Hearing aids can handle a lot, but some listening situations ask more of them than others. A noisy restaurant, a television across the room or a phone call without visual cues can still be difficult.

Assistive listening devices give you another way to bring the sound you want closer. Wright Hearing Solutions offers options including personal amplifiers, TV streaming accessories and specialized telephone technology. We’ll explain what each one does and where it may be useful.

What Are Assistive Listening Devices?

Assistive listening devices are made for situations where distance, background noise or the sound source itself makes listening harder. Some work with hearing aids, while others can be used independently.

These devices make it easier to hear the sound you care about without having to strain for it. A TV streamer can send the television audio straight to compatible hearing aids. Personal listening systems can also help when someone is speaking from across the room, or there is a lot of noise around you.

Auracast

Auracast is designed to make shared audio easier to access. Compatible venues can broadcast sound that listeners join through supported hearing aids, earbuds or other receiving devices.

That can be useful in places where important audio competes with everything happening around you. Instead of trying to pick an announcement or presentation out of the room, the broadcast can be delivered directly to your compatible device.

CapTel

Phone calls remove many of the clues you naturally use during an in-person conversation. You cannot watch someone’s face or fill in a missed word through body language. That can make even a familiar voice harder to follow.

CapTel adds written captions while you listen to the person speaking. If you miss part of a sentence, you can glance at the screen and keep up without repeatedly asking the caller to start over.