I was loaned the Bellman Domino Classic recently and am therefore posting the following information about it. This listener is similar to the Bellman Domino Pro, but does not have some advanced settings of the latter and does not possess a directional microphone in the transmitter. It is less expensive than the Domino Pro.

My report about it is appended below.

Bellman Domino Classic 10th September 2010

I have a moderately severe (bilateral) hearing loss of the usual high frequency type and used the BC in association with the neck loop supplied. I did not use the headset.

It is well presented, well packaged and looks to be a most useful instrument. The instructions were clear and complete.


Use for watching television
1) I found there was marked interference when the transmitter is placed near the TV set. Both sound and vision were affected. Occasionally this interference was delayed for a few minutes before onset. The interference was present both when listening using the transmitter mic and when using the audio lead. The advantage of the audio lead is that the transmitter can then be removed over 6 feet away from the set and the interference then ceased. When listening with the transmitter mic over 6 feet away obviously the sound reception was not so good.
2) The volume of sound coming via the telecoil setting was not loud enough for me. I had to use virtually full volume to get a satisfactory sound signal. I tried this with different hearing aids (a private aid by Phonak and my normal NHS Siemans aid) and there was no improvement.

Use in the car I tried the BC in 4 different cars
1) As soon as the engine is switched on there was a high pitched (Telecoil position) hum. This is generated in the hearing aid when on the Telecoil setting. It was not related to the listener. It was present with different makes of hearing aid. It was present with other listeners (Contego, Phonak) in the same car. The hum is a nuisance. It is a steady relatively high pitched noise and gets on your nerves. The voice signal is quite good despite the hum but I tended to turn the BC off except on the occasions I wanted to hear my companion’s conversation.
2) The above observations were noted on two relatively modern cars (5 and 7 years old). In an older car (Rover 8 years old) there was no hum but a crackle was present which was related to the engine. This was sufficiently bad to make the use of the BC unsatisfactory in this car. I also found the volume of sound not quite loud enough – especially with the crackle interference. The crackle increased with increased sound volume gain.
3) I then tried the BC in a slightly older car (Suzuki - 10 years old) without the electronic gadgetry of more modern cars. In this older vehicle I found no interference and (with the sound control near max) could hear well.

General listening situations – committee meetings, group conversations.
The BC might be used when attempting to pick up conversation in groups, but the lack of a directional microphone means that it is not quite a good in this situation as the Bellman Domino and the other listeners which have the directional facility.

Guided tours, lectures etc
When used with a neck loop it can be used in guided tours and lectures etc. The volume might be better if turned up.

General points
1) It is a nuisance that the wire connecting the receiver to the neck loop is so long (1 m) and that one cannot suspend the receiver from the neck loop. The long wire tends to get in the way and easily can tangle.
2) It is also a nuisance that the audio lead is also so long (5 m)
3) The clip by which the receiver is clipped to clothing is quite difficult to use especially when attaching to softer fabrics (woollens etc).
4) The sound volume is very quiet when used on the telecoil
5) The green (on/off) button is quite hard to see in strong light.
6) There is little warning that the battery is about to fail. The low battery warning should kick in earlier. It let me down when I was trying to use it for a lecture lasting one hour.
7) The neck loop attachment can easily separate without one realizing.


In summary
1) The quieter sound volume means that the BC is likely to be of more use for those who have a milder hearing impediment. At times use may then be made of the long lead of the receiver microphone. However its use in that way means it is not offering more than the Sonido which is a much cheaper instrument. For my own use this long lead was nothing but a nuisance. The very long lead for use with the transmitter was also a nuisance. Maybe the manufacturer will ‘correct’ this in later editions.
2) The clothing attachment clips are not very easy to use.
3) Interference with the TV may occur. This may be avoided by keeping the transmitter well away from the set and connecting to the TV by means of the supplied long audio lead.
4) When used with the neck loop, there may be, on occasions, some interference in cars.
5) I would recommend its use for milder hearing loss perhaps especially for those who do not wear a hearing aid who would appreciate the frequency control. In its present form I would not recommend it for those who have a more severe hearing impediment.