Rondo 3 user experiences with telecoil adapter and neckloop

[Mary Beth]

@MED-EL Moderator

I am interested in reading Rondo 3 user experiences with the telecoil adapter and neckloop.  My favorite connectivity device is the Artone 3 BT neckloop and I would like to read how that is working out for Rondo 3 users if possible.  Do you have any information that could help?  Thank you

[MED-EL Moderator]

@Mary Beth thanks for your question! I'll check with our RONDO 3 product team and will get back to you asap  

Best,Verena 

[Mary Beth]

Thank you Verena!

@MED-EL Moderator

[Tomas]

On 11/19/2020 at 1:52 PM, Mary Beth said:

@MED-EL Moderator

I am interested in reading Rondo 3 user experiences with the telecoil adapter and neckloop.  My favorite connectivity device is the Artone 3 BT neckloop and I would like to read how that is working out for Rondo 3 users if possible.  Do you have any information that could help?  Thank you

I've had my Rondo 3 (both sides) for a month and use Artone 3 max daily for both calls, video meetings and music. The telecoil is even better than on Rondo 1 and Opus. Signal seems to be much stronger.

Once you click the telecoil on it's on M+T, no way to switch to only M or only T. My cardiologist programmed a T-only setting, but I missed my own voice, so instead I lower the Rondo 3 level and increase on my phone to change balance. Works fine.

(there are other things I'm not pleased with (maybe I'll get used), the remote have very short range (so I use the app on my phone, much more convenient). I also have the audio link - fantastic for music, but so far  I prefer Artone for phone calls. But the range is a problem, you need to keep it close to the Rondos and not turn the head away to much.

Tomas

[Mary Beth]

@Tomas

I am so happy to read your post!  You are the first Rondo 3 telecoil user I have “met”.  Thank you for sharing your experiences.

Is the telecoil adapter easy to attach? Do you find yourself leaving the telecoil adapter attached most of the time or do you keep attaching and removing it as needed?

How long has your Rondo 3 battery life lasted most days?  Have you ever run out of battery power?

I have the AudioLink as well with my Sonnet 1 processors and find the range way too limiting.  I prefer to use the Artone as well.

Did you upgrade from Rondo 1 to Rondo 3?  I am using my Rondo 1 processors now and am due for an upgrade.  Did you find adjusting to ASM 3 in Rondo 3 difficult ?  Are you enjoying the dual mics?

 

I would love to hear more about your Rondo 3 experience.  Things you like and things you don’t like.

Thank you for posting!

[Tomas]

8 hours ago, Mary Beth said:

@Tomas

I am so happy to read your post!  You are the first Rondo 3 telecoil user I have “met”.  Thank you for sharing your experiences.

Is the telecoil adapter easy to attach? Do you find yourself leaving the telecoil adapter attached most of the time or do you keep attaching and removing it as needed?

How long has your Rondo 3 battery life lasted most days?  Have you ever run out of battery power?

I have the AudioLink as well with my Sonnet 1 processors and find the range way too limiting.  I prefer to use the Artone as well.

Did you upgrade from Rondo 1 to Rondo 3?  I am using my Rondo 1 processors now and am due for an upgrade.  Did you find adjusting to ASM 3 in Rondo 3 difficult ?  Are you enjoying the dual mics?

 

I would love to hear more about your Rondo 3 experience.  Things you like and things you don’t like.

Thank you for posting!

I'm glad to hear Mary Beth. (I'm new to the forum, did follow Rondo 3 posts before my decision, many useful posts).

I live in Sweden so there are some differences in health care  possibilities, but my Rondos do have ASM 3. Got my left side implant 9 years ago, 2 years later I got a Rondo 1 and have almost used that (more convenient although a little less sound quality. Got my right side implant late September and did the upgrade when I connected that side a few weeks later.

The switch from Rondo 1 to Rondo 3 was smooth, same mapping but with a few tweaks (increased default strength), immediate improvement for me. There are 4 program options, we did one with "strong AI" (full ASM) and one less strong but wind reduction and increased front microphone above 60 Db - the strong AI was all I used (the other one was fine but unnecessary). There are still situations (crowded areas with noice and many voices where it's difficult, although not common situation these days), but e.g. dinner conversation is much improved. Riding my car, it's like a quiet limo, full focus on conversation. Outdoors or on the street is also magnificent, on rare occasions the ASM sort of disconnect briefly and I get all the surrounding "noice", not a problem more of an interesting comparison.

The right side I'm getting used to, everything applies for that too but it's still a rookie side.

