As we age, our hearing abilities degrade gradually. According to statistics, one-third of adults in the US suffer from some sort of hearing impairment between the ages of 65 and 75. Treat yourself to the best TV headphones for hearing impaired.
Being a natural occurrence that happens over time, there are various headphones designed specifically for the hearing impaired. These are different from medical hearing aids you use when you have a serious hearing impairment, and they’re usually prescribed by a physician.
Suffering from hearing impairment, you don’t have to struggle watching TV. Yet, choosing the best TV headphones for the hearing impaired might be confusing as there are countless options on the market.
You’ve got to choose wisely, as not any gadget will help your case. For instance, some headphones amplify all sounds, including the background noise, which doesn’t help at all. In fact, it might worsen the situation because you’re just listening to loud unrecognizable sounds.
We’re looking for seamless connectivity in terms of the what and the how. Wireless connection is preferred, and according to its type, the operation range is determined. On the other hand, we’re looking at how to connect the headphones to the device. Of course, the easier, the better.
Other than that, we’re looking for a comfortable fit, flexible headbands (if any), and sound enhancement options like noise cancellation and the like.
We know it might seem overwhelming; that’s why we collated a list of the top 10 best wireless headphones for the hearing impaired for TV and reviewed them for you.
Audiorange ote-1000
The Audiorange ote-1000 wireless tv headphones are purposely built for those with hard of hearing. They offer custom-tuned audio so you can alter the sound to get the sound perfect for you.
The earcups are made with using a soft material so they won’t put pressure around your ears.
They work up to 100ft away through walls etc and they connect to most tv’s
One of the stand-out features is that you buy 2nd-hand refurbished ote-1000 for a cheaper price.
Reasons to Buy
- Hearing aid compatible
- No lip sync delay
- Can buy second-hand refurbished
Specs
- Use up to 100ft away
- Built-in mic
- Battery life 8 hours
Sennheiser RS5000
The Sennheiser RS5000 is equipped with features that the hearing impaired can customize to their liking. Our favorite feature? The three listening profiles that enhance the hearing experience and optimize speech according to its type: movies, tv, or music.
The RS5000 are wireless headphones for TV for hard of hearing, allowing you to move freely while wearing them within 200 ft— no need to be tied to your television or deal with the hassle of wires.
Speaking of comfort, the Sennheiser RS500 is ultra-lightweight with an ergonomic, sleek design aiming to minimize pressure on your ears. A problem many people with hearing impairments suffer from when they wear their headphones for a couple of hours.
While they succeed at reducing pressure, their earbud structure isn’t the most comfortable for long hours. So, it’s a tradeoff.
There’s a strong possibility that the hearing impaired aren’t best friends with technology, and here’s where these headphones shine, as they require the bare minimum level of technical know-how to operate.
Reasons to Buy
- Wireless operation allows for easy movement
- Stethoscope style suits people with glasses
- The speech intelligibility function reduces background noise
Specs
- Type: In-ear
- Connection: Wireless (200 ft. range)
- Operation: 12 hours
Sennheiser RS 195
The Sennheiser RS 195 is the result of a collaboration between Fraunhofer IDMT and Sennheiser. Each is a pioneer in their fields of signal processing and acoustics, respectively.
Combined together, they’re producing one of the most advanced hearing impaired headphones for TV.
These headphones sport a closed-back circumaural system designed to accommodate the degradation that might happen to your hearing abilities as you age.
The model is an improvement over the Sennheiser RS 5000 with smarter technology, more customizable options, and – naturally – a higher price.
To start with, you can choose between seven listening profiles according to your preference.
Then, you can control the left/right balance to adjust the volume. This is a handy feature, considering that hearing impairment isn’t necessarily of the same level in both ears.
The Sennheiser RS 195 has an expanded range of 328 ft. for wireless operation, which is a big improvement over the RS5000’s 200 ft.
Choosing a closed around-ear design like the RS 195’s or an earbuds design like the RS 5000’s is a preference when it comes to comfort. Yet, the closed system does a better job at reducing ambient noise.
The ear cups are cleverly designed with volume controls on them so you can adjust them easily.
Besides, there are buttons for speech and music modes that reduce background noise and increase the dynamic range accordingly.
Reasons to Buy
- Expanded wireless range (328 ft) with analog and digital input options
- Rechargeable batteries with 18 hrs working time
- Intuitive design with a handful of customizations
Specs
- Type: Closed-back
- Connection: Wireless (328 ft. range)
- Operation: 18 hours
AfterShokz AS600BK Titanium Open Ear Wireless Bone Conduction Headphones
The AfterShokz headphones are a rockstar in the field of athletic headphones, where they’re primarily built to suit athletes during running, jogging, or cycling.
