Are telecoils switched on and set up well enough for loops to work?

Why it matters

Direct reception of a hearing loop, or a neckloop worn with a receiver, requires a telecoil in the hearing aid or cochlear implant¹. The international loop standard sets the magnetic field for hearing aids with a telecoil and assumes those aids meet the other parts of IEC 60118². Consumer Reports notes that telecoils that switch on automatically work only with telephones, not with hearing loops, so a loop user needs a telecoil programme they can select³.

Where the telecoil is in use, loops have helped. In an independent lecture-hall study of 12 older hearing aid users, with no financial support reported and a meter lent by a loop maker, word scores in noise rose from 25% with the hearing aid microphone to 79% in the loop condition. Two participants used loop receivers because their aids lacked telecoils; the authors do not report how telecoil programmes were set⁴. In a study funded by a hearing aid maker, a loop maker and a loop advocate's foundation, in which participants' telecoil programmes were added or checked in the clinic beforehand, 26 hearing aid users' sentence scores at -3 dB SNR rose from 14% to 88%; the study also included 45 normal-hearing listeners⁵. Loop users' complaints in Kochkin's convenience survey of 866 respondents, paid for by loop, assistive listening and hearing-device technology companies, included telecoil problems: orientation, missing room sound and finding the setting⁶.

What the evidence shows

Switched on and explained

• Clinicians differ on fitting one. In an online survey of hearing care professionals, shown as an independent Purdue University poster in 2025 (self-selected, 128 to 184 answers per question; a graduate assistantship is declared), 30.4% said they always fit a telecoil when the hearing aid has room for one, 42.9% fit one as needed after a needs assessment, 13.0% only if the patient asks and 2.7% never⁷. An audiologist wrote in 2013 that most audiologists leave the telecoil at the maker's default without measuring it⁸.
• Telecoils come up less often than Bluetooth. In the same survey, 33.9% counselled on assistive listening systems, including telecoils, at the first consultation, against 91.3% who discussed Bluetooth streaming, and 54.9% covered telecoil use at the fitting; 57.9% said they spent the most time teaching the telecoil at follow-up appointments⁷. In the maker-funded follow-up survey of 243 loop users, mostly HLAA members, 35% said their hearing care professional had demonstrated the telecoil⁶, and experts quoted by Consumer Reports say many buyers are never told telecoils exist³.
• Some states require it. A 2016 Delaware law directs the licensing board to require dispensers and audiologists to explain telecoils and their use with hearing loops at the first fitting examination, and to give written information⁹; a loop advocate counted nine states with such requirements in 2020¹⁰. The authors of a 2019 trial say Delaware's law followed citizens' frustration at the lack of telecoil counselling¹¹.
• Demonstration helped recall more than use. In a small study by the hearing aid maker Starkey with its own hearing aids, all 7 users shown the telecoil at their fitting remembered its purpose a month later, against 2 of the 7 who were only told; two months later, at a simulated cinema with a loop, 2 of the 7 shown it and 1 of the 7 told switched to the loop programme on their own¹². Clinicians in the Purdue survey named one-to-one counselling (71.3%) and in-office demonstration with an installed loop (48.8%) as effective, while 30.2% said they had no loop in the office to demonstrate with⁷.
• Loops need a programme the listener can select. The authors of the 2019 trial note that loops need manual activation of the telecoil rather than the automatic telecoil, and advise demonstrating it for telephone and loop use¹¹. A 2024 tutorial advises practising with the patient how to switch into the telecoil programme, adjust its volume and switch back¹³.
• Telecoil only, or mixed with the microphones. The Center for Hearing Access describes implant settings that mix microphone and telecoil, such as 50/50 to hear a neighbour, or telecoil only to cut background sound¹⁴. In an RNID station trial with 10 participants, reported with Motability Foundation funding, seven participants heard an Auracast stream through a loaned neckloop receiver and their telecoil. Those whose hearing devices had a telecoil-plus-microphone setting found it easier to balance the stream with surrounding sound¹⁵.

