Yes, the EasyListen function to slow down conversations on a mobile phone also works for the various cloud platforms. However, for video calls and conferences there will be a noticeable lip sync problem.

You can use the BeHear headset to listen to the TV even without the HearLink PLUS transmitter, but HearLink PLUS will provide better sound quality, as the audio will be streamed directly to the headset.

In the box you have the BeHear headset, a charging cable, 3 different sizes of ear hooks and 9 different pairs of ear tips. BeHear NOW comes with a travel case and BeHear ACCESS comes with a travel bag and a charging cradle.

The W&H BeHear smartphone application supports both Android (from version 4.4 and up) and iOS (from version 9 and up).

Yes, it does.

You have 30 calendar days to return any item you purchased from the WearAndHear.com site (from the date you received it). To be eligible for a return, your item must be in good condition, in the original packaging. Your item needs to include the receipt or proof of purchase.

Products ordered to North American addresses are shipped from our logistics center in the USA and are typically delivered within one week. Orders to the European Union are shipped from our logistics center in the U.K. or The Netherlands and are typically delivered within a week to ten days. Orders for the rest of the world are shipped from Israel and are typically delivered within a week to ten days.

Yes, our assistive hearing headsets are designed to give you personalized amplification for computer-generated audio and conference calls, as well as live conversations. For conference calls with apps such as Skype, Zoom, MS Teams, Google Meet, and WebEx, you will simply need to pair the BeHear headset with the sound source (smartphone or computer) and select BeHear in the conference platform’s audio settings.

If you would like to purchase any W&H product locally, please refer to our Contact page to see a list of authorized partners, worldwide.

While both products look and function like a Bluetooth® stereo headset, and also include fully customizable hearing amplification and noise reduction for live conversations, mobile phone calls, music play, and ambient sounds, AND clarify speech (and if needed during mobile phone calls, slow it down!), AND enhance music, there are four basic differences.

As opposed to BeHear NOW, BeHear ACCESS:

1. includes two telecoil receivers to deliver optimal sound in locations outfitted with induction loop technology.
2. has large, tactile buttons for easier operation (especially if dexterity is an issue).
3. comes with a magnetized charging cradle, as opposed to a direct USB cable which attaches to the neckband (also a usability issue).
4. is more expensive.

BeHear was designed to help people with mild-to-moderate hearing loss, who may not need amplification in every hearing situation (although customers with severe hearing loss also report their satisfaction). It can help clarify dialogue, enhance music appreciation, and improve intelligibility of phone conversations.

The smartphone is also instrumental in fine-tuning the hearing environment in real time. However, the headset itself includes seven built-in control buttons that allow you to use it autonomously. So, if you want to use the device for ambient hearing only (not mobile phone calls or audio streaming from a phone), you do not need a smartphone.

1. Using your smartphone, download the free W&H BeHear app from Google Play Store or the Apple Store.
2. Open the W&H BeHear app, and choose an interface language.
3. You will be prompted to indicate which headset you have (either BeHear NOW or BeHear ACCESS).
4. The app will then show you how to put the headset into pairing mode (your phone’s Bluetooth option must be active).
5. Follow the app’s on-screen prompts to connect the headset to your phone.
6. Once the connection is successful, the headset will be turned off automatically. You are instructed to press its power button to turn it back on.
7. Once the headset is back on, the pairing process is complete and you should start the hearing assessment.

1. To connect your BeHear headset to a Windows PC, first you must place the headset into pairing mode (when the headset is OFF, press the power button for several seconds until the LED flashes alternating red and blue lights).
2. Then (and only then!) go to Settings > Bluetooth & other devices on your Windows PC.
3. Click the “Add Bluetooth or other device” option
   
4. Click “Bluetooth”:
   
5. Your BeHear headset will appear as an audio device in the list next to a “headphone” icon. Click on this device name to connect:
   

Note: If you don’t follow the sequence detailed above, and instead start searching for new device in the PC while your headset is simply ON (not in pairing mode), BeHear will appear in the list as unknown device, with no “audio” under the name and no “headphone” icon next to it. Connecting to this device will not activate BeHear as a headphone/headset.

Make sure that the Bluetooth option on your computer is set to “on”. This option is usually found in the “Settings” section, “Bluetooth and Other Devices” sub-section.

On Windows computers you can quickly access the Bluetooth settings from the action center in the system tray.

If you don’t see the Bluetooth icon here it may be an indication that Bluetooth is not active. In this case, go to the computer Settings → Devices and make sure the Bluetooth switch is ON. If it is not, slide it to the right to activate Bluetooth.

