An occasional use device for people with mild to moderate hearing problems

I have been testing the new IQbuds Boost hearable devices from NuHeara over the last couple of weeks. To be honest, they are really interesting devices and I have found that they help me hear pretty clearly. I don’t think they will replace my hearing aids, and I don’t think NuHeara has released them as a replacement, but they are a fantastic occasional use device. Let’s talk about the IQbuds Boost.

I have a set of the original iQbuds and I have always found them really good. They are in essence a fantastic Bluetooth headset with transparent access to external sound. The devices also offer a bit of noise reduction and a bit of a high-frequency boost. All of which meant that you could get a bit of help with hearing speech in a noisy environment. 

Hearing Helpers

They were never going to be a replacement for hearing aids but they would give someone with a mild hearing difficulty a bit of a boost during the occasions that they wore them. As an initial entry device into this growing market, they were outstanding. They were received very well in the market and NuHeara has got some real global traction with them.

NuHeara & NAL-NL2

However, NuHeara had bigger plans and was by no means going to rest on their laurels. NuHeara undertook the process of validation of their devices with National Acoustic Laboratories for the NAL-NL2 prescription in their new devices. NAL-NL2 is a respected non-linear prescriptive formula that is used in many of the world’s hearing aids. NuHeara say:

NAL-NL2 is their latest fitting formula (NL2 stands for Non-linear 2, which means it’s a fitting formula for dynamic WDRC systems) – it is used to fit more hearing aids than any other formula in the world and is based on a deep scientific foundation. This is why we licensed this technology – it’s the best!

In order for NuHeara to validate the use of the prescriptive formula in their devices, they asked National Acoustic Laboratories to undertake a series of studies and validations which they did. Now that the process has been completed they are free to release the updated IQbuds Boost which builds upon the foundation of the initial devices and moves them in function directly towards hearing aid functionality.

Are They Hearing Aids?

These devices aren’t hearing aids as we traditionally know them, but they don’t pretend to be. However, having tested them, I believe they are great devices for people with hearing loss for occasional use. The key here is occasional, you would certainly not wear them all day every day. However, if you had occasional problems in some situations, these devices might just help you out a great deal.

Ear ID & Setting Them Up

When you set up the devices the second thing you do after pairing them with your phone is go through the Ear ID process. This is, in essence, a basic hearing test that assesses your ability to hear a sound. Your Ear ID is the basis for the audio settings in the Boost devices. The devices take your thresholds (the softest sound you can hear) and use them as the basis of a prescription for amplification using NAL-NL2. That all means that the devices should deliver speech clarity based on your needs. And you know what? They do.

First and foremost the IQbuds Boost are Bluetooth enabled earphones and they are in fact very good ones. Sound quality for calls and streaming audio is excellent. The addition of the prescriptive formula for your ability to hear just makes them better at what they do. The feature set of the devices is as follows:

• Low Latency Streaming for TV
• Speech Amplification
• Dynamic Noise Control
• Blended Audio Worlds
• Superior Sound for Calls & Music
• Stylish Design, Comfortable Fit
• Long Battery Life, Fast Charging
• 20 hrs on-the-go Bluetooth Streaming
• 32 hrs on-the-go Hearing Processing
• Water Resistant/Sweat Proof
• Customizable Tap Touch Control
• iOS & Android Compatible
• Powered by Easy-to-Use App

Self Fit, Self Assessment, Auto-Calibrate

The system they have designed allows you to self-fit the devices using a self-assessment that automatically calibrates the devices to your ability to hear. It really is as simple as that. I believe that what NuHeara has done will point the way for many of the OTC hearing aid manufacturers in the wings. I have said for a long time that this type of technology was coming down the line and here it is. 

Wear Comfort

I found the devices very comfortable to wear and they sit in my ears well. The devices are big enough, so they may not fit people with smaller ear bowls (concha). This is something you need to consider. The devices do close your ear canals fully, so you will suffer from occlusion. 

