Sound Advice: There are several ways to help TV sound

Q: I need help with television sound. My 95-year-old father has terrible hearing and is mostly dissatisfied with hearing aids, which he does not currently wear. About six years ago he got Bose Hearphones, and they worked well. But his hearing has gotten worse. Recently someone in his condo complained to him that his TV was too loud, so we needed to take additional steps.

We got some Silensys headphones, which he wears over his Hearphones, and everything is good when it works. But the Silensys headphones don’t always connect to his TV’s Bluetooth. It also takes going through a number of menus to get connected, and given his age, it would be nice to avoid this.

It seems like more of a home theater solution would be preferable. Might there be a solution that will help my dad navigate all of this?

A: Your father’s problems are not only a result of his advanced age and diminished hearing, but because most modern televisions do a horrible job of reproducing sound, especially voices, which the Bose Hearphones were designed to help with.

You should consult an audiologist. If the Bose Hearphones were effective initially, there may be hearing aids available that would satisfy him. I am a bit surprised that the headphone/Hearphone combo worked because such a configuration often will lead to feedback between the two devices, and I do not recommend that others try it.

My first suggestion is to turn on the television subtitles. Being able to read along as he watches will help immensely, and words that are not discernible by hearing alone will then be recognized.

ZVOX (zvox.com) is the industry leader for products that help people hear their televisions better. The patented AccuVoice feature lifts voices up above the soundtrack to make dialogue easier to understand, and is available in ZVOX headphones, soundbars and TV speakers.

The TV speaker is the most popular option because of the low cost, effectiveness, simplicity and small form factor. Connection is simple with a single digital audio cable. Because you are looking for a single product, I would start there.

You can buy a ZVOX AV120 AccuVoice TV Speaker at an unheard-of sale price. The AV120 with bronze grille is regularly $149.99, but is on sale for $49.99 with a 60-day satisfaction guarantee and free shipping, a $100 savings. The black AV120 is reduced to $69.99, but personally I love the bronze and recommend saving the $20. Even if you don’t have diminished hearing, using a TV speaker instead of the TV’s internal speakers provides a more comfortable and enjoyable viewing experience.

Radio-frequency headphones connect directly to a TV’s audio output and send sound to the headphones without going through menus. Unfortunately, good RF headphones are expensive. The Sennheiser RS 175 RF headphones are $199.95, reduced from $279.95. I’d look at those if you want a headphone option to go with the AV120 TV Speaker. They don’t have AccuVoice dialogue enhancement, though.

Send questions to Don Lindich at donlindich@gmail.com. Get recommendations and read past columns at soundadvicenews.com.