"I have hearing loss. I wear hearing aids, and even then I still need to put closed captions on the TV to follow the dialogue. My family tells me the volume is too loud, but that's the only option I have to follow the story. I’ve heard of soundbars being helpful. But is that true? Do soundbars really make hearing dialogue better?"

 

If this sounds familiar, you are not alone. One in three people in the U.S. between the ages of 65 and 74 has hearing loss and may deal with the exact frustration. The challenge to understand TV dialogue is one of the most common complaints about hearing loss resulting in social isolation and loss of enjoyment. This article cuts through the confusion and investigates whether a TV soundbar is the answer for you or someone you love.

I don't know about sound bars helping hearing loss, but if you get the sound map of your left and right ears (the audiologist would have done this when they tested you for your hearing aids), then have the audio from the TV going thru an amplifier with an equaliser or (some sound bars probably have them), then adjust the audio frequency up high for the sound that you can hear.

Eg audio range is about 20Hz to 20kH so adjust the equaliser for your best hearing.

Then get Directional Speakers so where you sit is the sound area of the speakers.

Probably good if you can have an app. for your equaliser on your phone so you can listen to the TV and adjust the sound frequencies where you're sitting.

Another thing you can do is buy some good quality headphones and a transmitter from your TV. 🙂

I use good quality headphones when I watch TV. I find that works better than my hearing aids with my soundbar.

 

Flame post removed 

 

@moose7117

 

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Get a nice quality earbuds (Like Samsung Pro) and connect to your TV using Bluetooth 

I use the Shokz bone conduction guys; they're great, barely noticeable, and don't block outside sound.  I use the "mini" style, which unfortunately have to be ordered from Singapore or the US.

 

Wait, I take that back:  https://www.lazada.co.th/products/pdp-i5132809265-s21675408917.html 

They are $90 at Amazon now (+ VAT, which isn't shown because they won't ship to Thailand).   About $146 on Lazada.

No name brands are less than one tenth of the price of the Shokz: https://www.lazada.co.th/products/pdp-i5365993068-s22810009341.html

No idea if they are any good.

2 hours ago, FrankieGoesToHolly said:

No idea if they are any good.

I got them this year, because I wanted to try out bone conducting earphones and did not want to pay just for a test. I can recommend them. Sound is ok and I use them all the time if I want to hear my suroundings too. 

On 11/17/2025 at 4:59 AM, baoxiang2025 said:

"I have hearing loss. I wear hearing aids, and even then I still need to put closed captions on the TV to follow the dialogue. My family tells me the volume is too loud, but that's the only option I have to follow the story. I’ve heard of soundbars being helpful. But is that true? Do soundbars really make hearing dialogue better?"

 

If this sounds familiar, you are not alone. One in three people in the U.S. between the ages of 65 and 74 has hearing loss and may deal with the exact frustration. The challenge to understand TV dialogue is one of the most common complaints about hearing loss resulting in social isolation and loss of enjoyment. This article cuts through the confusion and investigates whether a TV soundbar is the answer for you or someone you love.

 

NO NO NO.

 

Only solution is bluetooth ear buds.....I use AirPod Pros.

2 hours ago, FrankieGoesToHolly said:

No name brands are less than one tenth of the price of the Shokz: https://www.lazada.co.th/products/pdp-i5365993068-s22810009341.html

No idea if they are any good.

As the saying goes...you get what you (don't) pay for.

Cannot understand why you suggest something about which you know F all.

On 11/17/2025 at 7:26 AM, carlyai said:

I don't know about sound bars helping hearing loss, but if you get the sound map of your left and right ears (the audiologist would have done this when they tested you for your hearing aids), then have the audio from the TV going thru an amplifier with an equaliser or (some sound bars probably have them), then adjust the audio frequency up high for the sound that you can hear.

Eg audio range is about 20Hz to 20kH so adjust the equaliser for your best hearing.

Then get Directional Speakers so where you sit is the sound area of the speakers.

Probably good if you can have an app. for your equaliser on your phone so you can listen to the TV and adjust the sound frequencies where you're sitting.

Another thing you can do is buy some good quality headphones and a transmitter from your TV. 🙂

I have some very high quality Paradigm hi fi speakers, run through a top class amp. The sound seemed to be getting a bit dull, couldn't hear Ringo's hi-hats, so I kept turning up the top sliders on my graphic EQ, only to realise that it my ears which were the problem, and I cannot hear above 11 kHz, after 50 years on the road in a band. Ended up blowing the tweeter in one cab costing a lot to get replaced from Canada. The cab will now reproduce over 20 kHz, but I cannot hear it, the dog can.

If your lug holes are shot, no amount of top end boosting will correct it. Speech can be made easier to hear by boosting 2 - 4 kHz, but that is an overall thing so music then tends to sound very middly. You can get a tone generator online to check your own hearing. 

@Will Iam Not Who stated that I don't know about these things? I stated that I don't know about that particular model. But I do know about bone conduction ear phones. I just chose an option that were similar to the Shokz in design.

What can you tell us about bone conduction ear phones/buds?

1 hour ago, FrankieGoesToHolly said:

@Will Iam Not Who stated that I don't know about these things? I stated that I don't know about that particular model. But I do know about bone conduction ear phones. I just chose an option that were similar to the Shokz in design.

What can you tell us about bone conduction ear phones/buds?

No idea if they are any good.

Bone conduction pods bypass the eardrums, but nowhere near as hi-fi as the conventional way that God planned it

 

3 hours ago, Will Iam Not said:

As the saying goes...you get what you (don't) pay for.

Cannot understand why you suggest something about which you know F all.

Looked at these on Lazada, and the first review say that the top end is not so good, but I cannot hear over 11kHs so WTF. Most reviews, as many on Lzda do, say how good the packaging was or how quickly delivered.

