TV picture quality has been increasing each year, with movies and TV programs looking better than ever. Unfortunately, the built-in speakers in most new flat-screen TVs don’t match the beautiful graphics on display. This is a challenging problem for millions of hearing-impaired Americans. Hearing loss affects many people, but this doesn’t need to affect your movies anymore!
Having difficulty differentiating between background noise and meaningful dialogue can ruin a show. Turning up the volume can only help when the background noise increases the same amount as the dialogue.
Luckily, nowadays, there is a wide variety of great soundbars for the hearing impaired. These TV speakers focus on amplifying the audio you want to hear while keeping annoying background noises to a minimum. With these specifically designed speakers for those with hearing loss, you can enjoy crystal-clear audio like never before.
But how can you decide which options are the best for your hearing loss needs?
You want to keep in mind a few key characteristics when searching for the best soundbar for hearing-impaired users. Check out the following guide to ensure that you are buying the best speaker possible. Let’s take a look at the best soundbars for hearing-impaired individuals.
Key Characteristics & Buyers Guide
Before purchasing a soundbar, look at the ports on your television to which the speaker will be connecting to. First, you need to make sure that they are compatible with each other. Most of these products come with HDMI ports or a digital optical Toslink cable, which offers the best connection between devices. This ensures no lag time between the picture and the sound.
Ease of Setup With Your Home Theatre
Most customers find the setup process a breeze. Even the least tech-savvy individuals should have no issues during the connection process. But, if you plan to integrate the soundbar into an existing surround sound system, not all speakers work together. Also, if you have a wall-mounted TV, connecting the necessary wires can be more challenging if the ports are located on the back.
Integration With Hearing Aids
Those who wear hearing aids should be happy to know many TV soundbars for hearing-impaired people can integrate with your hearing aids by Bluetooth for seamless and high-quality sound directly in your ears. Your hearing aid will need Bluetooth compatibility.
Many hearing aids now have patented hearing aid technology which can connect with soundbars for the hearing impaired, which offer sound enhancement technology for a truly great listening experience.
Design
Having a display panel can be especially useful to those suffering from hearing loss. It makes it easier to accurately adjust your audio settings and volume to your liking without relying on the sound alone. As a result, many models come with a LED light panel on the front.
This allows for ease of switching between audio modes, as well as volume control. The other key aspect of the design to keep in mind is the weight and size of the speaker itself. If you have a TV stand with limited space or are planning on mounting the speaker, look at the dimensions and the weight you have room for ahead of time.
It’s also quite handy if the soundbar can be controlled by a universal remote control so you can turn down the volume during loud commercials without getting up. Also, the remote control will allow you to easily switch sound modes and control the surround sound.
Subwoofer
The subwoofer is what emphasizes those low notes and bass in music and TV programs. Many speakers come with a built-in subwoofer that offers a decent range of bass but lacks a full-feeling surround sound. It is possible to buy some speaker packages that are compatible with exterior subwoofer add-ons. However, the price is typically higher for these home theatre systems.
Sometimes low bass frequencies are in the range of your hearing problems and the built-in subwoofer doesn’t cut it. Those with hearing issues in this frequency range may want to buy sound systems with an external subwoofer to get a true surround sound experience and deep audio quality.
Sound Quality
For hearing-impaired viewers, the sound quality itself is an essential aspect of the speaker. While watching TV or movies, if you want to enjoy your favorite program without the use of your hearing aids, finding a speaker that emphasizes dialogue is necessary. The most frustrating aspect of an average speaker is any increase in dialogue volume comes with an increase in background volume.
Luckily, companies like ZVOX, Samsung, and others have developed some of the best soundbars for dialogue clarity on the market. With adjustable levels of voice boosting, you can find the best audio setting for your specific hearing needs. The dialogue-enhancing technology makes voices stand out from background sounds for crystal clear sound.
