To Telecoil or not to Telecoil

Hearing Aids
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#1

Hi everyone, hope you can help me make a decision about my new Phonak hearing aids.

I’ve been trialling the P90-R with a CROS for a week or so and this is working really well. So now I have to make a decision about whether I buy this model or the P90-RT which has a Telecoil.

Does anyone have any advice about whether this is a good idea or not. Especially if you are in Australia, do you find that there are a lot of public places where it is useful?

Also, do you use it for phone calls in preference to using the Bluetooth functionality?

I don’t understand how neck loops work, but from what I can gather, this technology is different to Telecoil and you don’t need a Telecoil to use one - am I right?

Thanks in advance :heart_eyes:

#2

in my country there are no places with an induction loop.

I only used it for a smartphone or phone. And now I rarely use it next to bluetooth. In addition, I noticed that the new hearing aid picks up sound well over the microphone when I put the telephone handset on the microphone from the hearing aid.

You don’t need a neck loop if you have bluetooth that works perfectly.

Are you talking about Phonak Audeo?
you can also specify the price as a comparison.

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#3

It’s likely the new Bluetooth LE Audio will make t-coils unnecessary eventually, but in the meantime if you encounter any FM or Infrared (or loop of course) systems in large venues you should get the t-coil. The neckloop is the interface that you plug into those systems and that allows you to use them with hearing aids in t-coil mode. In the US, churches, arenas, etc often use FM and movie theaters use IR. T-coils are tiny and inexpensive so worth having in my view so you are not forced into generic headphones in those settings or missing out while everyone around you is laughing at some great entertainment.-

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#4

IMO, Teleciol is almost an obsolete technology, especially in OZ. That’s why you have to ask for HA’s with it. If they are 2021/22 Phonak with most likely have Bluetooth connectives straight from your HA’s to your mobile phone.

There are not too many public places to use TC’s, even a lot of churches are not maintaining their systems, only government public service help desks (where you see the white ear sign).

I had it turned on 10 years ago, and turned it off with 2 weeks as it became more of a nuisance, with it auto switching on/off occasionally when I didn’t need it.

If you have the budget, get a Roger mic instead, this will give you a greater ranger of functionality and more clarity.

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#5

Totally need the telecoil option.

I have a (telecoil) loop system for my TV and I use a telecoil neckloop with Zoom calls.

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#6

If you live in the USA and encounter a loop system let me know. My phone calls stream through blue tooth from my cell phone directly into my aids. I do have a land line at home and I have a telecoil program set up on my aids so I guess I could use it for that but haven’t. Telecoil in this country never really caught on and probably never will now. I have it on my hearing aids for no other reason than I had an empty program available. But if you don’t get it for your aids I can’t imagine you saying damn I should have gotten it. Now in Europe you might feel differently.

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#7

There are web sites to help find looped locations. Here is one for the US.

Loop Locator : Loop America

There are 4 sites in my state. The neighboring state I often venture into has 25. There are 3 of them that I have ever been to, and only 1 more than once (a major airport).

The cons: It makes the HAs a little larger, heavier, and expensive. It typically takes a program slot that might be used for something else. Often needs to be programmed on to be available at all.

I didn’t bother even asking about it when I was being fitted.

Do your research and find out if it would be worth it for you.

My church uses an FM system, and I connect the FM receiver to my Roger On mic. Bingo, done.

WH

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#8

I have it on my new HAs. It didn’t cost anything, so I figured why not?

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#9

Neckloops are very small hearing loops. They’re the same idea as an area in a room with a loop, a loop under your couch, a loop around your neck. Think of a loop as a single speaker. You feed some kind of audio source into an amplifier and output to this “speaker”. The telecoil picks up that signal and passes it through the hearing aid.
I think they’re an excellent, discrete method of offering a service to the hearing impaired. Unfortunately, they’re hard to find.

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#10

I used it once, in a concert setting. Then I had that program removed (different brand aids). The telecoil signal travels at the speed of light, acoustic input at the speed of sound. I was using ~open domes, hearing both at slightly different times, and the result was awful since I wasn’t near the stage. Something to factor into your decision.

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#11

I’d agree that in most areas, telecoils are not of much use. However, for those that use landlines, telecoils offer an optional way to listen to landline calls. If one is going for a super small hearing aid, one probably doesn’t want to get telecoil unless one has a definite need. If size is of less importance, there are no downsides that I know of to having a telecoil in your hearing aid.

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#12

mmmm…not just landlines. You can stick a magnet on any phone and hold the phone a little higher on top of the hearing aid and it will do its magic. You then hear the call on both left and right sides (if so equipped).

Yes, historically, the old “landlines” had the big handsets with real magnet speakers that would trigger the telecoil.

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#13

Agreed not just landlines, but landlines are often a particularly difficult challenge for some people and telecoil gives an easy option.

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#14

The Holocaust Museum has them for all of their audio presentations. There is a regional pharmacy that has them at the counter. And one supermarket chain has them available at select checkouts.

I have gone through one airport that had them in the boarding areas, but don’t remember which one it was.

NYC requires all yellow cabs purchased after 2015 to have them. The NYC chapter of the HLAA has a 28 page list of looped locations.

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#15

Well than I guess I was wrong. They’re practically everywhere

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#16

This is a great question and I’m wondering the same for my new BTEs. My current BTEs have telecoil and I rely on it for using the phone and dedicated listening to laptop sound, through a Telecoil-enabled headset.

I know my next BTEs will likely have to have Bluetooth maybe requiring some new assisted listening devices to match.

But my Bluetooth connection between the phone and laptop drops every now and then, so I’m not convinced on its reliability. Having Telecoil provides a good backup.

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#17

Thanks everyone, that’s great feedback and help. It sounds like there is no reason not to have one, possibly some mixed results in using it, and some really good reasons to get one!

So given all that I might just get the P90-RT as it is no more expensive. If I don’t like it, I will have the program removed as suggested.

I am seeing the audiologist tomorrow - wish me luck :four_leaf_clover:

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#18

With some rechargable HA models the telecoil version has a bigger battery capacity and longer battery lifetime compared to the non-telecoil version (e.g. Signia Pure Charge AX). Is that also the case for the Phonak Paradise P90-RT vs P90-R?

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#19

Dr. Cliff Aud told Phonak Naida Paradise in his video review.
yes The rechargeable version of the hearing aid does not have a t-coil. There was probably no place or I don’t know the real reason.

And the rechargeable version of the hearing aid has a motion sensor that is also tap control. We talked a long time ago about why there is no battery-powered version of it. it turned out that there is a rechargeable one because the rechargeable battery is stronger, while the version with a replaceable battery is not there because it is low voltage and the chip motion sensor requires stronger current.

I’ve had a T-coil for a long time, at least 15 years, and now I really don’t mind not having it.

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#20

There are rechargeable Paradise aids that have telecoil and some that don’t. See the Phonak pro site to see all available models and features.

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