by Neil Bauman, Ph.D.
© June, 2013
A person proudly explained,
My new behind-the-ear (BTE) hearing aids do not have the t-Coil option anymore. I hear that t-Coils are a thing of the past and will be phased out soon as new technology is available. I am now using Bluetooth technology.
I can point you to hundreds, if not thousands, of churches and public buildings that have embraced loop system technology. Can you point me to even one such venue that has bluetooth technology installed so hard of hearing people can hear beautiful, clear speech from the speaker?
The reason you can’t is because Bluetooth technology is not set up to work in such places, whereas Loop Technology works wonderfully well.
The hype and misinformation going around on the demise of the t-coil is just that—hype and misinformation. It is not what is really happening. Actually, just the opposite is happening. For example, the major hearing aid manufacturer in the USA—Starkey—two years ago went on record that all of their hearing aids will contain t-coils. Other manufacturers that thought they’d dump their t-coils found that they were losing out to others that have t-coils.
In addition, more and more manufacturers of personal assistive devices are including t-coils in their devices. I understand that Williams Sound’s new PockeTalker will have a t-coil in it. The new Comfort Duett has a t-coil in it. So does Bellman & Symfon’s Maxi and Mino. These manufacturers know that they need to provide t-coils in order to stay competitive. Williams Sound recently came out with a new loop amplifier whereas they had none before. They are betting on loop systems to become even more popular in the future.
Yes, there are outspoken people that think t-coils are a waste of time and that the latest technology is better—but is it really?
Consider the real limitations of bluetooth. For example, you’ll not be able to use bluetooth in church and theatres, etc. because bluetooth has several limitations.
First, bluetooth is not built into hearing aids (it’s in the remote) because it uses too much power and would drain the hearing aid’s batteries too fast. Thus you HAVE to have a remote with you in order to use bluetooth with your hearing aids. In contrast, t-coils don’t use any extra power, and don’t require any extra stuff to be hung around your neck in order to use them either.
Second, bluetooth was designed to be paired with one other device at a time for privacy issues. Thus no one could connect to, and overhear, your phone call for example. But if you were in a church or meeting hall, if bluetooth were provided only one person in the entire church or meeting could pair to the bluetooth system—leaving all the other hard of hearing people without any help. In contrast, as many people with t-coils in their hearing aids as can pack into the looped room can use a loop system at the same time.
Third, bluetooth has a very limited range. The theoretical limit is 33 feet (10 meters), but in actual practice, I’ve not found a bluetooth device that worked reliably at more than 20 feet, if even that much. Thus, in a large room, unless you sat within 20 feet of the bluetooth transmitter, you’d not be able to hear. In contrast, if you had a loop system installed and t-coils in your hearing aids, you could sit anywhere in the looped room and hear wonderfully well.
I have no problems with the various technologies used in hearing aids today—RF, bluetooth and t-coils, but to throw out the most useful (and cheapest one) is not wise. There is room for all three of these technologies. Each has uses for which it excels, and each has its limitations.
In fact, I am working with a major ALD manufacturer to produce a new device that uses bluetooth and t-coils to make an awesome combination. This device should be in beta testing very soon.
Those that dismiss t-coils out of turn will find that they have just shot themselves in the foot—yet again!
I sure wouldn’t let people talk me out of having t-coils in my hearing aids! Especially since having t-coils in hearing aids doesn’t cost you a penny more than if you purchased hearing aids without t-coils. Why limit the functionality of your hearing aids when you gain so much at no extra cost?
Thank you Neil for this explanation and comparison.
I hope that it will serve to clear up some of the confusion and misinformation that exists.
Neil,
Thank you for this great post. At Listen Technologies we’ve been promoting loop for almost two years and we’re seeing good growth. There is a lot of confusion in the market regarding loop. We’d like your help in also communicating that loops need to be installed correctly and to the IEC Standard. Some believe that loop doesn’t work when it simply may just not be installed properly. Loop is just a technology and can be applied incorrectly.
I’m not a cochlear implant candidate, and hearing aids are not helping, but I’m having luck hearing with a conductive headset.. and its blue tooth..so i can interface with blue tooth and hear..phone, you tube, etc..Im wondering if there’s a way to watch TV with my husband and kids using this headset, and not be the only one who hears tge sound, as it over rides their audio, and directs it all to my headset! 🙂 Like maybe a full duplex passive system using the conductive headset? Thank you for your time =) We’re so close now to me being fully interactive again! ..Im also a musician/composer so this is a very wonderful breakthrough already =) Ty!
Hi Teresa:
If you are having success using a blue tooth conductive headset, I assume this means you have a conductive, not sensorineural hearing loss. You should have found that special conductive hearing aids would also help you–but not the standard ones that are made of people with sensorineural hearing losses.
Now to address your TV problems. I’m assuming that you have a bluetooth transmitter plugged into the audio output of your TV, correct? And that cuts out the sound from the TV speakers.
