Are Telecoils in Hearing Aids Obsolete?

Updated April 25, 2019
Published April 25, 2019

Hell No! Why You Should Always Consider a Telecoil

I read with horror recently that a prospective patient was told that hearing loops and hearing aid telecoils were obsolete technology now replaced by Bluetooth. It's simply not true, while telecoils and loop systems are damned sure old technology, both systems are just as relevant today to prospective hearing aid users as ever.

Even with the ever-growing Bluetooth hearing aid market, a telecoil is still a valid feature and will remain so for many years to come. The hearing aids below are the Signia Pure 13 Nx, and they come with Bluetooth and a telecoil for a reason. Let's talk about why you should always consider a telecoil in your hearing aids.

A Looping Resurgence

In the UK, Ireland and many countries in Europe, loop systems are everywhere. In every public building including concert halls, churches, theatres, airports, Taxis, shops and government buildings. Mainly because of the EUs insistence on accessibility. While that isn't the case in the US, loop systems are seeing a huge resurgence over there because of committed campaigners and the Hearing Loss Association of America.

It's really simple, telecoils allow you to connect easily to loop systems. Loop systems provide direct wireless input into your hearing aids. No interference, no background noise, just the signal directly from the input, whether that is the microphone a priest is using, the audio system in a theatre, the microphone the cashier is speaking at the bank or the music from the concert hall stage. The system gives you the very best access to the sound you want to hear.

So no, telecoils are not obsolete, they may be old, but they work just fine and there is absolutely no sign of a better solution on the horizon. In fact, if anything, loop systems are becoming more popular in the US, so you will get to use your telecoil in more places than ever moving forward.

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