Hearing aids, Bluetooth LE Audio and LC3 codecs support

mrfriki

Hi, I’m interested in the Phone 2a or 2a plus. Does any of those phones support Bluetooth LE audio and the LC3 codecs under Android 14 or the upcoming Android 15? I’m unable to find this info anywhere. I need it to connect to my Resound Nexia 9 hearing aids and take advantage of the LC3 codec and the 2 way hands free calling that Bluetooth LE audio provides.

Also, does anyone know how good the compatibility and stability of Bluetooth connectivity (LE audio or ASHA) is with hearing aids in general with these phones? My current Galaxy S22 has several problems regarding connectivity that my iPad doesn’t have.

esalnikov

mrfriki

Hi, try to unblock engineering menu by taping same times on os version and there you will see audiocodec supporting phone)

p.s. not very well speak english. Hope help you

Anonymous52

Not sure I am answering your specific question however my NHS issued Signia hearing aids connect to my 2a easily and work very well. Audio from phone calls and media player comes through the hearing aids fine.

Regards

mrfriki

Thanks a lot for your answer, that was very helpful. When you say audio from phone call comes through the hearing aids do you mean that you still need to speak through your phone’s mic in order for the person on the other side of the line to hear you, right? (i.e. if you were to leave the phone in another room you would hear the person talking but he/she won’t hear you if you talk back)

Anonymous52

Yes, that’s correct. My hearing aids do not have a mic so whilst I can hear the ringtone/caller I need the phone nearby to answer.

AlternativeUsername

Anonymous52 Hi RichTea, are you still having good experience with your NHS Signia hearing aids?

And please can anyone with a Nothing Phone 2a confirm whether on the Hearing devices page, it says “Set up and manage ASHA and LE Audio hearing aids, cochlear implants and other amplification devices”, or something else? I asked Nothing customer support to confirm if ASHA is supported and they came back with an off-putting message, which I suspect could be more related to ignorance and an unwillingness to commit than fact.

UPDATE 18.09.24:

Today I received a much better update from Nothing support: "We just got an update from the respective team. They have advised that regarding your query about ASHA (Android Streaming for Hearing Aids) with the Nothing Phone (2a), we can confirm that the phone is designed to support ASHA. However, compatibility may vary depending on the specific brand and model of the hearing aids.

While we have received positive feedback from users with NHS Signia hearing aids, we recommend consulting the hearing aid manufacturer for full compatibility details. Additionally, ensure your phone’s software is updated to the latest version for optimal performance.

If you encounter any issues, please let us know and we will be glad to assist you."

I can’t ask more than that realistically. I understand that no manufacturer can be responsible for another’s product or application of any given technology, protocol or feature, and the offer of support in event of issues is appreciated.

I’ll update with feedback from the user (not me) after some weeks of use,

mrfriki

I see, thanks so much for answering!

JPPasdenom

Hello, i thank to you for your respons with the compatibility with this protocol ASHA between your phone 2a et your signia hearing aids .

i have a signia hearing aid and i look for a smartphone nothing 2 an information. but no information on the ASHA Protocol is found on this web Nothing caracteristics or Assistance help.

I am happy to know that this smarthpne 2a or 2aplus is working with ASHA !

with my old smartphone, i need a streamer to hear a call phone or a music.

and with this smartphone Nothing or other smartphone, it’s possible to hear without a streamer but directly on a heading aid.

Thanks very much !

mrfriki

esalnikov Hi, thanks a lot for the screenshot! I still don´t have a 2a (still considering buying one). I can see from that capture that the LC3 codec is indeed supported, I assuming it is grayed out because you don´t have any LC3 compatible device connected via Bluetooth but the fact that it is at least supported is great news!

mrfriki

Hi, just a quick update since I´ve been able to test the Nothing Phone 2a with my Resound Nexia 9 for a couple of weeks, some facts:

It doesn’t support Bluetooth LE Audio and the LC3 codecs, at least on Android 14, maybe this will change with Android 15 but as of today it isn’t supported.
The Bluetooth signal and stability is far better on the 2a than on the Galaxy S22. On my S22 putting the phone in the pocket of my jeans or in fact being away more than 60-70cm of the hearing aids will start to cause crackles and micro cuts. The Nothing Phone 2a on the other hand will remain perfectly stable even from several meters away as long as there is no walls in between.
Sadly the volume is completely broken on the Nothing phone 2a and makes impossible to use the hearing aids properly. On media streaming (that include notifications sounds and call ringtones too) the volume is too loud to be comfortable even when it is set to minimum and cannot be adjusted any lower. The sound of the voice calls on the other hand is the opposite, too low even at maximum volume and can’t be adjusted any louder. I tried to check/uncheck the the Disable Absolute Volume in the developers options to no avail and I couldn’t find any app to further fine tune the volume beyond what the physical button allows. On my S22 I had the same problem initially but checking Disable Absolute Volume solved it right away plus Samsung has an app, Sound Assistant, that let you adjust how much physical press of the volume keys increase/decrease the volume.

As a result I returned the Nothing Phone 2a, it is a pity because it is a damn good phone, better than the Galaxy S22, that for sure. I´ll keep an eye on future Nothing Phone releases and mayor Android updates to see if these problems get ironed out. Hopefully since Android 15 puts a greater focus on Hearing aids compatibility this will be true soon.

KumanaBoopathy

My nothing 2a plus , is not compatible with signia hearing aid, especially when I attend phone calls, the volume is very low at times inaudible.But you tube music etc are audible clearly.

Is there any solution for this.thanks .