Occasional Devices That are Cheap Enough For a Punt

Like I said earlier, these aren’t hearing aids and they don’t pretend to be. What they are is a device that will help you hear better on the occasion that you wear them. For instance, if you have a Bluetooth enabled TV and most modern Smart TVs are, these are ideal devices to connect to them in order that you can hear the TV dialogue better. 

If you have some problems hearing people in moderately noisy situations occasionally, well then these devices should help you out a bit. In essence, these are occasional devices that are priced cheaply enough for a punt. Introductory devices that will give you an idea of how amplification works. 

You Need to be Careful

As devices like these begin to become more available, it is important that you understand that your hearing needs to be checked out by a professional. I celebrate these type of devices because I think they do offer benefits to some people. However, self-fit and self-assessment can be dangerous, before you decide to get any of these types of devices, you should have your hearing professionally checked to ensure you have a run of the mill hearing loss with no medical complications.

Having done that, you will be free to do whatever you want secure in the knowledge that you aren’t endangering your health or hearing. I really can’t say this enough, get your hearing checked, if there is no complications, well then knock yourself out. 

Providing Micro-Suction Earwax Removal in Belfast

A new business run by an old friend has just joined the No Wax Earwax Removal Specialist Network providing earwax removal in Belfast. Lindsay Gillespie has been involved in the hearing care profession in the UK for over thirty years. Over the last 10 years, his attention has turned to those who develop more acute hearing loss due to ear wax build-up, and since then he has also concentrated on ear care as a part of his Practice. He has just recently set up Earwaxout to provide earwax removal services across Northern Ireland. 

Three Types of Earwax Removal

Lindsay offers three types of earwax removal at his different centres. Micro-suction earwax removal, Irrigation earwax removal, and finally earwax removal using specialist instruments. He believes that offering a full suite of services means that he can serve a wider population looking for differing procedures which makes real sense. 

Welcome To The Network

We would like to say welcome to the network and we wish you the best with all of your endeavours. If you are looking for earwax removal in Belfast, Holywood, Dungannon, Coleraine or Ballymoney, well then these are the people you need to speak to. 

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In our last article, we spoke about the Widex announcement of the introduction of their new hearing aid platform. I said that I believe that they were introducing a concept to hearing aids that is groundbreaking. Machine learning has radically changed many healthcare fields, now it is the turn of hearing health. Widex have been very sparse with the information in relation to the Evoke platform, but there are some details we have been able to find out. 

Widex Evoke Fusion 2

The Evoke platform has a full lineup of hearing aid models, from in the ear to behind the ear hearing aids. One of the devices is the Fusion 2, it is based on the Beyond hearing aid from Widex. That means it should have three radios, a Bluetooth radio, the WidexLink radio and a Telecoil. It definitely has a Bluetooth radio, because it uses it to connect and communicate with the Evoke app. It seems that the Fusion 2 is the only hearing aid that communicates with the Evoke app. This is important because it appears the only way to access the machine learning facility is through the Evoke app.

No Machine Learning Across the Board?

The rest of the hearing aids in the Evoke range use an app called the Tonelink app. This app seems to work on sounds generated by a Smartphone as opposed to a direct connection. This app also does not appear to have the machine learning feature set. Now I don’t know this for sure, and it should be cleared up quickly enough, but it seems that the machine learning feature is primarily a function of the Fusion 2, rather than the full Evoke line-up. I hope I am wrong and the entire line-up is enabled, however, even if I am not, it still has the possibilities of being a massive breakthrough.

A Full Hearing Aid Range

As I said, the Evoke platform is a full hearing aid range with in the ear, receiver in the ear and behind the ear hearing aids. In essence, all of the hearing aids Widex has introduced so far are available including the new Custom devices, the Fusion 2, the Fashion M and the Fashion Power. It means that there is a hearing aid on the Evoke range for pretty much every need and every hearing loss. 

The Most Powerful Widex Chips Ever

Widex say that they have introduced the most powerful chipsets they have ever used with the Evoke. They say that the chipset has more connections, more processing power and more flexibility than any platform they’ve ever produced. They say that there is a flexible core and an accelerated core. The flexible core has dedicated RAM (working memory), which allows new features or fitting data to be added without affecting the performance of the accelerated core which is the driver of the hearing aids.