The idea is to provide comfortable, lightweight headphones with precise sound whilst providing situational awareness so as not to be isolated from your surroundings.
These are the exact reasons why we think that the AfterShokz Bone Conduction headphones make a perfect transition into hearing impaired headphones for TV.
The bone conduction structure and open fit design deliver music through your cheekbones.
Remember the around-ear and in-ear debate we mentioned earlier? You’ll be out of that with an even more comfortable option.
However, the open design means that you’ll be hearing the surrounding noise. It depends on you whether you prefer a noise-canceling device or one that keeps you in touch with your surroundings.
These headphones work via Bluetooth. They’ll connect to your ios, android, pc, or laptop. Yet, you have to check if it connects with your TV. As opposed to other options on the list, this set runs for 6 hours per recharge.
Overall, this is a nice set for the hearing impaired if it’ll be mostly used for music or with a laptop. If your priority is your TV, there are other options for you.
Reasons to Buy
- Flexible and comfortable titanium wrap-around band
- Ease of use through a multifunction button
- Waterproof
Specs
- Type: Open-ear
- Connection: Bluetooth
- Operation: 6 hours
SIMOLIO IR Wireless TV Headphones
Next on our list are these TV Headphones from Simolio.
Unlike the rest, they work through infrared, which basically means they’re wireless headphones for TV for hard of hearing within a limited distance of 32 ft, and they’re prone to interruption when there are physical obstacles between them and the receiving end.
That said, the Simolio TV Headphones come with great capabilities for the hearing impaired but they do have limitations; which is, a TV within a reasonable distance from you – However, in this situation, the Simolio IR will work perfectly.
On the technical front the Simolio TV headphones implement voice highlighting and noise-canceling technologies to enhance dialogues for a better listening experience.
They don’t feature listening modes per se, but you can adjust the volume balance between the left and right ears.
You can also choose between 3 tone variations: normal, bass, and treble.
Nonetheless, they embed an auto-signal control feature that adjusts output automatically.
Lastly, you don’t have to take off these headphones to hear people around you thanks to the embedded microphones that amplify their voices.
Reasons to buy
- Easy to operate
- Impressive 15 working hours
Specs
- Type: In-ear
- Connection: IR (32 ft. range)
- Operation: 15 hours
Avantree HT5009 Wireless Headphones
Featured on Amazon’s Choice list, the Avantree HT5009 headphones are one of the best wireless headphones for the hearing impaired for TV for several reasons.
These headphones connect to your devices via Bluetooth within a 164 ft. range. The Bluetooth even connects automatically.
Technology may be intimidating for elderly people, and that’s why we like the straightforward plug-and-play operation mechanism of Aavantree’s HT5009.
One of our favorite features is how these headphones manage multiple users at a time.
You can use the Avantree Oasis Plus transmitter to connect between your TV and soundbar to play audio through your headphones and the soundbar simultaneously.
You can add another pair of headphones thanks to its dual-link technology.
On top of that, they operate for 40 hours per charge.
Reasons to Buy
- Extended playtime of 40 hours per 3.5 hrs charge
- Automatic connection with no required pairing
- Supports multiple users
Specs
- Type: Over-ear
- Connection: Bluetooth (164 ft. range)
- Operation: 40 hours
ARTISTE Wireless TV Headphones
Effortless operation is key when it comes to hearing-impaired TV headphones, and this gadget from Artiste offers a neat solution for that.
Artiste’s headphones come with a base transmitter that you connect to your stereo or TV using a wire. Then, the headphones themselves are wirelessly connected to their transmitter base and require no pairing with the device.
You take them off their base. You put them on your head, et voila!
The base is also where these headphones charge through two cradles. There’s a small green light that shows that they’re charging, and it turns off when they’re fully charged.
The real wowing factor is that they save their charge when not in use; the headphones and the transmitter base automatically shut off when they don’t receive an audio signal for longer than 3 minutes.
When it comes to sound quality, Artiste’s headphones offer a crisp sound that’s loud and clear with minimal interference.
Reasons to Buy
- Seamless connection and pairing
- Soft padded and comfortable
- Energy saving
Specs
- Type: Over-ear
- Connection: Bluetooth (100 ft. range)
- Operation: 20 hours
Sony WHARF400R Wireless Headphones for TV Watching
Sony’s name speaks for itself. The electronics monster is known for producing top-notch headphones with sleek designs and crisp sounds. For the hearing impaired, we chose this model to review; the WHARF 400R.
The headphones sport a sleek, lightweight design that prioritizes the user’s comfort. The ear cups are well-padded, and the headband is adjustable with negligible pressure. A combination that leaves you comfortable even after wearing them for hours.
