Hearing loops are an assistive listening technology for individuals with reduced ranges of hearing.
A hearing loop consists of a physical loop of cable or an array of looped of cables which are placed around a designated area, usually a room or a building. The cable generates a magnetic field throughout the looped space which can be picked up by a hearing aid, cochlear implant (CI) processors, and specialised hand-held hearing loop receivers for individuals without telecoil compatible hearing aids.
The loops carry baseband audio-frequency currents; no carrier signal is used. The benefit is that it allows the sound source of interest—whether a musical performance or a ticket taker’s side of the conversation—to be transmitted to the hearing-impaired listener clearly and free of other distracting noise in the environment. Typical installation sites include concert halls, ticket kiosks, high-traffic public buildings (for PA announcements), auditoriums, places of worship, courtrooms, meeting rooms, and homes.