On top of that, the E-platform can access the huge processing power of a smartphone via the pure-link 2.4 GHz technology (Bluetooth Radio). This makes the large calculations necessary for machine learning features possible. This also points towards the Fusion 2 being the only device that directly accesses the machine learning feature. It doesn’t seem from the literature that any of the other hearing aids have the pure-link 2.4 GHz radio. 

New Features, New Compression Strategy, New Sound Classes

The platform has completely new features, utilises a completely new compression strategy and adds two completely new sound classes to their line-up. The new Social sound class bridges the gap between their Party and Quiet classes and is designed to give the best sound in small social gatherings. The new music sound class accommodates different styles of music both contemporary and classical. They say that even experienced Widex hearing aid users will notice the difference. 

As we find out more, we will update the article and add the details of the new Evoke hearing aid platform to the Widex page. 

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TMD/TMJ and its treatments

As hearing professionals, we often come across people with TMJ. It is something we always need to consider when we are taking an impression for a custom in-ear hearing aid or a custom tip for a slim tube BTE or a RIC. The problem is that the extra jam movement caused by TMJ actually forces a custom hearing aid or custom tip out of the ear. In order to get around this, we take open jaw impressions to ensure a tight fit which generally overcomes the problem. In this article, Lindsay Engle discusses TMJ, its causes and its treatments. Without further blah, over to Lindsay.

As we age, the strength of our jaws will diminish, which is typically caused by deterioration of the parts that bind the jawbone to the skull. When the components of the jaw decrease, it could result in a painful condition that is referred to as temporomandibular joint disorder (TMJ). This condition is known to increase among individuals as they age.

Photo by rawpixel on Unsplash

Why do the Effects of TMJ Increase with Age?

TMJ is often seen in older adults because the small discs that absorb shock could move out of the correct position or erode. In addition, arthritis or damaged cartilage may also lead to TMJ symptoms. With this condition, the hinge that binds the upper and lower jaw is damaged or doesn’t function correctly, which causes the lower jaw to move back.

Also, dental restorations that include crowns and dentures can lead to TMJ if they are not correctly placed. Dentures can often contribute to TMJ because every tooth must be replaced, which is why dentures must be appropriately fitted to the mouth as well as the teeth.

A study that was published in the Journal of Oral Research found that one in three older adults will develop the condition. The study primarily focused on individuals over the age of 60. Participants in this study reported:

• Face pain
• Jaw pain
• Reduced jaw mobility
• Jaw locking

What are the Symptoms of TMJ?

Older adults who have TMJ may experience the following symptoms:

• Sensitivity to sound
• Grinding teeth
• Buzzing in the ear
• Muscle spasms
• Discomfort speaking and chewing

In many cases, TMJ is seen in women more often than it is in men. However, a study that was published in the Mexican Journal of Odontology found that among older adults with TMJ, men reported more symptoms than women. Moreover, the study also noted that there are links between TMJ and poor oral health and dental problems, which may include bite disorders.

TMJ Prevention Tips

There are many useful ways to relieve the pain and stress from TMJ as well as ways to prevent the condition:

• Avoid biting hard objects, which may include cuticles, pencils, fingernails, etc.
• Stretch on a regular basis to relax joints
• Take small bites
• Chew on both sides of the mouth
• Don’t put your phone between your neck and shoulder
• Practice and maintain good posture
   

How is TMJ Diagnosed?

A doctor will perform a physical exam to determine the range of motion in the jaw. In addition, BITE tests may also be administered as well as CT scans, MRI, and X rays.

Treatment for TMJ

Jaw Exercises

TMJ symptoms can be relieved by exercising the joint and improving range of motion. Physiotherapy exercises, which may include heat treatments, massages, and ultrasounds, are ideal ways to improve movement in the jaw.

