Getting to Know MobileConnect
I am a member of the Saddlebrooke Hearing Discussion Group. In this month’s article I would like to introduce you to MobileConnect. It is a Wi-Fi assistive listening system from Sennheiser. HOA2 has recently decided to install this system in the Ballroom and Sonoran rooms in the HOA2 clubhouse. HOA1 is currently getting price quotes for installing the system in the HOA1 clubhouse. Our hearing group had the opportunity to evaluate the system this past August at the HOA1 clubhouse. Everyone in our small test group was able to connect to the audio stream. We were impressed with sound quality as well as the coverage. I could hear the audio throughout the upper level of the clubhouse. I was also able to walk out the front door and could still hear the audio on the steps leading down to the parking lot.
I did notice a latency issue if I was standing close to the speaker. Latency refers to the time delay between when the audio is transmitted and when it is heard by the end user. This could be an issue if you are seated close to the speaker, especially if you are trying to read lips.
Sennheiser is one of the leading providers of professional audio technology worldwide. MobileConnect streams audio to your smart phone using the MobileConnect App. This system relies on the end user’s smartphone as a receiver. These types of systems are commonly known as bring your own device, or BYOD.
To use MobileConnect you need to first download the app using either iPhone App Store or the Google Play Store. If you have an iPhone, use this link: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/sennheiser-mobileconnect/id848127271.If you have an Android use this link: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=de.sennheiser.sst.mobileconnect.
After receiving the audio signal, the app then uses your phone’s Bluetooth connection to send audio to your hearing aids. However, if your hearing aids don’t have Bluetooth or don’t support Bluetooth streaming, you won’t be able to use MobileConnect.
As many of you know there are currently hearing loops in both the HOA2 Ballroom and Sonoran Room. So why are they being replaced? One consideration is that hearing aid manufacturers are starting to not include t-coils in their new hearing aids. Without a t-coil you can’t connect to a hearing loop. If you have tried using the loop in the Ballroom you may be aware that there are a lot of dead spots especially on the dance floor. In addition, if the room is split so that two presentations are occurring simultaneously the loop can’t be split and therefore only one presentation can be transmitted. MobileConnect will allow for simultaneous broadcast of presentations in Ballrooms East and West. In the Sonoran Room there is a lot of interference from the main electrical wiring in the building. This interference causes a loud buzzing sound when a hearing-impaired resident tried to use the loop in that room. This interference should be eliminated by MobileConnect. Once the system has been installed, the HOA2 staff intends to have our hearing group help check out the system.
I believe that both HOA’s plan to install signage indicating the presence of MobileConnect in a room. I also believe that signage will include a QR code that you can read with the MobileConnect app to connect to the correct signal. I will provide another update as we learn more about the system.
Our group meets on the 2nd Friday of every month at 10 AM in the Catalina Room in the Mesquite Building. For more information about our group contact Jennifer Jefferis, jenjefferis4u@gmail.com, or Lyle Larson, lllarson72@gmail.com. We typically have one or two Doctor of Audiology students from the University of Arizona in attendance. If you have questions about this article or would like to have your email added to our distribution list, contact me at tgaule@outlook.com.