Best answer: The Amazon Fire TV Cube (2nd gen) is compatible with ASHA-certified Starkey hearing aids via the company's Thrive Hearing Control app.
It's about certification
Watching television is a common experience that many take for granted far too often. It's less than ideal whether it is straining to hear it or reading subtitles while watching. Because for those who are hard of hearing, something as routine as watching a TV show or movie requires slightly more effort. Amazon is trying to make viewing and hearing streaming shows a bit more enjoyable for those with hearing aids.
Amazon recently announced that one of the best streaming devices, the Fire TV Cube (2nd Gen), is picking up the ability for Audio Streaming for Hearing Aids (ASHA). The Fire TV Cube can now stream the audio directly to compatible hearing aids via Bluetooth. Currently, only one brand is offering the option to link up with Amazon's streaming device — Starkey.
Starkey makes a wide range of hearing aids, but not all can support the ASHA feature. Part of the process for syncing the audio from the Amazon Fire TV Cube to Starkey's hearing aids is by using the Thrive Hearing Control app. After setting up compatible hearing aids to work on the app, you'll be able to connect them with the streaming device. As of today, here are the Starkey devices that will work with the Fire TV Cube.
- Evlolv AI
- Livio Edge AI
- Livo AI
- Livio
In the announcement for the new feature, Amazon goes over some steps to consider when taking advantage of the helpful option. For the best experience, Amazon recommends connecting your Fire TV Cube to a 5Ghz Wi-Fi network and having a line of sight to the device from about 10 feet away.
Depending on the setup of your entertainment area where you have your Fire TV Cube connected, you may need to make some adjustments to your favorite chair and the streaming hardware to get an optimal arrangement. As for the network preference, all of the best Wi-Fi routers can offer 2.4 and 5Ghz networks, and yours may already have the option. You just may have to manually move your Fire Cube TV to the preferred 5Ghz version.
It's good to see companies coming up with helpful solutions like this one to try and offer as many people as possible a great experience when watching TV. Hopefully, more streaming devices and hearing aids will become compatible with ASHA to give even more folks this option.
The Fire TV Cube is the most powerful of Amazon's streaming hardware. From its 4K resolution video to having Alexa built right in it was impressive even before picking up ASHA hearing aid support.
