I Can’t Hear the New TV!
Written by Dr. Karon Lynn on January 23, 2015 ·
I am hearing more complaints about hearing the TV than ever before! You would assume that with the advancements in technology, we would all be happily enjoying our favorite programs without struggling to hear. After all, we can now see everything (even the wrinkles in someone’s face!). We see colors so vivid that they seem to jump out of the screen. So what is up with the sound?
TV Placement
The newer TVs are more slender, but the screen size is actually larger. The advantage is that we do not have to dedicate a seating area to our TV and the console anymore. The TV can hang on the wall similar to a piece of art. You can mount your TV in the middle of a gallery of pictures on the living room wall. When the TV is not being watched, you can turn on a screen saver of a picture of your family! You can even purchase an easel to put the TV on and it will sit as confidently as an expensive Monet until someone wants to watch it. I saw a TV that was mounted in the middle of a large empty frame with the wall acting as the mat around a picture. So many choices!
Distance of the TV to Your Seating Area
Each size screen has an optimal seating distance to see the picture. For example for a 55” TV, it is recommended that you sit about seven feet away to get the best picture. The new TV screen is able to offer so much more that you will need to throw out your old ideas about seating and start all over. Ask the customer service representative at the store for recommendations for your particular TV.
Speakers on the TV
Now that we found the perfect location to see the picture, we need to think about the sound. Again, you need to toss out your previous thoughts about TV sound and think out of the box. As TVs have gotten thinner, there’s less space to fit the speaker drivers. With such limited real estate, the drivers are often tiny and weak. To compound the problem, most TV speakers either point down toward the table/floor or away from you toward the wall, further reducing sound quality. The speakers are small and unable to reproduce deep, low, bass sounds. If the speakers do not face you, they’re less able to accurately create high-pitched treble sounds, giving you muffled tinny sound.
Sound Bars
One solution is to purchase a sound bar. There are passive and active sound bars. The active sound bar has a built in amplifier whereas the passive sound bar requires a separate amplifier. (Take a deep breath. You can keep reading or simply call a “sound guy” to select and install speakers for you.) If you want to do it yourself, measure your room and include the distance to your seating area. Take the measurements to your local geek and ask for sound bar recommendations.
Placement of the Sound Bar
You need to decide how far to sit from the source of the sound. The best choice will depend on the acoustics of the room. Does your room have tall ceilings? Is there an echo in the room? If so, you may need to experiment to find good sound. Grab a folding chair and sit in various positions around the room to find the best distance. Usually with a sound bar, the best position is directly in front of the speakers. The choice will be how far away you want to sit to get the best sound. If you need to be closer to understand the dialogue, you may not like the picture. Perhaps you could put the sound bar closer to your normal seat under the coffee table?
I Can Hear Better on the TV in the Bedroom
I have been told by a few people that they hear better from one particular TV in the house and struggle with another TV. You now know that the difference is in the speaker quality, the acoustics of the room and the distance you are sitting from the TV. With this information, you can now make better decisions about how to best hear your programs.
By Dr. Karon Lynn, Au.D.
Trinity Hearing Center is located at 1330 N. Rim Dr., Suite B in Flagstaff. For more information call 928-522-0500, or visit the website at www. TrinityHearing.net. Karon Lynn is a doctor of audiology and practices at Trinity Hearing Center. She has 30 years of experience working with hearing impaired individuals. Dr. Lynn may be reached at 928-522-0500, or by email at [email protected].
Written by Dr. Karon Lynn on January 23, 2015 ·
I am hearing more complaints about hearing the TV than ever before! You would assume that with the advancements in technology, we would all be happily enjoying our favorite programs without struggling to hear. After all, we can now see everything (even the wrinkles in someone’s face!). We see colors so vivid that they seem to jump out of the screen. So what is up with the sound?
TV Placement
The newer TVs are more slender, but the screen size is actually larger. The advantage is that we do not have to dedicate a seating area to our TV and the console anymore. The TV can hang on the wall similar to a piece of art. You can mount your TV in the middle of a gallery of pictures on the living room wall. When the TV is not being watched, you can turn on a screen saver of a picture of your family! You can even purchase an easel to put the TV on and it will sit as confidently as an expensive Monet until someone wants to watch it. I saw a TV that was mounted in the middle of a large empty frame with the wall acting as the mat around a picture. So many choices!
Distance of the TV to Your Seating Area
Each size screen has an optimal seating distance to see the picture. For example for a 55” TV, it is recommended that you sit about seven feet away to get the best picture. The new TV screen is able to offer so much more that you will need to throw out your old ideas about seating and start all over. Ask the customer service representative at the store for recommendations for your particular TV.
Speakers on the TV
Now that we found the perfect location to see the picture, we need to think about the sound. Again, you need to toss out your previous thoughts about TV sound and think out of the box. As TVs have gotten thinner, there’s less space to fit the speaker drivers. With such limited real estate, the drivers are often tiny and weak. To compound the problem, most TV speakers either point down toward the table/floor or away from you toward the wall, further reducing sound quality. The speakers are small and unable to reproduce deep, low, bass sounds. If the speakers do not face you, they’re less able to accurately create high-pitched treble sounds, giving you muffled tinny sound.
Sound Bars
One solution is to purchase a sound bar. There are passive and active sound bars. The active sound bar has a built in amplifier whereas the passive sound bar requires a separate amplifier. (Take a deep breath. You can keep reading or simply call a “sound guy” to select and install speakers for you.) If you want to do it yourself, measure your room and include the distance to your seating area. Take the measurements to your local geek and ask for sound bar recommendations.
Placement of the Sound Bar
You need to decide how far to sit from the source of the sound. The best choice will depend on the acoustics of the room. Does your room have tall ceilings? Is there an echo in the room? If so, you may need to experiment to find good sound. Grab a folding chair and sit in various positions around the room to find the best distance. Usually with a sound bar, the best position is directly in front of the speakers. The choice will be how far away you want to sit to get the best sound. If you need to be closer to understand the dialogue, you may not like the picture. Perhaps you could put the sound bar closer to your normal seat under the coffee table?
I Can Hear Better on the TV in the Bedroom
I have been told by a few people that they hear better from one particular TV in the house and struggle with another TV. You now know that the difference is in the speaker quality, the acoustics of the room and the distance you are sitting from the TV. With this information, you can now make better decisions about how to best hear your programs.
By Dr. Karon Lynn, Au.D.
Trinity Hearing Center is located at 1330 N. Rim Dr., Suite B in Flagstaff. For more information call 928-522-0500, or visit the website at www. TrinityHearing.net. Karon Lynn is a doctor of audiology and practices at Trinity Hearing Center. She has 30 years of experience working with hearing impaired individuals. Dr. Lynn may be reached at 928-522-0500, or by email at [email protected].