Widex BEYOND

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Disclaimers: my Widex Beyond HA’s are my first and I have had them only one month. But the difficulties I discuss are confirmed by a second set obtained after returning the first. Also, it provides no satisfaction to issue a negative review. However, the central problem is remarkably inconsistent Bluetooth performance between my HA’s and my iPhone SE. The lack of dependability means that neither phone nor music streaming is reliable. The effect is that either both HAs or one will drop signal and that even when each of the HAs register in the iPhone Settings MFi, one of the HAs will show as not connected in the Widex Beyond app. I have followed the pairing steps recommended separately by Widex and Apple to no avail. I am told that the issue is with Apple’s IOS 11.4 update, rather than with the HAs. But have not seen this confirmed. To the best of my knowledge, Neither Widex nor Apple has released a statement indicating either the problem or solution. I would be delighted to be proven wrong. Suffice it to say that the top of the line model from Widex and possibly other major HA manufacturers cannot continue this inferior level of service.

It's worth noting here that I'm a Voiceover user, so anything mentioned here will pertain to how it must be done using the screen reader. When I first got this hardware and software set a couple months before the last update addressing the iOS 11 issues, this iOS controller for my pair of Beyond 420s wasn't pleasant to use at all with issues such as text sticking around from previous screens and elements not being usable for example. There were indeed issues with iOS and the devices themselves maintaining the bluetooth connection as well. After the update became available, and I waited the few minutes for the hardware to be updated accordingly, I found the experience so much better. It in fact seems like the batteries last a little longer after the Beyond devices were updated and bluetooth is being used with iPhone. Also, there was evidently some work done to support the Voiceover screen reader as the back button issue is no longer an issue, just so long as you do the "Z Gesture". Aside from one small issue involving the equalizer presets button not being usable, this truely is like dawn after dark in a manor of speaking.

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I’ve had the Widex Beyond hearing aides for 1-1/2 years now and have used the app to connect to my iPhone six since the beginning. I’ve been back many times complaining of crackling and switching on and off of the reception and in short, very poor blue tooth reception even when the phone is in front of my face. I’ve since done all the iPhone and Widex app updates, followed instructions to switch off WiFi and use the music setting on the app, and as a last resort sent the hearing aides back to the company to be checked. I’m told they changed all the electronics in them but nothing has changed with the reception. All other Bluetooth devices work perfectly with my phone. The hearing aid sales office says lots of people with iPhones have the same problem. But the hearing aides are marketed to be compatible with iPhone, so I find that advertising to be very misleading. I keep hoping updates will correct the problem, but none have so far, and I am very disappointed.

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I am a musician and sound engineer so my hearing is rather important to me. The Widex are my third pair of hearing aids and the aids themselves are very good. Much better than the previous 2 top of the line brands. However I have been complaining about the app not streaming properly with my iPhone for over a year now. The updates from Widex and from Apple have not solved the issue. The volume is very unstable. It starts out fine for about 1/2 a second them dips way down to where I can barely hear the sound being transmitted from the phone. May it be Driving Directions, the radio, phone calls, music or a film. This happens anytime the streaming starts as well as after any pause. My only solution is to touch the phone’s volume up button, sometimes just once and the sound pops up to where I had previously set it. I have written and called Widex. They say they are aware of this issue and are working on it. But The problem, that in the case of driving directions could be dangerous, has not been solved. Otherwise everything else works great.

When I got my Wide X 440 beyond I had some connectivity issues, and when I discussed it with my audiologists she confirmed an issue with blue tooth connectivity. Being a Beta tester for Apple iOS, I knew there had been some issues that pledged Apples air pods so I suspected the problem might also exist with the new made for iPhone hearing aids. So I filed a bug report, and it seamed to be fixed by iOS 12. Now here I am 3 years later and am now on iOS 13.2 and still running fairly strong. But I’ve found that with every new iOS update from Apple, it’s best to repair the hearing aids, as well as to toggle blue tooth off every couple of days just so things continue to work. Minor inconvenience? Sure. Worth it? That’s a question you have to answer yourself. But as a iOS Beta tester yeah it’s worth the work, just to enjoy my phone and hearing aids.