Sensitivity and frequency response

• Default settings differed by frequency. In an independent university study funded by an NIH grant, with test equipment provided by Frye Electronics, 52 behind-the-ear aids from one maker had default telecoil output that matched the fitted microphone on average over 11 frequencies in a 2-cc coupler, but was 15.2 dB quieter at 200 Hz and 6.0 dB at 400 Hz, and about 6 to 7 dB louder from 4,000 to 6,300 Hz; in a pilot on 39 aids using a demonstrator ear, the gap at 200 Hz was 20.9 dB, though the microphone input was 5 dB higher than the level equivalent to the telecoil input¹⁶. In a separate independent university trial with 20 adult users, using one receiver-in-the-canal model provided by Widex USA and a telephone amplifier provided by Oaktree Products, the default telecoil's RSETS, its high-frequency average relative to the microphone, averaged -3.6 dB and was negative in 19 aids, and the default response was 0.4 to 5.8 dB lower from 200 to 800 Hz¹¹.

These two studies tested the shared telecoil input used for telephone listening; neither tested a venue loop^16,11.

• Programming changed the results. In that trial, telephone speech scores were higher with the telecoil programmed to match the microphone than with the default: median 92.8% against 86.7% for sentences and 68% against 52% for words¹¹. An audiologist reports that makers' defaults range from matching the microphone to much lower, and in one aid measured the telecoil 16.4 dB softer than the microphone until a 21 dB change in the fitting software⁸.
• The telecoil path itself can roll off the low frequencies. In a study by the hearing aid maker GN with its own hearing aids, the telecoil path rolled off from about 300 Hz and was more than 10 dB below the same aid's Auracast path at 200 Hz; the authors link this to the high-pass filter commonly applied to telecoils to reduce hum¹⁷.
• Orientation matters. A vertical telecoil suits room loops and a horizontal one telephones, a telecoil in a radial field gives about 6 dB less output, and many makers mount the coil diagonally as a compromise⁸. The American Academy of Audiology's adult guideline notes that the desired telecoil orientation depends on use, room loop or telephone¹⁸.
• Open fittings. A 2024 tutorial warns that in an open fitting the microphone programme has little low-frequency gain, so a telecoil programme set the same way lacks low frequencies; it advises giving the telecoil more low-frequency gain than the microphone, citing the telephone's response¹³.

Measurement and verification

• What the measures are. Test systems measure the telecoil on a telephone magnetic field simulator with the aid turned for maximum output (SPLITS, compared with the microphone as RSETS) and with the aid held vertically as worn, as in a room loop (SPLIV, compared as relative test loop sensitivity); the target for both differences is 0 dB, and many aids allow separate telecoil settings for phone and loop¹³. A single high-frequency average such as RSETS can look close to zero while the low frequencies are cut¹⁶.
• What the labels report. US rules require prescription hearing aids to state induction coil sensitivity, measured by ANSI/ASA S3.22-2014 (R2020), among the specifications "useful in selecting, fitting, and checking the performance" of the aid; the list for over-the-counter aids has no telecoil figure¹⁹.
• What professional guidance says. The American Academy of Audiology's 2006 adult guideline recommends that "the telecoil output should be verified given the presentation angle of the desired signal", with in-situ measurement where needed, graded on low-level evidence¹⁸. The Academy's 2011 guideline for personal remote-microphone technology in children listed its loop fitting and verification procedures as a supplement under development; this concerns the shared telecoil path, rather than evidence from venue systems²⁰. The British Society of Audiology's 2018 guidance on probe-microphone verification names directionality, noise reduction and frequency lowering among the features such measurements can verify, and does not mention telecoils²¹. The authors of the 2019 trial state that there is no best practice for programming the telecoil¹¹, and an audiologist writes that the ideal telecoil response is not known and suggests matching the prescribed microphone response as a starting point⁸.
• What clinicians do. In the Purdue survey, 40.1% never verify or validate the activated telecoil, 22.0% do so not often and 14.3% always⁷. A 2003 survey, reported by authors working for a hearing aid maker and a products company, with sample size and funding unavailable in the abstract, found that the great majority of audiologists relied on informal patient judgments rather than probe-microphone or speech measures, and that no formal telecoil-fitting protocol was widely accepted²².
• Coupler or ear. The 2019 trial programmed the telecoil in a 2-cc coupler after fitting the microphone on the ear¹¹. In the demonstrator-ear pilot of the 52-aid study, the low-frequency shortfall was larger than in the coupler, though the authors note a level mismatch¹⁶, and the Academy's adult guideline says in-situ measurement may be needed for the most accurate result¹⁸.

