Headphone Review
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Panasonic KX-TCA88HA Hearing Aid Compatible Cordless Phone Headset

Hearing aid compatible headset
The Good

There aren’t many hearing aid compatible headsets out there, and at this price, this one’s a great deal. Solid performance makes for a great headset.

The Bad

The KX-TCA88HA has an exceptionally short cord – just 4 ft. I would’ve liked to see basics like in-line volume and mute controls. Additional finishes would’ve also been nice.

Full StarFull StarFull StarHalf StarEmpty Star The Verdict

If you need a hearing aid compatible headset then this is a good option. Its low price and decent performance make it a real contender. If you don't need hearing aid compatibility in your headset, then you can find something different that’ll perform just as well but for a smaller price.

Editor Profiled

The Hearing Aid Compatible Cordless Phone Headset

If you need a hearing aid compatible headset, this is a good option.

The KX-TCA88HA isn’t made for only those who wear hearing aids.  It’s just optimized so that this headset is beneficial for those who do.  It has decent audio quality on the headphone, and good microphone recognition. I didn’t use the same dictation test on this headset because it appears to be the same microphone unit used on other Panasonic headsets (which all handle dictation well). I did, however, take the KX-TCA88HA on a VOIP run and the person on the other end of the conversation was able to hear me clearly.

An in-line volume control and mute button with the headset have always been features I’ve greatly appreciated. Unfortunately, this model doesn’t come equipped with one.  It’s also stuck with the same 4-foot cord that all other Panasonic headsets have. This isn’t a useful length at all, especially if you’re tall or like to move around a lot while talking.

I had a friend talk to me over VOIP and had his voice channeled from the Panasonic earpiece through another microphone and in to an AUX port of my computer. When I played back the sound file I was actually impressed. I expected to hear something worse than a cheap bootleg but that wasn’t the case.  I think it performed admirably in my impromptu test, but I'm sure it works even better on an actual hearing aid.

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