August 2021 AudioStream reports

[Mary Beth]

Life with AudioStreams is going very well. It is staying connected to both sides.  
 

I have not used the AudioKey2 app at all after initial configuration and pairing.

iPhone 8 running 14.7.1

[Mary Beth]

I jinxed it!  AudioStreams disconnected while streaming.

This is how they were reconnected.

 

[DeafChef]

I recently bought the AudioStream also two months ago. Connecting with it to my Iphone 11 was a bit tedious at first, but after about 10 minutes, it finally worked bilaterally. It definitely sounds slightly different compared to when listening to music through the AudioLink. I can't tell which sound quality is better yet. I think it has to do with the sound of the environment when using the AudioStream. If I placed my hand over my microphone of the Sonnet II, the AudioStream actually plays my music much louder than it did, which is an interesting discovery for me. It is definitely the work of microphone directionality and sound cancelling that is playing its part in the AudioStreams sound quality. 

 

I think many people have made this point already, but there is definitely no noise cancelling with AudioStream as of right now. I have yet to figure out how. This makes it complicated to listen to music on a plane or in a crowded gym. Hopefully there is a solution to this in the future.

 

My next experiment is how long batteries will last between using AudioStream compared to AudioLink. Battery life is quite important to me because I usually listen to music or something at least 16 hours a day. This constantly puts me next to a battery charger most of the time and I usually go through a rotation and a half by the end of the day. Using my 1.5 year-old rechargeable batteries, they last me 7 hours without any bluetooth or connection. With AudioLink, they are roughly 4 hours (5 minutes after a pair of my batteries fully charge). AudioLink usually runs out of battery after 6.5 hours, or a battery and a half.  I'll take it as a win if I can listen past 6 hours per battery with the AudioStream.

[Mary Beth]

@DeafChef

I have a separate AudioStream program with settings that reduce the environmental sounds.  I also use omni mic setting which does not have those pre-processing filters active.  Sensitivity at zero percent (set by my audiologist) and volume as low as I can go on my remote (but will have that reduced even more at my next MAPping) .  Then increase the volume on my phone.  It is so much better than the 50/50 default mix ratio.

 

I use Power One implant disposable batteries and the AudioStream reduces those only a bit.  I am still able to swap out batteries every other morning and stream for hours without experiencing dead battery beeps.  My listening day is 16 hours usually.  Med-El does recommend disposable batteries if streaming a lot with AudioStream.  It’s noted in the US web shop.  But I switched to disposable Power One batteries long before AudioStream as I prefer not to have dead batteries throughout my listening day.

 

Are you liking the AudioLink?  When do you use it?

[DeafChef]

@Mary Beth

I have never tried disposable battery. I may give them a try soon. I even forgot that was an option! 
 

Your idea with the sensitivity reduction is just genius! I need to try that. I do have an Omni setting requested by myself also on one of my previous mapping, and it’s for music too!
 

I usually use my AudioLink every day on the computer or during work. Now with the AudioStream, I bounce between the two. I still like both of them equally, but they’re like using the Rondo II for its perks (being able to wear sunglasses without a hassle) while still using the Sonnet II the majority of times. In terms of isolating myself from the environment, AudioLink does the job for me the majority of the time. 

[Dianna]

Hello...im having battery issues, checking in with yall before calling medel.

 

Day one i used the rechargeable batteries.  All three worked and the unit. Decided to use disposables on a long day trip, for some reason im getting about 24 hrs out of a pair since only had 8 to start, on my last pair. Today i cant get the rechargeable system to work. Batteries are charged, recharged to be sure. Ive r and r three times being very careful and it wont work. Does anyone have any suggestions? I hate to have a return already, but i cannot rule out user error.

[Dianna]

6 minutes ago, Dianna said:

Hello...im having battery issues, checking in with yall before calling medel.

 

Day one i used the rechargeable batteries.  All three worked and the unit. Decided to use disposables on a long day trip, for some reason im getting about 24 hrs out of a pair since only had 8 to start, on my last pair. Today i cant get the rechargeable system to work. Batteries are charged, recharged to be sure. Ive r and r three times being very careful and it wont work. Does anyone have any suggestions? I hate to have a return already, but i cannot rule out user error.

Oh and this is using audio stream today, audiolink day before, both day before that. So three days heavy use but 3 sets of original medel batteries. I accept this if normal but would like to know.

[Mary Beth]

@Dianna

a few questions….

Are you referring to Power One Implant batteries (zinc air) or LR44 batteries (alkaline)?

Power One implant batteries last a bit over 2 days for me in my Sonnets with AudioStream.  (We must use the battery pack for disposable batteries that is marked with a WiFi symbol for AudioStream to work with disposable batteries).

 

LR44 batteries are one of the options when Sonnet2 is in its waterwear cover.  But they don’t last very long.

