There is a delay or an echo, what can I do about that?

Latency is the technical term used for the delay between when a sound is produced and when it arrives at your ears. It can result in an echo which is most noticeable when using a Bluetooth connection. Most current Bluetooth implementations are not designed to minimize latency and can add up to 0.2 seconds of delay depending on the phone and listening device. The following options will let you reduce or avoid this problem.

The basics

The following points are generally applicable when using HeardThat. They will ensure that you maximize the signal from HeardThat and minimize other conflicting sounds. This doesn’t reduce latency but can make it much less noticeable.

  • Make sure the directional mode is chosen (Settings > Mode > Directional) and point the bottom of the phone toward yourself. This will ensure that your own voice doesn't come through.

  • HeardThat works best when the phone is lying on a table (and not held in your hands, for example).

  • Turn down the hearing aids' own mics as much as possible. This will reduce the conflict between audio from HeardThat and the hearing aids.

More advanced

The following approaches do reduce or eliminate latency and have been used successfully with HeardThat.

  • Your hearing aids may have another wireless option that uses a gateway device (aka streamer) to connect to an audio source. The underlying technology might be telecoil, near-field magnetic induction (NFMI), or radio frequency (RF). The options vary depending on the hearing aid manufacturer. If you're interested in this possibility, ask us for details.

  • If it’s an option for you, don't use hearing aids in noisy situations. Instead, use wired earbuds or headphones.

  • Continue to use hearing aids, but wear over-the-ear wired headphones connected to the phone.

  • Use an adapter box that supports low-latency Bluetooth. (Example: https://youtu.be/EmSScCNm-QE) This can help a lot for earphones, but does not help with Bluetooth for hearing aids. If you're interested in this option, ask us for details.