Implant processors and over-the-counter aids

• Implant processors. The Center for Hearing Access lists a built-in telecoil in some processors and an accessory or adaptor in others; Advanced Bionics' Naída CI Marvel has a built-in telecoil once the audiologist enables it¹⁴.
• Telecoil input to implants: mixed results. Two independent studies tested personal FM receivers, so they inform the shared receiver-to-processor path rather than venue systems; funding details were unavailable in the abstracts. In one, with 9 participants initially and 7 in the gain comparison, a neckloop into the telecoil gave better speech recognition in noise than a direct connection at the same gain setting across three makers' processors, with no significant difference once each receiver's best gain was used²³. In the other, with 15 and 16 adults in two experiments using Cochlear processors, the direct connection gave better results in noise than the neckloop, and the processor's input processing settings mattered²⁴.
• Over-the-counter aids. Over-the-counter hearing aids typically lack telecoils, according to Consumer Reports³. The FDA declined to require telecoils in them, and requires an aid that has one to explain it in its labelling²⁵; the technical specifications over-the-counter aids must state include no telecoil sensitivity¹⁹.

Why fewer new hearing aids have one

• The share has fallen. The shares of listed and newly released hearing aid models with a telecoil fell over the past decade^3,10,26; the figures are set out in How many listeners carry a telecoil, an Auracast-capable device or a smartphone?.
• Reasons given. Advocates quoted by Consumer Reports say makers market smaller aids, which can sacrifice the telecoil, and launch new lines with a small flagship model without one³. The FDA said telecoils may suit larger devices while users may prefer smaller ones, and that requiring them could raise cost and hinder innovation²⁵. An independent analysis of 806 models released from 2012 to 2021 in HearingTracker's database found telecoil inclusion "has somewhat declined" as Bluetooth streaming grew²⁶. Barriers named by clinicians in the Purdue survey included a forced choice between telecoil and rechargeability (33.7%, the most chosen), no local loops (26.0%), the expectation that Auracast will replace telecoils (14.2%), no cosmetically appealing telecoil model (13.6%) and a main manufacturer that does not include telecoils (13.0%)⁷.
• Makers' positions. EFHOH reports that some makers have removed the telecoil²⁷. In 2020, WS Audiology described a drop in Rexton models with a telecoil as temporary, and Starkey said it remained committed to telecoils¹⁰.

Where sources disagree

Sources differ on how far default telecoil settings fall short. One audiologist measured a telecoil 16.4 dB softer than the microphone in one aid and says some makers' defaults match the microphone⁸; across 52 aids from one maker the default matched on average but was 15 dB quieter at 200 Hz¹⁶; in 20 aids of one model the shortfall in the high-frequency average was 3.6 dB¹¹. A maker's own measurement shows a telecoil path that rolls off below about 300 Hz¹⁷. Each study covers one maker or one device.

They also differ on the target. Several sources aim to match the telecoil to the fitted microphone^8,11,13, while the same 2024 tutorial advises more low-frequency gain than the microphone in open fittings¹³, and one audiologist says the ideal telecoil response is not known⁸. The 2019 trial set the telecoil in a coupler¹¹, while the Academy's guideline points to in-situ measurement¹⁸.

For implants, one small study found telecoil input through a neckloop at least as good as a direct connection²³, and another found the direct connection better in noise with Cochlear processors²⁴.

On teaching, clinicians rate in-office demonstration as effective⁷, and a maker's study found that demonstration improved recall, while few users in either group switched to the loop programme on their own¹².

On why fewer aids have telecoils, advocates point to small flagship models³, clinicians to the trade-off with rechargeability⁷, and the FDA to size, cost and innovation²⁵; in 2020 one maker called its drop in telecoil models temporary and another said it remained committed to telecoils¹⁰.

What would settle it

A representative audit of the hearing aids and implant processors in use: whether each has a telecoil, whether it is activated in a programme the listener can select, how its response compares with the fitted microphone in a vertical field and on the ear, and whether the listener was shown it. The cited sources offer a small self-selected clinician survey⁷, loop users' self-reports⁶ and measurements of one maker's aids at a time^16,11.

