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Can anyone recommend computer headphones?
Hearing Loss | Last Active: Jul 28, 2020 | Replies (22)Comment receiving replies
Tony in MI, once again you've provided great info! However, I continue to believe that what we deafies really need is a manual to lead us through all the underbrush of various types/makes of aids and all their accessories!
You've just mentioned mics that pair with a specific brand of aid. Had one, tried using it, worked with my aid (which has a telecoil), but wasn't strong enough to even pick up TV audio when placed right in front of the TV speaker. Failed miserably during meetings. I finally just gave up on it.
Several people, you included, have mentioned induction loops. which apparently are useful WITHOUT needing to be purchased specifically for your brand of aid. The Williams induction loop has been mentioned often, as has the Williams Pocketalker (which seems to have received mixed reviews from people on this forum).
Am I correct in assuming that, if I buy a Williams loop and Pocketalker that it will simply work with my Bernefon (Oticon) aid?
Again, I'd be more than willing to do the work and front the costs to produce a simple manual for people who need aids and all their accessories. I don't doubt that it would have a small market--i.e., I'd eventually earn back the cost of publishing it. Decades ago, I nagged VEDA into publishing three books about inner ear disease and subsequently saw posts from people who had benefitted from them. In that case I edited, designed, prepared for printing, found the printer, and managed the distribution for VEDA, but didn't front the cost. Yes, books are "old school" these days...except for manuals or "how to" books that are not for reading but for reference. There's also a tiny market for books that are stunningly beautiful, and am working on one of those right now. Hard to discourage book designers!
Replies to "Tony in MI, once again you've provided great info! However, I continue to believe that what..."
Your idea, Julie, of the simple manual sounds great to me except for one thing: would it not quickly become outdated?
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Loops, whether they be room loops or personal neckloops are not brand specific. All they need is to relate to telecoils in personal hearing devices; cochlear processors or hearing aids. I've mentioned Williams Sound only because I've had good success with them. They have enough power to allow the volume I need. There are other personal neckloops that use batteries that allow volume adjustment. Also some other products I've tried w/o batteries that do not have sufficient power to generate the volume I need. You can actually construct a neckloop out of telephone wire attached to an input jack if you're electronically creative. Not recommended, but pointing out that it's very basic technology. The key to this is the telecoil in the hearing aid or CI processor. THAT also has to have sufficient power to be effective. Far too many hearing aid fitters diss the value of telecoils. Perhaps the reason for that is that it's more profitable to sell clients on BlueTooth and other means of connectivity. Telecoils have been in hearing aids since the 1940s, and effectively connected people to landline phones of that era. The hearing aids then were much larger than what we have now, so including the T-coil component was much easier. When 'small' became the goal and 'tiny' became the greater goal, it became difficult to find space in hearing aids to include it. Thus, for a few decades it was left out. The movement to go back to loops and telecoils started in earnest in the late 90s and has been growing as people with hearing loss have started talking about their needs. Still, providers will refer to this a 'old technology'. YOU HAVE TO TRY IT TO SEE HOW IT WORKS FOR YOU. If they do not physically demonstrate it for their clients, the clients leave without any knowledge of what a telecoil is capable of. Providers should be required by law to fully explain and demonstrate what a telecoil is capable of doing. That is a law in 9 states now, thanks to HLAA advocates, but this movement needs more support in all states. Things like this will change ONLY when the people who benefit from that change speak up and are heard.