Technical Resources and Standards
On this page you will find some useful resources provided by industry experts, to help further your knowledge of hearing loop system related topics.
We can offer technical support, not only to our members, but also to anyone else that needs some advice. For technical queries, please contact technical@ihlma.org.
Useful Links
ETSI Standards
Download all ETSI standards for free here.
British and European Standards
Instructions on how to register to the BSI Standards Development Portal guide document can be found here.
Once registered here, you can view the various stages of development of any Standard, opt to receive regular updates on that Standard and even comment on drafts at public comment stage.
IEC Standards
The International Electrotechnical Commission is the international standards and conformity assessment body for all fields of electrotechnology and can be found here
This website will make it easier for you to learn about IEC contributions to societal challenges, global trade and sustainability. It will also give helpful information, news and articles.
Telecoils and Hearing Loops: The most available and accessible assistive listening technology
Assistive listening systems have been widely available since the 1930s, the most successful of which have been the hearing loop and telecoil combination.
Technical Resources
Loops to remain essential assistive listening for many years as Bluetooth development progresses
New technologies are under development in the assistive listening sector which aim to create alternative listening experiences in public places for those with hearing loss…
IHLMA Position on Neck Loops and Cardiac Pacemakers
IHLMA recognises a concern expressed by some medical professionals of a potential for interface with cardiac pacemakers from the magnetic fields that exist in very close proximity to the wiring of a neck loop…
The care and feeding of neck loops for assistive hearing
A neck loop is a personal induction loop about 230 mm in diameter, intended to be used with a static or hand-held source of audio signals and transmit them magnetically to the user’s one or two hearing aids equipped with telecoils….
The 2022 FIFHOH Budapest Declaration
The International Federation of the Hard of Hearing People completed its 2022 World released the 2022 FIFHOH Budapest Declaration, stating that the proven Telecoil should stay in hearing devices, work in parallel to Auracast, and audiologists and hearing instrument specialists need training.
This declaration reinforces the previous statement from the International Hearing Access Committee: Hearing Loops and Telecoils: When will they become obsolete?
Hearing Loops and Telecoils: When will they become obselete?
The International Hearing Access Committee (IHAC) aims to estimate the time a transition from the existing audio transmission to telecoils via hearing loop (HL) and other assistive listening systems (ALS) to a platform of digital audio streaming direct into hearing aids, will likely take.
Telecoils and Hearing Loops: The most available and accessible assistive listening technology
Assistive listening systems have been widely available since the 1930s, the most successful of which have been the hearing loop and telecoil combination.
Standards
A standard is an agreed way of doing something such as making a product, managing a process, delivering a service or supplying materials.
Standards are important because they ensure that equipment from different manufacturers will work together, and that users can benefit from services.
IEC 60118-0:2015
Electroacoustics – Hearing aids – Part 0: Measurement of the performance characteristics of hearing aids
IEC 60118-4:2014+AMD1:2017 CSV (Consolidated Version)
Electroacoustics – Hearing aids – Part 4: Induction-loop systems for hearing aid purposes – System performance requirements
IEC 62489-1:2010+AMD1:2014+AMD2:2017 CSV (Consolidated Version)
Electroacoustics – Audio-frequency induction loop systems for assisted hearing – Part 1: Methods of measuring and specifying the performance of system components
IEC 62489-2:2014
Electroacoustics – Audio-frequency induction loop systems for assisted hearing – Part 2: Methods of calculating and measuring the low-frequency magnetic field emissions from the loop for assessing conformity with guidelines on limits for human exposure
IEC TR 63079:2017
Code of practice for hearing-loop systems (HLS)
ETSI EN 300 422-4 V2.1.1 (2017-05)
Wireless Microphones; Audio PMSE up to 3 GHz; Part 4: Assistive Listening Devices including personal sound amplifiers and inductive systems up to 3 GHz; Harmonised Standard covering the essential requirements of article 3.2 of Directive 2014/53/EU