Yes. A long press on the middle button of the right-hand control box will toggle between “Telecoil” and “Personal Hearing” modes. Short presses in either of those modes will scroll through their options (Telecoil Exclusive and Telecoil Transparent in the “Telecoil” mode, and Indoor, Outdoor, Crowd, and Live Music in the “Personal Hearing” modes). Voice prompts after each click will announce the name of the current mode.

Additionally, you can choose any of the six above-mentioned hearing modes with a tap on the relevant icon in the “Home” menu of the W&H BeHear app.

The answer is yes. When you are in Personal Hearing mode, tap the equalizer button under the hearing environment icons. Scroll down until you reach the “Balance” section. You can adjust the balance between ears here, and it will apply to all hearing environments (Indoor, Outdoor, Crowd, and Live Music) as well as the hearing modes (Personal Hearing, Mobile Calls, and Audio Streaming).
You may find this setting useful for situations in which annoying sounds are coming from a specific direction, and you are unable to change your physical position. Otherwise, there may be no need, since once you have applied the results from your hearing assessment to the headset the balance should then be optimal for your unique hearing profile.

If you have a set top box you may be able to use it to bypass the television’s audio output jack. Many set top boxes (cable boxes) have an analog audio output jack and/or an optical (digital) audio output jack. If you connect the HearLink/HearLink PLUS TV transmitter directly to the set top box the audio may transmit simultaneously to the BeHear headset and the television speakers.

If you have a set top box you can use it instead, as many set top boxes (cable boxes) have an analog audio output jack and/or an optical (digital) audio output jack. In this case, connect the HearLink/HearLink PLUS TV transmitter directly to the audio output jack on the set top box.

Sure! BeHear products connect to practically any Bluetooth-supported device (such as an iPad, music player, or other tablet) to stream audio directly to your headset. For tips on connecting multiple Bluetooth devices to your headset see this video (for BeHear NOW) and this video (for BeHear ACCESS).

Most phone apps play a tone for keystrokes and notifications, which are interpreted by the BeHear headset as sounds to be personalized for your hearing. You can solve this “muting” problem by turning off system-wide notifications on your phone, such as keyboard touch key sounds.

To reset an unresponsive HearLink transmitter, connect it to the charger while pressing the MFB (Multi-Function Button).

A grayed-out Home button indicates that the headset is not connected to the app. Go to Settings->Connection and verify that the headset is in the Paired Devices list. If you don’t see the BeHear device in the list you’ll need to pair it — see the video links below for instructions.

When the headset is connected properly a checkmark will appear. If there is no checkmark, tap the name of the headset in the list of Paired devices to re-connect the headset. Another way to reinstate the connection is with a short press on the headset’s Power button. For more information about pairing your headset with the app, watch these videos:

• For BeHear NOW
• For BeHear ACCESS

The Basic hearing assessment, which checks audible hearing levels for six frequencies for each ear, is the default setting in the W&H BeHear app. The Advanced hearing assessment, which checks for most comfortable level in addition to audible level for these six frequencies, can be selected as follows:

1. Go to the Settings menu (located at the bottom of the app screen).
2. Tap the Application icon.
3. Scroll down to the Hearing Assessment Mode entry.
4. Tap on the Advanced text so that the check mark appears next to it.
5. Now, go to the Personal menu (located at the bottom of the app screen).
6. Tap the Assessment icon to start the test.

Watch this video for step-by-step instructions.

1. The default settings (OFF, ON or Last State) define the initial state of the function (Hearing, ListenThrough or EasyListen) when appropriated operation mode is active (call, music play or nothing). The default settings serve only for user convenience to start operation in desired state of the related function. For example, setting the status to ON for EasyListen will cause an automatic slow down of the speech in every call. You can turn the function ON and OFF during operation manually by pressing the MODE button (central button in the right control box) or tapping the desired tempo in the W&H BeHear app.
2. App version 1.6.xx and above allows you to manage device settings at any time. Simply choose Settings in the bottom menu and then tap the Device icon. This is the place where default settings of the functions are available. It is possible to change them, specifically to set EasyListen and ListenThrough to the desired default state.

The battery in the BeHear headset is rechargeable (tested up to 600 cycles) but not replaceable. We designed it this way to provide protection against water and dust damage for the life of the product, as well as to keep the price down.

Our BeHear headsets have technology for enhancing nearby speech while dampening down distracting background noise. These are displayed on the “Personal Hearing” screen:

• the “Best Sound Point” grid 
• the “Noise Reduction” controls

There are four microphones in the headset (two in the ear buds and two in the control boxes, which lie near your collarbone). These microphones pick up ambient, nearby sounds, like your conversation.

