Hearing aids help you hear the room. An assistive listening device helps bring the voice you want to hear closer.

Even a very good hearing aid works best when the speaker is close and the room is quiet. Add distance, background noise and three people talking at once, and the aid is doing its best with a poor signal. An assistive listening device fixes that at the source. It picks the voice up at the speaker’s mouth and sends it straight to your ears, and better signal in usually means better clarity out.

What we stock

Partner microphones. A small microphone worn by the person you are listening to. Their voice is captured at their mouth and streamed to your hearing aids, so distance stops mattering. Good for the car, cafes and restaurants, walking groups, medical appointments, church, and any one-to-one conversation you keep missing.

Table microphones. Sits in the middle of the table and uses several microphones to work out who is speaking and prioritise them. Built for family gatherings, work meetings, restaurant tables, community meetings and group appointments.

TV streamers. Sends the television sound straight to compatible hearing aids. Clearer dialogue, less listening effort, and you can set your own volume without anyone else in the house having to put up with it.

Remote controls and smartphone apps. Adjust volume, change programs, start streaming and steer the microphones. A physical remote suits people who would rather not use a phone, or who find a phone screen hard with their hands or their eyes.

Amplified phones and Bluetooth accessories. Available alongside the above, and they can be used with or without hearing aids.

Try it before you buy it

We keep working demonstration units in the clinic. You can sit down, put them on and hear the difference for yourself before you spend anything, including with your own hearing aids if you already wear them.

That matters, because the right device depends on where you actually struggle. Someone who misses the conversation in the car needs something different from someone who has given up on family dinners.

Will these help my current hearing aids?

Often, yes, and that includes entry-level hearing aids. A partner microphone improves the signal-to-noise ratio by capturing the voice closer to the source, which is a job no hearing aid can do on its own from across a table. If you are managing well at home but struggling in restaurants, meetings, the car or at church, an accessory is frequently a better answer than a more expensive hearing aid.

What it costs

Assistive listening devices are not covered under the Australian Government Hearing Services Program and require an out-of-pocket investment. We will tell you what something costs before you try it, and we will tell you honestly if we do not think it will help you.

What is coming: Auracast

Auracast is a newer Bluetooth technology that broadcasts audio to many devices at once. The promise is that airports, cinemas, theatres, churches, lecture halls, conference centres, public transport and waiting rooms could all send their sound directly to your hearing aids. It needs compatible hearing aids, phones, transmitters and venue systems, so it is still emerging, but it is worth knowing about before you choose your next set of aids.

There is more detail in our article on assistive listening devices and background noise.

Come and have a listen

Call 07 4153 1317 or drop into Shop 1/1 Heidke Street, Avoca. No referral is needed and there is no obligation to buy anything.