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Using the T-coil

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Hallo! Some few weeks ago I got the activated by my acustician. I used the occasion to get the T-coil activated at both of my pairs of hearing aids (Phonak Naída P30 UP & Phonak Naída L90 UP) at once. Since then I can select the function “Induction loop (T-coil + Mic.)” in the menue of my MyPhonak-App. Finally two weeks ago I went to a cinema that offers a sound transmission via induction coil for watching a movie there. It was really a fantastic experience! Already just after having chosen the function “Induction loop (T-coil + Mic.) on the app, my hearing aids got connected to the transmission. It was almost like a shock, because I felt like trown from my seat into the movie. The sound was so clear and I understood all conversations without any need to hurry up reading the subtitles. This option of using the T-coil makes watching movies in cinemas become a real pleasure. It surely depends upon the severity of your hearing loss, but in my case this transmission of sound via intuction look into my hearing aids works fantastically. I recommend it to everybody to try it out in case if the used hearing aids offers this function.

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Yes- very good, stone-age technology. I had my first, primitive some 60 years ago, and this feature existed already back then.

Really?! So I guess you turn up your nose at the stone-age technology of the wheel. Or taming fire. Or tool use. I’ll give you running around naked in warm climates. Clothes…pishposh…for the snooty set.

@Marc1975 I think the use of induction loops/ is an excellent, discrete function. No clunky headphones. The problem is the rarity of their existence.

If you don’t want to spend the money on a tv connector then you can also make your own induction loop. It’s just a loop of wire connected to an audio output.

Edited

I probably missed (or misunderstood) the “very good” as well; maybe it was obscured by what seemed a bit like sarcasm? Glad you clarified.

We have setups in lots of cinemas, theatres and public buildings here in the UK and I’m actually disappointed that my NHS hearing aids ( I’m waiting on) don’t have it and am scrabbling about reading up on alternatives, seems options are thin on the ground and I’m limited to classic Bluetooth and there’s not full coverages- I’ll have to just hope that I hear better with ’s in!

Bluetooth is dirt cheap to install compared to the older setup. I think that’s where I would push any venue that you frequent to install it.

Yeah definitely LE audio with is the way forward on this, it’s one of the reasons tcoil is harder to find in , no point in pushing obsolete tech, it was great while it lasted..

Edited

Except…. NHS supplied hearing aid (phonak bolero m70 pr) comes with neither or LE Bluetooth so I’m working with what I get- it’s at least free! :sweat_smile:

I’m willing to be happy for rechargeable/classic Bluetooth/autosense/app support/ tinnitus balance/ custom ear moulds- beggars can’t be choosers :rofl:

LEA transmitters are dirt cheap compared to anything else, less then $50 for some, I mean you just plug these into the source device.. bingo

In reply to @Pepperty

@Pepperty said:

Except…. NHS supplied hearing aid (phonak bolero m70 pr) comes with neither auracast or LE Bluetooth so I’m working with what I get- it’s at least free!

Those are pretty old models, but they don’t hand out those anymore? They have the Marvel based Nathos Nova series now, of course it seems Phonak is never gonna do LE audio with ; (

In reply to @Sallyinthesky

There have been a handful of transmitters discussed on the forums. Pictures posted of the inside of a church and a variety of other applications. Testing for full coverage (if you seek that) will cost far more than the device & integration to the sound system, which is trivial.

WH

In reply to @RobHooft

I think it was the comma that threw me off. I’m glad someone else was also wondering if it was sarcastic. And then you mention primitive and back then. I’m still not sure of your intent. But whatever. Then I notice the flag and maybe I could cut you some slack.

In reply to @RobHooft

Not all “stone-age technology” is bad and needs to be substituted by something new. Specially those public places, as cinemas, theatres and churches very often do not have these newer technologies like bluetooth. And even bluetooth is much better and the currently best option, itis still not a reason, why no acoustician informs you about this option of the t-coil. I needed to find it out by myself, because I didn’t know that my hearing aids still offer this option because they are quite new - I got them in 2022. However “stone-age technology” or not, I am very happy having the chance to use it and I wanted to inform others about this option, in case they have never heard of it either or forgot that it still excists! Thanks to all of you out there for your comments. Marc

Yeah it’s old tech that doesn’t/isn’t having any further investment, sorry but Bluetooth is the new kid on block, which is heavily invested in by all the tech firms,who wants mono when true stereo sounds so much better, but tcoil is here for now, so enjoy it while you can, goodbye..it was great while it lasted.

In reply to @Marc1975

OK, let me rephrase then- the is a surprisingly old but great, and still useful invention from the very early days of electronic .

And indeed- the timecourse and utility of discoveries and inventions is a fascinating subject. I personally always wondered why the microscope and microorganisms were discovered in the 17th C (van Leeuwenhoek) but it would take two full centuries (and many, many deaths) more for someone (Pasteur, Koch) to figure out that those bugs often cause disease. Different topic. Honi soit qui mal y pense.

In reply to @tenkan

The add-on to bluetooth called is very good as a new replacement for the function of the loop/coil. Though not all ’s have implemented it yet. And then what about all of the still-used HA’s out there and that have a coil.

As for stereo, unless you’re piping music that uses left and right for distinct sounds, most music is seemingly “heard” in the middle of your head. That’s really the same as mono. Yes, loop/coil is mono. But so is a mic. So is a speaker. But then with HA’s, that mono gets copied in both ears so you get the same effect - middle of your head.

So I do think it’s still useful technology (just like radio and broadcast tv and the internal combustion engine). It’s just hard to find locations using it. How many locations have put in Auracast yet? I would hazard a guess of not many.

Edited

In reply to @Sallyinthesky

I’ve had an transmitter connected to my TV using optical fiber for over a year. It’s a Homespot BA210 V1. I use this version with Auracast headphones as my current hearing aids don’t support Auracast. The BA210 V1 is not compatible with hearing aids, but the BA210 V2 is. I’ll be updating both hearing aids and the BA210 later this year. The BA210 V2 is $49.99 on Amazon.

There are other transmitters that are more appropriate for theaters and churches. Avantree makes a line of Auracast transmitters with various features that are available on Amazon. These start at $65.99.

Avantree has a site that will help estimate the cost of installing Auracast in your venue.

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