But - the ASM is not for music, things are filtered out, so I have a program with no sound management, that's what I use e.g. jogging with music or playing for myself. I'm still getting used to Audiolink, first couple of weeks I had telecoil all the time (I was happy with that), but now I use the Audiolink except at work. Music is so much better with Audiolink, phone I need to get more used to, and then there's one inconvenience, if I stream music there is an additional app (Audio2ear), silly designed and I can't use the Audiokey2 app to change settings, only the remote. For phone the additional app is not needed. Could've been smarter designed, but overall a great improvement.

The only real disappointment is battery life, my right side last ~15 hours, that's 1-2 hours too short for me, if I know it'll be a long day I must recharge for 30 minutes..., left side is 1-2 hours, enough most days but not as expected. 

Regards, Tomas

[Tomas]

And, oh yes, question was if telecoil is easy to attach... yes! It's a bit small but once you've done it a couple of times it shouldn't be a problem with "normal motoric capability". I imagine my mother (93 years with shaky hands) would find it hard, but at least not for me.

[Mary Beth]

@Tomas

I am so thankful that you are posting your Rondo 3 experiences here.  Smile.

 

I agree that the dual mic settings are not best for music.  I prefer music in omni mic setting with full equal access to all the frequencies.  I think the dual mic settings are designed for speech in noise.

I am eager to experience the strong adaptive intelligence setting in noise.  Sometimes with my RONDO1 processors it can be difficult if there is a lot of noise close behind me.  I think it is due to the mic location compared to a BTE processor.

 

I am still struggling with the AudioLink and my Sonnet 1 processors.  There are so many issues with range and sound quality.  The Artone neckloop works much better for me for audiobooks.  I tend to listen to music through BT speakers.

 

I heard that Rondo 3 gives us real time info on battery life.  The AudioLink uses much more battery life than the Artone on telecoil.  It may be interesting to run a test.  Use the AudioLink to stream and check the battery life reading via the app.  Can you do that if you are on a call if you can not access the app while Audio2Ear is running?  Then switch to the Artone and telecoil to stream and check the battery life reading.  They may be quite different.

It is the battery life that concerns me with Rondo 3.  I do not want to take a listening break every day for 30 minutes to recharge.  And the thought of needing to use the mini battery packs daily does not excite me.

 

It is a difficult decision.  I much prefer the Rondo 3 design over the Sonnet 2 but the battery life issue gives me pause.  I really need my CIs to last on one charge for an entire long listening day.

 

Going bilateral is its own unique journey isn’t it?  It takes a while to get balanced but once you get balanced it is fantastic (especially for music).  Keep us posted on your bilateral journey and if you ever want to join in our video chat, it would be great to meet you.  The next one is in January on GoogleMeet with live automatic captions.

[Mary Beth]

And @Tomas

This line .....

”Riding my car, it's like a quiet limo”

made me laugh out loud!  Awesome!

[Tomas]

6 hours ago, Mary Beth said:

@Tomas

I am so thankful that you are posting your Rondo 3 experiences here.  Smile.

 

I agree that the dual mic settings are not best for music.  I prefer music in omni mic setting with full equal access to all the frequencies.  I think the dual mic settings are designed for speech in noise.

I am eager to experience the strong adaptive intelligence setting in noise.  Sometimes with my RONDO1 processors it can be difficult if there is a lot of noise close behind me.  I think it is due to the mic location compared to a BTE processor.

 

I am still struggling with the AudioLink and my Sonnet 1 processors.  There are so many issues with range and sound quality.  The Artone neckloop works much better for me for audiobooks.  I tend to listen to music through BT speakers.

 

I heard that Rondo 3 gives us real time info on battery life.  The AudioLink uses much more battery life than the Artone on telecoil.  It may be interesting to run a test.  Use the AudioLink to stream and check the battery life reading via the app.  Can you do that if you are on a call if you can not access the app while Audio2Ear is running?  Then switch to the Artone and telecoil to stream and check the battery life reading.  They may be quite different.

It is the battery life that concerns me with Rondo 3.  I do not want to take a listening break every day for 30 minutes to recharge.  And the thought of needing to use the mini battery packs daily does not excite me.

 

It is a difficult decision.  I much prefer the Rondo 3 design over the Sonnet 2 but the battery life issue gives me pause.  I really need my CIs to last on one charge for an entire long listening day.

 

Going bilateral is its own unique journey isn’t it?  It takes a while to get balanced but once you get balanced it is fantastic (especially for music).  Keep us posted on your bilateral journey and if you ever want to join in our video chat, it would be great to meet you.  The next one is in January on GoogleMeet with live automatic captions.