Orthodontics

Some orthodontic devices can help relieve teeth grinding and muscle spasms that are often seen with TMJ. Dental splints and night guards can be used while sleeping to reduce these symptoms. Some people have found that invisible aligners have helped minimize TMJ pain.

Rest

Resting the joint can ease the pain that is associated with TMJ. Numerous relaxation techniques can help, which includes holding your breath for a count of five and then exhaling. This slow breathing will help relieve the tension that can cause the symptoms of TMJ to flare up.

Surgery

Some cases of TMJ are so severe that individuals may require surgery.

Injections

Botox or steroid injections are often used to help ease inflammation and other symptoms.

Pain Medication

Pain pills, antidepressants, or muscle relaxers are sometimes used to treat pain that is related to TMJ.

What Happens if TMJ is not Treated?

Although TMJ isn’t a condition that is life-threatening, the symptoms can have a negative impact on your quality of life. If left untreated, TMJ can lead to severe headaches, pain in the back, shoulders and neck, and tinnitus.

Tinnitus is ringing in the ears and can also cause earaches. Moreover, tinnitus can also lead to permanent hearing loss and inner ear problems. Inner ear problems can cause balance impairment and Vertigo. TMJ can also compromise your vision.

A 2012 study also found that TMJ increases depression and anxiety as well as sleep impairment. The chronic pain that can be associated with TMJ may cause sleep loss, which significantly increases the risk of depression over time.

In addition, TMJ can also cause malnutrition and eating disorders. There are many individuals with TMJ who avoid eating or only eat a soft diet that lacks the nutrients that are needed to keep individuals healthy. Eating a well-balanced is essential for the overall health of older adults, which is why treatment for TMJ is so essential.

It is vital that any senior that experiences the symptoms of TMJ seek medical care. By treating the condition early, it will reduce the chances of severe pain and other symptoms that are seen with TMJ.

Highest Rated London Earwax Removal Clinic

Another new earwax removal specialist has joined our earwax removal network. Although Hearology, London Bridge is not really your typical earwax removal specialist, not only are they the highest rated earwax removal clinic on Google with an amazing 233 five star rankings. They also provide earwax removal for children as young as three and they treat ear infections. Not things that most ear wax removal specialists normally do. As they say themselves, they are some of the most experienced aural microsuction nurses in the country; an ENT Clinical Fellow; a Sister ENT practitioner; highly qualified, registered Audiologists and hearing and balance specialists.

The City Earwax Removal Clinic Close to Everyone

Hearology offers Micro-Suction ear wax removal and manual ear wax removal at their state of the art London Bridge hearing aid centre. With excellent transport routes close by, they are the city earwax clinic that is close to everyone. Pretty much no matter where you are in London, you are only a train ride or bus ride away. The location is also ideally suitable for city workers who need their ears cleaned. 

Microsuction Earwax Removal London

Hearology uses surgical microscopes so their ear wax removal specialists can work with absolute precision. They also use specialist ENT-grade suction equipment, which is far quieter and provides superior suction and suction control. The team have a huge amount of experience with the trickiest earwax removal procedures. They will even deal with ear infections, removing the effusion associated with an ear infection to provide immediate relief. They can also write prescriptions for antibiotics to remove the infection at the source, so you don’t have to go back to your GP for one.

Children’s Earwax Removal in London

Hearology offers micro-suction earwax removal and foreign body removal for children. Bernadette Wilson-Bristol qualified with RN, BSc Honours in Nursing and ENT, and has 22 years of extended ENT experience. She is a Sister ENT Practitioner at the Royal National Throat Nose and Ear Hospital outreach service at Edgware Community Hospital and Finchley Memorial Hospital. Bernie is also an expert in paediatric ear care, and she runs Hearology’s Children’s Clinic at London Bridge.

Out of Hours Earwax Removal Service and Special Prices

Hearology offers out of hours services at their London Bridge centre. They are open from 8.am to 8.pm Monday to Friday and 10.30 am to 2.pm on Saturday. They also offer a special offer price for earwax removal of £60 on Wednesdays. That special offer is extended to Seniors, Students, Armed Forces, Emergency Services, Nurses and Teachers at any time. Bring your I.D. to qualify. 