Trials of default against programmed telecoils in hearing loops rather than on the telephone, across makers, styles including open fittings, and implant processors, measuring speech understanding^11,13,23,24.

Professional guidance on verifying telecoils for loop use: the American Academy of Audiology listed loop fitting and verification procedures as under development in 2011, and the British Society of Audiology's 2018 verification guidance has none^20,21. Data on how many over-the-counter aids have a telecoil, and how it is set and explained, which the cited sources do not give^3,25.

Planning while it is open

• Hearing professionals: tell clients about the telecoil and its use with hearing loops at the first fitting appointment and give written information, as Delaware requires⁹, and inform clients about both telecoil and Bluetooth features and demonstrate both²⁸.
• Activate the telecoil at the fitting, in a programme the listener can select manually for loops, because automatic telecoils respond only to telephones^11,3.
• Programme the telecoil to match the prescribed microphone response as a starting point, checking the low frequencies as well as the high-frequency average^8,11,16, and consider more low-frequency telecoil gain in open fittings¹³.
• Verify the telecoil for loop use with the aid oriented as worn, in a vertical field, and on the ear where needed^13,18.
• Demonstrate the telecoil with a loop in the office, and have the client practise switching to it, adjusting the volume and switching back^7,12,13.
• For implant users, check that the processor's telecoil is enabled, or that an accessory provides one, and set the microphone and telecoil mix¹⁴.
• Listeners choosing a new device: the experts Consumer Reports quotes advise a hearing aid or cochlear implant with both a telecoil and Auracast³.

