Telecoil - what is it?

I have a 1.5 month old pair of KS8T hearing aids from Costco. They were an upgrade from the standard KS8 aids. KS8 aids hav size 312 batteries and no telecoil. KS8T aids have a size 13 battery and a telecoil. KS8T aids cost just a bit more. I don’t remember if it was $100 more each or for the pair.

I am in the US. Are you also?

I believe mine were previous, Version 7 model. Mark Reid, at Costco (Lacey, WA) tells me that the telecoil Kirkland hearing aids should not cost more than the ones without telecoil. Is that your question? Yes, I am in the US.

“Mark Reid, at Costco (Lacey, WA) tells me that the telecoil Kirkland hearing aids should not cost more than the ones without telecoil.”

Interesting. I’m pretty sure that mine cost more (I’ll dig out my receipt to confirm). They are a slightly different model number (KS8T vs. KS8) and use a different battery. Seems strange that there would be a difference between WA and WI.

A Telecoil is an old but always needful feature since nowadays. They are build in HA since more than 50 Years. My first HAs I got in the age of 8 years. My newest HAs has Telecoils too. But is was necessary to let tem unlock by the audiolgist. This Telecoils helps me to use many types of Telephones. But some modern Telephones have a too weak loudspeaker with a very small magnetic field in the handset. Those Telephones are not useful with a Telecoil. Also some cordless models and cellularphones are too weak or their radiosignal disturbs the magnetic field.

Personally I would not watch TV without it! If you buy a neckloop on Amazon, you can use it in place of a fancy headphone and the sound is better…just plug the neckloop in to a headphone jack, using an audio cord. (There is also a bluetooth version if you TV is bluetooth compatible. Be sure your TV has a headphone jack. And any device with a headphone jack (audiobooks, computer, etc) can use this neckloop system

I also use the neckloop with the FM amplifier device at church (or at a theater playhouse, etc. Much better than the earbud they supply! Just swap out the ear bud for the neckloop!
I even used it on the airplane to watch their movie!

So many uses…including auditorium use…if they provide you the FM receiver…

On Amazon I bought for about $60:

BUT REMEMBER–YOU MUST HAVE TELECOIL INSTALLED IN YOUR HEARING AID!!! It is a setting in my hearing aid. Good luck

I second that! :smiley:
Recently saw some aids I really liked the sound of until I discovered they didn’t have the coil built-in so I changed my mind. I have always used my Tcoil settings for many years and still do to this day. I live in a bungalow so the loft/attic is just above us in the lounge where the TV is. So I built my own loop in the loft and wired it into the TV. So wherever I sit in the lounge, I can hear the TV through the Tcoil settings. Freedom to move around with no dangling receivers around my neck. Bliss! It’s also so much cheaper to use a loop system (especially when I can build my own) than expensive streamers (which I can’t build myself, sadly)
I do also have both wired and BlueTooth neckloops for other devices such as my phone, laptop, computer and for other TV’s when away from home.

Here in the UK there’s no need for the FM receiver, they use a loop system and most work very well I’ve found, if they’re in working order! :rage:

Yes I agree with you !

Thank you so much! I figured it’s the telecoil I miss the most. It helped alot by gaining my confidence. I like autimatic one which I had before.

My telecoil on resound live worked very well on cellphone. I was happy until I got these RIC HA with Bluetooth only. I had no idea what happened. Neither my audiologist.

I too was use to the t-coils before the hearing aids I have now, the t-coils do make a world of difference but for me they are mostly for church services, and going to the theater. I am getting new aids in a few days and I will have t-coils again and I am so looking forward to that fact. I haven’t used the t-coils that much for phone calls because I have found that streaming my calls is better, and I do not have to have my phone in my hand even. Most of the time I just turn my phone upsidedown in my shirt pocket and just talk and it works great.

1 Like

Whatever works for you that makes you happy that’s great. I would prefer automatic telecoil for myself (not the manual that blocks out people talking next to you). I need to hear what people trying to say when they’re next to me.