Depending on the TV, you can go into the menu for the TV and set the audio output to speakers, audio out jacks, or both. In this case, you want both. Not all TVs allow this, but this is the first thing I’d check out. You want to set the TV so that the volume is on FULL (fixed) to the external audio output, and is set to variable to the TVs speakers. That way anyone listening to the TV can set the volume to what is comfortable and yet not affect the volume going to your bluetooth transmitter so you essentially have independent control of your volume. When set this way, you can actually mute the TV speakers, yet still hear wonderfully well via the bluetooth (or any other device plugged into the TV’s audio output such as a loop system.) This is what I do with my TV.
If your TV doesn’t have the appropriate options, then another solution is to take the audio for your Bluetooth transmitter off any gizmo box that is plugged in ahead of your TV (assuming it has audio output jacks). This works well too.
Cordially,
Neil
I’m relatively new to the industry having come out of retirement to help form a firm dedicated to providing hearing solutions through the use of Hearing Loop technology. Realizing that IR and FM installations in my part of the country outnumber Hearing Loops by about 10 to 1 I have come to the conclusion that it’s because it’s an easier sell, not a better solution.
Let’s face it some Loop installations can be quite challenging. Overcoming the frequent issue of having to remove and reinstall carpet, deal with tile or concrete flooring, can frighten the facility away from a Looping. That’s when they turn to other technologies. The $64 question is: should I be offering those other technologies as well.
Hi Warren:
I think it’s largely because both FM and IR have been around and promoted for much longer than loop systems. Loop systems have been around for many decades–don’t get me wrong–the first hearing aid with a t-coil came out back in 1938–but for much of that time they were almost totally unknown–the best-kept secret in town so to speak. It has only been in the past 5 to 10 years that loop systems have become much better known and promoted. I think you will find that loop systems are just coming into their own now and will continue to be more and more popular in the coming years.
I built my first loop system way back in 1971–that’s 42 years ago now.
Regards
Neil
Hi Neil, We have been in contact before about interference in my Loop system. I read your comparison Loop vs Blue Tooth. I understand BlueTooth is worthless for large spaces. I want to know how it works with TV. I would consider it because I don’t have much hope of eliminating the interference I get with Loop. Can you enlighten me on Hearing Aid & Blue Tooth for TV.? Or any other alternatives?
Hi Bob:
Bluetooth can work very well for TVs. You just want to make sure that your Bluetooth is fast so there’s not a delay between what you hear over the TVs loudspeakers and what you hear via Bluetooth. If they’re not in sync, it will sound like everything is echoey or stuttery. you always want the sound to be in unison with the speech movements on the video. This gives you the best chance of understanding what is said.
So try out a Bluetooth device and see how it works for you. Just be sure that you can return it if you find that the sound is not properly synchronized.
Cordially,
Neil
I always hear, “Isn’t that an old technology?” I always answer that so is the car. It’s still a box on wheels, but what’s inside keeps changing. The hearing loop concept is still the same, but the technology in amplifiers, professional loop designs and receivers is improving all the time.
Spencer Norby
HearingLoop NW
Greater Seattle
We are considering installing this system in our church. We have been told if there are any metal in the walls it will not work properly. Is that true?
Hi Karen:
No. Loop systems can (and do) work very well in churches and other buildings that have metal in the walls, floor and/or ceiling.
What IS true is that metal affects the strength of the signal. Therefore, the more metal there is, the more power the loop will require (i.e. you’ll likely need a larger loop amplifier) and the more complex the loop wire arrangement will need to be. However, when installed properly, you won’t be able to tell any difference in a loop system installed in a room that has lots of metal vs. a room that doesn’t have any metal in it.
Regards
Neil
I have recently become a Hearing Aid user and am interested in installing a loop system in our very small Church, The congregation area is about 100′ square. Wooden Structure. Where do I get started.
Hi Carol:
Loop systems are ideal for use in churches. Are you sure your seating area is 100′ by 100′? That’s 10,000 square feet–and not a small area at all when it comes to looping.
When it comes to looping a church you want to be sure that whoever installs the loop does it so it meets the IEC 60118-4 standard. If you don’t, you risk people not being happy with the loop because it will be too loud, too soft, too “muddy” to understand, or there is too much interference present. All these problems are solved by installing to the above standard.
If you church has the money, the best thing to do is hire a professional loop installer. Then you know it will be installed correctly to the above standard.
If you want to do it yourself within the church, and it is a small straightforward job, I can help you remotely to design and set it up so it meets the IEC standard. Email me privately at neil at hearinglosshelp dot com.
Regards
Neil
HI Caroll,
Please let me know what area of the countryyou are located and I am happy to connect you with an installer. I offer a small bulletin insert to help educate the parishioners in your church and can connect you with a local audiologist who can also help.
Feel free to contact me at jsterkens@hearingloss.org or via the http://www.loopwisconsin.com website.
