“The Detroit Symphony Orchestra and Michigan Ear Institute have teamed up to bring the installation of a new, state of the art hearing assistance system to Orchestra Hall,” writes Anu Prakash on Friday (6/15) at TV station WXYZ (Detroit). “It’s called Sennheiser Mobile Connect. It’s a WIFI enabled system that streams high-quality audio to Bluetooth devices connected to headphones. Patrons can download the app and use their own devices, like a smartphone or tablet, along with headphones. They can also borrow a device and earbuds from the DSO’s Patron Services desk. ‘The app will open up and they will select a channel and put their headphones in and they’ll be able to hear the orchestra. They can adjust the sound and the bass and treble,’ says March Casey with the DSO. Harold Shapiro, a patron of the DSO, suffers from hearing loss and says using the new technology made a big difference for him. ‘I want to come back to the symphony more because of it. Also, because it’s so much clearer and it’s more enjoyable,’ he says.”
Posted June 19, 2018
