Although wireless audio is great, sometimes wired listening is more simple and reliable. You can listen via a headphone jack or USB port. Plugging in is fairly straightforward. It helps ensure clean sound and also lets you split audio for more than one use. For example, you can send audio to your ears and to a speech-to-text app at the same time. Computers and laptops often have both an audio jack and USB ports for audio access. An audio jack is also quite common on a TV, handheld receiver, external speaker or MP3 player. You may need an adapter to use a headphone jack on your phone or tablet. Above all, choose the best way to listen via headphone jack so you don’t need to remove your hearing devices. Find the best wired listening setup for your needs.

• remote mic (must have a jack on mic or charging unit) – stream to compatible hearing aid/CI
• streamer (proprietary)  – stream  to compatible hearing aid/CI
• neckloop  – stream to any hearing aid/CI that has a telecoil
• silhouette (stereo) – stream to any hearing aid/CI that has a telecoil
• headphones over-the-ear – wear over hearing aids (possible feedback) or alone
• headphones on-ear  – use alone, without hearing aids/CI
• earbuds – use alone, without hearing aids/CI
• TV connector (proprietary, not pictured) – stream to compatible hearing aid/CI
• direct audio input (DAI) (not pictured) wired to a compatible hearing aid/CI

Some public venues provide hearing assistive listening devices that come with a single earbud. Research shows that listening with two ears improves speech understanding by an estimated 40%. Therefore, you should replace that single earbud with two earbuds. However, you must be careful because a stereo plug may only give you sound in one earbud. You might need a mono-plug two earbud solution as shown above. This is less common and a bit harder to find, but it gives you sound to both ears as needed.

Do you know the trick to using your hearing aids/CIs with a public sound system? You need an active telecoil in your hearing aids/CIs. This allows you to get the audio from a PA system into your hearing aids/CIs. This is not just for venues with loop systems. A telecoil along with a neckloop helps when using an FM or IR system. Without a telecoil, you may be forced to remove your hearing aids and use standard earbuds/headphones. Click to learn more about telecoils and loop listening systems.