Bluetooth has now been around for a long time, and it’s nothing new that hearing aids feature Bluetooth connectivity but do you know exactly how it works? If you’re on the hunt for your first pair of hearing aids, or are thinking about upgrading your current pair, Bluetooth is definitely a feature you want to consider very carefully.
Simply put, Bluetooth is a communication technology that helps connect two or more electronic devices wirelessly within a short range. Once the devices are connected, they can exchange sound or information. Bluetooth uses high-frequency radio waves to be able to share this information and it is completely safe and secure. Bluetooth is pretty much standard in most electronic devices nowadays meaning lots of devices can communicate with each other around your home, even your fridge!
Evidently, Bluetooth needs to use power from the device to be able to work and hearing aids are small devices that are on for most of the time. As the hearing aids don’t have a huge amount of battery capacity, classic Bluetooth requires too much energy so the hearing aids use Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) as it is designed to reduce power consumption without compromising on communication range. BLE is not just used in hearing aids, but also many other things, for example, smart watches. BLE is able to connect 2 hearing aids with each other as well as with another Bluetooth device, such as your smartphone.
Bluetooth hearing aids can connect to many different devices, including your smartphone meaning you can control your aids through an app on your phone. Most hearing aids have a Bluetooth 2.4GHz connection which means if you have any Apple devices (iPhone, iPad, Mac, TV), you can stream sound directly from them. If you have a device that doesn’t allow direct streaming from the device then you can use an assistive listening device (a streamer) which allows you to stream the sound into your aids. You can get specific TV streamers to stream the sound from your TV to your aids.
One of the major benefits of streaming sound through your hearing aids is that you can personalise your listening experience; for example, if you are watching a film with family and you need the volume a little higher than them, you can do these via your hearing aids rather than having to turn up the TV volume and everyone have to listen at a higher level than necessary. You can even stream your phone calls directly to your hearing aids. It’s generally easier to hear the sound you are listening to when you stream like this.
You will need to pair each of the devices you wish to stream through your hearing aid with your aids once you get them. Your Hearing Healthcare Professional will be able to talk you through how to do this and once you have done it once, you will find the process is very simple. You will then be all set to listen to the TV, radio, audiobook, podcast, phone call, and we could go on, easily and clearly! Get in touch today if you’d like some more information about our Bluetooth compatible hearing aids.