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[nick.kidwell2006]

We have an older congregation, many of whom use hearing aids. I also wear hearing aids and I lead worship. I have trouble hearing the monitors over the vocals.

I'm looking for recommendations for bluetooth transmitters that could easily send sound from the mains to people hearing air bluetooth receivers.

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[Jean-Pierre Coetzee]

We have an older congregation, many of whom use hearing aids. I also wear hearing aids and I lead worship. I have trouble hearing the monitors over the vocals.

I'm looking for recommendations for bluetooth transmitters that could easily send sound from the mains to people hearing air bluetooth receivers.

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You might want to edit your name, I'm guessing you are Nick Kidwell but with how it's displayed you might get some issues from mods.

Regarding bluetooth headphones do some searching in the forums, I remember something being mentioned here before but was more a RF solution.

The issue with bluetooth is that the more devices there are the less likely it is to work correctly.

Search for hearing loops and similar solutions in the forums.

[nick.kidwell2006]

How do I edit my name? That's what it popped up as...

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[nick.kidwell2006]

Audio loops have been explored, and for some reason the idea was rejected.

We would never have a large number of people using the system...we have about 40 people total, only a fraction of whom use hearing aids.

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[Caleb Dueck]

Is the root issue poor intelligibility?  This is common.  If so, the real fix is a well designed speaker system, not a cheap bandaid.

Bluetooth is a convenience protocol, not an audio quality protocol.  Think wireless music from someone's cell phone as background music, such as during a common meal in a fellowship hall. 



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[nick.kidwell2006]

The root problem is that the old people with hearing aids can't hear the mains, and turning  up their devices isn't working. Same thing for me as a broken veteran with bad ears. We're trying to cut out the air transmission of the soundwaves for a select few.

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[Lee Douglas]

You will most likely encounter a significant delay between the live sound from the mains and the reception of the Bluetooth transmission, adding more confusion to the sound, rather than helping the situation.  Newer versions may have gotten better since I last dabbled with it, but it is not something you can adjust or fix. 

A cheap IEM system with the number of receivers needed or possible a lower power FM transmitter and some disposable FM radios and headphones may get you where you want to be, but I doubt either would be considered an ADA approved system.

[David Sturzenbecher]

You will most likely encounter a significant delay between the live sound from the mains and the reception of the Bluetooth transmission, adding more confusion to the sound, rather than helping the situation.  Newer versions may have gotten better since I last dabbled with it, but it is not something you can adjust or fix. 

A cheap IEM system with the number of receivers needed or possible a lower power FM transmitter and some disposable FM radios and headphones may get you where you want to be, but I doubt either would be considered an ADA approved system.

The most common way this is addressed is with a true ADA complaint assisted listening system.  Look at offerings from Listen or Williams Sound.  Install a transmitter/antenna, hand out receivers to your guests with either ear buds or neck loops, and you are set.   Entry level kits with a receiver or two should be around $500.

Resist the urge to waste money on Bluetooth gimmicks.

[Mike Caldwell]

If you go with an rf assisted listening system Listen offers a 200mhz version, those seem to work and sound better than the 75mhz systems.

[Jonathan Johnson]

Besides the aforementioned issues (latency), Bluetooth is a unicast, not multicast or broadcast, protocol.

One effect of this is that each receiving device must be paired with the transmitter. That means that each person wishing to use it will need to go through a connection process. This process may need to be repeated every Sunday.

Another effect is that, unlike a broadcast signal, each device added demands more RF spectrum resources. There will be a practical limit to how many receiving devices can connect before audio quality falls off the cliff.


Unicast: each packet of data addressed to a single , specific device.
Multicast: each packet of data addressed to multiple, specific devices.
Broadcast: data is sent without specific addressing; anything receiving the data can process it. “Postal Customer.”

[Stephen Swaffer]

We had a member wanting a bluetooth system back in January.  After asking here, we purchased and installed a Listen Systems setup.  Typically have 2-4 people using the system-but have receivers for up to 10.  I took some time and did my best to make sure it was setup right (on its own mix, etc.) and have had nothing but good comments.  We have a senior lady that takes care of handing out receivers-from a sound tech standpoint it has been the most "set it and forget it" upgrade we have ever done.

[Scott Helmke]

The 216 MHz Listen Tech systems are very solid.  We've got about 130 in our rental inventory, and failures are very rare. I'd definitely recommend this approach instead of something cobbled together with Bluetooth or whatever.

[Jordan Wolf]

The 216 MHz Listen Tech systems are very solid.  We've got about 130 in our rental inventory, and failures are very rare. I'd definitely recommend this approach instead of something cobbled together with Bluetooth or whatever.

Scott, if you’re close to the OP, maybe he could rent a small system from you to try out.

[David Sturzenbecher]

We had a member wanting a bluetooth system back in January.  After asking here, we purchased and installed a Listen Systems setup.  Typically have 2-4 people using the system-but have receivers for up to 10.  I took some time and did my best to make sure it was setup right (on its own mix, etc.) and have had nothing but good comments.  We have a senior lady that takes care of handing out receivers-from a sound tech standpoint it has been the most "set it and forget it" upgrade we have ever done.

Stephen,
Listen makes numerous types of "setups" including RF, Wifi, IR, and Induction Loop, however I am not aware of Listen making a bluetooth product.  Your post implies that they do. 

[nick.kidwell2006]

Scott, if you’re close to the OP, maybe he could rent a small system from you to try out.

I'd be open to it, but I am rather remote in rural Central Oregon.

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[Scott Helmke]

I'd be open to it, but I am rather remote in rural Central Oregon.

We ship stuff like this all the time, in fact most places that carry this type of stuff will ship it.

[Stephen Swaffer]

Stephen,
Listen makes numerous types of "setups" including RF, Wifi, IR, and Induction Loop, however I am not aware of Listen making a bluetooth product.  Your post implies that they do.

Aren't people supposed to read what I intend to say?     We did not go with the bluetooth system-I honestly can't remember if we did the 72 Mhz or 216 Mhz.  After getting advice here, we gently steered the parishoner away-even though he would have 100% funded bluetooth.  We choose the system and let him donate whatever he wanted towards it in the interests of having a quality system.

[Brian Jojade]

I think part of the confusion is that people confuse the term 'bluetooth' to mean any wireless headphones regardless of the technology that is actually used.

Bluetooth is NOT designed for the purpose in this post.  There may be receivers that have bluetooth links that work with customer's headsets, but the way bluetooth works, each receiver would need to pair with the user's hearing aid.

[ProSoundWeb Community]