If you have trouble hearing higher-pitched sounds, it may be beneficial to look into a set of tweeter speakers for your home audio system as well.
Price
While you always want the best deal available, it can be challenging to match a low price with a high-quality soundbar for the hearing impaired. So when searching for your speaker, don’t always search for the cheapest options. Cheap often means that the quality of the product is not as high as it may claim.
Lower-quality brands can lead to more problems down the road compared to a higher-priced, more established brand. Fortunately, many products offer both excellent sound quality and voice clarity while also not breaking your budget.
Alternatives
You can also check out TV Ears Assisted Listening Headphones, which are specifically meant for the hard of hearing and those with hearing issues.
The Best TV Speakers for Hard of Hearing
ZVOX soundbar reviews speak for themselves, ZVOX is an industry leader in providing TV sound amplifiers for the hard of hearing. ZVOX decided to make a new design after realizing that millions of Americans were getting tired of increases in background music. Instead, they wanted a speaker that makes the voices “jump out” for optimal clarity while reducing background sounds.
This speaker comes with ZVOX AccuVoice hearing aid technology that has six different levels of voice boost to improve dialogue clarity. It can be used on furniture or wall-mounted easily with the hanger slots located on the speaker’s back. With a 17” width and only weighing 2.8 lbs and various colors including Titanium, Copper, and Black, it can match any decor in your home theatre.
With the dialogue mode voice enhancement features in the ZVOX soundbar systems, the hard of hearing can enjoy clear voice technology in different sound modes for a much better listening experience
The AV203 also has a disappearing LED display that will turn itself off after a few minutes without use, so it doesn’t distract when below your screen. With a strong and acoustically friendly aluminum exterior, this speaker offers maximum internal sound without reducing the exterior acoustic quality.
ZVOX prides itself on a clear setup process and ease of use; with a user manual of only 1 page, this speaker couldn’t be much easier to get working.
This is a great option that offers clear and high-quality audio that won’t break the bank. We think ZVOX comes in first in making soundbars for the hearing impaired.
If you are looking for a smaller speaker for use in tighter places, like with a TV in the kitchen, the ZVOX Accuvoice Mini could be a great option. While it can be connected to any full-size TV and provide a deep range of sound, the true advantage of this speaker is it weighs less than one pound!
It still maintains the AccuVoice hearing technology and six levels of VoiceBoost that the larger AV203 offers. The sound may not be as loud or deep, but it still helps immensely with sorting out the audio from meaningless background sounds.
Another significant aspect about this speaker is the price comes in at $99.99! This soundbar comes with great dialogue-enhancing technology at an affordable price. If you are looking for a speaker on a budget that will still clarify audio, this is a great option.
The Samsung HW-Q60R delivers a great, room-filling sound thanks to the external wireless subwoofer. This allows the bass frequencies and lower frequency noises to stay sharp in your ear while increasing the volume and audio quality alike. So if you are looking for the best wireless TV speakers for the hearing impaired, this might be it.
A dedicated center channel in the soundbar has the sole purpose of playing dialogue to ensure that you never miss a word. It also comes with a TV sound enhancer called “Directional Sound.” This feature allows sound to play through different openings on the top of the soundbar. The upward-firing speakers and center-channel speaker create amazing sound quality for hearing-impaired individuals.
As a result, the sound comes from other parts of the speaker depending on the action on your screen, giving an immersive entertainment experience.
This product is also great for more than just watching your favorite TV show. There is a Game Mode Pro that enhances the experience for any hearing-impaired gamer. This makes it feel like you are in the middle of the action in the video game you are playing. Bluetooth capability also means you can quickly shift from device to device.
If you want to play music or other programs through your phone or computer, it will be no problem. If you have a QLED TV with Bluetooth capabilities, you can also ditch the cords altogether. This no-cord look gives your soundbar and TV setup a less cluttered-looking configuration.