Best regards,
Juliette Sterkens, AuD
HLAA Hearing Loop Advocate
I leave in Rockledge FLA area code 32955. We are going to build our new church which will seat 1,003 people.I have talked to our pastor about installing a bluetooth loop. Can you send me the name of the nearest loop installer. Thank you Charles Buchanan
Hi Charles:
We have two very good dealers who are both about a couple hours from Rockledge. Here is their contact information:
Complete Hearing
Jim Scott
111 2nd Ave NE, Suite 900
St. Petersburg, FL 33701
727-260-3488
jim@completehearingsolutions.org
Indoor Wireless Solutions
Patrick Ostman
732 Stremma Road.
Largo, FL 33770
813-333-6557
patrick.ostman@i-w-s.org
Cordially,
Neil
Our church is getting ready to remodel sanctuary ,70 year old wooden building, wooden pews. Looking to add a hearing loop
not worried about spillover, 40 ft by 60 ft. aisle in center and one on each wall. Do you think we could install a simple perimeter loop ourselves under carpet? any system recommendations? Roxboro NC
Hi Ken:
Installing a loop is not a big problem–it is just a mechanical process. Knowing the shape of the loop, the size of the wire and how to adjust the loop driver according to IEC 60118-4 specifications is what takes the know-how. You should work under a trained loop installer so that the finished product works properly and meets the IEC 40118-4 standard.
The gauge of the wire depends on the loop driver being used and the total length of the loop wire.
Without doing an actual test loop in your church to know whether a perimeter would meet specs, I would suggest that you’d be better off installing a figure of eight loop rather than a simple perimeter loop.
But before you even begin looping your church, you want to check for background magnetic interference from electrical wires in or near the church and any electrical devices in the church. Ideally, you want the level of interference to be less than -47 dB. but you could get away with the level at around -40 dB. More than that and there can be an annoying buzzing during dead air space. So that is the first step.
If you contact me privately, I can help you. My email address is at the bottom of the page.
Cordially,
Neil
I attend church with several people that are hard of hearing. I keep trying to turn the sound system up, up, up so that the a few people can hear. I did buy an assisted listening device transmitter with several individual receivers. I tired buying a T-coil loop to plug into the receivers in place of ear phones. They do work, but the attendee with the greatest hearing loss doesn’t want to wear the loop around her neck. Can I get the name of the nearest professional who could help us buy and install a loop system for the entire auditorium? I am in Mt. Pleasant, TX, 75455. Our building has a metal roof and brick siding, with metal studs in the walls, and a metal grid suspended ceiling, on a concrete slab and carpet.
Hi Paul:
Sorry for the delay. We were in the process of moving across country.
Most people don’t want to wear neckloops or even use FM receivers and earbuds. That is why a loop system is so great. You don’t have to wear anything else–just your hearing aids with t-coils in them.
Here you are–the Contacta loop installer in your area. You can be assured of a professional installation that works great!
Southern Star Technology
Attn: Kevin Brown
Midlothian, TX 76065
kevin@southernstartechnology.com
214-614-8388
214-714-2114 cell
If you need further information, let me know.
Cordially,
Neil
your observations, comparisons and bias may change, now that 4 years have passed and Bluetooth has gone through a number of revisions. I was on a tour in Granada, Spain at the Alhambra where I was hearing the tour guide on our bluetooth ear piece at more than 30m and around corners… that 20-ft limitation you mention is a thing of the past.
Hi Ron:
Bluetooth standard was set to have a range of 10 m which is about 33 feet. I’m not aware that the Bluetooth standard has changed.
Are you sure that you were using a Bluetooth headset and not an FM unit. In my experience tour guides use FM units not Bluetooth units. FM units typically have a distance of about 60 feet.
Another point. Bluetooth was designed to be private, meaning it paired 1 to 1. Tour guides need a system that works one to many, and that is why they use FM systems.
Cordially,
Neil
The church I go to has sloop system installed. The problem is there is no PA system in the church for the ordinary congregation. I was looking for an amplifier system which can use the existing loop system but transmit to a portable Bose speaker with value control. Does anyone make a Speaker system for the loop system?
Hi George:
If you want to hear over a loop system and don’t wear hearing aids with t-coils, whether you are hard of hearing or not, all you need to get is a loop receiver. Most looped venues have a few loop receivers on hand for by such people. All you have to do is ask.
If you want your own loop receiver, there are two basic kinds available. First, the dedicated loop receiver. Here are two such loop receivers. The Contacta RX20 available at http://hearinglosshelp.com/shop/contacta-rx20-loop-receiver/ and the ET/LR loop receiver available at http://hearinglosshelp.com/shop/et-lr-loop-receiver/ .
If you want a more flexible system that has a microphone so youcan pick up any sounds as well as pick up loop signals, you’ll not do better than getting the PockeTalker 2.0. To switch from normal audio to loop signals, all you do is push a slider from M (microphone) to T (t-coil–meaning a loop system). You can get the PockeTalker 2.0 at http://hearinglosshelp.com/shop/pocketalker-2-0/ .
So there’s two good solutions to your problem.
Cordially,
Neil
Is there a device that will receive
loop transmissions and retransmit
bluetooth signals to bluetooth capable hearing aids?
Hi Jim:
I haven’t heard of one. What you can do is use two devices in tandem. The first device is a loop receiver. It will pick up the loops magnetic field and convert it to sound waves. The second device would accept the output from the loop receiver and send out a bluetooth signal to your hearing aids. You’d just need a patch cord plugged into the loop receivers earphone jack and the other end into the input side of the bluetooth device.
Cordially,
Neil