Use the grid to focus on your conversation partner by choosing a square that sounds best to your ears (depending on the pitch of the partner’s voice). Each square in the grid defines a specific sound level which is a unique combination of frequency (left to right is low to high) and amplitude (bottom to top is low to high). The edges of the grid represent the extreme combinations. For more information about this grid, read this post.

If the background noise is bothering you, the Noise Reduction levels will help screen those out.

Watch this video for more information about Personal Hearing mode.

1. On the headset itself
2. Using the W&H smartphone app

For more information, use this link to see the video instructions, or this link to read the manual.

Use this link to see the video instructions, or this link to read the manual.

Use this link to see the video instructions, or this link to read the manual.

This setting is applied to the volume control, in addition to the results of the built-in hearing assessment, and will be active in all operation modes of the headset: phone calls, audio playback and personal hearing amplification.

For more information, use this link to see the video instructions, or this link to read the manual.

For more information, use this link to see the video instructions, or this link to read the manual.

However, without Bluetooth you will not be able to stream audio from your mobile phone or music player directly to the BeHear headset.

Use this link to see the video instructions, or this link to read the manual.

For each additional Bluetooth device you would like to link to the BeHear headset you will need to perform the pairing procedure (placing the headset into “Pairing Mode” by turning it OFF, and then pressing the power button for several seconds until the LED flashes red/blue).

For more information, use this link to see the video instructions, or this link to read the manual.

1. Using the built-in Hearing Assessment in the smartphone app, which applies the results automatically to the four presets (Indoor, Outdoor, Crowd, Live Music — and Telecoil/Telecoil Exclusive for BeHear ACCESS) to match your preferences and capabilities.
2. In real-time, using the controls in the Home section of the smartphone app to select a preset relevant to your current hearing situation. Then, click the “equalizer” button at the bottom of this screen to access the “Sound Tuning” section to fine-tune gain across frequencies, and below the grid determine the amount of noise reduction you prefer. Click here to learn more about the sound tuning grid.

Use this link to see the video instructions for the Hearing Assessment, or this link for Customizing in Real-Time, or this link to read the manual.

Use this link to see the video instructions, or this link to read the manual.

Have you used the W&H BeHear smartphone application to run the hearing test assessment? If so, note that the results are applied to the personal hearing presets (Indoor, Outdoor, Crowd and Live Music), and are programmed into the headset itself.

Still, we recommend downloading and pairing your new smartphone with the headset so that you can get maximum benefit. Watch this video for detailed instructions.

To see closed captions from the W&H BeHear app

1. Click the three vertical dots in the upper right-hand corner of the screen.
2. Tap “Captions”.
3. Tap the desired language:

To see closed captions on your laptop/desktop computer

1. Click the Settings icon in the lower right section of the video frame.
2. Click “Subtitles/CC” to see the available languages.
3. Select the language of your choice.

Return to the “Videos” page.

HearLink Plus may be helpful in this case, however. Because it sends the audio signal directly to the paired BeHear headset it eliminates ambient noise, room reverberation, and other types of sound interference which hamper understanding of speech from the television.

The W&H BeHear smartphone application supports both Android (from version 4.4 and up) and iOS (from version 9 and up).

The BeHear NOW and BeHear ACCESS headsets are Bluetooth Class II devices, while the HearLink PLUS is a Bluetooth Class I device. As a result, you many wonder what kind of transmission range you can expect with this product combination. Here is a detailed explanation:

1. A Bluetooth link between two devices is always bi-directional. The actual range depends on radio performance of the transmitter and the receiver on the both sides.
2. The difference between Class I and Class II Bluetooth devices in radio transmitting power is 16dB (Class I – 20dBm, Class II – 4dBm). Consequently, the power transmitted by a Class I device is ~40 times greater than that of a Class II device (10^(16/10)). The distance is a function of the square root of the power, meaning that the distance can be increased by ~6 times (SQR(40)) from 10m for Class II to 60m for Class I.
3. In addition, a Class I device has improved receiver sensitivity (by ~4dB), which leads to an increased distance of ~1.5 times. Consequently, typical distance for Class I is 100m vs. 10m for Class II.
4. When a Class I device is connected to a Class II headset the expected distance is as follows:
   a. From a Class I transmitter to a Class II receiver – up to 60m (see paragraph #2)
   b. From a Class II transmitter to Class I receiver – up to 15m (see paragraph #3)
   c. For a bi-directional it is ~15m, based on the shortest range of #a and #b.
5. HearLink PLUS as a Class I device provides additional improvements because of its dual-antenna design. The major effect is for the receiving part, since transmitting power is limited according to the standard. For communication with a Class II receiver, like our BeHear headsets, the distance is increased significantly because of this improvement. According to experimental data the operational distance for the HearLink PLUS and a BeHear NOW or BeHear ACCESS: up to ~60m (~200ft).

