Bluetooth thingy

I have a couple of old Motorola ones that suck. I never gave another brand a chance.

I am just curious..., since they are stereo, if you just have one ear bud in, do you just hear 1/2 (or one side) of the stereo signal? I assume that there is no way to set them for "mono" where each ear bud produces the same sound with no stereo, right?

Not as far as I know - and yeah, music that takes advantage of left/right outputs leaves me missing the right side. I am finding, however, that the ear buds don't drown out too much background yet still give the buds a fighting chance to be heard - so having both in isn't too bad. Assuming I keep the volume reasonable, I'll still hear someone yelling, "Hey! That wall is about to fall on you!"

I'll still generally stick to one, though. Makes me feel safer and it doesn't affect too many songs - so far, I've only notice it on 'Frankenstein'.

I gave several brands a chance in the past and they all sucked. Haven't even experimented in a couple years. The Tones are a whole other world.

Much of the new tech is impressing me. On my previous phone the speech recognition was dismal. On this new one - I just did a service call and dictated a job note of over 100 words and only had to make two corrections. That was in my truck with the heater blowing and the radio low, but still audible (parked btw).

Took half the time it would have taken me to fat-thumb my way through the virtual keypad.

If you like the idea of stringing cable or wiring a panel while talking on the phone (some days my phone never stops) or listening to some classic rock and not worried you will miss an important call or text (even if the buds aren't in you get a vibration when there's a call or text) then see if you can try them out in the store - that's how they hooked me.

This is also the first time I've used my phone to play music - looks like around 6-8 hrs of play time is about norm. A place to plug in a charger is never too hard to find and as long as I'm within 30ft or so it's still like it's in my pouch, and I don't have to run to it to answer a call.

But, I did find a downside during today's service call. I REALLY overestimated my affinity for Meat Loaf - Bat Out of Hell and Bat Out of Hell 2. I'm thinkin' that getting the entire albums was just a little overkill... Thank God for the "skip to the next song" button right there at my collar bone...

Sorry if I sound like I'm gushing - but I've always been something of a gadgeteer and the shit is finally doing what I expected it to do a decade ago - the wait is over!

Good God - I'm becoming Borg...

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Join us...

Are these buds and the attached wrap-around-the-collar-thingies able to double as a hearing aid?

Nothing in the documentation about it, but I just had that conversation with a hearing aid wearing guy on another forum and he uses:

which looks pretty cool.

Thanks for the responses. My wife is getting fed up with my "What did you say?" I can hear her, but because the eardrums don't vibrate as well when they were younger, high frequencies are inaudible unless I put my ear on some keypads. Keypads with adjustible tones I lower to a frequency I can hear when near the pad, but if I'm in another room, forget it! Cupping my ear(s) brings in more sound, making the vowels and consonants much clearer.

I hear you (pun intended)!

I've steered clear of hearing aids, mostly due to the high cost, and the fear of losing/damaging one or both. To me it seems that the hearing aid industry is ripping off the older folks; whether the criticism is justified, it's just how I feel. I'm familiar with amplifiers, printed circuits, chips, speakers, and all that stuff; as a teenager and into my 20's I bought, built, and operated sound equipment, etc. for recording, record hops, back in the mid 1950's. I know that the material cost of building small amplifiers today can be fairly inexpensive, so when I compare the cost of a small amplifier with the going rates for hearing aids, I question the honesty of the industry. I have never been able to reconcile the high cost for such a small device.

Knowing me, as I do, I would remember I had the hearing aids in the split second after I crossed the point of no return...

I'm of the same mind. There is no reason in this world that would make such a small, primitive device so expensive. Make one ..... you've made them al l. I'll hold out as long as I can. I just can't justify ..... first ... the cost .... then the fact that you're blocking out all of the sound you CAN hear ..... then ... I have tinnitus so the louder the sound gets the louder the ringing in my ears gets. And lastly .... how the hell can someone else adjust MY hearing aid to what suites me best? "How's that sound?" "No go od?" " OK... how's THAT sound?" "No good?" "OK ..... how about NOW" Gimmiy a friking break. How can someone tell what "I'M" hearing? I want to adjust my own .... but NOOOOoooo! if they allowed that, how would they ever make MORE money that the don't deserve....

I'm thinking two plastic cups hung on my ears at this point.

Thank you for that revealing response. It will be helpful when and if I eventually persue the purchase of hearing aids, as you have given me an insight on the various hearing losses, allowing me to ask the right questions.