Jabra EP 20, Galaxy S23+, full hands free vs. hearing only

Just got my EP 20’s. The handsfree calling is awful for the other end of the call. I want to return to receving calls in my aids but using the phone mic instead of H/A mic for calls.

Is turning of BT LE the only way to do this? That would be a shame to lose the touted battery saving and audio quality, maybe even Auracast because of this.

Anyone got a handle on this?

Thx

I am not sure how your aids work but with S23 phones and hearing aids full hands free isn’t possible. My Oticon aids can only do hands free with iPhones but not android. Because ASHA doesn’t support it.

No, handsfree calling works, it’s just unusable due to poor quality on the other end of the call. If I turn off Bluetooth LE completely, I get phone audio in my ears and use the mic in the phone. But then I have no BTLE nor its benefits.

Anyone know if I can use phone mic and hear through aids without turning off BTLE completely?

I don’t understand how but I will take your word for it. With my phone I can be talking on it here the one I am talking to in my aids, and I can have the phone in my pocket or on a desk or lamp stand and walk as for as 10 feet from my phone and be heard as long as the room is quiet. But I have to answer the call from my phone. But when I had the iPhone I could answer calls from my hearing aids, by way of the rocker button.

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If you only have ASHA, that is why. The Jabras have BT5.3/BTLE with Auracast. They advertise handsfree.

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Are you conflating BT LE with LE Audio? Unless your aids do conventional BT (and I don’t think they do) turning off BT LE will remove all connectivity to your phone from the aids unless you have some intermediary device.

WH

This is correct for your hearing aids, but not for the original poster. The Jabra’s have BLE Audio with Auracast; your hearing aids have older BLE, which does not have Auracast. Therefore, you connect to your S23 (which I also have) using ASHA, which does not support hands free.

The only two current hearing aids that support fully hands free with Android, to the best of my knowledge, are the Jabra EP 20, with BLE Audio and Auracast, and the Phonak (including the OTC Sennheiser, which I wear) that have Bluetooth Classic. And hands free works pretty well with my Sennheiser (Phonak) HA’s, although the caller at the other end does say I sound a little fuzzy, but clearly understandable.

Possibly. I don’t pretend to fully understand the tech (obviously).

My Costco tech contacted Jabra and was told that the hands free option is the only way to use the phone with the aids. Having calls in my aids while using the phone’s mic is not an option. (It is for the iPhone, evidently).

If this is true, it is surprising that they released the EP20. It would be a deal breaker for me since the quality of fully hands free for the other party is unacceptable.

I’m still experimenting and will likely contact Jabra tech support myself to verify.

Is LEAudio reverse compatible? I believe it is.
It’s so new with so many bugs to work out at this time.

I would think turning off LE audio on your phone would do little to change how things function or battery use at this time.

Phone settings can be tricky.

I do miss my old Phonak aids hands free call.

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My friend has Phonaks from the VA. He uses hands-free very effectively. I’m jealous!

Turning off LEAudio removes the option in the phone app to use the hearing aids.

I use the Pixel 7a which also has LE Audio and BT 5.3 and the Cochlear Nucleus 7/Kanso 2 processors that are not LE Audio.

I can turn LE Audio on or off and it makes no difference with the processors and phone calls.

I would think there is a setting for hands free. It might be in the Jabra app? I can not imagine the Jabra aids being only functional with Android LE Audio compatible phones.

Yes, it is hard to imagine. There is no options related to this in the app. My guess is that they have it working ok with iPhone so they released it, Android be damned.

@MDB has the S23 phone. Maybe he can shed some light on this. @d_Wooluf is the guru with the LE Audio here.

And I wish I could direct my Phonak aids to let the phone use the phone’s mics! I guess there is always more to wish for…

WH

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Be jealous only if you can change from free hands to ears only so when you are in noisy area would be better to switch it off and keep the phone close to your mouth.

Do you have “hearing aid compatability” turned on in settings?

I do. It doesn’t seem like that setting affects bluetooth connectivity though. More about audio quality?

This is a copy and paste found at mazeheating.com.
It could be that your only choice is phone calls going through the aids mics???
It makes me wonder if you removed the Jabra app and forgot the aids in your phone. Then turn off LE audio and started fresh things might convert back to normal non LE audio.

The Features of Resound Nexia Hearing Aids
Resound Nexia hearing aids come in four Receiver-in-Ear (RIE) models, each with its own unique features and capabilities. The Micro RIE model, for example, is 25% smaller than the company’s standard RIE and incorporates an accelerometer for tap-based hands-free audio streaming compatibility with iPhones and iPads. This model is designed to address mild-to-profound hearing losses and is user-friendly, specifically designed to address speech in noise.

Resound Nexia also offers two other RIE models, one powered by size 312 disposable batteries and the other by size 13 disposable batteries. The RIE 13 model even includes a telecoil option, allowing it to receive transmissions from both Auracast and older induction loop technology. With a wide range of options, Resound Nexia provides a solution for individuals with different hearing needs.

One of the standout features of Resound Nexia is its wireless audio streaming capabilities. Users can stream audio directly from their Apple or Android devices, including music, videos, and phone calls. With compatible Apple devices, Nexia even offers hands-free phone calls, eliminating the need to speak into the phone receiver. Android users can still stream calls to their hearing aids but will need to speak into the phone receiver for the other party to hear them.

To control and personalize their Resound Nexia hearing aids, users can download the ReSound Smart 3D app. This app allows for remote adjustments, volume and program changes, and even includes location-based hearing settings. Additionally, the app features a program for managing tinnitus, offering customizable tone and nature sound options for individuals with tinnitus.

Not sure what the question is. Sounds like person is going through app only. I try not to use app and use phone settings as to me it’s more clear what’s going on.

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