When you have a hearing loss, it can be hard to watch TV with family and friends. Let’s talk about turning down the conflict and turning up the fun. Here are our top five best hearing accessories for TV.
Stream directly from the TV to your hearing device technology
Newer hearing technology often comes equipped with the ability to stream wirelessly. These devices transmit the sound directly from your television to your hearing aids. Like other wireless devices, these offer range and portability that you can’t get with other devices (or even with healthy hearing!). In other words, you might be able to hear the game when you go into the kitchen to make a sandwich! And they don’t just stream to your TV — some have the ability to connect to your smartphone, tablet, and other devices.
There are a variety of ways to connect your hearing aids to the television.
These headphones give you a direct wireless stream from the television to your ears, therefore eliminating distracting outside noise. There is usually a volume control on the headphones that allows you to adjust the volume without affecting TV volume for other listeners. They come in two silhouettes: over-the-ear headphones and earbuds. Wireless capabilities allow you to listen from a space of your choosing without messing with cords. You may have to fend off others in your household for them because of their portability. You can hear the TV in other rooms — for example, while getting up for a drink during a commercial.
Your headphones connect or pair to the TV through a radio, Bluetooth, or infrared signal. They do not work with a hearing device.
Connecting you to television, “looped” concert halls, churches, museums, and more
Looping allows you to greatly reduce ambient noise and provides a better signal-to-noise ratio for auditory input via hearing aids, which act as tiny, personal audio streamers. Bypassing the need to hear the sounds in a wide-open hall removes possible technical difficulties like reverb (echoed speech) and feedback. Looping offers a hearing “shortcut,” making it easier for you to hear specific inputs in larger rooms.
Looping systems serve as wireless loudspeakers that deliver sound from a source, such as a microphone, directly to your hearing aids. The looping system works similarly to Bluetooth technology, which can be used to stream phone calls, music, and other audio from sources that are Bluetooth compatible.
Helping you stream sound from the TV to your technology
These media streamers transmit the sound directly from your television to your hearing aids. Again, like the wireless headphones, these offer you portability you can’t get with other devices. You will need to choose the system that works best with your specific brand of hearing aid. Be sure to talk to your hearing health care professional to get the correct device for you!
There are a variety of ways to connect your hearing aids to the television.
These can give you the coveted theater sound from a single source, plus there are no external speakers or speaker wires. We like them because some units use hearing aid technology for strong dialogue reproduction. It allows you and your fellow viewers to enjoy the same sounds at the same comfortable volume without any extra help. Plus those who join you for a TV marathon or movie night will love that they can hear everything more clearly too (even in those high-intensity, whispering-voices scenes).
These systems use an all-channel speaker (or speakers) in the middle of the device. The sound system puts all the audio focus on the dialogue, therefore lessening the effect of distracting sounds. ZVOX single-cabinet home theater explains on their website: “This monaural speaker tends to ‘anchor’ the sound, creating clear, robust audio that is easy to hear. This design is particularly effective in reproducing human voices — announcers, actors, interview subjects.”
With higher-quality speakers and amplifiers comes a higher-quality sound; there is less distortion, offering a more natural sound.
Not sure what option is best for you? Contact our practice today and we’ll help you figure it out.