Your Hearing Aids Are Working. Some Situations Still Aren’t.
Even the best hearing aids have limits. A noisy restaurant. A colleague three seats down in a boardroom. The TV at the other end of the lounge. Your grandkids' voices bouncing off hard floors.
Assistive listening devices (ALDs) fill those gaps, so you're not left nodding along and hoping for the best.
Book a ConsultationTargeted Technology for Targeted Situations
ALDs work alongside your hearing aids or cochlear implant (or independently) to bring sound directly to your ears from the source, before background noise gets involved.
A remote microphone clips to your conversation partner and transmits their voice straight to your devices. A TV streamer cuts out the room and delivers audio at your preferred volume. An alerting device flashes your lights when the doorbell rings.
For some people, ALDs are a useful interim solution while waiting for cochlear implant surgery or deciding about hearing aids. They provide real help in specific situations even before you're ready for full-time amplification.
The right ALD doesn't make everything louder. It makes the right thing clearer.
The Right Device for the Right Situation
ALDs come in several categories, each designed for a specific listening challenge. They work with hearing aids, cochlear implants, or on their own.
The person you're speaking with wears or places a small microphone, and their voice transmits wirelessly to your hearing aids or cochlear implant, cutting down surrounding noise. Effective across several metres. Brands include Phonak Roger systems (Roger On iN, Roger Select, Roger Table Mic II) and ReSound wireless mics. Your clinician will recommend the system compatible with your specific devices.
Stream television audio directly to your hearing aids or cochlear implant processor at your preferred volume. The TV stays at normal volume for everyone else in the room while you hear it clearly. Compatible with most modern hearing aids and cochlear implant processors.
Flashing doorbells, vibrating alarm clocks, visual smoke and fire alerts. Ensures you don't miss important signals at home, and gives your family peace of mind, especially if you remove your devices at night.
ALDs Are Worth Considering If…
You don’t need severe hearing loss to benefit. Many people with mild to moderate loss find ALDs give them back the situations their hearing aids alone can’t cover. And if you’re not yet wearing hearing aids, ALDs can provide targeted help in specific situations while you’re deciding about long-term amplification.
Subsidies May Cover Part or All of the Cost
If you’re eligible under the Australian Government Hearing Services Program (HSP), you may access a subsidy to cover the cost of an ALD. Rebates may also be available through private health insurance extras cover.
Our clinicians will assess which devices are right for your situation and walk you through any funding options that apply.
| Scheme | Covers | Who's Eligible |
|---|---|---|
| HSP | Hearing aids, cochlear implant care, ALDs, assessments | Pensioners, DVA cardholders, under 26, certain govt programs |
| DVA | Hearing aids, cochlear implants, ALDs, assessments | Eligible veterans with DVA card |
| JobAccess | Workplace ALDs (remote mics, conference systems) | Employees whose hearing affects work performance |
| NDIS | Hearing aids, cochlear implants, ALDs (plan-dependent) | NDIS participants with hearing-related goals |
| Private Health | Partial rebates (varies by fund and policy) | Depends on extras cover level |
| Medicare | Some assessments with GP referral, public CI surgery | Citizens and permanent residents |
Frequently asked questions
No. Some ALDs work entirely on their own, without hearing aids. Alerting devices (flashing doorbells, vibrating alarm clocks, visual smoke alerts) don’t require hearing aids at all. Some remote microphones can amplify sound through a speaker or headphone rather than streaming to hearing aids. That said, many of the most effective ALDs, particularly remote microphones and TV streamers, are designed to pair with hearing aids or cochlear implants for the best result. If you’re not currently wearing hearing aids, mention that when you book and we’ll tailor recommendations to your situation.
Possibly, and it’s worth checking before you assume you’ll pay full price. If you’re eligible under the Australian Government Hearing Services Program (HSP), you may access a subsidy covering part or all of the cost of an ALD. DVA cardholders, NDIS participants, and people whose hearing affects their work performance (JobAccess) may also have access to funding. Private health insurance extras cover can provide partial rebates, though this varies by fund and policy. Our clinicians will go through the options relevant to your situation at your consultation.
Because hearing aids, even premium ones, are limited by physics. They sit on or in your ear and pick up everything within range, including background noise. When the person you need to hear is several metres away, or there are multiple conversations happening at once, the signal-to-noise ratio works against you regardless of how good the technology is. A remote microphone placed close to the speaker bypasses that problem entirely by transmitting the voice directly to your hearing aids before background noise gets involved. Many hearing aid users find a remote mic transforms the specific situations their aids can’t crack: restaurants, meetings, long car rides, family dinners.
Yes. Most remote microphone systems, including Phonak Roger technology, are compatible with cochlear implant processors as well as hearing aids. TV streamers are also compatible with most modern cochlear implant processors. Compatibility depends on your specific processor brand and model, so your clinician will confirm which systems work with your setup before recommending anything. If you’re on a waiting list for cochlear implant surgery, ALDs can also provide useful support in the interim.
The honest answer is that it depends on three things: the specific situations where you’re struggling, the hearing devices you already wear, and your daily routine. A remote microphone that works brilliantly in a one-on-one restaurant conversation is a different product to one designed for a boardroom with eight people. Some systems are brand-specific and will only stream to certain hearing aids. Rather than guess, book a consultation and we’ll assess your listening challenges, check compatibility with your devices, and recommend something we’re confident will actually help.
Not sure which device is right for you?
We’ll assess your listening challenges, hearing profile, and daily lifestyle — then recommend the devices that will actually make a difference, whether you wear hearing aids, a cochlear implant, or nothing yet.
We Can Help with JobAccess Funding
If your hearing affects your work performance, you may be eligible for funded workplace ALDs. We provide the clinical documentation required for your application.