We welcome this prestigious centre to the network and we think that if you are looking for earwax removal in London, well these might be the people for you. Open all hours, good transport routes and amazing staff, what’s not to like?

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Blamey and Saunders Launch Facett Rechargeable Reciever in Canal Device

We don’t support many online providers of hearing aids on Know and we have set out our reasons before in our article “Buying Hearing Aids Online? Here is What You Need To Know“. However, Australian company Blamey and Saunders are one of the online providers we have always had little problem with. Simply because they have designed a complete system to programme, and finetune their hearing aids online. In essence, they have designed their system from the ground up to be sold online, rather than trying to shoehorn devices that aren’t designed for the concept into a new business model. Anyway, they have just announced the launch of a new hearing device, so we thought we would have a look at it.

Meet The Facett

They are calling the new hearing aid the Facett, it is a rechargeable receiver in canal hearing aid with a difference. It is split into two separate pieces. The core device which is, in fact, the business end of the hearing aid and the module, which is basically the rechargeable battery part.

The name of the device is pretty apt as the hearing aid case is indeed faceted. The hearing aid will be sold online through their site and will be preprogrammed to your test results before being dispatched to you. However, like all of the other Blamey and Saunders devices, the hearing aids will come with self-fitting software that will allow you to connect to them to programme and fine-tune the devices yourself.

Testing Your Hearing

On the website, you can use the Blamey and Saunders speech perception test to test your ability to hear. This will be used to programme up your hearing aids to suit your specific hearing needs. However, they will also accept a recent audiogram to be used as the basis of the fitting.

Fitting and Programming

When the hearing aids arrive, they will be pre-programmed to your needs, however, the pack includes a device they call the Incus M which is used to connect to and programme the hearing aids. You can use this along with their proprietary software called IHearYou to self-programme and fine tune the hearing aids in your own home.

You can adjust your hearing aid settings on your Windows computer, Android and iOS devices. It also connects you with their team of hearing experts who can help you optimise your settings for the listening environments that are important to you.

Online Support

Blamey and Saunders also offer continued online or telephone support to ensure that the hearing aids perform and you can manage to get the best out of them.

Technology

What about the technology inside the hearing aids? Well, here is what they say and I will try to decipher it, 

• You’ll find sound rich and clear because it’s filtered through 96 output channels. So basically it is a multi-channel hearing aid although 96 channels sound huge. I don’t know any other manufacturer that uses so many channels. Most hearing aid brands agree any more than twenty is probably overkill.
• Clever microphone technology helps you focus on what you want to hear. It isolates speech and reduces distracting background noise. They are using directional microphones, no details on beamforming or mic array strategy.
• Listening comfort is maintained with our proprietary sound processor that quickly analyses your environment and makes adjustments for your hearing needs.  The devices use an automatic and adaptive system which responds to changing sound environments. 

What You Can Expect in The Box

Basically, you get the hearing aids, two sets of rechargeable modules, a charging and drying pod, a plug and cable for the charging pod, the Incus M device, a cleaning kit and earbuds. 

This is Not a Cheap Option

While many feel that online hearing aids are the cheap option these aren’t cheap hearing aids. At $5990 Australian Dollars these devices aren’t cheap in any person’s language. It will be interesting to see how well these devices are received. Hearing devices from Blamey and Saunders have generally received very decent reviews from buyers, however, as is always the case not everyone has been happy. However, as I have said, they have been generally well received. 

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Solid Performers, Great Features, No Limitations

In this the final article of the Moxi All series I want to offer a rundown of my daily experiences with the devices. I also want to round out all of the details and explain why I think Unitron has been really smart with the design, feature set and positioning of their latest product. I have to say my daily experience with the devices has been pretty good. The phone experience has been solid and a pleasure, all in all, I am pretty happy with these devices.  

