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May I add my thanks to Joe-Alex as well? Our bedroom is above the sitting room and our big screen that is hooked up to a rather nice hi fi system. If management retire early then I might take the opportunity to watch a boys film, complete with surround screen. Combined with which I am somewhat hard of hearing, I have a hearing aid, and get frequent complaints about the tv sound.
This piece of equipment arrived today and was so easy to set up. Sound quality is very good, the headphones more comfortable than my Sony set and it works independently of the tv sound.
Many thanks to the expert and his suggestion, a very pleasing result.
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I'm also interested in the Aventree headphones that you chaps have taken up, thanks to Joe-Alex from me too and thanks for the updates chaps, sounds good.
Our issues are the other way round, i can hear a pin drop but SWMBO loses lots from higher frequencies and misses so much of the mumbling speech, so these headphones should improve her listening pleasure.
Anyway, our position is, in the bedroom we have a 2018 Samsung smart TV and same year Samsung sound bar, terrestrial TV of no interest at all almost all of our fairly minimal viewing is Netflix, sometimes Amazon or DVD, connected via an opitical lead, single optical outlet on the TV, from what i can gather from the advert it's possible to connect this Aventree device in between the two Samsung products without affecting anything? have i got this right please?
The Sennheiser budget isn't an issue as such, individually adjustable volumes for each ear, but whatever we buy it must be able to work independantly of the sound bar which looks like it might not be so easy with the Sennheiser (no audio jack connections on either Samsung device), so if anyone has any other recommends we're all ears!!...i can hear the groans now :-)
Is it possible to buy an optical cable that connects to TV out and has two leads so can connect to two inlets? would that work in the case of the Sennheiser.
Edited by gordonbennet on 03/08/2020 at 10:08
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Hello GB, the Avantree h/phones are very good indeed. The significant difference between them and say Sennheiser is not worth the money apparently. The Avantree comes with one optical cable from the TV to the TX unit then my own optical cable from the TX to the soundbar. The TX unit has a bypass which allows independent control of the headphones while having the soundbar to your own level. There is a facility to mate up more headphones to the TX unit if you both want a pair each. The headphones will last a few nights viewing before requiring to be recharged. I bought a USB to Micro connector cable and use my i phone charger overnight. It is simple to install and really foolproof. I can recommend them highly. Good luck and let us know what you decide to do.
Cheers Concrete
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I am not too into the technicalities of tv and sound system so can’t respond with any authority to your question GB. Looking at the back of the gizmo box that comes with the headphones, there is an optical in and out. So I guess, like me, you instal it near your tv, ours is hidden behind a photo frame, and then connect up. Power comes from a USB, the sound feed is from an optical in, using the supplied (short) cable and then Robert’s your father’s brother. Or at least in my case, it really was that easy.
with your set up I would think you plug your sound bar into the optical out, unplugging from the tv and using your original cable. A plan B would be to use the headphone socket from the tv into the similar socket on the gizmo box, again using the lead that is supplied.
so, in short I think you have got this right, i think it would slot between your two bits of Samsung kit. You could always order from Amazon, like me, and if you have a problem simply return it. It’s a great piece of kit, worth a go I’d say.
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Thankyou gentlemen, that clears up connections for the Aventree unit nicely, no issues there then.
I'd still like to know if the Sennheiser model can be connected in a similar manner, somehow i have my doubts, reading up it appears connection is either by optical (ideal) or 3.5mm jack plug, well jack plug is out as unless its extremely well hidden i cannot find a jack plug on either Samsung product, and only one optical outlet on the TV.
I'm hoping young, or maybe not so young, Joe-Alex sees this post and offers his expertise once more, maybe there's another alternative that might be better for our situation.
Whilst i appreciate the Aventree is a good unit, and you are both pleased, it's SWMBO hearing issues with high frequency notes and the fact she misses so much speech under the clutter of other soundtracks that accompany films etc these days, for example she can barely hear bird song without a hearing aid, and the Senn unit being designed with various filters just might give a better result for her particular issues.
