who can relate on some of the issues!

[Mary Beth]

@Julius

For now the Artone BT neckloop is the best match for me.  I prefer using a 100/0 mix ratio when streaming audiobooks while working on projects and the use of the Artone allows me to use T to achieve that.  I also prefer handsfree phone calls which the Artone allows easily.  When traveling, and for music, I prefer to use  my BOSE QC35 around the ear headphones.

I am eager for the new BTLE 5.2 and AuraCast to become available.  Med-El is one of many companies that have been on the BT special interest group panels.  I hope that means that Med-El will offer us built in BTLE receivers capable of the new BT & AuraCast with their next generation of processors.

Again, I really like the audio quality of AudioStream but the lack of user control over the mix ratio and some of its quirks does not make it a good match for me.  I am hopeful Med-El’s next direct connectivity option will be a better match for me.

[Ralph34]

@Julius 

Regarding Interference item #3, I have never had it so bad I had to reboot. Usually lifting the coil off my head seems to work. I was having sometimes 20 squeal  events in one day and then only once per day (usually after a battery change for some reason). It was suggested by @Mary Beth at the last HearPeers meet that the connections in the battery cover often fail after about 2 years. I believe that is the cause of my squealing. I changed the battery adapter for a different reason and the problem is gone. I was told the battery adapter should have a wifi symbol and mine did not. Changing made no difference to Wi-Fi or other noise but the squealing is 99% gone.

Overall I am very happy with AudioStream. The slow pick up on incoming phone calls is a nuisance as I miss the fist sentence from the caller but that is manageable. 
The only other noise is short buzz or click as I scroll through Twitter/X messages. 
I use iPad and iPhone (one at a time) and the connections are very solid.

It sounds like you have a defective component on Med el or iPhone per your items 2,3 and 4.

 

[Mary Beth]

@Ralph34

I am happy that you found a fix for the squealing !

[Julius]

Hey, just giving a small update:

Squealing and random unpleasant interferences seem to have largely stopped since about two weeks. The weird thing is that I don’t know what fixed the issues. 

Before I had to reconfigure my AudioStreams several times because one of them always failed the setup process after I updated it. After about ~30 tries (really never give up!) it was working again though. As I‘ve read before in this forum, reconfiguring the Streams sometimes randomly solves certain problems. Even though I already did that countless times, I guess I was „simply lucky“ that time. But It may also just have been an iOS update.

 

Regarding other issues I had with audio handoff: I used to simply start audio playback on my device, which then triggers the audio handoff. Audio handoff is an iOS feature which allows you to automatically switch AudioStream from iDevice 1 to iDevice 2 and vice versa. This often led to bugs and freezes of the player, because your iDevice will not immediately start the playback. For a few seconds it’s busy trying to connect to AudioStream and other iDevices to execute the handoff. Now I first select the AudioStream as audio output in the control center (attached screenshot) and then start the playback after it shows the checkmark behind the AudioStream. This seems to prevent many glitches and bugs, for example AudioStream glitching out and not playing anything at all.

 

Also: when was the last firmware update published? What’s the newest build number and where can I check on which version I am? I was told that an update is planned for April 3rd or 4th, but I haven’t heard anything since then. I have also never received a push notification by AudioKey2.

[Mary Beth]

https://www.medel.com/support/product-support/accessories/audiostream/audiostream_firmware_whentoupdate
 

I heard a firmware update is coming next week but I’m not sure if that is accurate.