The OSKAR wireless TV speech amplifier, an innovative speaker from German audio specialists Sonoro, is launching in the UK this week, to enhance the TV-watching experience for individuals with hearing impairments.
Born from the personal struggle of founder Marcell Faller’s father, who faced hearing difficulties, the Faller brand aims to help those who struggle to hear dialogue clearly during TV streaming sessions with family and friends.
Already a success in Germany, the OSKAR speaker is now available in the UK at a suggested retail price of £259, from Amazon, and other selected TV and audio retailers.
The OSKAR speaker connects effortlessly to the TV via a docking station, bringing sound directly to the listener and allowing them to enjoy the audio up to 30 meters away from the source.
There are several ways to connect the docking station to your TV – it has an AUX 3.5mm speaker port, an Optical port, and a USB-C port. Curiously though, there’s no support for a Bluetooth connection (perhaps because those sometimes suffer from audio lag).
Once the docking station is connected to your TV – it connects to the speaker wirelessly, and you can place it near you or even carry it around the house.
When fully charged, the speaker can be used for up to 16 hours without placing it back on its docking station.
Marcell Faller, founder and managing director of Sonoro Audio, shared his inspiration for Faller and OSKAR: “My father’s hearing was getting worse, and he had to make more of an effort to understand the TV sound.
“Above all, he could no longer hear the dialogue properly and quickly became tired due to the strain of listening.”
Designed with ease of use and dialogue definition as priorities, the OSKAR features a single large control wheel for power and volume adjustment and a ‘Speech Filter’ button for toggling between its three speech settings.
Sonoro, known for crafting high-quality audio systems since 2006, has lent its award-winning expertise to Faller, ensuring that the OSKAR meets the highest standards.
Beyond utilizing their team’s experience, Faller conducted extensive research into hearing care. Marcell Faller elaborates:
“In over two years of intensive development, we sat down with many people who suffer from hearing loss, as well as ENT doctors, international research companies in the field of hearing acoustics, and numerous hearing care professionals to develop the best possible product for people with impaired hearing.”
The OSKAR TV voice amplifier emphasizes voices and important speech frequency bands while dynamically filtering out background noise. It is equipped with two full-range speakers, a passive driver for optimal sound and clear speech reproduction, and the docking station, which is also used for charging.
Technical Specifications:
- 2 x 35 mm, stereo full-range speakers
- Power output is 2 W + 2 W, @1% THD, 1 KHz, 4 Ω
- Includes a passive driver for the bass range
- Rechargeable lithium-ion battery
- Charging time: approx. 4 hours
- Operating time: approx. 16 hours
- LC3 frequency band with low latency (2.402 GHz – 2.480 GHz)
- Maximum range: approx. 30 m
Docking station:
- 160 x 66 x 25 mm (W x D x H)
- AUX-In (3.5 mm jack)
- Toslink (Optical Audio Input)
- USB port (USB-C, input: DC 5.0 V 2.0 A)
OSKAR:
- 240 x 60 x 102 mm (W x D x H)
- Headphone connection AUX-Out (3.5 mm jack)
- USB port (USB-C, input: DC 5.0 V, 2.0 A)
The OSKAR is now available to order from Amazon UK.