Rechargeable Hearing Aid Experience

This is my first ever rechargeable hearing aid experience and I have to say I like it. Dropping them in the charger at night and just lifting them off in the morning all the while not having to worry about running out of battery power is pretty damn cool. The other thing is that the Bluetooth phone feature is pretty power hungry so making these hearing aids rechargeable was an inspired idea from Unitron. 

Overall Sound

So, the hearing aids I had were Flex models, which meant I could change them to any level of technology that I wanted to. In the past, all of the reviews I have undertaken of any hearing aids has been of the top of the range offerings. So, I made the aids the Pro version for the basis of the review.

Overall sound experience was pretty damn good across every tech level from the very basic all the way to the top

All The Tech Levels Sound Good

However, just because I could, I checked out every level of technology that Unitron offer. And you know what, in quiet watching the TV or on the phone or just sitting talking with one or two people. They all sounded great. Now a caveat here, I never put those other tech levels through their paces, I just had a listen in relatively sedate surroundings.

Anyway, the overall sound experience with the Pro was pretty good, clarity delivered was great. They were nice and crisp delivering the high-frequency amplification I need.

Everyday Situations

The Pro level is fully automatic and offers automated switching between seven sound environments pre-sets which are Music, Noise, Conversation in a Crowd, Conversation in Small Group, Conversation in Quiet, Conversation in Noise and finally Quiet. I found the hearing aids worked pretty well across all of my everyday situations.

Seamless adaptions automatically without fuss across all the sound situations

They managed to switch seamlessly to handle situations and I detected no time lag or obvious switching. One thing that struck me though was the noise reduction for impact type sounds. I found it quite obvious when it kicked in. It wasn’t problematic or anything, it was just obvious.

In quiet, they were really quiet, I have said it before, that might seem strange but not all hearing aids are quiet. Unitron says they focus on the conversation and my experience certainly seemed to validate that. Conversations across different situations were pretty good and easy to undertake. 

What About Noise?

I was in a fair few noisy situations wearing the hearing aids and they performed admirably well. The devices offered really good spatial awareness, which is something I have spoken about before in relation to the Tempus platform. They delivered the ability to understand speech in all of the situations I found myself in during the test period. They offered decent clarity and I wasn’t often tired after wearing them during noisy situations.

In The Car and Outdoors

In my last review, I explained that I like to have the window open in the car, no matter how cold it is. It means that wind rushes through and across that open window. The Moxi All seemed to handle it pretty well, the wind sounded no louder than it should and it didn’t intrude upon my ability to hold a conversation while taking phone calls or listening to the radio.

The overall car experience and outdoor experience was really very good. In the outdoors, although I was in the wide open and it was windy, the wind never felt overpowering. Nor did it cause me any issues with understanding the conversation either in person or while taking a phone call which brings me to the Phone experience. 

Using A Mobile Phone

I have to say that the mobile phone experience is outstanding. I said it before, you can not understate the joy of taking a phone call by simply tapping the button on your hearing aid and getting on with it. I found it pretty excellent no matter the situation I was in. 

Taking phone calls is a pleasure, simply no fuss and with complete ease

While it only happens in one ear, it never seemed to be a problem, I could hear and speak when I felt I should be able to. You can’t really ask any more than that can you? I have to say I really loved this feature, in fact, if it wasn’t for the other phone streaming issue, I would seriously think about making these my daily hearing aids. Let’s talk about that and why it might not matter to you.

Streaming Audio

So, my issue here is that I listen to a lot of streamed audio from my phone. You simply can’t do it with the Moxi All. For me, that is kind of a deal breaker, but if you don’t care about listening to audio from your phone, well then these hearing aids could definitely be for you. Especially if you really want to be able to converse on your mobile phone freely with ease. 

Streaming audio from the TV Connector is an outstanding experience 

The TV Connector, however, is an outstanding piece of kit. The audio is streamed from anything you connect it to in stereo to both ears with outstanding audio quality. I tried it out on the TV and with some music designed to really test it. I tried it out with two pieces of classical music and it delivered in spades. Giving nuanced, full and warm sound with deep lows and zinging highs. I also threw some Prodigy at it, just because, and I have to say it handled the pounding beat well, giving good bass without distortion. 

