Telecoils – What do they do, and does your hearing aid already have one?

Hearing aids make a world of difference for millions of people around the world every day. The design and technology may have advanced, but the concept is relatively straightforward — someone experiencing hearing loss uses these compact devices combining a microphone, amplifier, and speaker to essentially turn up the volume of the world around them. However, hearing loss is much more nuanced than that, and simply boosting the sound isn’t always the best solution in every situation. That’s why many hearing aids come outfitted with a telecoil.

What is telecoil and how does it work?

A telecoil, or “t-coil,” is a small antenna built into hearing aids that allows them to receive signals directly from a venue’s sound system. When the t-coil activates, your hearing bypasses its own microphone and instead plays the audio directly from a microphone, show, or presentation. For example, if you’re seeing a movie and using your hearing aid, the sound from the movie theater’s speakers travels through the air to your hearing aid microphone, and then your hearing aid’s speakers amplified it. Between the theater speakers and your hearing aid, the sound can get slightly distorted and mix with other ambient sounds. This can make the movie difficult to understand, even with hearing aids. By connecting directly to the theater’s sound system, the t-coils allow your hearing aids to play the audio straight from the theater’s sound system without any distortion or ambient noises, giving you clearer audio.