Set-up of Assistive Listening Systems
Whatever sound sources are coming out of the speakers…
That identical mix of sound sources should be coming out of the assistive listening system.
All audio sources (mic’s, video, Zoom, laptop) should feed the assistive listening system. Just connect the assistive listening to the sound mixer’s “audio out” connector.
Continuous sound checks by the audio staff member are required. Simply borrow a receiver with headphones.
- If the assistive listening sounds great to normal hearing ears, then it will provide a meaningful benefit to a person with hearing loss.
- If it sounds awful to normal hearing ears, it is unusable to someone with a hearing loss.
A microphone located at the back of the room or at the sound board, that picks up all the room sound, reverberation and noise is not a suitable solution for assistive listening, for which clear and intelligible sound is required.
When the sound mixer is bypassed, poor audio quality results for assistive listening, which defeats the purpose of providing clear audio for people with hearing loss.
There are 3 components of all assistive listening systems:
- Capture. All microphones and all sound sources (mic’s, video, Zoom, laptop) are connected to the audio mixer
- Send. Each technology has a different method of sending:
- HL: Amplifier or Driver
- FM/RF: Transmitter
- IR: Emitter
- A: Transmitter
- Receive. For equipment and graphics, please see Hearing Health Foundation Spring 2025 article, “A Push for Hearing Devices that are ‘ADA-Access-Ready’”
This article shows how consumers connect with all types of assistive listening systems.
