by Neil Bauman, Ph.D. May, 2018 A man wrote, I am going to approach my church about installing a hearing loop system. It is going to be a “hard sell” because the church already has a largely-unused FM system and apparently, I am the only person interested in, and familiar enough with, […]
Installing a Hearing Loop System in a Church Is Not a Do-It-Yourself Project
by Neil Bauman, Ph.D. © March, 2018 A man wrote, I am a member of the technical committee at our church and we are investigating installing a hearing loop system. When an addition was built for our new sanctuary, we ran the cable for a loop system. What we are planning on doing […]
Are the Magnetic Fields in Hearing Loops a Health Hazard?
by Neil Bauman, Ph.D. February 28, 2017 An audiologist wrote, I am an Italian audiologist. Whenever I can, I encourage the use of hearing loops. Recently, the registry office of an important Italian city was interested in installing a counter hearing loop. They wanted me to guarantee that the employees working at the […]
The New Contacta HLD3–the “Ferrari” of Home Loop Systems–Has Arrived
by Neil Bauman, Ph.D. January 12. 2016 If you want to have unparalleled performance in your home loop system, then the new Contacta HLD3 loop driver is for you. I used to say that the Univox CLS-1 was the Cadillac of loop drivers (and it was and we sold hundreds and hundreds of them), […]
LoopFinder, the New Hearing Loop Venue Locator
by Neil Bauman, Ph.D. For a number of years I maintained a web page listing the various facilities of which I was aware in the USA that used hearing loop systems. As the number of looped facilities snowballed, it became harder and harder to keep this list up to date. Now, with the advent of […]
Seven Advantages of Loop Systems
by Neil Bauman, Ph.D. June 11, 2015 There are a number of assistive technologies that help us (people with hearing loss) hear beautiful, clear sound. In addition to loop systems, there are FM (and other RF and bluetooth systems), infrared systems and direct wired systems. All of these work well for us, although […]
Five Facts About Hearing Loss and Hearing Aids That Make Using Loop Systems Important
by Neil Bauman, Ph.D. 1. Hearing Aids Do Not Correct Hearing to Normal You might think that getting hearing aids would give hard-of-hearing people normal or near-normal hearing again. Surprisingly, the truth is that hearing aids only give you back about half of the hearing you have lost. This means that if you have an […]
Getting Started—Install and Troubleshoot Your Own Home Loop System with Confidence
© 2014 by Neil Bauman, Ph.D. Hooking a home audio loop amplifier to your flat-screen TV isn’t as simple as it used to be to hook a loop amplifier to the older-style picture-tube TVs. There are more options available, and thus there are more hoops to jump through. However, don’t despair, it is still […]
Loop Systems in the News
Loop systems are currently in the news. Here are some examples to show how loop systems are catching on. (Most recent listed first.) On October 12, 2017, Stu Nunnery wrote a first person account, Hearing Loops Make It Easier to Hear With Hearing Aids, of his pleasure using hearing loops in order to hear theater […]
Brief History of T-coils and Loop Systems
by Neil Bauman, Ph.D. When I ask hard of hearing people when t-coils were first used in hearing aids (and thus providing the technology and impetus for the beginnings of loop systems), the response is, “I don’t have a clue.” or “Probably in the 1970s or so”. In truth, the beginnings of t-coils […]
Why Do I Hear Buzzing Sounds When Using My T-coils with Loop Devices?
by Neil Bauman, Ph.D. A lady explained, I got a t-coil installed in my hearing aid. Now I hear buzzing noises every time I use my t-coil with the neckloop I got from you. Can you tell me what’s going on? Very likely what is happening is that there is magnetic interference in the room […]
If I Don’t Have a T-coil-Equipped Hearing Aid, How Can I Listen to a Loop System?
by Neil Bauman, Ph.D. A man asked, Is there a way to let people who do not have t-coils in their hearing aids listen to a room loop? At my retirement center, we could install a Univox CLS-1 (formerly DLS-50) loop system in a section of our conference room and have enough space for all […]
Yes, You Can Loop Your Bed
by Neil Bauman, Ph.D. Donna contacted me about how to help her mother-in-law, Lois, better hear her TV. I explained about the wonders of loop systems. Then her husband Sam phoned me to ask how to best loop her bedroom. As we talked, I explained there were three ways he could hook the loop up […]
Pacemakers and Loop Systems
by Neil Bauman, Ph.D. © June, 2014 A man asked, Am I able to use the different loop systems or will my pacemaker prevent my using them?” An audiologist questioned, “Have you ever run into a person who can’t use a loop system due to pacemaker issues? We have some clients that have […]
Wow! So This Is What It’s Like to Hear Via a Loop!
by Neil Bauman, Ph.D. I loved the Univox DLS-50 home loop systems—and not just because I sold them. Just over a decade ago I was looking for the best home loop system, and I came across the Univox line. After using it myself, I was so impressed with it that I began selling them. […]
Using a Wireless Microphone with a Home Room Loop System
by Neil Bauman, Ph.D. A man asked, Could I use a wireless microphone in a residential loop system? If yes, tell me more. You betcha! All you really need to do differently from using a wired microphone is plug one end of a double-male audio patch cord into the audio output of the wireless microphone’s […]
What Is the Total Length of Wire Used in a Double-Wire Loop?
Neil Bauman, Ph.D. A man wrote, I have a question regarding making a double-wire loop. You talk about the difference between the length of the loop around the room and the total length of wire. In the case of a double loop, the length of wire is twice the length of the loop around the […]
Can You Hear What Is Going On Around You When You Are Listening Via a Loop System?
by Neil Bauman, Ph.D. A man wrote, My parents attended a presentation at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN, given by Juliette Sterkins, and she gave them your Center for Hearing Loss Help website info. My parents were very surprised at how well they could hear the presentation through their telecoil-enabled hearing aids and cochlear […]
Is the Length of the Loop Wire Critical in a Home Loop System?
by Neil Bauman, Ph.D. A man wrote, I am planning to install a loop system in our new house and have been investigating different systems. I’ve narrowed my choices down to the Univox DLS-50 and the Oval Window Microloop III, which are different types of loop amplifiers. I believe you are saying that in the […]
How Do I Know Whether My Hearing Aids Will Work with a Loop System?
by Neil Bauman, Ph.D. A man asked, I have hearing aids from Sam’s Club. How do I know if they are going to work with a loop system? Good question. The simple answer is, “If your hearing aids have properly set up manual t-coils in them, they will work with any loop system.” Unfortunately, you […]