So again I say if streaming audio from your phone isn’t important, but streaming audio from your TV and home audio system is important while speaking on your mobile phone without fuss is paramount, well then you need to think about these hearing aids. What’s even better, they come in five price points, that’s right, five different price points. 

Rechargeability and Made For Any Phone at Five Price Points

This is the one thing that has really struck me with the Moxi All. Unitron has decided to make two of the most sought-after features in modern hearing aids available in five different price points, from the very basic, all the way to their top of the range hearing aid technology. That’s pretty impressive stuff and it means pretty much no matter what your budget is, you can get one for you.

Final Round Up

Okay, simply put without the anything else, these are pretty good hearing aids that will deliver a good experience as you move through your daily life. When you add the rechargeable feature, the outstanding streaming from the TV Connector and the Made For Any Phone feature it all adds up to an amazing set of hearing aids. Unitron’s ability to offer the Made For Any Phone feature without losing any of their abilities or features just makes things sweeter. All of that offered in five technology levels and price points make them almost unbeatable. Like I said, they are not for me, but I am truly sad they aren’t, maybe they are for you though, so give them a try. 

Here is a video produced by Matthew Pearson of Zone 1 Hearing who provides hearing care and hearing aids in London about the Moxi All. 

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Modern rechargeable hearing devices have really taken off in popularity. Every one of the big six hearing aid brands now offers at least one style of rechargeable solution. Phonak has the most extensive range of rechargeable hearing aids with multiple device types aimed at multiple wearer categories. Up to now, most of the manufacturers went with ZPower systems as they offered the shortest lead time to market. In essence, most ZPower solutions are aftermarket add-ons. That isn’t to say there is anything wrong with them, there are pros and cons to all rechargeable hearing aid systems. However, if the rumours are true, it seems that the situation may be changing.

Lithium-ion Hearing Aids Seem to be The Future

When Lithium-ion systems were first introduced there were some concerns about the longevity of the battery. Lithium-ion batteries lose their ability to hold a charge over time, in essence, the longer you have the battery, the more times you charge it, the less power it will hold. 

Because of the nature of Lithium-ion power cells, the hearing aid brands sealed them in the hearing aid case. Although Signia has done so in a way that allows the hearing professional to change the cell, Phonak went with a system that can only be changed in the factory. Aligned with the concerns about longevity, this puts some professionals off the systems. That has changed though.

Changing Attitudes to Lithium-ion

Phonak have undertaken advanced testing on their systems since the introduction. The accelerated testing showed that even after six years of daily charging the hearing aids will last a full day of use. That is pretty impressive and it has certainly allayed my fears over recommending the devices as a long-term solution. 

After six years, most people will probably be considering changing their hearing aids. Technology would have dramatically moved on and the hearing aids available at that time would be dramatically different in technology and efficacy than the devices they had purchased originally. 

Even if for some reason new hearing aids are not an option, the replacement cost of the Lithium-ion cells is not ridiculously expensive. Certainly not when compared to buying new hearing aids. While this better understanding of the longevity of Lithium-ion solutions has changed the minds of professionals, it also seems to have factored into product decisions in manufacturer circles. 

The rumour Mill Abounds

The rumour mill appears to abound with stories about imminent releases of Lithium-ion powered rechargeable hearing aid solutions from many of the hearing device brands. Starkey introduced their own Lithium-ion powered rechargeable hearing solution earlier this year, now it seems that at least two other brands are rumoured to be delivering these types of devices later this year. There are even rumours of a Lithium-ion rechargeable custom hearing aid to be introduced this year. 

Interesting times ahead no doubt, one thing is for sure though, rechargeable hearing aids are here to stay and it seems that their popularity will just increase. 

The Things That Get us Through

In this article, we are more than slightly honoured to have Gael Hannan discuss how she copes with her hearing loss and suggest the things that she finds inspiring. I welcome Gael’s contribution and welcome her to the pages of Hearing Aid Know

The Words of Encouragement

For every situation in life, good or bad, there are many wise sayings that fit the occasion. Words of encouragement help us get through the blues, support us when we’re in physical or mental pain, and inspire us in knuckle-biting moments of decision-making. 