Sources

1. Coupling Options: Ways to Connect to Assistive Listening System Audio. Kaneb A (credited on the chart). Hearing Loss Association of America (HLAA), 2026. Nonprofit advocacy (Hearing Loss Association of America, a US consumer organisation for people with hearing loss; the chart is credited to Andrea Kaneb and names no funder) ↩︎ https://www.hearingloss.org/wp-content/uploads/documents/advocacy-resources/hlaa-coupling-options-als-chart.pdf
2. IEC 60118-4:2014 Electroacoustics - Hearing aids - Part 4: Induction-loop systems for hearing aid purposes - System performance requirements. IEC TC 29 (Electroacoustics). International Electrotechnical Commission, 11 December 2014. Standards body (International Electrotechnical Commission; the full text is sold, and only the abstract is public) ↩︎ https://webstore.iec.ch/en/publication/798
3. A Telecoil is One of the Best Hearing Aid Features. Many Still Aren't Using It.. Roberts C. Consumer Reports, 7 May 2026. Independent (Consumer Reports, a nonprofit consumer organisation; article by Catherine Roberts, a health and science journalist on its staff, quoting loop advocates from the Center for Hearing Access and HLAA and an assistive listening installer) ↩︎ https://www.consumerreports.org/health/hearing-aids/one-of-best-hearing-aid-features-many-still-arent-using-a4102935824/
4. Evaluation of Speech Perception via the Use of Hearing Loops and Telecoils. Alfakir R, Holmes AE, Kricos PB, Gaeta L, Martin S. Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine 1:2333721415591935 (SAGE), 8 July 2015. Independent (University of Florida and University of Oklahoma; the authors report no financial support and no conflicts of interest; Contacta, a loop maker, lent the field strength meter) ↩︎ https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5119799/
5. Effects of Hearing Loop Systems on Speech Understanding and Sound Quality of Normal-hearing Listeners and Hearing Aid Users. Magann Faivre R, Ismail F, Sterkens J, Thunder T, Chung K. Hearing Review 23(8):28, 18 July 2016. Manufacturer (the authors state the research was funded by GN ReSound, a hearing aid maker, and Listen Technologies, an assistive listening and loop maker, together with the David & Carol Myers Foundation, the family foundation of loop advocate David Myers; study run at Northern Illinois University; co-author Juliëtte Sterkens is a hearing loop advocate whose outreach that foundation funds) ↩︎ https://hearingreview.com/hearing-products/testing-equipment/effects-hearing-loop-systems-speech-understanding-sound-quality-normal-hearing-listeners-hearing-aid-users
6. Consumer Perceptions of the Impact of Inductively Looped Venues on the Utility of Their Hearing Devices. Kochkin S, Sterkens J, Compton-Conley C, Beck DL, Taylor B, Kricos P, Caccavo M, Holmes A, Powers TA. Hearing Review (October 2014 issue), 24 September 2014. Manufacturer (paid for by grants from Etymotic Research, Contacta, Listen Technologies, IntriCon and Univox by Edin, which the acknowledgments describe as including two hearing loop makers, an assistive listening company and two hearing-device technology makers; co-author Juliëtte Sterkens runs the Loop Wisconsin advocacy blog, one of the recruitment channels. The article prints no affiliations; from other sources, co-author Douglas L. Beck worked for the hearing-aid maker Oticon, joining as director of professional relations in 2005 (AudiologyOnline, 20 August 2005) and named director of academic sciences in 2016 (Hearing Review, 6 April 2016), and co-author Thomas A. Powers was vice-president of audiology at the hearing-aid maker Siemens Hearing Instruments (Hearing Review, 19 September 2013) and later a vice-president of its successor, Sivantos (Better Hearing Institute biography)) ↩︎ https://hearingreview.com/hearing-products/implants-bone-conduction/cochlear-implants/consumer-perceptions-impact-inductively-looped-venues-utility-hearing-devices
7. Clinician Perspectives on Training and Implementation of Telecoils in Hearing Aids. Alles M, La Fratta Z, Strickland E. Purdue University, Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences (poster presented at the ISHA Convention), March 2025. Independent (Purdue University, Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences; the poster names a graduate assistantship with tuition remission and states no other relevant financial interests; the copy read is hosted by the Center for Hearing Access, a nonprofit advocacy group) ↩︎ https://centerforhearingaccess.org/wp-content/uploads/Alles-EBP-Poster.pdf
8. The Telecoil: The Lonely Transducer that Can Be a Big Producer. Valente M. AudiologyOnline (article 11911), 24 June 2013. Independent (Michael Valente, professor and director of adult audiology at Washington University School of Medicine; published by AudiologyOnline, a commercial continuing-education site; the author declares no commercial interest in the manufacturers whose fitting software is shown) ↩︎ https://www.audiologyonline.com/articles/telecoil-lonely-transducer-that-big-11911