According to Sony’s description, the produced voice is “sensational,” and we can’t argue with that! You’ll feel the booming bass and relaxed treble while having the options of noise reduction and a “voice mode” that reduces ambient sounds and focuses on speech and vocals.
The RF connection technology implemented in these headphones allows you to move around within a 150 ft range, which is pretty impressive compared to other Bluetooth and RF connected headphones.
Reasons to Buy
- Impressive and clear “loudness range”
- One of the most comfortable in its category
- Comes with its own set of cables and charging docks
Specs
- Type: Over-ear
- Connection: Bluetooth – RF (150 ft. range)
- Operation: 20 hours
TV Ears Original Wireless Headsets System (Digital and Analog)
Specialized in manufacturing TV headphones for the hearing impaired, TV Ears has a lot to offer when it comes to hearing aids. Their Digital Wireless Headset System implements a Voice Clarifying Circuitry technology that boosts the clarity of TV dialogue and reduces background noise for an overall improved audio curve.
These headphones connect via infrared technology. As we mentioned before, IR connections are reliable when it comes to audio quality in short ranges, and they don’t interfere with pacemakers.
However, they’re prone to interruption when there are physical obstacles around. That’s why we usually recommend IR connected devices for people who intend to use them in short ranges with good proximity to the TV or source device.
One of the merits of this version is that it comes with dual connectivity options; digital and analog. This way, you can connect it to both digital or analog televisions, freeing you of some of the technical restrictions.
Lastly, we’d like to point out that you can use these headphones while the TV is on mute so that you enjoy a little bit of privacy.
An option that we’ve come to admire upon the reviews of customers.
Reasons to Buy
- Supports analog and digital operation
- Twice as powerful as the original TV Ears set
Specs
- Type: In-ear
- Connection: IR
- Operation: 4 hours
Giveet Wireless Headphones for TV Watching
The Giveet wireless headphones possess an array of features that aim at perfecting your listening experience, the most important among them is their synchronization technology that ensures there’s no delay in sound, even when you use another set of headphones at the same time.
Analyzing customer reviews of this set, most of them were raving about its ease of use and quick setup, features that we appreciate when it comes to TV headphones for the hearing impaired.
These headphones are versatile when it comes to compatibility with devices; they work with 3.5 mm AUX and RCA audio ports. Apart from working wirelessly through Bluetooth. You turn on your headphones and their transmitter, and they’ll connect automatically to the target device.
Giveet belongs to the school that believes that a louder volume is key to an improved listening experience for the hearing impaired.
Accordingly, they deliver a volume that’s 20% louder than their competitors. On the other side, their range of operation is 33 ft, which is limited compared to its counterparts.
Reasons to Buy
- Relaxed fit because of the neckband
- No sound delay
- Supports dual-link for a second pair of headphones
Specs
- Type: Neckband
- Connection: Bluetooth (33 ft)
- Operation: 16 hours
PHILIPS Digital Wireless Headphones for TV Watching
We’ll be finishing off our list with these remarkable headphones from Philips. While they’re not exclusively for the hearing impaired, they do check all the boxes on our list.
These headphones work wirelessly within a 98 ft range offering high-resolution audio supported by Philips.
Even better, you can enjoy an immersive cinema-like experience when you use the provided audio cable that reproduces the master audio quality.
Similar to the Artiste headphones, these headphones charge through a cradle in their transmitter’s base, and they run for 20 hours per charge – Pretty impressive compared to the average runtime.
For an optimal fit, the headband is self-adjusting with a hammock design that accommodates your head size whilst being lightweight.
The ear cups’ design is well thought out, as they’re made of super comfortable velour, a highly breathable material that dissipates heat.
The Philips headphones operate automatically when they’re put on your head, as they detect tension on the headband, and they turn off automatically as well when you take them off.
Reasons to Buy
- Automatic operation when you put them on
- Self-adjusting hammock headband
- Decent sound quality
Specs
- Type: On-ear
- Connection: RF, wired (98 ft)
- Operation: 20 hours
Verdict
We hope we’ve covered all your concerns regarding how to choose the best TV headphones for the hearing impaired.
Choosing a top pick would be challenging, as each model its own pros and cons.
Nonetheless, we tried to include a wide variety of them on this list to suit everybody.
You’ve got to consider your needs. How long will you be using these headphones?
This is to estimate the charging time.
Will you be moving with them or you’ll be staying near the TV? This is to decide which operation range to choose.
Do you prefer an on-ear design with an adjustable band or an in-ear one? Do you need fancy sound profiles, or you just need a clear, loud sound?
The answers to these questions should determine your choice. No matter which one you choose from our list, you won’t go wrong.
*Read our article on the ultimate guide on hearing loss for more information.