head phones
For people who wear hearing aids, do you need to bring over the ear headphones to hear tour leaders. With other tour companies, we were given ear buds which do not work for people who wear heading aids. If I do not need the headphones, I would rather. not bring them. Thank you
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CalvinMaxineC5B Tauck provides a VOX headset that hooks to your ear and the amplifier sits on the ear canal. IMO, it's very uncomfortable to wear. I usually bring my iPhone ear buds--older model that fits into the small round hole. I usually just use in one ear.
Folks do use over the ear headphones. Just remember to bring the proper adapter to fit the small round hole type plug-in. You will definitely need something unless you intend to stand close by the TD or in-country guide while they are speaking. I prefer to wander off a bit while still being in range of the discussion.
Hope this helps! enjoy the tour.
This is something I've complained to Tauck about for years. If you wear over the ear hearing aids - as I do - those ear buds are useless. In the past, I've brought a set of headphones that I can position at the top of my ears - where the microphone for the hearing aids is.
Tauck is planning to begin using new Vox units that incorporate Bluetooth so that people can use AirPods (or equivalent) to listen to the guide. That's useless for us hearing aid people because the Bluetooth that's in hearing aids will not work with standard Bluetooth. The hearing aids implement Bluetooth LE (low energy) which will not connect to standard Bluetooth. I've contacted Tauck at high levels to push them to include Bluetooth LE in the new Vox units but, so far, they don't seem very interested.
It shouldn't be that difficult to do - both the iPhone and the Android units include both types of Bluetooth. You can connect your iPods to yoru iPhone and you can connect your hearing aids to your iPhone. Each will use the appropriate version of Bluetooth.
This is a prime example of how money could be used to help customers with hearing aids, and there are many, rather than sending out gifts to people who have no use for them. Example, I’ve been sent three lots of coffee cups and never used them. I don’t use heading aids, but maybe one day. I traveled with another company that had really great listening devices.
The problem with trying to use over-the-ear headphones with hearing aids is you can get feedback (whistling) in your hearing aids. I could not use my Bose headset- I had to remove my hearing aids.
If Tauck keeps the standard VOX (or gets the new wifi-based VOX or some sort of Bluetooth device) the solution now for those of us who wear over-the-ear hearing aids is to get a Bluetooth transmitter specifically designed for your hearing aids. I have Phonak hearing aids and use a little Phonak TV adapter. It will plug into the headphone jack on any VOX and transmits the TD's commentary to my Bluetooth-enabled hearing aids, which retain all hearing their aid functions. The only issue, is the current Phonak TV adapter is not self-powered so I must also carry a small USB battery/battery bank.
There may be a few off-brand Bluetooth transmitters available on Amazon and elsewhere may work with your hearing aids, but typically you need one made by your hearing aid manufacturer.
Once the VOX and TV adapter are turned on and the correct channel selected I can put everything it my pocket or bag- no VOX on a lanyard or earphone cord to get in the way. Latency (signal delay/lip sync) that some experience with similar units when used with a TV is really not an issue on tour- I'm not usually looking at the TD.
small lithium battery, Phonak TV adapter, VOX
Just like a new camera or lens, don't wait until just before your tour to buy and test your setup. Get it early and make sure you know how it all works. I thought I was having problems when I thought I lost signal but it was a design feature. The unit turned off when there was no audio source. If I had waited just a bit I would have noticed it came back on as soon as there was sound at the audio source. On one tour, a local guide kept turning his VOX unit off if he had nothing to say.