The Bluetooth version in BeHear headsets is v. 4.2 and in the HearLink PLUS it is v. 5. However, the range depends on the class of the Bluetooth device (Class I or Class II) rather than on its version (v. 4.2 or v. 5). BeHear are Class II devices while HearLink PLUS are Class I. Operation range between these two devices is larger than for two Class II devices (10m or 40ft) though less than for two Class I devices (100m or 400ft). We expect that for the BeHear + HearLink PLUS combination you can get a 20m or 80ft range, in open spaces.

The HearLink PLUS Bluetooth transmitter (using the aptX-LL CODEC) achieves low latency of only 40ms, avoiding lip sync issues.

The current versions of both our headsets (BeHear NOW and BeHear ACCESS) support both the Qualcomm aptX “classic” and aptX-LL (low latency) codecs.

1. The BeHear ACCESS headset is calibrated with a standard inductive loop transmitter as per the ANSI S3.22-2009 standard.
2. Signal levels can be adjusted based on the current environment using the headset’s volume control (either manually or via the free app we provide for iOS and Android smartphones).

• in “hearing mode”: 13+ hours
• for phone use: 10+ hours
• for music play: 8+ hours
• typical battery lifespan: ~3 years

There are many audio transmitters on the market, but HearLink PLUS has some unique features that set it apart as the transmitter of choice for assistive hearing.

1. It supports ListenThrough™ technology to allow important ambient sounds (like a conversation with a TV viewing partner, or the doorbell) to pass through on top of the streamed audio.
2. During incoming phone calls the audio stream will be stopped and then automatically resumed when the call is completed.
3. It supports up to two BeHear® headsets simultaneously.

Notes:

• A full charge takes 2-3 hours.
• After 600 charging cycles the battery will continue to function, but usage time may be reduced between charges.

Yes, although you can fully charge the headset’s battery within 2-3 hours, it is not damaging to the battery to keep it in the charger overnight.

This noise, which sounds like a whistle and is also known as feedback, can be the result of one or more issues. There are a few things you can do:

1. The ear bud may not be securely positioned within the ear canal. Try to re-adjust it, or choose a pair of ear tips that fit better. See one of these videos for details:
   BeHear ACCESS
   BeHear NOW
2. The volume may be too high. Try turning it down a bit.
3. Change the “Best Sound Point” in the Sound Tuning grid to a lower region on the screen.
   See one of these videos for details:
   BeHear ACCESS
   BeHear NOW
4. If none of the above solves the problem, you may have wax build-up in your ear.

1. As the headset can be connected to two devices at any one time, you need to make sure it’s not currently channeling the audio from any other device you may have connected (iPad/tablet/HearLink, etc.).
2. When connecting to a desktop / Windows computer, the BeHear headset can appear in two different listings, once as a “Headset” and once as “Headphones”. Only the “Headset” listing will enable the BeHear microphones to transmit (the “HeadPhones” setting uses BeHear as a speaker only). Try switching between these two options.
3. If you are using a communication application, such as Skype or Zoom, it is not enough to specify in the computer settings that the BeHear headset should be the audio device. You will also need to specify it in the communication application’s audio settings.

If your HearLink or HearLink PLUS isn’t operating to your satisfaction, check possible causes below:

1. The quality of the Bluetooth connection (and associated audio distortions) depends on the weakest connection of the two connected headsets. For example, audio distortions may be heard by the wearer of the headset closest to the HearLink/HearLink PLUS transmitter when the second headset is out of the transmitter’s range.
2. The active CODEC (SBC, aptX or aptX-LL) for the HearLink/HearLink PLUS transmitter is determined according to the common denominator for the both headsets. Two BeHear headsets will always operate in aptX-LL mode. However, if one of the connected headsets is not a BeHear headset, and it doesn’t support aptX, both headsets will work in SBC mode only. (Note: HearLink does not support two connections with the aptX CODEC. If paired with two headsets simultaneously it will work in SBC mode only.)
3. It is not recommended to connect two headsets simultaneously to one HearLink/HearLink PLUS and maintain separate smartphone connections for each headset. This is due to problems which may arise when the wearer desires to switch the audio stream between his/her phone and HearLink/HearLink PLUS (e.g., for an incoming call from one of the phones).

