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Convert Stereo to Mono? Then Stream?!

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Hey all,

Ran into an interesting problem earlier today. I only wear one hearing aid and I noticed that when using Siemens TV transmitter and MiniTek device that it streams in stereo. In other words, the left output goes to left aid and right output goes to the right aid. Since I only have one right aid (left side is completely deaf), I’m only getting one side of everything.

Is there some sort of adapter or plug I can buy at radio shack or something that allows me to plug into the Left/Right Audio outputs and then convert that into mono, which i can then plug into the Minitek transmitter? This way I’d get everything mono in the right aid?

Thanks!

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All you probably need is a Y-cable. Instead of plugging the two plugs from your streamer transmitter into the two output ports, get a y-cable with the right kind of plugs (RCA, 3.5mm, etc.) that will plug into the output ports on your audio device and had one female connection on the other end. Make sure the y-cable is not described as stereo. YOu want monaural connections at both ends of the y-cable.

Hong Kong eBay sellers sell these for about $3 delivered to the US (don’t know about the UK). And they come fast. I get stuff from Hong Kong faster than I do from the US west coast.

I have a couple of ideas on how to achieve what you want.

I believe the Mini-Tek has a 3.5mm stereo phone jack. You should be able to combine these two items.

Item 1:3.5mm Mono Plug to 3.5mm Stereo Jack Adapter6

Item 2:3.5mm Stereo Plug to 3.5mm Mono Jack Adapter4

Plug Item 1 into 2. Plug your cable in 1 & plug 2 into the Mini-Tek.

EDIT: You might not need the second item, but I forget which side would have the sound if you just use Item 1.

The site I linked to has very good prices. Perhaps you can find other items to make up a minimum order or can use the information pages to find something similar locally.

@HTowntoLondon said:

Hey all,

Ran into an interesting problem earlier today. I only wear one hearing aid and I noticed that when using Siemens TV transmitter and MiniTek device that it streams in stereo. In other words, the left output goes to left aid and right output goes to the right aid. Since I only have one right aid (left side is completely deaf), I’m only getting one side of everything.

Is there some sort of adapter or plug I can buy at radio shack or something that allows me to plug into the Left/Right Audio outputs and then convert that into mono, which i can then plug into the Minitek transmitter? This way I’d get everything mono in the right aid?

Thanks!

Maplins have that sort of thing on the shelf.

I’d advise against using a stereo to mono Y-adapter to combine the output of two audio stages. That’s usually equivalent to putting a low-impedance load on both stages–a good way to burn up the electronics, depending on how they were designed.

Google “summing circuit” for ideas on how to do this. A simple circuit that does this can be wired up for a few dollars.

In reply to @Eustachia

Eustachia,

I thought the same thing - in fact, when I asked, I more or less did it just to ‘be sure’ and was completely shocked when the Siemens person said I was only getting one side. They are supposed to do more research and get back to me on proposed solutions though, but I’m pretty sure its a limitation in the hardware/software.

I should probably test this myself but I need to find something on TV where I know for certain something only comes through on one side. I guess I can plug a headphone into the left audio out and listen and do the same for right audio out. then rewind and test with one hearing aid to see if both sounds register.

either way, this is a pretty big mistake on their part…you’d think this would be obvious to a hearing aid manufacturer…

@HTowntoLondon said:

Eustachia,

I thought the same thing - in fact, when I asked, I more or less did it just to ‘be sure’ and was completely shocked when the Siemens person said I was only getting one side. They are supposed to do more research and get back to me on proposed solutions though, but I’m pretty sure its a limitation in the hardware/software.

I should probably test this myself but I need to find something on TV where I know for certain something only comes through on one side. I guess I can plug a headphone into the left audio out and listen and do the same for right audio out. then rewind and test with one hearing aid to see if both sounds register.

either way, this is a pretty big mistake on their part…you’d think this would be obvious to a hearing aid manufacturer…

I do not think the audio out would provide enough sound for a headphone. Couldn’t you just plug your MiniTek into the left output of the television?

First of all let me say I know nothing about the Siemens MiniTek setup, so can offer no insight there. However, I also lost all usable hearing a year ago in the right ear. I use a Phonak BiCros system most of the time, but for several reasons didn’t like it for TV viewing. I started using a pair of Sennheiser headphones I had on hand using a wired system. Better, but I was missing the right channel sound. I found an single earbud sold by a Florida company that electronically combines the stereo signal to mono. I added a pair of dedicated transmitter/receiver units and use this system everyday for TV. Works well for my type of hearing loss.
I believe Orgelgeek is exactly correct. I have tried combining stereo to mono using an inexpensive y-cable from Radio Shack. I found the sound quality to be seriously degraded. Also, this setup CAN damage the electronics. (Please don’t ask how I know this!) I found a simple circuit diagram online to convert stereo to mono and am currently gathering the components to wire it up. Vic

Just to add more details. The system is setup as follows…you plug the red and white male cables into the red and white female output jacks in the back of your cable box. The red and white cables converge into one 3.5 mm female jack. With the Tek Transmitter comes a cord that has two male ends, 2.5 and 3.5. The 3.5 male goes into the 3.5 female at the end of the red and white cable. The 2.5 male goes into the 2.5 female audio in on the ten transmitter. From there its transferred via bluetooth, but in stereo so therefor I only get one side since I only where one aid.

I just edited this post to add a picture of how the Tek Transmitter works

You should be able to just plug one of the cable box connectors in. If that works, switch to just the other one. The red plug is normally the right channel of sound.

Prodigy,

Perhaps I’m misunderstanding because you were not the first to suggest just connecting one cable…my understanding was if I just plugged the red in…I would only get the right signal. If I plugged the white in, I’d only get the left signal. But in fact, I want both in the same ear.

When I get home I will try this, based on my understanding if I plug the white one in, I’d expect to hear nothing since my right aid should only get the right side (red) due to Siemens limitations. If thats the case, plugging just the red one in would give me the same thing as plugging both, i.e. just the right signal (red) in my right aid.

Are you guys saying that plugging only one cable in (such as the red) signifies to the box I want everything in mono?

Update:

When I got home tonight I experimented with the Red and White cables. Basically my aid (on the right ear) only accepts sound from the Red cable. The white cable does nothing. If I plug red into left output (the white input) it’ll give me that sides signal, if I plug it into the red input (its correct input), it gives me the right signal. If i only plug the white cord in (on either side) I get nothing!

So basically I need to figure out how to get the white’s sound merged with the reds before going into the transmitter.

I guess I was unclear I was suggesting you try that as a test, and now we have the results.

Sorry for the earlier confusion.

It would be interesting to find out whether Siemens plans to add this feature in a firmware update for the MiniTek. You might want to offer to beta-test it for them.

@prodigyplace said:

It would be interesting to find out whether Siemens plans to add this feature in a firmware update for the MiniTek. You might want to offer to beta-test it for them.

I’m going to call them mid next week if they haven’t gotten back to me - they are supposedly ‘looking into it’ per my audi and we expected some sort of feedback soon. I’ll post more updates to this thread once I find out more.

If anyone has any solutions worked out, definitely let me know.

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