Obviously we make extensive use of subtitles at present, and we always will on some things we watch as we both enjoy the foreign made offerings found regularly on Netflix in particular, enjoyable getting away from the same old tired formats found in so many US and British programs.
many thanks chaps.
Edited by gordonbennet on 03/08/2020 at 16:56
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Gents, would this bit of equipment allow the Sennheiser R195, or similar, to be used.
www.amazon.co.uk/CAMWAY-Multifunction-Converter-Ex...4
or
www.amazon.co.uk/Digital-Decoder-Converter-Optical...5
Senn can use either optical or jack plug input source, so presumably both outputs on this unit can supply relevant signals simultaneously?
Or would a simple optical splitter, ie 1 in 2 out do the job.
Obviously this is breaking new ground for me, so when replying please keep in mind i'm still mentally pushing button A after inserting 4d (or using a yale key as one did as a boy back then) into a red phone box coin slot...:-)
Edited by gordonbennet on 03/08/2020 at 17:36
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Sorry GB, these bits of kit and what you are trying to with the Sennheiser kit is not something I could comment on with any great credibility.
what I can say though is that my poor ear, badly affected by a viral infection a few years, also suffered loss of high frequency similar to your wife. The audiologist’s charts clearly showed it falling off a cliff at the upper end compared to the left ear,This is common with hearing loss in those of us of, err, more mature years. I remember going for a walk after having my hearing aid fitted and it was quite extraordinary. I could suddenly hear bird song etc that I hadn’t heard for years. Although even now the tv mumblers are a problem and those who have a “breathy” style of speech. In that context I find Emily Thornberry difficult to listen to, And not just because she is a smug, self satisfied hypocrite. The last edition of Any Questions on Radio 4, available on Sounds, where she spoke, is a good example.
Obviously you and your wife understand her particular hearing problem, and far be it from me to impose my views but her condition doesn’t sound too out of line. I certainly find Avantree worthwhile, I would suggest they are worth a try at least before getting involved in more complexity and expense.
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All good points MGspannerman, i don't like buying and then returning if i can help it and still hope Joe-Alex might spot this update to the thread and offer some of his obvious expertise, if i know it's going to be a royal pita getting the Sennheiser system to connect and work in parallel to the sound bar even with a signal splitter or altering device of some sort at least i can then rule it out once and for all, more than likely going to end up with the Aventree system which both Concrete and yourself are happy with and hope it serves our purposes too.
I want the best i can do for SWMBO here, her hearing condition isn't going to mend itself any time soon.
Course it would help if actors didn't mumble their lines or the program makers didn't insist on drowning dialogue with a wall of other noise.
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Whereabouts are you GB? If it is feasible I would be happy to demonstrate the kit and let you/your wife “have a go”. I am in South Hampshire, triangulate Winchester, Waterlooville and Portsmouth. Good hearing is so liberating, and so important for all of us. I am delighted to have a hearing aid, and if others think it diminishes me, then more fool them. I drive a Toyota too!
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That's a most kind offer MGspannerman, very thoughtful, thankyou, unfortunately we are miles away in East Northants.
SWMBO has hearing aids but is always worried about losing them, hence they don't get worn as often as they should, we long ago (if we ever did) stopped worrying about what anyone else might think, now the ravages aches and pains etc of getting older have become a source of mild amusement for us, it's a case of waking up wondering which of the many aches is going to be worse today.
I'd like to be driving my Toyota, unfortunately SWMBO plus dogs makes more use of the room, so i'm reduced to using her Flying Forester for work :-))) oh dear how sad never mind...now you must remember who said that.
By the way, thinking of DVD's during this thread its been only a few weeks since my annual treat of the whole of tinker tailer soldier spy plus smiley's people serials, but its been ages since i watched Blott on the Landscape so that's going to be dug out in the next few weeks, i'm sure SWMBO will suffer that through her new headphones when we decide.
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Course it would help if actors didn't mumble their lines or the program makers didn't insist on drowning dialogue with a wall of other noise.
