Sound Amplifiers

Personal amplifiers are small, portable devices with strong amplifiers connected to a microphone, several different options are available depending on the listening need, and some type of ear coupling device, generally headphones or mini-earphone although many other couplers are available. All personal amplifiers use direct coupling between the microphone, amplifier and ear coupler.

FM Systems

Personal FM systems are designed for use by individuals in their personal lives. These are generally a two part system incorporating a battery powered transmitter with microphone and a battery powered receiver using earphone, headphones, or a neckloop to couple the sound into a person's hearing aids, if you are unsure about or wish more information on telecoils please see Telecoils on the Questions & Answers page. FM systems provide a great deal of portable and flexibility in meeting a person's hearing needs in difficult or demanding listening environments.

Television Listening Systems

The personal television listening system is designed to provide clear, clean sound to the hard-of-hearing individual. This is generally done by using Infrared (IR) technology. The sound is picked up at the television, or other sound source - stereo, radio, etc., and transmitted across the room to the listener who has an infrared receiver. The information is carried on an infrared light beam. This method of sound transmission provides the highest quality sound to the listener. IR systems are line of sight, this means that walls or other obstructions can block the sound from reaching the intended listener. Ideally the IR transmitter should be plugged directly into the source you wish to listen to. This is generally accomplished through the audio out jack found on the back of the television set. As a general rule, if the plugs you wish to connect to are located on the back side of the television then you can safely connect into the jack without interrupting the sound to other listeners. The connection on the back of the television is generally the RCA "phono plug". Audio connections on the side and front of most televisions are the 1/8" or 3.5mm mini-plug and will turn the sound off going to the speaker is this connection is used. To over come some of these problems the television listening devices have available an optional microphone which can be placed next to the speaker and capture the sound just as it comes out of the speaker before any other sound can blend in with the source you want to listen to.

Amplified Stethoscopes

A full line of amplified stethoscopes including models that can be used with headphones (used when people have Canal or mini-canal hearing instruments), neckloops (used to couple into a hearing instrument through the telecoil found on some model hearing instruments), and standard eartip couplers.   There is also a line of practice CD's for training or retraining to the amplified sound. 

Heart & Lung Sound CD-ROMs

Training CD-ROMs for use with amplified stethoscopes to retrain for sounds