1 Like

If I am talking on the phone I cannot understand others anyway. With my hearing issues it is one conversation at a time only. I have enough issues with understand words even then. I have had hearing loss for way longer than I have been wearing hearing aids.

1 Like

Carolyn you are so knowledgeable. Have you ever been a provider?

I bought Resound Preza’s from Costco three weeks ago and I am having great success with them. No collusion no feedback and my voice sounds natural. I said I did not want TCoil. Did I make a mistake? Should I exchange these for TCoil? I feel this T Coil technology is very confusing in that some say get it others say you don’t need it.

Phone calls are a bit iffy. iPhone to iPhone was perfect but a landline to my iPhone was bad. Caller had to call me back on my landline so she could hear me.

I have the power receiver with closed double domes.

My TV has a headphone jack. What do you think? Should I exchange for TCoil or no? I know there can be manufacturing faults and seeing that everything is going so smoothly maybe it is meant that I keep these.

One night when I went to put my HA’s in to the charger it went on and off for a few seconds. But that happened only once.

Don’t know why I keep saying Tcell when I know it is T coil.

@anihan I’m not Carolyn, but I saw her last post is few months ago so you might wait for a while.

I ordered my new ones with T-coil.
Before recently I didn’t even knew this exists. However I see several use cases when I’d be happy to have and test it if opportunity arises.

Guided tours, theatres, cinemas, churches, conferences and similar places could either have personal assistive listening device that goes around the neck and uses T coil in your HA, or they might even have whole room looped.
Next what I noticed, for phonak roger microphone to be used on aids of other manufacturers, you either use some streamer of your manufacturer or roger my link (which is often cheapest solution).

Also, airports. That’s the only place I’ve seen it in practice, but for tours I didn’t ask. Now I know what to ask for and I believe tours will become my new hobby soon :joy: even when I got both wars good, I had to be in the front row to understand what they say.

I do have phonak marvels so I don’t need loop for connection with roger mics since they’re meant to work together, but if someone else makes better mic that could be connected through the loop, I certainly want that ability.

That are my reasons so far. I lived without tcoil and I could go on further, but since there’s no price difference, why not have it :slight_smile:

2 Likes

Telecoil functionality is definitely a must, but the coil itself does not necessarily have to be situated in the HAs. It makes the HAs bigger and occupies 2 of the 4 program places if you want to have both T and M/T functions (telecoil with or without HA mics). Instead it is advantageous to have the telecoil in an accessory e.g. ReSound MultiMic, Oticon Streamer Pro or EduMic, Siemens EasyTek and the like.

5 Likes

If you wear hearing aids, this 6 minute video is for you: What is Telecoil? How Can I Use it?

The question is do you want to use one? A t-coil hooks into a hearing loop. In my opinion it is underestimated as useful. I use mine a lot and the sound is great. If you visit places that have a hearing loop they connect into it directly. The sound is very different from streaming. These loops can be located in places like restaurants churches theaters and churches. It is nice to hear clearer and enjoy these places with clear conversation “voices” directly to your hearing aids. As more companies focus on streaming it getting ignored. You also have to ask for hearing aids to include them. The Audiologists will activate it. It is also used on phones. Not smartphones but land line phones. If you need more information there are videos on YouTube that show the difference in sound. I recommend them.

I understand t-coils and I am completely sold on their usefulness. Aside from phone use they are completely useless if the venues that you go to are not looped.
I would like to get some information on the prevalence of looped entertainment venues in Canada. It seems that FM is more common but any information would be welcome.
Thanks

@parkerj242 Here is my definition of telecoil (t-coil): Telecoil is like having noise cancelling headphones built into your hearing aids" – who would not want that! I use it for my TV, my zoom calls on my computer…any use it with any device that has a headphone jack! (To activate it I wear a $30 hearing loop around my neck.) Beautiful sound! I am not using bluetooth here but loops do come in bluetooth mode; you may want that if your device is also bluetooth enabled.