Improve TV listening with Hearing Aids

Time to Read: 4 minutes

Even when wearing your hearing aids, it can still be difficult to hear your favourite program or news segment on the television.

This can be due to variability between programs, channels and the presenter’s voice or could be because of ambient noise in the background. However, more often than not, it will be a result of the sound having to travel across the room to you from your television speakers.

By the time it reaches your ears/hearing aids, the signal has bounced off your coffee table, high ceilings, windows and hardwood floors – i.e. reverberation. Reverberation reduces the fidelity of the sound and therefore, impacts on the quality of the signal that you receive.

• Environmental Modifications
• TV Audio Modifications
• Assistive Listening Devices and Wireless Streaming

There are several ways to try to improve the sound quality for when you are watching television and ultimately help to improve your enjoyment of watching the news, cricket or Days of our Lives.

Environmental Modifications

• Ideally, you should be positioned no more than approximately two metres from your television and should be face on to where the sound is coming from (the directional microphones in your hearing aids will prioritise speech sounds coming from in front of you so direct your gaze to what you want to hear);
• If you have wooden floorboards, add a plush rug in between you and the television – the more soft furnishings, the less reverberation;
• Think about how you may be able to reduce the amount of other hard surfaces in between you and the speakers, e.g. move your coffee table off to the side.

TV Audio Modifications

• Invest in a sound bar style speaker for your flat panel television (which, often have their speakers positioned at the back!);
• If the music and sound effects of the program are becoming overwhelming, you can try adjusting your TV’s audio settings, i.e. reduce the bass (to decrease music/sound effects) and increase the treble (for speech sounds).

Assistive Listening Devices and Wireless Streaming

• These days, the vast majority of hearing aids are compatible with Bluetooth devices, which can stream the television signal directly to your hearing aids. This helps to overcome sound quality hurdles such as background noise, reverberation and distance.
• The latest range of technology doesn’t even require you to wear an additional intermediary device – you just plug an adaptor into your television and - ta-da! - crystal clear hearing.

If you are interested in learning more about how we can help to improve your listening enjoyment, contact Value Hearing on 1300 586 104