Most hearing aids can’t connect directly to a TV’s built-in Bluetooth. TVs use standard Bluetooth profiles designed for headphones and speakers, while most hearing aids use a different, low-energy protocol that isn’t compatible. The solution for most people is a small TV streaming device made by their hearing aid manufacturer, which plugs into the TV and wirelessly sends audio to the hearing aids using the right signal. A few newer hearing aids and TVs support direct connections, but they’re still the exception.
Why Most Hearing Aids Won’t Pair Directly
Standard Bluetooth uses audio profiles called HFP and A2DP, which were designed long before hearing aids entered the picture. Most modern hearing aids from Oticon, ReSound, Signia, Widex, and Starkey use Bluetooth Low Energy with proprietary protocols (Apple’s Made for iPhone or Google’s ASHA for Android). These low-energy protocols are great for streaming from phones, but they’re incompatible with the Bluetooth transmitter inside your TV.
Phonak is the notable exception. Their hearing aids (Marvel, Paradise, Lumity lines) use classic Bluetooth, which means they can pair with some TVs the same way wireless headphones do. If you wear Phonak aids, it’s worth trying a direct connection before buying extra hardware. Open your TV’s Bluetooth settings, put your hearing aids in pairing mode, and see if they appear in the device list.
The TV Streamer: How Most People Connect
Every major hearing aid brand sells a dedicated TV streaming accessory. These small boxes plug into your television’s audio output (usually optical/Toslink or a 3.5mm headphone jack) and broadcast the sound to your hearing aids using the same low-energy wireless signal your phone uses. Setup is straightforward: connect the streamer to your TV, pair it with your hearing aids, and audio flows to your ears whenever you’re in range.
Here’s what each brand offers:
- Phonak TV Connector: Plug-and-play device compatible with Audéo Lumity, Life, Marvel, and Paradise hearing aids.
- Oticon TV Adapter 3.0: Streams wirelessly to Oticon hearing aids from the TV’s audio output.
- ReSound TV Streamer 2: Sends audio directly to ReSound hearing aids from up to 22 feet away. Their newer TV-Streamer+ supports Auracast broadcast technology for Nexia hearing aids.
- Signia StreamLine TV: Delivers Dolby Digital sound to Signia AX, Xperience, and Nx series hearing aids.
- Starkey StarLink Edge TV Streamer: Uses Bluetooth Low Energy Audio and works with Genesis AI and Evolv AI hearing aids.
- Widex TV PLAY: Streams high-quality audio to Widex hearing aids.
- Connexx Smart Transmitter 2.4: A versatile option that works across Signia, Rexton, and related brands, and can stream to multiple pairs of hearing aids at once.
These devices typically cost between $200 and $350. Your audiologist may include one with your hearing aid purchase, so ask before buying separately. The streamer needs to stay connected to your TV permanently, but they’re small enough to tuck behind the set.
Setting Up a TV Streamer Step by Step
While specifics vary by brand, the process follows the same pattern for nearly every manufacturer’s streaming device.
First, connect the streamer to your TV. Most streamers include an optical (Toslink) cable and a 3.5mm analog cable. Optical is the better choice if your TV has the port, since it carries a cleaner digital signal. Plug one end into the TV’s audio output, the other into the streamer, then power the streamer using the included USB cable or wall adapter.
Next, pair your hearing aids with the streamer. The exact method depends on your hearing aids. Common ways to enter pairing mode include opening and closing the battery compartment (which resets the aids and activates pairing for about three minutes), pressing and holding a button on the hearing aid, or placing rechargeable aids on the charger and then removing them. Check your hearing aid manual for the specific trigger. Once the aids are in pairing mode, the streamer should detect them automatically. Some brands also let you manage the pairing through their smartphone app.
Finally, adjust the volume. Most manufacturer apps let you control the TV stream volume independently from environmental sounds, so you can blend the two to your preference. You can also adjust your TV’s volume normally for anyone else watching.
Keeping TV Speakers On for Others
If you watch TV with family members, you’ll want sound coming through both the hearing aids and the TV speakers simultaneously. With a dedicated hearing aid TV streamer, this usually happens by default since the streamer taps into the TV’s audio output without replacing the speakers.
If you’re using a direct Bluetooth connection (with Phonak aids or Bluetooth headphones), most TVs mute the speakers when a Bluetooth device connects. Samsung TVs have a feature called Multi-output Audio that overrides this. To enable it on 2022 to 2025 Samsung models, go to Settings, then All Settings, then General & Privacy, then Accessibility, and toggle on Multi-output Audio. Older Samsung models have the same option in slightly different menu locations: 2017 to 2021 models put it under Settings, then General, then Accessibility. On 2015 models, look under Menu, then Sound, then Speaker Settings, then Bluetooth Headphones.
LG and Sony TVs have similar options, often labeled “Bluetooth + TV Speakers” or found in accessibility settings. If your TV doesn’t offer simultaneous output, the TV streamer route solves this problem entirely.
Audio Delay and Lip-Sync Issues
Bluetooth streaming introduces a delay between what you see on screen and what you hear. Standard Bluetooth can add up to several hundred milliseconds of latency. Even 40 milliseconds is enough for some people to notice a mismatch between lip movements and sound, and anything beyond that becomes genuinely distracting.
Manufacturer TV streamers minimize this problem because they use proprietary 2.4 GHz wireless protocols optimized for hearing aids rather than generic Bluetooth. Most keep latency low enough that you won’t notice any lip-sync issues during normal TV watching. If you do experience a visible delay, check your TV’s audio settings for a “lip sync” or “audio delay” adjustment, which lets you shift the audio timing by a few milliseconds to compensate.
Third-Party Bluetooth Transmitters
If your hearing aids support classic Bluetooth (primarily Phonak), a third-party Bluetooth transmitter can be a cheaper alternative to a manufacturer streamer. These devices plug into your TV’s optical or headphone output and broadcast a Bluetooth signal. Look for models that specifically support aptX Low Latency, which reduces the delay to around 40 milliseconds compared to the 200+ milliseconds of standard Bluetooth. Brands like HomeSpot and Monoprice make transmitters with both Toslink input and low-latency support for under $50.
For hearing aids that use MFi or ASHA protocols, third-party transmitters won’t work. These aids only accept streaming from compatible phones and manufacturer accessories, so you’ll need your brand’s dedicated TV device.
Auracast: What’s Coming Next
Auracast is a new Bluetooth broadcast standard that will eventually let TVs stream audio directly to any compatible hearing aid without extra hardware. It works over Bluetooth Low Energy Audio and can broadcast to unlimited listeners simultaneously, making it useful for both home TVs and public spaces like airports and theaters.
A few hearing aids already support Auracast, including ReSound’s Nexia line and recent Starkey models. The challenge right now is on the TV side: very few televisions broadcast Auracast signals yet. An international standard for Auracast compatibility in public venues isn’t expected until late 2027, and widespread TV support will likely follow a similar timeline. If your hearing aids are labeled “Auracast-ready,” they’ll gain this capability through a firmware update once the infrastructure catches up. For now, a TV streamer remains the most reliable option.