When you go to a large meeting place with high ceilings, lots of seats, and a person speaking twenty or more feet away, it can be difficult to hear and understand. Most places like this have invested in sound systems, use microphones, and place speakers in the ceiling, on the walls, and on pillars among the seats. These speakers are trying to decrease the distance between the person you are listening to and your ears. The farther the distance the sound needs to travel, the softer it will be when it hits your ears. The softer the sound of someone’s voice, the harder it is to understand.
When choosing your seat, choose wisely. In the front and center, you may see best, but you may not hear best. There is usually not an amplified speaker in the front. The person who is speaking is usually at least 20 feet away and this may be too far away for comfortable listening. You should look for speakers on the walls, in the ceiling, and on pillars around the large meeting room before you choose your seat. When you sit next to one of them, you should hear better.
There was one church I used to attend, where the best place to hear the sermon was in the bathroom! There was a speaker, it was a small quiet room, and it was perfect. (Unfortunately, we cannot all fit into the bathroom.)
If you are experiencing difficulties hearing, consider finding out if there are headphones to borrow which will transmit the speaker’s voice directly to your ears. Some congregations have a public telecoil system connected to their speaker system. It is a magnetic induction loop system that will work with some hearing aids, ones with an active telecoil. Wirelessly the speakers voice is transmitted directly into the hearing aids.
If you have any specific questions related to you, your congregation, and what would be best, please reach out to me and ask for help. I will try my best to help you. .
You can feel free to email me, Dawn W. Heiman, AuD, audiologist, at dheiman@helpingyourhearing.com or you can simply call me at 630-930-1025.