[Dianna]

Hi, well sorry 2 questions and you answered one, i am getting low hours on the power one but im not as concerned as that my recargeable batteries nd none will work, no power. I tried both audiostream and sonnet covers have no power.s system is not working. I have three batteries charged, so im looking for a reason/suggestion before requesting replacement. I know the unit is fragile but ive handled it with kid gloves.

[Mary Beth]

@Dianna

Maybe Med-El US can help you?  I hope you get back up and running soon.

[StarStuff]

I had pretty good luck with connecting to the AudioStream out the gate, and it worked great for the first couple months, but now it seems like it's always having issues connecting. I often have to stop and restart Bluetooth on my phone and/or take the AS cover on and off the processor several times before it all works. Maybe I should start chanting an incantation while I'm at it... 

However, twice in the past month, I've noticed that the AudioKey app has a login requirement (I don't remember this when I first configured the AS, but maybe I just forgot about it because it didn't come up again for several months), and it appears that when you're logged out--which it seems to do on it's own--not only does it disconnect you from the AS and prevent reconnection, it also forgets all your settings, so you have to go back and re-configure AS all over again! It's like you're starting over entirely with the app.

Added to the continued microphone noise problem that they've been hearing our complaints about since day one but have done nothing to fix, and MedEl is really testing my patience. I don't understand why this company can't get its act together and 1) release mature, user-tested technology and 2) fix issues quickly.

[Dani]

On 9/22/2021 at 1:29 AM, StarStuff said:

I had pretty good luck with connecting to the AudioStream out the gate, and it worked great for the first couple months, but now it seems like it's always having issues connecting.

This applies to me, too. It worked like a charme until I upgraded iOS from 14.4.2 to any newer version. It looks like Apple made a change to MFi in 14.5.

On 9/22/2021 at 1:29 AM, StarStuff said:

However, twice in the past month, I've noticed that the AudioKey app has a login requirement

You have to re-login every 30 days and every time you reboot your iPhone.

This is a *B I G* issue for me since I need some help from persons with working vision. I hardly can enter email and password for myself. And it looks like it cannot be stored in iPhone's keychain 👿. There is NO other app that forces me to reenter authorization data again and again. What a mess! 😢

Edit 9h later:
Hm, Today I've updated to iOS 15 but I didn't need to enter my authorization data into AudioKey. Curious.

[SKOM]

1 hour ago, Dani said:

This applies to me, too. It worked like a charme until I upgraded iOS from 14.4.2 to any newer version. It looks like Apple made a change to MFi in 14.5.

You have to re-login every 30 days and every time you reboot your iPhone.

This is a *B I G* issue for me since I need some help from persons with working vision. I hardly can enter email and password for myself. And it looks like it cannot be stored in iPhone's keychain 👿. There is NO other app that forces me to reenter authorization data again and again. What a mess! 😢

Yes Dani you are right! AudioStream used to work like a charm with iOS 14.4 very consistently in almost all respects but there after things changed!

So now I keep AudioStream connected on my phone only because of the problems and issues with switching between iPad and phone, iPad is not connecting at all and I use the Artone  3 max for the iPad—- that has been a good experience for me keeping the two separate . 

[StarStuff]

6 hours ago, Dani said:

This applies to me, too. It worked like a charme until I upgraded iOS from 14.4.2 to any newer version. It looks like Apple made a change to MFi in 14.5.

You have to re-login every 30 days and every time you reboot your iPhone.

This is a *B I G* issue for me since I need some help from persons with working vision. I hardly can enter email and password for myself. And it looks like it cannot be stored in iPhone's keychain 👿. There is NO other app that forces me to reenter authorization data again and again. What a mess! 😢

Edit 9h later:
Hm, Today I've updated to iOS 15 but I didn't need to enter my authorization data into AudioKey. Curious.

Absolutely ridiculous that the AS functionality is tied to logging into the app. What happens if we're on a plane or go off grid? Really, MedEl? Need to disperse with this immediately. There may actually be some regulatory issues involved here.

[Mary Beth]

@StarStuff

After the initial configuration of AudioStream in the AudioKey2 app, the app is no longer needed when using AudioStream.

[StarStuff]

2 minutes ago, Mary Beth said:

@StarStuff

After the initial configuration of AudioStream in the AudioKey2 app, the app is no longer needed when using AudioStream.

Maybe so, but after trying for 10-15 minutes to connect, the only way I could get AS to work again was to sign back into the app and reconfigure. I've had to do this three times now. Might just be a coincidence, but the point remains that the AS is very buggy and needs to be reconfigured regularly for some people.

[Dani]

10 hours ago, StarStuff said:

the only way I could get AS to work again was to sign back into the app and reconfigure

I didn't need to do that. My aproach is the same as Mary Beth's by ignoring and repairing via iPhone's built-in accessibility functionality.
But i can live with not being able to use my AS for a while.

My main concern is more about AudioKey-App not being able to switch programs or reduce or increase volume when I need to. But that's off topic here. (ok there is even a dedicated remote control for us but this is not working reliable).