When the house lights dim, the sound still finds you.
Our theatres are fitted with a hearing loop system — assistive listening that sends sound straight to your hearing aid or cochlear implant, with the background noise left behind.
Just switch your hearing aid to the “T” settingA hearing loop delivers the performance directly into your hearing device — no extra equipment to borrow.
A hearing loop — also called an induction loop — is an assistive listening technology that transmits sound directly to hearing aids or cochlear implants, cutting out background noise.
It’s made up of a microphone, an amplifier, and a loop of copper wire that creates a gentle magnetic field. That field is picked up by the telecoil (T-coil) already built into many hearing devices — turning it back into clear, close sound tuned to the listener.
From the stage to your ear, in four steps
The loop amplifier drives a current through the cable around the room, creating a magnetic field. Switch to “T”, and your hearing aid turns that field back into sound.
Audio source
A microphone or the venue’s sound system captures the performance.
Loop amplifier
The loop driver processes the signal and powers the cable.
The loop
Copper wire around the room radiates a magnetic field.
Your telecoil
The T-coil in your hearing aid turns it back into sound — for you.
All you do is switch to “T”
Set your hearing aid or cochlear implant to the telecoil position (marked T or MT) and take your seat. The sound arrives on its own — nothing to collect, nothing to hand back. Not sure how to switch it? Ask any front-of-house team member, or your audiologist.
Clearer sound, using the device you already wear
Noise, gone
Cuts background chatter, echo, and reverberation, so speech and music come through clean.
Your own aids
No headsets or receivers to borrow, clean, or return — you use the hearing aid you came with.
Straight to you
Sound is delivered right into your ear at the level tuned to your own hearing.
of hearing aids include a telecoil. If you’re unsure whether yours does, your audiologist can confirm — and switch it on.
Common in theatres, places of worship, airports, banks, and service counters
Look for the international hearing loop symbol — a blue sign showing an ear and the letter T. At our theatres, it’s at the entrances and box office.
What a loop system is made of
Audio source
A microphone or microphone-linked sound system.
Loop driver / amplifier
Processes the audio signal and powers the loop.
Cable
Copper wire installed around the perimeter of the area.
Receiver
The telecoil inside the listener’s hearing aid.
Great performances, within everyone’s hearing.
Hearing loops let patrons use their own hearing aids without borrowing extra equipment — which is why they’re the standard for public spaces. Joburg City Theatres is bringing this technology to all of our venues.