Do you wish you had something on-hand that would allow you to communicate with non-hearing instrument wearing patients without needing to speak loudly (so that others can hear)? Wish you could demonstrate to your patients what it’s like to hear in a looped environment or what a t-coil brings to the table? Need to find an affordable solution for a patient with hearing loss that isn’t ready to pursue hearing instrumentation AND you want to be able to adjust the balance? Do you wish I would get to the point? If you answered yes to any of these questions, consider the newly updated Comfort Duett, an affordable, personal listening device that will allow you to accomplish all of the above plus more.
For Those of You Unfamiliar with Comfort Duett:
The Comfort Duett is a user-friendly personal listening device that may be used by both non-hearing instrument wearers (via headphones or earbuds) and hearing instrument users (via neckloop and the hearing instrument’s t-coil). The device is equipped with a microphone for amplifying conversations and a built-in telecoil that allows users to listen in looped-environments. It may be connected to the TV, telephone, radio or other sound source with optional accessories. The Comfort Duett comes packaged with two rechargeable AAA NiMH batteries and a charger however, it will also operate on two AAA standard alkaline batteries.
For Those Familiar with Comfort Duett: New versus Original Comparison
The newly updated Comfort Duett (left) obviously looks different from the original device (right) but it also offers from new or improved features that you will definitely appreciate.
The newer Comfort Duett offers digital signal processing with automatic gain control whereas the original version did not. In addition, the newer model allows for adjustments to be made and then set to tailor to the user’s needs. Maximum volume levels may be set to prevent the volume from being turned up to loud by accident. The balance between the right and left ears can be adjusted to accommodate differences in hearing between the ears. The newer Comfort Duett offers tone control and a lock feature that deactivates key functions to ensure the device stays on at set levels.
Why Consider Investing in a Comfort Duett?
- Have a Comfort Duett on hand in the office to offer your patient’s a means of hearing you better in the event they are not current wearers of amplification or are having their hearing instruments serviced.
- Loop your counseling room and allow patients to experience a looped-environment in order to make informed decisions about t-coils.
- Offer the Comfort Duett as a communication solution to patients who are not willing to invest in hearing instruments or who are looking for an affordable back-up solution
- Just try it….I think you (and your patients) will like it!!
Tina, not everything dealing with sound needs an audiologist (or engineer!) to adjust: Using this ALD is no more difficult than using a stereo.
On the flip side, this is an *opportunity* for audiologists. Hence, why I believe AU blogged about this product in the first place. I see experienced hearing aid users fumble and ask questions about the t-coil in local chapter meetings. If experienced hearing aids users don’t even get it, how do we expect the average consumer to understand? It’s up to us to promote the possibilities and educate others about the technology. Perhaps *you* believe it’s “no more difficult than using a stereo”, but you’re an engineer. What about the average consumer who has no experience with amplification, t-coils, MPOs, right vs. left channel outputs, etc.? Think again.
Tina, that is a very important observation: An assistive listening device should have an intuitive user interface (UI) just like well-written software, with an average person able to pick it up and use it with little-to-no instruction, or at minimum clearly written instructions — Think of a basic amplified phone. From what I see of the new Duett, it basically has one basic control (volume) and three advanced (MPO, balance & tone) controls; and the videos on that page, along with the instruction manual explain it pretty well.
Tell you what: Next Thursday-Saturday the big HLAA Convention is in your town, so stop on by, pick up a free Expo Hall pass, and we’ll walk through as I point out what is real, what is BS… And the “why.”
correct. Stuff like this will end up on Amazon but audiologists need to offer patients communication solutions regardless of what may or may not be on Amazon.
Unlike hearing aids, this can be purchased on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Comfort-Audio-DUETT-NKL-Duett-Neckloop/dp/B001OHL2GY. It’s great since it provides easier access to patients, but it cuts us out of the process.
Unlike hearing aids, this is something that can be purchased on Amazon, bypassing audiologists. This provides easier access to patients, but cuts us out of the equation.
Thank you for the update. Is this product available for Canada? And what would be the advantage of this over the Sennheiser A200 personal listening device?
Available from Oaktree so yes, available to Canadian customers. The t-coil option is huge as A200 does not offer that option. Not is the signal processing digital. The new Duett also has AGC. I will look at the a200 closer to make sure I have not misrepresented its features
I kill two birds with one stone: I use the Bellman Audio Domino Classic both as a pocket talker, and then I switch on the FM transmitter and talk to them through it.
When I demonstrate the FM to long-time hearing aid users (every hearing aid I dispense comes with DAI boots), oftentimes I hear “why didn’t my audiologist tell me about this?“
Dan Schwartz, Electrical Engineer
E-mail: Dan@Snip.Net
Editor, The Hearing Blog
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