Not that, thats the problem, sound systems apart from pre amp are next to useless and the speakers are even more useless, thats why when you buy a new TV they recommend a sound bar, though, have to say some are next to useless as well
if headphone base unit has optical just buy a splitter and opt cable, unless it comes with one, and job done
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if headphone base unit has optical just buy a splitter and opt cable, unless it comes with one, and job done
Yes i'm hoping its as simple as that, maybe someone can confirm it really works like that for the Sennheiser system as easily as it has for the Aventree buyers.
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Hello GB, my hearing is impaired in the higher frequency ranges, which is the difficult one to deal with apparently. However on my soundbar (A Sony unit which is now 9 years old) there are several options for sound output. Cinema, Concert etc etc. in the Avantree booklet it recommends which one to select for the optimum experience. You could play around with the settings as SWMBO listens and she might find a suitable setting on the soundbar, which should transfer through to the headphones. I don't have hearing aids yet but am getting that way but these headphones are brilliant, I hear all the background sound I never picked up before. Cars pulling away, doors closing, people talking nearby etc etc which all adds to the experience. Of course, as pointed out, if actors mumble or are slovenly of speech then the same problem exists for everyone. Even SWMBO who can hear a pin drop in a hurricane is annoyed by poor diction from actors. After all they paid to speak!!!!!
Cheers and good luck. Concrete
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I don't have hearing aids yet but am getting that way but these headphones are brilliant, I hear all the background sound I never picked up before.
Many thanks for that Concrete, further reassurance its working well for you, we are now highly tempted by the Aventree model, not the least saving some £200 over the other some thinking to be done this week, we'll decide on which one at the weekend.
Ohh, schoolboy error, how do you adjust the volume to the headphones please? edit, i see there's plus and minus arrows on the base station, doh.
Edited by gordonbennet on 05/08/2020 at 18:37
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Apologies for the delayed response.
Assuming your TV and sound bar both have an optical input, I see no issues with using an optical splitter. Connect the male connector of the splitter to the TV, and then connect the soundbar and base station to the female ports on the splitter.
Also, make sure you get a splitter and not a switch. They are very different things.
And, as always, I cannot 100% guarantee that this will work for you. Given everything you've stated above, it should work, but one can never be completely certain in these things.
I hope this helps.
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Please don't apologise Joe-Alex, grateful you spotted the thread again and responded.
So, the Senn's should work ok with a splitter, that's great and confirms what we'd hoped would be the case.
Going to be some hard thinking this week and we'll decide between the two at the weekend, you've got two happy chaps in Concrete and MGspannerman with the Aventree units, all i'm wondering at the moment would the Sennheiser unit be more future proof as it were should the good lady's hearing deteriorate further over the next few years in which case the extra cost now might have been a wise investment.
Anyway, that's for us to decide, much obliged to you coming back, thankyou.
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Happy to help.
Regarding future-proofing; if your wife's hearing is guaranteed to deteriorate, I would go with the Senns. The only reason being is that the Senns allow individual ear volume adjustment would allow progressive adjustments as required.
If you have any further issues or question, just ask and I'll get to it as soon as possible.
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As Joe-Alex said GB, you go with what works for you and SWMBO personally. The Avantree unit TX has the inlet and outlet optical cable connectors, effectively that is the slitting done for you. Pity you can't try both to see what happens. Good luck with your thinking. Incidentally I got mine from Amazon and they came next day.
Cheers Concrete
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Another vote here for Amazon, as Concrete above. Not sure if your question about volume adjustment was with respect to the Avantree set, but there is a volume adjuster on the left hand earpiece. A simple rocker switch, up and down as appropriate. I am finding that even things I can hear pretty well on the TV are better with the headphones, I don't miss the odd word as I used to and no longer have to refer to management for guidance.
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Thanks again gentlemen.
I think SWMBO is starting to favour of the Aventree unit, she'd want a proper demonstration of something costing £300+ before buying but that's most likely not going to happen at the present time.
Direct from Aventree it appeasr to be £99, with free postage if i've read correctly, another couple of days before we decide.
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