Sound System for Partially Deaf Mother

Squink

Squink

Squink

Soldato
Joined
25 Apr 2007
Posts
5,255
My Mam is totally deaf in one ear (the other ear is ok) and struggles to hear voices on TV. This is particularly exacerbated by the recent spate of drama programmes where the actors mumble, often over a noisy background. If there are no subtitles, she occasionally can't hear enough to watch at all.

A few months ago I encouraged her to get a new TV (which she needed) with a built in sound bar. Unfortunately she still struggles even though the sound bar is louder and clearer than the speakers built in to most moderately priced TV sets. My take on the matter is that simply increasing the volume and clarity isn't helping as there's no separation of the various elements of sound.

Therefore I've been trying to encourage her to try out a dedicated sound system but I am not particularly au fait with how they work myself. If she got a suitable AV amp, left, right and centre speakers, do all broadcasts these days separate out the voice to the centre speaker? Or is this just with big budget films? Does anyone have advice on the situation? It's just the voices that are the problem, either when the actors talk quietly or voices are merged with background stuff.
 
Are other people watching the TV at the same time?

Just wonder if a set of headphones may prove to be better? Does she live in a detached house?
 
It's only her watching it in a detached house, so volume levels aren't a problem. I think headphones would give the same problem in that it's just one overall sound being chucked into her good ear.
 
The only way headphones can work is if both channels can be sent to either the left or right ear cup. They would possibly need to be specialised in order to have such a function.

A set up with a centre speaker would help and would a good idea in theory, with the idea that you get speech from one dedicated speaker. I'm sure most AV receivers have the option to increase or decrease each channel, so the centre volume could be upped over the left and right; however for that to work effectively that audio source would need to a 5.1 stream. It depends on what is being used to receive the TV channels, and also what the programme being watched is.

I've seen another forum where someone said that BBC use 5.1, but ITV do not. Also I imagine that some programmes will support that, while others won't
 
I was hoping that everywhere and everything would be broadcast in 5.1, which would help me convince my Mam, but if not then it may be less use for her to spend a few hundred quid on a sound system. Bah.
 
There was an article the other week about complaints on the sound quality of recent dramas with muffled voices...may actually be the shows at fault and not the soundbar.

In fact just a quick google seems there has been a few complaints over the last few years.
 
You can set up an AV receiver to force the sound being sent to output into 5.1, doesn't matter about the broadcast signal. It's not great mind but could do the job. I know mine also has an option to send everything to each speaker which could also help, but if it's due to the original audio stream being pants then maybe not.
 
K.C. Leblanc said:
It might be worth looking to see if her TV has any EQ settings.
Click to expand...

Good idea. It probably only has presets like movie, home etc but I'll check it out. The sound bar is an integrated one though.

The trouble is that she's very defeatist as she's had the problem so long and is determined that nothing will work for her. She's off for a meal this afternoon. I might try and encourage her to have a look in John Lewis and see if they have an AV room she can try.
 
It is disappointing the sound-bar in not improving the situation, what soundbar did you get ?
I have relations in a similar situation 32" panasonic tv and was suggesting they get a ~£100 soundbar maybe panasonic, or moreover a sound-table box, to put beneath the tv since a soundbar will overhang tv, also it is the treble that needs improving so a full soundbar with base unit, would not really help.
They have tried a IR sound sender system which drives headphones or an induction loop you put around your neck, sennheiser($$) I think, it works but cumbersome since person with aid has to change setting on aid.
... so we were going to try a soundbar and return it under distance selling if quality is not good.
 
See if you can try an AV amp connected to a LCR setup (Left + Centre + Right). Then you can reduce the L & R channels slightly. This should help bring out the speech/dialogue.

Another option - Google "deaf equipment" and have a look at the website. You can speak to them directly too - they are usually very helpful and knowledgeable.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom