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My 7-month-old daughter just started sleeping through the night. The milestone means I’m sitting in front of the TV again for the first time in months.
But there’s a problem, I’ve got hearing loss, and I can’t risk waking the baby with a loud TV.
Closed captions are good, but hearing the voices and music when watching TV is a big part of the experience.
The problem has me researching TV compatible headphones, and other options that will give me back my Netflix binge. Sharing my research below for anyone with the same challenges. Hope it helps! 📺🎧
Here’s what to look for in TV headphones if you have hearing loss
There are many options out there, so before we dig into products, it’s worth thinking about what makes a great personal listening experience in front of the TV. These were my leading factors.
- Personal Volume Control: The first thing I’m looking for is obvious. I don’t want to wake up the house, but I also want to hear the TV. I need volume control that doesn’t affect those around me.
- Ease and Comfort: My second priority is ease and comfort. Watching TV is my way to unwind at the end of the day. I want a product that will be comfortable in my ears and is easy to use.
- Simple setup: Connecting headphones to a TV can present some tech challenges. I’m looking for products that are simple and easy to set up.
- Ability to Interact With People Around Me: My final criteria is more challenging. I usually watch TV with my wife, and I would prefer to hear her if she comments.
There are three main categories of TV headphones.
If you are looking to hear your TV better, you have three main options. Each has some pros and cons, but the good news is that no matter what TV you have or how tech-savvy you are, there should be an option below that works for you.
- Dedicated TV headphones
- Bluetooth hearing aids
- Typical Bluetooth headphones (like AirPods) connected to a smart TV
Connect Bluetooth headphones you already own to your TV.
You might have a pair of Airpods, Bose, Beats By Dre, maybe something similar. Each of these devices is equipped with Bluetooth and can potentially connect directly to your TV. This approach can be the most cost-effective way to get high quality sound straight to your ears. I’ll break down your options below.
If you have a Bluetooth headset but not a smart TV
If you have a pair of Bluetooth headphones but not a smart TV, you will need an adapter that plugs into your TV. Fortunately, Bluetooth TV adapters are not expensive or hard to set up. These devices plug directly into your TV and send a signal to your Bluetooth headphones. One great feature of many Bluetooth transmitters is that they can send audio to 2 pairs of headphones simultaneously so that you and a partner can watch together. I’ve included two of the top reviewed Bluetooth TV transmitters below.
Avantree Oasis - Most Features
Avantree Oasis has a full set of features including the ability to connect to two sets of headphones simultaneously and the ability to stream audio from a phone or iPad. The Oasis product has around 2,500 5 star reviews on Amazon. Prices and details here (estimate $79).
Amazon Fire - Popular Tech
Around 50M users worldwide use Amazon Fire TV through an external Fire TV Stick plugged into their TV. The Amazon Fire Stick gives your TV the capabilities of a smart TV for around $30. It’s worth noting that Fire TV only allows streaming to one pair of headphones. If you want to stream to two devices simultaneously, you might consider Avantree.
Prices and details here (estimate $35).
If you do have an Amazon Fire TV Stick at home you can watch this video to learn how to pair your headphones.
If you have a smart TV and already own a pair of Bluetooth headphones, you might have everything you need to connect
Smart TVs can connect directly to a pair of Bluetooth headphones. Each TV does this a bit differently. If you are not sure whether you have a smart TV, read this. Note that most TVs will not connect to more than one pair of headphones at a time.
If you need help pairing your headphones to your smart TV, check out the list of YouTube tutorials below.
Connecting Bluetooth Headphones to LG
Connecting Bluetooth Headphones to Sony
Connecting Bluetooth Headphones to Vizio
Connecting Bluetooth Headphones to Panasonic
Connecting Bluetooth Headphones to Toshiba
Connecting Bluetooth Headphones to Samsung
A quick recap
You've got options:
- If you want a simple set up you can choose dedicated headphones designed for TV.
- If you are hard of hearing you might want to try hearing aids that connect to your TV and amplify sound.
- If you are relatively tech savvy you can use your existing headphones connected to your TV using an adaptor or Smart TV connection
I hope this guide helps you find the right solution and gives you clear sound to enjoy your TV time more.
If you’re curious, I use a mix of my AirPods connected to my Samsung smart TV when I’m alone watching football (Go Packers!) and my Jabra Enhance hearing aids when I’m with family.
