Able Planet's Able Talker Assistive Listening System

It's always good to see companies looking to improve the quality of life for the disabled, and now Able Planet, known for it's audio and communication products, has announced a new wireless audio amplifier for those suffering from hearing loss. The Able Talker Assistive Listening System is a noise filtering microphone that links to the joining Clear Harmony Wireless headphone through proprietary means as far as 35-feet away. Sound is enhanced through its Linx Audio technology that "increases the perceived loudness without boosting volume" and can be transmitted in mono specifically for speech or stereo mode for entertainment. The device runs on just one AAA battery and gets a good 15 hours to the charge.

[Aaron M @ Jan 9th 2007 10:11AM]

I wouldn't say this is for the "disabled." This is more geared to the old farts who are just starting to lose their hearing. A truely disabled person (such as myself) would have no use for something like this because there is no way a headphone like that will work with my hearing aids.

[Michael @ Jan 9th 2007 10:41AM]

I can honestly echo your statements regarding the headphones with the hearing aids. There's nothing more frustrating than want to enjoy the "trendy white buds" of the iPod, but be limited by the fact that they don't work with an in-the-ear hearing aid, or a behind the ear hearing aid.

Over the ear headphones work fine - if you switch your aid to "telecoil" and position the headphone toward the back of the aid. But -- not quite as "trendy". A while back, a colleague of mine had wired his hearing boot to a headphone banana-jack quite nicely and was able to listen his music from the player directly to the aid without earphones or a headset.

There's a market here!

Cheers,
Michael

[Ken @ Jan 15th 2007 9:30AM]

I was at the 2007 CES trade show and watched others with hearing aides try the able planet products without any feed back! They do work with hearing aides!!!!! Old fart or not

[almasree @ Jan 9th 2007 10:31AM]

its very nies