Hearing loops for churches, mosques and synagogues
In houses of worship, acoustics are often compromised by echoes, reverberation and surrounding noise. This is particularly difficult for hard of hearing people. With a loop installed the visitors are able to listen to a sermon with clear sound and high intelligibility.
Depending on the material and layout of the hall, both perimeter and SLS loops are options. The cable can be hidden and the loop amplifier can be connected to the sound system already in place. Just a small signage by the door will tell your visitors that a loop has been installed and that everyone is welcome to enjoy.
St. Leonard’s Church, United Kingdom
Nestled in the picturesque Somerset village, St. Leonard’s is a charming rural parish church commanding beautiful views over the surrounding countryside. As part of a project to modernize and conserve the building, it was decided to upgrade the existing PA and install an hearing loop system for hearing aid users. The challenge to modernize historic facilities is to do so without ruin the ancient atmosphere of the place. The acoustic challenge for this particular church was the echoes and reverberations from the naked middle age stone walls. The simple but yet so effective solution was a standard perimeter loop configuration, perfectly calibrated, providing crystal clear sound. All wiring were completely concealed, keeping the middle age atmosphere of St. Leonard’s church intact.
The Cardboard Cathedral, New Zealand
The Cardboard Cathedral in Christchurch, New Zealand, a transitional pro‑cathedral of the Anglican Church, opened in August 2013. It seats around 700 people and also serves as a conference venue. It’s made by cardboard tubes, timber, reinforced concrete and steel. Given the heavily reinforced concrete slab in the area where the loop was being installed, an SLS design was the best solution. The design offers a very uniform field strength level across the listening plane.
The Haci Hasan Mosque, Turkey
The Haci Hasan Mosque is situated in the city of Eskisehir, in Central Anatolia, Turkey. It was originally built in the 13th century and is a beautiful example of Seljuk architecture. The Haci Hasan Mosque was restored and redesigned to be the first mosque in Turkey fully accessible to all disabled groups and reopened for worship in 2012. This was also the first mosque in Turkey to be looped and to our knowledge the first in the Muslim world. The mosque has received much attention from local and national Turkish media and hard of hearing people from all around the city come specifically to this mosque because of the loop.