9. An Act to Amend Title 24 of the Delaware Code Relating to Hearing Aids (Chapter 315, formerly House Bill No. 402). Delaware General Assembly (148th General Assembly). Delaware General Assembly, Session Laws, 19 July 2016. Government (State of Delaware) ↩︎ https://legis.delaware.gov/SessionLaws/Chapter?id=15873
10. What's Going On? More Loops and Fewer Telecoils. Frazier SO. Hearing Review, 28 September 2020. Nonprofit advocacy (written by Stephen O. Frazier, a freelance writer who heads the Loop New Mexico campaign and was a founding member of HLAA's Get in the Hearing Loop initiative; published in the trade magazine Hearing Review) ↩︎ https://hearingreview.com/hearing-products/accessories/assistive-technologies/whats-going-on-more-loops-and-fewer-telecoils
11. Difference in Speech Recognition between a Default and Programmed Telecoil Program. Ledda KT, Valente M, Oeding K, Kallogjeri D. Journal of the American Academy of Audiology 30(6):502-515 (Thieme), June 2019. Independent (Division of Adult Audiology, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis; no conflict of interest declared; Widex USA provided the hearing aids and Oaktree Products the telephone amplifier for use in the study) ↩︎ https://www.thieme-connect.com/products/ejournals/html/10.3766/jaaa.17128
12. Benefits of Telecoil: Staying in the loop. Starkey Laboratories (no individual authors named). Starkey Laboratories (feature summary flyer FLYR3982-00-EE-ST), June 2022. Manufacturer (Starkey Laboratories, a hearing aid maker, testing its own Evolv AI hearing aids; the same summary was also issued under its Audibel brand) ↩︎ https://cdn.mediavalet.com/usil/starkeyhearingtech/9XWBLQtc6E-UaYLkXHuSrg/xzi1xwCmpkef7cSGZmwjfQ/Original/Telecoil%20Feature%20Summary%20APR22_F.pdf
13. Chapter 3: Setting the Hearing Aid Response and Verifying Signal Processing and Features in the Test Box. Palmer C, Zitelli L. Seminars in Hearing 45(2):172-204 (Thieme), 17 May 2024. Independent (Communication Science and Disorders, University of Pittsburgh; no conflict of interest declared; the step-by-step procedures are written for Audioscan's Verifit test system) ↩︎ https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11161217/
14. Using Telecoils in Your Cochlear Implant & Bone Anchored Devices. Center for Hearing Access (The John G. Shedd Institute). Center for Hearing Access, undated (read 9 October 2026). Nonprofit advocacy (Center for Hearing Access, a 501(c)(3) advocacy and education initiative of The John G. Shedd Institute for the Arts, founded in 2024; it states that it accepts no donations from hearing-related vendors) ↩︎ https://centerforhearingaccess.org/how-use-telecoils-ci/
15. Clear Signals: improving transport accessibility for deaf people and people with hearing loss. RNID. RNID (Royal National Institute for Deaf People), 22 September 2026. Independent (RNID survey and concept test; report funded by the Motability Foundation; Ampetronic, which installed the station's transmitters, announced in July 2025 that it commissioned RNID trials there, but the read sources do not establish whether those are the March 2026 concept test) ↩︎ https://rnid.org.uk/what-we-do/policy-and-influencing/clear-signals-improving-transport-accessibility/
16. Difference Between the Default Telecoil (T-Coil) and Programmed Microphone Frequency Response in Behind-the-Ear (BTE) Hearing Aids. Putterman DB, Valente M. Journal of the American Academy of Audiology 23(5):366-378, May 2012. Independent (Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine; supported by NIH National Center for Research Resources grant TL1 RR024995; Frye Electronics provided test equipment) ↩︎ https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4354810/
17. Sound quality comparison of Auracast and teleloop systems in a real-world environment. Jespersen CT, Hashem R, Aranda de Toro MA, Fernández D. GN Hearing (ReSound) white paper M201742-26.02, 17 February 2026. Manufacturer (GN Hearing) ↩︎ https://centerforhearingaccess.org/uploads/resound-jespersen/
18. Guidelines for the Audiologic Management of Adult Hearing Impairment. American Academy of Audiology Task Force (Valente M, chair; Abrams H, Benson D, Chisolm T, Citron D, Hampton D, Loavenbruck A, Ricketts T, Solodar H, Sweetow R). American Academy of Audiology (Audiology Today 18(5)), 2006. Independent (American Academy of Audiology, the professional association of audiologists; prepared by a task force chaired by Michael Valente) ↩︎ https://audiology-web.s3.amazonaws.com/migrated/haguidelines.pdf_53994876e92e42.70908344.pdf
19. 21 CFR 801.422: Prescription hearing aid labeling. US Food and Drug Administration. Electronic Code of Federal Regulations, Title 21, 17 October 2022. Government (US Food and Drug Administration) ↩︎ https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-21/chapter-I/subchapter-H/part-801/subpart-H/section-801.422
20. Clinical Practice Guidelines: Remote Microphone Hearing Assistance Technologies for Children and Youth from Birth to 21 Years (Includes Supplement A). American Academy of Audiology Hearing Assistance Technology Task Force (Johnson CD, chair; Anderson V, Boothroyd A, Eiten L, Gabbard SA, Lewis D, Thibodeau L). American Academy of Audiology, April 2011. Independent (American Academy of Audiology, the professional association of audiologists; prepared by the Hearing Assistance Technology Task Force of its Strategic Documents Committee) ↩︎ https://audiology-web.s3.amazonaws.com/migrated/HAT_Guidelines_Supplement_A.pdf_53996ef7758497.54419000.pdf