 

5 hours ago, FrankieGoesToHolly said:

No name brands are less than one tenth of the price of the Shokz: https://www.lazada.co.th/products/pdp-i5365993068-s22810009341.html

No idea if they are any good.

Looked at these on Lazada, and the first review say that the top end is not so good, but I cannot hear over 11kHs so WTF. Most reviews, as many on Lzda do, say how good the packaging was or how quickly delivered.

 

3 hours ago, Will B Good said:

 

NO NO NO.

 

Only solution is bluetooth ear buds.....I use AirPod Pros.

There is usually a slight delay with Bluetooth, and a strange stereo perception. No problem if it is only sound, but when the sound and video are out of sync in a movie or TV, it is so annoying.

 

On 11/17/2025 at 2:21 PM, richsilver said:

I use good quality headphones when I watch TV. I find that works better than my hearing aids with my soundbar.

 

And you dont annoy the GF next to you in bed.

 

On 11/17/2025 at 4:59 AM, baoxiang2025 said:

"I have hearing loss. I wear hearing aids, and even then I still need to put closed captions on the TV to follow the dialogue. My family tells me the volume is too loud, but that's the only option I have to follow the story. I’ve heard of soundbars being helpful. But is that true? Do soundbars really make hearing dialogue better?"

 

If this sounds familiar, you are not alone. One in three people in the U.S. between the ages of 65 and 74 has hearing loss and may deal with the exact frustration. The challenge to understand TV dialogue is one of the most common complaints about hearing loss resulting in social isolation and loss of enjoyment. This article cuts through the confusion and investigates whether a TV soundbar is the answer for you or someone you love.

What about those of us over 74, totally mutton?

Most new smart TV can connect to a bluetooth speaker that you can basically keep right next you.

 

I do this as have wall fans and air cond going and don't want to have to blast the volume on my TV.

On 11/16/2025 at 7:26 PM, carlyai said:

I don't know about sound bars helping hearing loss, but if you get the sound map of your left and right ears (the audiologist would have done this when they tested you for your hearing aids), then have the audio from the TV going thru an amplifier with an equaliser or (some sound bars probably have them), then adjust the audio frequency up high for the sound that you can hear.

Eg audio range is about 20Hz to 20kH so adjust the equaliser for your best hearing.

Then get Directional Speakers so where you sit is the sound area of the speakers.

Probably good if you can have an app. for your equaliser on your phone so you can listen to the TV and adjust the sound frequencies where you're sitting.

Another thing you can do is buy some good quality headphones and a transmitter from your TV. 🙂

TV Soundbar or TV headphones?

9 hours ago, baoxiang2025 said:

TV Soundbar or TV headphones?

No sure what you mean but the OP was asking about a soundboard initially.

The "OP" was just 

On 11/17/2025 at 2:21 PM, richsilver said:

I use good quality headphones when I watch TV. I find that works better than my hearing aids with my soundbar.

 

 

How do you cast the sound to the headphones. I thought of doing the same so the wife can watch here tablet in peace.

Good quality Bluetooth noise-cancelling headphones or ear buds seem to work well for me.

 

But the problem isn't just your ears. Streaming services compress audio signals to save on bandwidth, often making it difficult to hear dialog properly. They also manipulate (or don't manipulate) sound levels.

 

Here's a deep dive from the NYT if you're interested.

 

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/08/17/technology/personaltech/subtitles-streaming-shows-speech-enhancers.html?smid=url-share

I don't know the budget the OG was looking at.

But for $100, you can get some solid tv headphones or tv soundbars.

Two articles that might help:

https://www.simolio.com/blogs/category/best-wireless-tv-headphones-under-100

https://www.rtings.com/headphones/reviews/best/wireless-bluetooth-headphones-under-100

3 hours ago, baoxiang2025 said:

I don't know the budget the OG was looking at.

But for $100, you can get some solid tv headphones or tv soundbars.

Two articles that might help:

https://www.simolio.com/blogs/category/best-wireless-tv-headphones-under-100

https://www.rtings.com/headphones/reviews/best/wireless-bluetooth-headphones-under-100

OG? You are the OP.

I recently purchased a new 65 inch LG TV and added the optional sound bar. As I can turn the sound bar on or off, I can say the sound bar makes a tremendous difference in my ability to understand spoken parts of any program. I also have SONY Blue Tooth noise cancelling headphones that work well but become uncomfortable for extended wear.

If I am watching a movie or tv shows from the fifties and sixties, no matter how low the sound I can always hear the spoken words very clearly. Contrast that with TV series's this century, no matter how loud the volume there are certain words I cannot make out so will not watch unless I can get subtitles. That is something I just cannot understand.

You would think that sound systems in TV shows and movies would be much better nowadays than back in the fifties.

On 11/17/2025 at 7:26 AM, carlyai said:

I don't know about sound bars helping hearing loss, but if you get the sound map of your left and right ears (the audiologist would have done this when they tested you for your hearing aids), then have the audio from the TV going thru an amplifier with an equaliser or (some sound bars probably have them), then adjust the audio frequency up high for the sound that you can hear.

Eg audio range is about 20Hz to 20kH so adjust the equaliser for your best hearing.

Then get Directional Speakers so where you sit is the sound area of the speakers.

Probably good if you can have an app. for your equaliser on your phone so you can listen to the TV and adjust the sound frequencies where you're sitting.

Another thing you can do is buy some good quality headphones and a transmitter from your TV. 🙂

This all should be done by the hearing aid. Modern hearing aids don't just amplify sounds, they are set according to what you refer to as the sound map of your ears and correct the needed frequencies as per that "map".

If you're wearing hearing aids and still can't hear properly it would mean you are either using off the shelf low end aids or your hearing aids were no configured properly.