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Hearing Loss & Hearing Loops

What is a Hearing Loop?

Extremely, briefly…

A Hearing Loop—also called Induction Loop—is an Assistive Listening System. It helps those who are hard-of-hearing understand speech more clearly, especially in large venues and in background noise.  

The “System” consists of the Hearing Loop Set-up which is paired with Telecoils or T-coils. Loop and T-coils work together. One without the other is useless.

A basic Loop Set-up has 3 parts: 

1) an electrical wire (the loop) that is installed in the area to be made accessible; 

2) a Current amplifier—different from a Public Address (PA) system amplifier

3) a sound source, such as a microphone, TV, MP3 player etc. 

Telcoils or T-coils help access the loop

So, what are T-coils or telecoils? 

These are wireless antennas or receivers. They are made of a thin copper wire that “coils” around a tiny metal core. They are installed by manufacturers in most hearing aids that are large enough to hold a telecoil and are standard equipment in cochlear implants (CIs). 

Telecoils can also be installed in portable assistive devices for those whose hearing instruments do not have or cannot accommodate a T-coil. Such portable devices are used with light headphones or earbuds and allow anybody, regardless of hearing statusto access a hearing loop for better understanding of speech.  

The flow of energy

How does this all work together? 

As the sound from a microphone or TV, MP3 player or computer energizes the wire loop, a magnetic field forms around the wire. The user activates the telecoil in the hearing aid or in the portable device. The telecoil then taps into the magnetic field. Only the signal that comes from the sound source reaches the hearing aid, CI or portable T-coil device.

The loop advantage

A well-designed and correctly installed hearing loop greatly reduces or even eliminates background noise and reverberations. This makes for a much improved, clearer and relaxed listening experience. It’s almost like having a personal speaker or performer in one’s ears.

Hearing loops are especially useful for improved hearing in large spaces, such as community halls, places of worship or meeting and presentation rooms of libraries and places of work. 

Judge for yourself 

Listen to the sound in a noisy New York City train station – without a loop then with a loop.  Quite a difference!  

Quite a difference!  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ahbz0VvlZF0

So, where would you like to hear and understand better? Might a hearing loop be of help?

*****

For industry Safety Training on Noise-induced Hearing Loss Prevention or for community presentations, please see the link on this site or email [email protected]

To learn more about hearing loss, please see my book on hearing lossWhat Did You Say? An Unexpected Journey into the World of Hearing Loss, now in its second updated edition. Sharing my story and what I had to learn the hard way. Yes, the Loop is featured in the book under Assistive Listening

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