Please help me setup new android phone

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Muse

Lifer
Jul 11, 2001
40,431
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any luck?
Yes, finally got streaming working. The craziest part was that I called Costco and got a guy who tried to walk me through config on the phone and after a minute or two he asked me if I could come in later in the day. We made an appointment and when I got there I again played an MP3 fully expecting it to play on the phone's speakers like they had every time I tried since first using the Pixel 8 (dozens). But this time it streamed, however only Left channel. Why makes no sense because nothing had been done that could have changed the behavior.

Then he shows me where I can choose between speakers and streaming, it's a setting you can access when you change volume, "..." at the bottom of the volume slider, which I had never noticed and nobody and nothing had told me about.

So, why just the left channel, I ask. The guy tells me the Pixel doesn't support streaming well, it's a thing (says the Pixels chip is inferior) and that I should consider returning it and getting a Samsung S23. We mess with some stuff, and suddenly it's streaming both channels. I'm thinking WTF. He's busy and has to deal with another customer and I go shopping at Costco.

Well, streaming works now, so far anyway, but I'm not crazy about the sound. it's tinny and flat. I tried making adjustments in the Rexton app but every adjustment I made is undetectable to me in terms of the sound. I suspect the streaming audio isn't subject to Rexton app's adjustments one bit.

I had heard that streaming music in HAs is just not as good as listening to a stereo, so wasn't surprised and can't be disappointed.

I online-bought USB-C ---> headphone jack adapters (3), ahead of receiving the phone, and I figure I'll use them to listen to music. That won't let me use my new hearing aids, but figure the sound will be better than streaming. I tried using an adapter the other day but it didn't work because of a driver issue. I haven't pursued that one yet.

There's a bunch of stuff to address at this point including that the phone isn't seen by this Windows 10 laptop. Same was true the last few years with my Samsung S9 and my other android phones. Something about an INF file with incorrect information. There's stuff online about that but haven't succeeded in fixing it. I figure a fresh install of Windows should fix that (?). Questions are Windows 10 or 11 and should I try and upgrade or install fresh?

Meantime I am LOVING my new hearing aids! They don't give me the ears of an eleven-year-old, but maybe 1/2 as good, if that makes sense. It makes me realize how deficient my ears are. People don't realize, it usually happens very gradually and a lot of people have little if any idea about it. I knew, because tinnitus for decades and I'd had a couple audiology tests over the last 10-15 years. But this time I decided to really consider getting HAs and the tester told me she thought I'd benefit. My hearing deficiency is relatively mild, and because of that Costco is a really good choice because they feature high quality HAs and unbeatable pricing. People with complex hearing issues might be better off going to an audiologist, i.e. professional outside Costco, but that's apt to be much more expensive. Some of those audiologists aren't so great either. The experience depends a lot on the adjustments that the hearing aid specialist (or audiologist acting in that capacity) makes in your situation. Varies a lot. From great to quite inadequate.

Right now, I am mostly loving my Automatic setting. But the Music setting is nothing if not nasty. I will see my hearing instrument specialist in 5 days and tell him and expect he will endeavor to adjust that program. Maybe he blew it when he set it up. It's just weird. Anyway, music sounds pretty great already with the Automatic setting. So, I'm not fretting about it. Music's really important to me.

The phone's OK so far, I guess. I stumbled on a video (thanks to Google Youtube algorithms, no doubt) about setting up a new Pixel 8. It's obviously terrific and I mean to make a lot if not most of the adjustments shown, but haven't even started yet:

VIDEO - Pixel 8 & 8 Pro: First Things to Do! 13.38
 
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