21. Practice Guidance: Guidance on the verification of hearing devices using probe microphone measurements. British Society of Audiology Professional Guidance Group (lead authors Jindal J, Hawkins A-M, Murray M). British Society of Audiology, May 2018. Independent (British Society of Audiology, a professional and scientific society; one of the three lead authors declares that, as clinical lead at IntriCon UK, they train clinicians on probe-microphone measurement and systems, which may promote products IntriCon or other suppliers distribute; the major UK suppliers of measurement systems were consulted) ↩︎ https://www.thebsa.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/REMS-2018.pdf
22. Quantifying Telecoil Performance in the Ear: Common Practices and a New Protocol. Yanz JL, Pehringer J. Seminars in Hearing 24(1):71-80 (Thieme), 13 March 2003. Manufacturer (Jerry L. Yanz was vice-president of education at Micro-Tech Hearing Instruments, a hearing aid maker; James Pehringer was president of Pehratek Products and an audiologist at Allied Hearing Services; the abstract does not say who makes the new inductive signal source the article presents) ↩︎ https://www.thieme-connect.com/products/ejournals/abstract/10.1055/s-2003-37909
23. Electromagnetic versus Electrical Coupling of Personal Frequency Modulation (FM) Receivers to Cochlear Implant Sound Processors. Schafer EC, Romine D, Musgrave E, Momin S, Huynh C. Journal of the American Academy of Audiology 24(10):927-940, November 2013. Independent (Department of Speech and Hearing Sciences, University of North Texas; PubMed tags the study as having non-US-government research support without naming it; the FM receivers tested were Oticon's) ↩︎ https://www.thieme-connect.com/products/ejournals/abstract/10.3766/jaaa.24.10.5
24. Effects of Input Processing and Type of Personal Frequency Modulation System on Speech-Recognition Performance of Adults With Cochlear Implants. Wolfe J, Schafer E, Parkinson A, John A, Hudson M, Wheeler J, Mucci A. Ear and Hearing 34(1):52-62 (Lippincott Williams & Wilkins), January 2013. Independent (first author at Hearts for Hearing, Oklahoma City, where participants were recruited; PubMed tags the study as having non-US-government research support without naming it; the other authors' affiliations and any funding statement are in the paywalled full text, which was not read; the processors tested were Cochlear's) ↩︎ https://www.ovid.com/jnls/ear-hearing/abstract/10.1097/aud.0b013e3182611982~effects-of-input-processing-and-type-of-personal-frequency
25. Medical Devices; Ear, Nose, and Throat Devices; Establishing Over-the-Counter Hearing Aids (final rule, 87 FR 50698). US Food and Drug Administration. Federal Register, Vol. 87, No. 158, 17 August 2022. Government (US Food and Drug Administration) ↩︎ https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2022/08/17/2022-17230/medical-devices-ear-nose-and-throat-devices-establishing-over-the-counter-hearing-aids
26. Trends in Audio Streaming for Hearing Aids and Hearing Aid Compatibility for Wireless Phones. Kozma-Spytek L. HearingTracker, 22 July 2022. Independent (analysis prepared to inform the ATIS Hearing Aid Compatibility Task Force by Linda Kozma-Spytek, whose author note describes the author as a technology consultant to HLAA and an investigator at Gallaudet University's DHH Tech RERC; data from HearingTracker's product database, provided by its CEO Abram Bailey; published by HearingTracker, a consumer hearing aid site that carries advertising) ↩︎ https://www.hearingtracker.com/news/trends-in-audio-streaming-for-hearing-aids
27. Telecoil and Auracast functionalities should be standard requirements for hearing aids and other hearing devices eligible for public health procurement. European Federation of Hard of Hearing People (EFHOH). EFHOH (position adopted by its members at the 2026 Annual General Meeting), 18 April 2026. Nonprofit advocacy (European federation; EFHOH states that its 2024-2026 publications are co-funded by the EU CERV programme) ↩︎ https://efhoh.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/EFHOH-Motion-Telecoil-and-Auracast-functionalities.pdf
28. Position statement on Auracast and telecoils. European Federation of Hard of Hearing People (EFHOH). EFHOH, 18 October 2024. Nonprofit advocacy (European federation; EFHOH states that its 2024-2026 publications are co-funded by the EU CERV programme) ↩︎ https://efhoh.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/EFHOH-position-statement-on-concerns-about-withdrawal-from-telecoils-FINAL97.pdf

Change log

• 10 October 2026Published with 28 sources.
• 13 October 2026Clarified frequency-dependent results, sample sizes, funding and the scope of telephone and personal-receiver studies.
• 13 October 2026Checked full study texts; identified the demonstrator-ear pilot and its input-level mismatch.

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