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 where you are using your neckloop. This is not the fault of your hearing aids and t-coils, nor is it the fault of the neckloop or room loop.

There is a simple procedure you can use to determine where the problem lies.

Step 1: Leave any/all loop devices turned off and switch your hearing aids to t-coil mode. If you hear the buzzing sound you know it is not related to the neckloop (or room loop or any other loop device) because it/they are not even turned on.

You have now determined that the sound is either magnetic interference in the room that your t-coils are picking up, or that your t-coils and/or hearing aids are not set up properly (maybe set too sensitive) or are not working right.

Step 2: The easy way to tell which is which is to move to another room, or even out of the building you are in. If the buzzing noise is just as loud everywhere you go, then the fault probably lies in your hearing aids. The solution is to go back to your hearing aid dispenser or audiologist and have the t-coil sensitivity set correctly or fixed if necessary.

If the buzzing disappears when you move away from where you originally heard it, then you know that some electrical device or the electrical wiring in your house/building is creating the interference. If this is the case, you should have an electrician or knowledgeable loop installer trace down the source of the interference and fix the problem.

Step 3: However, if you only hear the buzzing when you turn on the device to which you neckloop is attached, or only hear it when the room loop is on, (and not in the same place when the loop system is off), then the problem lies in the loop system itself or any equipment into which it is plugged. You should contact the loop installer or equipment supplier and get them to find the problem. It could be faulty equipment, but more often it will prove to be a bad signal passed from the audio device to the loop system device.