What is the technical lifespan of the SMARTO rechargeable battery?

The battery supports 500 cycles of full charge/recharge with guaranteed capacity of 85%. After this the battery capacity will slowly decline over time.

There is latency (delay) in my headset’s audio.

The degree of latency is determined by the transmitter. Paired Bluetooth devices can only communicate by using the same audio CODEC. If your transmitter* does not support the aptX-LL low-latency Bluetooth audio CODEC, even though your BeHear headset does, you may sense a delay in the audio delivery.

  • aptX-LL provides the best performance with minimal latency. It is the recommended setting, and the BeHear default.
  • aptX is similar to aptX-LL but the latency is slightly longer.
  • SBC is the standard Bluetooth CODEC supported by all devices, latency is long and not fixed.

* The HearLink PLUS transmitter does support the aptX-LL low-latency audio CODEC, so you will not detect any audio delay when using it with your BeHear headset.

Which operating system does the W&H BeHear smartphone app support?

The W&H BeHear smartphone application supports both Android (from version 4.4 and up) and iOS (from version 9 and up).

What range can I expect with the BeHear headset + HearLink PLUS combination?

The operational distance for the HearLink PLUS paired with a BeHear NOW or BeHear ACCESS is up to ~200ft (~60m).

If you are interested in a more detailed explanation, keep reading.

The BeHear NOW and BeHear ACCESS headsets are Bluetooth Class II devices, while the HearLink PLUS is a Bluetooth Class I device.

  1. A Bluetooth link between two devices is always bi-directional. The actual range depends on radio performance of the transmitter and the receiver on the both sides.
  2. The difference between Class I and Class II Bluetooth devices in radio transmitting power is 16dB (Class I – 20dBm, Class II – 4dBm). Consequently, the power transmitted by a Class I device is ~40 times greater than that of a Class II device (10^(16/10)). The distance is a function of the square root of the power, meaning that the distance can be increased by ~6 times (SQR(40)) from 10m for Class II to 60m for Class I.
  3. In addition, a Class I device has improved receiver sensitivity (by ~4dB), which leads to an increased distance of ~1.5 times. Consequently, typical distance for Class I is 100m vs. 10m for Class II.
  4. When a Class I device is connected to a Class II headset the expected distance is as follows:
    a. From a Class I transmitter to a Class II receiver – up to 60m (see paragraph #2)
    b. From a Class II transmitter to Class I receiver – up to 15m (see paragraph #3)
    c. For a bi-directional it is ~15m, based on the shortest range of #a and #b.
  5. HearLink PLUS as a Class I device provides additional improvements because of its dual-antenna design. The major effect is for the receiving part, since transmitting power is limited according to the standard. For communication with a Class II receiver, like our BeHear headsets, the distance is increased significantly because of this improvement. 

What latency (delay) do your TV transmitters achieve?

The HearLink PLUS Bluetooth transmitter (using the aptX-LL CODEC) achieves low latency of only 40ms, avoiding lip sync issues.

Which Bluetooth headsets support the aptX codec?

The current versions of both our headsets (BeHear NOW and BeHear ACCESS) support both the Qualcomm aptX “classic” and aptX-LL (low latency) codecs.

How is the telecoil response related to the microphone response in BeHear ACCESS?

  1. The BeHear ACCESS headset is calibrated with a standard inductive loop transmitter as per the ANSI S3.22-2009 standard.
  2. Signal levels can be adjusted based on the current environment using the headset’s volume control (either manually or via the free app we provide for iOS and Android smartphones).

How long will the BeHear ACCESS battery last?

  • in “hearing mode”: 13+ hours
  • for phone use: 10+ hours
  • for music play: 8+ hours
  • typical battery lifespan: ~3 years

Notes:

  • A full charge takes 2-3 hours.
  • After 600 charging cycles the battery will continue to function, but usage time may be reduced between charges.

How is HearLink PLUS different from other audio transmitters?

There are many audio transmitters on the market, but HearLink PLUS has some unique features that set it apart as the transmitter of choice for assistive hearing.

  1. It supports ListenThrough™ technology to allow important ambient sounds (like a conversation with a TV viewing partner, or the doorbell) to pass through on top of the streamed audio.
  2. During incoming phone calls the audio stream will be stopped and then automatically resumed when the call is completed.
  3. It supports up to two BeHear® headsets simultaneously.

What comes in the BeHear NOW box?

The box includes a headset, a USB charging cable, a travel pouch, three types of silicon ear tips in different sizes, three pairs of ear hooks in varying sizes, 2 pairs of wind protection covers, and a printed Quick Start Guide.

 

How long will the BeHear NOW battery last?

  • in “hearing mode”: 12+ hours
  • for phone use: 10+ hours
  • for music play: 8+ hours
  • in standby mode: ~600 hours

Notes:

  • A full charge takes 2-3 hours.
  • After 600 charging cycles the battery will continue to function, but usage time may be reduced between charges.

How much hearing amplification gain does BeHear provide?

The maximal gain provided by BeHear headsets is approximately 42dB.

Which operating system does the W&H BeHear smartphone app support?

The W&H BeHear smartphone application supports both Android (from version 4.4 and up) and iOS (from version 9 and up).

Is the BeHear headset waterproof?

No. Current BeHear headsets are not waterproof.

Where can I find the full BeHear NOW product specifications?