This sometimes happens when two Bluetooth devices (e.g., your smartphone and a computer) are both connected to the BeHear headset. We are currently working to fix this problem. Until we do, our suggestion is to disconnect the device which is not currently in use for the purposes of the call.

First, verify that you are within Bluetooth range (~10 feet, 3.5 meters for HearLink; ~200 feet, 60 meters for HearLink PLUS).

If that is not the issue, and a long time has passed between uses, or if the smartphone has been playing an audio stream, the headset may not automatically reconnect with the HearLink or HearLink PLUS transmitter when you are within range. In this case, a short press on the headset’s Power button should re-establish the connection with the transmitter.

The serial number is printed on a white label on the inside of the neckband:

It can also be seen in the W&H BeHear app, in the “Connections” screen of the “Settings” menu:

Try the following:

1. Check the HearLink PLUS panel and make sure the OPT or AUX indicator is lit. If neither is lit, make sure the power and output cables are connected securely.
2. Verify that the HearLink PLUS transmitter is in TX mode and that the TX indicator is lit.
3. Either the A or B indicator on the HearLink PLUS panel should be lit. If it’s not, it’s a sign that the headset is not connected. Press the ON/OFF button once (short press) and check again. If one of the A/B indicators lights up, then the transmitter has connected to the headset successfully. You should now hear sound in the headset.
4. If you still don’t hear sound, turn up the volume on the TV itself (or by using the BeHear headset’s left-hand side volume control).

If the TV sound is unclear or distorted, try turning ListenThrough mode OFF, or reducing the transparency of ambient sounds via the ListenThrough microphones using the headset’s right-hand volume button.

This sometimes happens when ListenThrough is activated on a high transparency setting (the dot on the scale is set far on the right). In this instance, slide the dot to the left until the strange sound disappears.

Alternatively, turn off ListenThrough completely by sliding the dot all the way to the left (or tapping the mute button to the left of the scale), or by pressing the middle button on the headset’s right-hand control box.

You can also change the default settings for ListenThrough so that it will not be activated until you choose to do so. To change the default settings:

1. Tap the “Settings” icon at the bottom of the W&H BeHear app screen.
2. Tap the “Device” icon.
3. Scroll down to the “ListenThrough Music” section, and tap the ▼ symbol below the descriptive text to reveal the drop-down list of options.
4. Choose “OFF”.

For most music players it will be listed as a “headphone” while for messaging services, such as Skype/Viber/WeChat etc., it will be listed as a “headset”.

For each additional Bluetooth device you would like to link to the BeHear headset you will need to perform the pairing procedure (placing the headset into “Pairing Mode” by turning it OFF, and then pressing the power button for several seconds until the LED flashes red/blue). You should see the BeHear headset in the “Audio Devices” section of the Bluetooth pairing screen.

For more information, view one of these videos:

• For BeHear ACCESS
• For BeHear NOW

All models of the BeHear personalized hearing amplifier have their own microphones, four in total. Two are located in the ear buds, and two in the control boxes on the cables. BeHear doesn’t use the cell phone as a microphone. The lag/processing time is about 20 (out of 1000) milliseconds.

This depends on your specific TV. Some televisions support dual audio output devices while others do not. One way around this is to purchase the Wear & Hear “Harmony Bundle” which includes two headsets and one HearLink. Both you and the other person will then be able to hear the TV without ambient noise and optimized for your own hearing (while staying aware of important sounds, and able to speak to and hear one another).

Here is more information about the bundle: https://wearandhear.com/product/hearing-harmony-bundle/

For most music players it will be listed as a “headphone” while for messaging services, such as Skype/Viber/WeChat etc., it will be listed as a “headset”.

Use this link to see the video instructions, or this link to download the appropriate manual.

1. To restart BeHear in a simple reset, connect it to the charger. All configuration and connection data will be preserved.
2. To restart BeHear and remove the Bluetooth connection data only:
   1. Power on the BeHear headset.
   2. Press and hold the Power button + the middle and bottom buttons on the right control box simultaneously for approximately 8 seconds, until a purple L.E.D. blinks once.
   3. Power off the headset and then power it on again.
3. To restart the BeHear headset and restore the original factory configuration:
   1. Power on the BeHear headset.
   2. Press and hold the Power button + the middle and top buttons on the right control box simultaneously for approximately 8 seconds, until a yellow L.E.D. blinks once.
   3. Connect the headset to the charger.
   4. Disconnect the headset from the charger and then power the headset on.

Use this link to see the video instructions, or this link to read the manual.

1. Based on the location of the main microphones in the BeHear headset
2. Utilizing additional microphones in the control boxes that help to provide very good sound localization, even in very noisy environments