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Today’s hearing aids continue to take strides in innovation. Besides amplifying sound so you can hear better, they are more interactive and more adaptive than ever before. Some of the many features now available to enhance your hearing and your life include, background suppression, so you can hear speech through noise, Bluetooth so you can interact with your other electronic devices seamlessly and water resistance to ensure they last longer than ever. It is important to look at the benefits of hearing loops, how they work and how they can improve your listening experience in public settings.
What Is A Hearing Loop?
A hearing loop, also known as an induction loop, is a type of sound system designed to improve the listening experience of people using hearing aids in a public space. Hearing loops are often installed in gathering spaces such as concert halls, theaters, places of worship auditoriums and public transit stations. They are designed to amplify sound coming from PA and speaker systems, so many hearing aids users with diverse hearing needs can receive sound directly to their hearing devices.
How Do Hearing Loops Work?
It can be incredibly frustrating when you attend a show or public event, only to struggle with what is being said due to a hearing loss. Even hearing aid users can struggle as the sound can sound distorted and you can’t rely on visual cues such as lip reading and facial expression as much. It also can cause a lot of complications when you constantly miss updates about departure times at a public transit station. To make these listening experiences in public settings less stressful, a hearing loop emits a wireless signal, broadcasting the sound signals from the PA system throughout the venue. When a hearing aid user connects to the hearing loop, they are able to hear clearly what is being said even if they are not close to the speaker.
How To Access Hearing Loops
Hearing aids that can connect to hearing loops have small copper wires in them called T-coils or telecoils which can pick up the hearing loop signal. When a public space is equipped with a hearing loop, there is a thin copper wire which stretches around the room. The wire sends the audio signal from the PA via induction technology which sends out a magnetic field to send the sound to individual hearing aids. This allows multiple people of different listening abilities to hear all at once. Not all hearing aids come equipped with T-coils, so if you believe this technology would work for you, we can help discover all of it’s the amazing benefits! T-coils can be included in most styles of hearing aids.
How To Use A Hearing Loop
If you have a hearing aid with a T-coil and you don’t understand how to use it, it is fairly simple. First contact the venue in which you want to listen at, whether it be an upcoming show, play or religious service. Ask them if their venue is equipped with a fully functional hearing loop. If it is, all you have to do is switch on the T-coil setting on your hearing aids. The program is not automatic in order to give you the choice of logging on or not. Once you do, you will hear clear, amplified sound, delivered to your hearing aids at the program specifications your hearing healthcare professional set for you. If you have issues with certain tones or pitches, those will still be the prioritized sounds which are amplified. You can control the volume and avoid distracting background noise so you can focus directly on what is happening on the stage or in a train station. If you ever turn on your device and you only hear a hiss, this means that there is no T-coil set up at the venue or that the system is not functioning.
Ask About Hearing Loops
Hearing loops are rapidly becoming the standard for hearing accessibility across the country, in auditoriums and venues. Hearing loops can ensure that you are “in the loop” when it comes to being alert at public transit stations, and public performances and presentations. Get the most out of public events and ask us about hearing loops today. Find out all the ways they can enhance your life.