Joining the video chat, well maybe, it would be interesting. It seems to be differences in what matters most to different people, of course -  a part from us being different - there is also the differences in what and how we hear, and so hard to describe.

About the Audiokey 2 app battery life indication, I consider it only an indication. It shows battery percentage and expected time left. The hours always differ in the morning between my left and right, possibly based on average use. During the day percentage and hours differ, 0 % seems to occur 30-40 minutes before it shuts down. But it's not showing actual use or drain at a specific moment, so I just consider it an indication. There is also the different colours on the processor LED itself, but I haven't bothered with that.

While using the Audiokey or telecoil I can access the app, it's only when I stream music through Audiokey I can't access the app.

Actually I haven't noticed any significant difference if I've used telecoil, Audiokey or none, more or less same amount of battery hours.

I agree, don't want to be shut off during a day (evening), worst thing that can happen, maybe I should check up the battery pack..., until then a short charge beats silence in the evening. 

Bilateral is already awesome, not least music, but I hope for something even more close to how I remember normal sound when using only the new right side.

Bilsteral and Rond 3 are still new to me, almost every day there are new sensations/impressions, it's really a privilege.

[Mary Beth]

@Tomas

thanks for the battery indicator info.

Sure wish there was a way to know how many hours the Rondo 3 battery will last for me before making a decision.

I thought telecoil would drain the battery much less than AudioLink.  Interesting.

This gift of hearing is a privilege every single day!

[Richard G]

That all "sounds" wonderful, but do we know when will Rondo 3 be available in the US?

[Mary Beth]

@Richard G

Med-El US announced on its official FB page that Rondo 3 is now available for new recipients and commented that upgrades will be available soon.

 

Here is a link to Rondo 3 info on the Med-El US website.

https://www.medel.com/en-us/hearing-solutions/cochlear-implants/rondo3

[Richard G]

Thank you very much.

[tmscarlett10]

Hey all! 

Thank you @Tomas!

I have my first activation appointment this morning 😁, and I am hoping that I will immediately be able to fill out the form that will swap out the Rondo2 for a Rondo3.

Yet again, however, I am finding that I am still really ignorant about how CIs work; because I am having trouble understanding a lot if the terminology you are using in this chat lol. 

Would you mind clearing up a bit?... 

What is Artone? 

What are M and T settings for telecoil? And I still don't understand what telecoil does? 

What is AI and ASM? 

 

I will definitely let you all know when I get the Rondo3, and how it works and all. And @Mary Beth, I wouldn't mind doing a battery test for you, once I figure it all out. I will probably run the battery out the first day I get it lol, because I will be interested in how it all works 😂. Once I get all situated, it's no problem. I will wear the Sonnet2 at least until I get the Rondo3; I don't know yet if I can switch processors between my trial period, or stick with just one the whole time...

Stay tuned! 

[Mary Beth]

@tmscarlett10

I can’t wait to hear all about your activation!  Your journey begins today. Such fun!

You will learn all about your CI.

Artone is a BT neckloop to stream audio.  Works with Sonnets and Rondos. MT setting is a mix and T setting is streamed audio only.  Check it out here 

http://www.handsonhearing.com/user-review-on-artone-3-max-bluetooth-neckloop/
 

Telecoil (T) is a setting on your processors (Rondo 2 needs to have the telecoil adapter plugged in).  It is an induction system for accessing audio. (Like from the Artone or in a looped theater.)

 

ASM is automatic sound management- how our processors treat sounds.

Sonnet 2 and Rondo 3 are presently using ASM 2 in the US.  We are waiting for ASM 3 to be FDA approved.  These processors are already using ASM 3 in other countries.

 

AI is adaptive intelligence and is a feature of ASM 3.

[Salik]

On 11/26/2020 at 1:16 PM, Tomas said:

I'm glad to hear Mary Beth. (I'm new to the forum, did follow Rondo 3 posts before my decision, many useful posts).

I live in Sweden so there are some differences in health care  possibilities, but my Rondos do have ASM 3. Got my left side implant 9 years ago, 2 years later I got a Rondo 1 and have almost used that (more convenient although a little less sound quality. Got my right side implant late September and did the upgrade when I connected that side a few weeks later.

The switch from Rondo 1 to Rondo 3 was smooth, same mapping but with a few tweaks (increased default strength), immediate improvement for me. There are 4 program options, we did one with "strong AI" (full ASM) and one less strong but wind reduction and increased front microphone above 60 Db - the strong AI was all I used (the other one was fine but unnecessary). There are still situations (crowded areas with noice and many voices where it's difficult, although not common situation these days), but e.g. dinner conversation is much improved. Riding my car, it's like a quiet limo, full focus on conversation. Outdoors or on the street is also magnificent, on rare occasions the ASM sort of disconnect briefly and I get all the surrounding "noice", not a problem more of an interesting comparison.

