[SOLVED] Any headphones with separate mic for the hearing-impaired?

[Rodion15]

I recently bought an impressive TV over-ear RF Avantree HT280 headphones for my mother (she's 91yo and hard of hearing), she's very happy to be able to hear the TV now!

Her greatest frustration (I mean when she talks to people, without the headphones) is that she can't hear people in normal conversation.

So I thought: isn't there any similar wireless headphones with a separate mic so that people would talk to this mic and she'd hear as well?

also: She spent a lot of money in a proper hearing-aids but she doesn't like it and never uses it.

Any recommendations much appreciated

 

[Crowii]

I believe the Pocketalker 2.0 seems to match pretty well with what you're looking for. I'm not sure about current availability, you'll have to look around, possibly even used market. Their website says temporarily out of stock.

Most accessible solution I can think of is just an app such as "Microphone" on the Google Play store for Android, a pair of bluetooth cans on mom's head and use the phone itself as a microphone for playback.

I don't know how tech savvy she is at her age; but I think just unlocking the phone and having the app right there on the homepage should be simple enough.

If the phone has an AUX port, then theoretically also possible to just plug in a simple small mic into that, provided the mic playback app can choose between microphones, which should be better than the sorry excuses of mics that can be in some phones nowadays.

With any of the most normal bluetooth codecs (AAC & SBC), it will have about 1/3 of a second delay, definitely noticeable for a normal hearing person. But... If she's lost enough hearing, plus has some closed back headphones over her ears, then I think the voice through the headphones should greatly overpower the sound actually coming from the person's mouth.

If it isn't, then you're fighting over whether you want a better microphone on the phone or wired headphones for near-unnoticeable delay. Aprroaching ghetto territory and you could slap in a USB to AUX adapter to have two AUX ports lol.

Those were my two cents, and I'd recommend just trying the latter phone solution with what you've got lying around first to spot potential quirks, problems and needs before dumping money on potentially more expensive hardware.

 

[Rodion15]

I believe the Pocketalker 2.0 seems to match pretty well with what you're looking for. I'm not sure about current availability, you'll have to look around, possibly even used market. Their website says temporarily out of stock.

Most accessible solution I can think of is just an app such as "Microphone" on the Google Play store for Android, a pair of bluetooth cans on mom's head and use the phone itself as a microphone for playback.

I don't know how tech savvy she is at her age; but I think just unlocking the phone and having the app right there on the homepage should be simple enough.

If the phone has an AUX port, then theoretically also possible to just plug in a simple small mic into that, provided the mic playback app can choose between microphones, which should be better than the sorry excuses of mics that can be in some phones nowadays.

With any of the most normal bluetooth codecs (AAC & SBC), it will have about 1/3 of a second delay, definitely noticeable for a normal hearing person. But... If she's lost enough hearing, plus has some closed back headphones over her ears, then I think the voice through the headphones should greatly overpower the sound actually coming from the person's mouth.

If it isn't, then you're fighting over whether you want a better microphone on the phone or wired headphones for near-unnoticeable delay. Aprroaching ghetto territory and you could slap in a USB to AUX adapter to have two AUX ports lol.

Those were my two cents, and I'd recommend just trying the latter phone solution with what you've got lying around first to spot potential quirks, problems and needs before dumping money on potentially more expensive hardware.

Many thanks for your answer