The only potential downside for this speaker is the size. The width of 43.3” inches and the additional exterior subwoofer can take up a lot of space, so make sure you have enough room first. However, for all-around use, this home audio system provides enough audio modes to accompany any form of entertainment.
Samsung did a great job with this speaker and subwoofer combo. Its price is slightly higher; however, it comes with many features you cannot find anywhere else. This is one of the best soundbars for hearing-impaired individuals.
This is the most economical speaker we have reviewed so far, but that doesn’t mean the low sound quality. This speaker comes with three different audio options, including music, movie mode, and dialogue. This allows the hearing impaired to understand better what they are listening to. It also comes with every customer’s favorite option, a worry-free 90- day home trial and convenient remote control!
If you are unsure of the product or find that you are still having trouble understanding the dialogue on your TV, you can return the speaker with no problem. This is something that can be difficult to find with what many other manufacturers do not offer.
The Bestisan also comes with Bluetooth capabilities so that you can connect to multiple devices. However, keep in mind it does need to use a Digital Optical Cable if you will be connecting it to a television. The 34” inch length makes it the second-largest soundbar we have reviewed. Make sure the necessary space is available before purchasing.
At $78.81 and the 3-month home trial, this is the perfect soundbar to purchase on a budget, or if you are unsure how much of a help the soundbar would be to you.
The next soundbar is from one of the best speaker manufacturers in the world: Sonos. They added cutting-edge technology that makes this one of the best-sounding and most precise speakers and one of the easiest to use.
With voice control and the option to download an app on your phone, you can control this soundbar in various ways. The Alexa voice control allows those with hearing issues to easily control the sound effects to achieve the target sound and audio quality those with hearing impairment need. It also has been tuned by sound engineers to guarantee clear sounding human voice throughout any form of entertainment.
This speaker has a compact size of 25.6” inches to fit on most TV stands with ease. It also has an easy setup process that only connects two cords and a few minutes of your time. Before you experience beautifully clear audio. The Sonos-Beam uses HDMI compatibility to connect to your TV. Or, if your TV has Bluetooth capabilities, it can connect via Beam technologies as well.
Sonos has been an industry leader in speaker technology for decades. They aim to ensure the highest possible sound quality for their listeners. This speaker is no different. The price tag of $399.99 can seem like a lot, but the quality is unmatched.
This option provides external speakers which you can place anywhere as they are wireless. Having rear speakers can provide sound behind you for a better surround sound experience.
The sound enhancement features of the wireless external speakers provide high-quality sound closer to your ears, so if you have hearing issues you can move the left and right speakers to where you need them most.
Meanwhile, the center speaker is placed under your TV, with the external subwoofer placed wherever you need it for optimal bass. We love the wireless external speakers in this model, and there are many such sound systems with the same configuration to provide better sound quality at different ranges. We chose this sound system as the price is right, and those with hearing loss will appreciate its versatility.
Lastly, we also wanted to include a set of external speakers which can connect to your TV. The hard of hearing can enjoy left and right speakers above their heads. These ceiling-mounted speakers have a built-in subwoofer with a digital amplifier.
Including these with your sound system will provide a great listening experience and make you believe you don’t have hearing problems at all. They will amplify clearer sounds to ensure background voices come in at a lower volume than what you want to be hearing.
Bottom Line
Watching TV and struggling to understand the dialogue due to low quality in standard TV speakers can be frustrating. But, thanks to these speakers for the hearing impaired, it is also completely avoidable.
There are many affordable, high-quality TV speakers for the hearing impaired on the market. However, we think the best soundbar for the hearing impaired is the ZVOX AV203. Their AccuVoice technology and center channel speaker provide great clarity between background sound and dialogue.
For the overall highest sound quality, we recommend the Sonos-Beam Soundbar. With crystal-clear audio, getting lost in the middle of conversations will become a thing of the past. Finally, if you are looking for the best speaker on a budget, we recommend trying out the Bestisan Bluetooth Soundbar.
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