The right side I'm getting used to, everything applies for that too but it's still a rookie side.

But - the ASM is not for music, things are filtered out, so I have a program with no sound management, that's what I use e.g. jogging with music or playing for myself. I'm still getting used to Audiolink, first couple of weeks I had telecoil all the time (I was happy with that), but now I use the Audiolink except at work. Music is so much better with Audiolink, phone I need to get more used to, and then there's one inconvenience, if I stream music there is an additional app (Audio2ear), silly designed and I can't use the Audiokey2 app to change settings, only the remote. For phone the additional app is not needed. Could've been smarter designed, but overall a great improvement.

The only real disappointment is battery life, my right side last ~15 hours, that's 1-2 hours too short for me, if I know it'll be a long day I must recharge for 30 minutes..., left side is 1-2 hours, enough most days but not as expected. 

Regards, Tomas

i think 15 hrs is due to using artone bluetooth neck loop and audiolink altogether used much more battery than usual. Maybe you can achieve more hours by not using bluetooth at all but yeah its disappointing battery life wish Rondo 3 can be use upto 24 hrs.

[Tomas]

Well, yes, I've had either or both most days, some days with +2 hrs of streaming or neck loop for calls and music. But there's also been a few days with neither connected. I haven't seen any significant difference, quite steady ~15 hrs on the right side and a couple more on the left. I'll try a few more full days without, at least it will be good to better understand the battery drain effect,  although a few more hours would be good in any case.

[Mary Beth]

@Tomas

We definitely could use more hours of battery life.  

[Salik]

On 12/10/2020 at 2:18 AM, Tomas said:

Well, yes, I've had either or both most days, some days with +2 hrs of streaming or neck loop for calls and music. But there's also been a few days with neither connected. I haven't seen any significant difference, quite steady ~15 hrs on the right side and a couple more on the left. I'll try a few more full days without, at least it will be good to better understand the battery drain effect,  although a few more hours would be good in any case.

Yes atleast 2-3 hrs more upto 18+hrs would be good. Is there any power off for Rondo 3 thru audiolink without removing from our head n press the switch off button.

[Tomas]

On 12/10/2020 at 1:02 PM, Salik said:

Yes atleast 2-3 hrs more upto 18+hrs would be good. Is there any power off for Rondo 3 thru audiolink without removing from our head n press the switch off button.

No, you need to power off the processors. Probably possible while still wearing them, but I don't see the point of that. 

Mind, I believe battery life differ from one person to another, so someone else may get more hours (as with my left that last +1hr longer.

[Mary Beth]

@Tomas

You used OPUS2 and Rondo 1 before getting Rondo 3 correct?  How many hours of battery life did you get with those processors?

[Salik]

6 hours ago, Tomas said:

No, you need to power off the processors. Probably possible while still wearing them, but I don't see the point of that. 

Mind, I believe battery life differ from one person to another, so someone else may get more hours (as with my left that last +1hr longer.

i cant power off the Rondo 2 while still wearing them, it need to be press hard n sometime it hurt my implant. 

[Tomas]

20 hours ago, Mary Beth said:

@Tomas

You used OPUS2 and Rondo 1 before getting Rondo 3 correct?  How many hours of battery life did you get with those processors?

Yes, @Mary Beth, but the last five years or so it was mostly the Rondo 1. For the Opus2 I had three rechargeable batteries, they lasted ~16 hrs the first years, a bit less later on. That wasn't a problem , I always had a spare and changed whenever I ran out of power. The ordinary disposable 675 batteries for implants (three batteries for both processors) lasted about 4,5 days on both processors, I really never checked very close since I always had an extra set. To wait a couple of minutes after the seal is removed to get extra life seems to be true, but sometimes you just don't have the time/patience.

The difference with Rondo 3 is that there is no such backup (I haven't checked up the extra battery pack yet). Still, to me, the advantages are by far more important.

[Richard G]

On the subject of batteries and power, my Rondo 1 lasts exactly 3 days on one set of three batteries. That is with about 16 hours per day of non-stop use. And that 3 day window is very accurate and consistent. Rondo 2 is sufficiently powered for that 16 hour daily use followed by charging at night. Rondo 3 supposed to last 24 hrs on a single charge. I have started using Artone 3 Max for cell phone and computer without any significant impact on neither Rondo 1 not Rondo 2.