People with hearing loss need this type of support. It’s a life-changing thing to have your communication, once free and easy, become a daily round of frustrations. It can be a long road from the first moment of horror when you suspect your hearing is going, to finally accepting the fact and moving on with your life. But here’s the thing: when people try to encourage us, sometimes it works, sometimes it sometimes it doesn’t. Sometimes, we just want to punch them in the face.

Your Help is Important

We appreciate the support we get from family and friends – after all, it’s usually them we’re trying to communicate with. Hang in there, why aren’t you wearing your hearing aid, keep smiling, everyone has it these days, it just takes time, are all helpful, but what we’d really appreciate is if they do what we keep asking them to do, but without our asking for the millionth time – face us when you speak, don’t cover your mouth, don’t call from another room – simple stuff like that.

Actually, many of the world’s most famous quotes do apply to the hearing loss situation. Here are some of my personal favourites.

”If at first you don’t succeed, then try, try, try again.”
(…and then get a hearing aid.)

“How do I love thee?” Elizabeth Barret Browning
(A lot – I just can’t hear thee.)

“Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.”
(And I’d like to behold it, so please move your hands from your face.)

“You miss 100% of the shots you never take.” Wayne Gretzky
(You miss 100% of the words you pretend to hear. Stop bluffing.)

“You must be the change you wish to see in the world.” Ghandi
(Loudly – I WISH THAT PEOPLE WOULD SPEAK UP!!!!)

“Countrymen, lend me your ears!” Marc Antony in Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar
(Nah, ours don’t work so good – borrow somebody else’s.)

“People who live in glass houses should not throw stones.”
(Peeps with hearing aids and cochlear implants would never live in such a noisy thing as a glass house.)

“Use it or lose it.”
(The scary thing that researchers are telling us – unaddressed hearing loss can lead to all sorts of stuff like mental health issues and dementia.)

“Better late than never.”  
(See above. Address your hearing loss.)

“There’s no such thing as a free lunch.”
(Or a free hearing aid.)

“God helps those who help themselves.”
OK, well I’ve been doing my best; I now invite some divine intervention to take away some of this tinnitus.)

“You can’t always get what you want.”
(NOW you tell me…I believed the one above.)

“Actions speak louder than words.”
(I’m glad something does!)

“Practice makes perfect.”
(I’ve been practicing ‘Hearing’ for years, and it’s still not perfect. I can now change a hearing aid battery without dropping my hearing aid, and I pretty good about that!)

“Honesty is the best policy.”
(Good luck getting a hard of hearing person, who’s nodding her head at everything you say, to admit she hasn’t got a clue what you’re saying.)

“Absence makes the heart grow fonder.”
(Yes, I really did miss my hearing aid when the dog ate it.)

“Misery loves company.”
It doesn’t make me feel good to know that millions of other people are going through the same thing. OK, yes it does. 

Don’t you feel better about your hearing loss now?

New Rechargeable and a CROS

Signia has just announced the launch of a rechargeable hearing aid to the Nx platform. They are calling the device the Pure Charge & Go and it is expected to be available soon. Signia will also offer a CROS solution for Nx, they will be introducing a 312 CROS transmitter for the Nx platform, so it will work with all the wireless Nx products to provide them with CROS and BiCROS capabilities. Additionally, the narrow directionality feature in Nx (designed for better speech intelligibility in noise) will be available with the CROS/BiCROS functionality.

Rechargeability Comes to Own Voice Processing

Signia was one of the first hearing aid brands to introduce Lithium-Ion rechargeable hearing aids with the release of their Cellion device. So I was awaiting an introduction of a Cellion Nx, however, they have introduced a Lithium-Ion equipped Pure device instead.So in essence, the hearing aid we were so pleased with has gone rechargeable. We have tested the Signia Pure 7 Nx here on Know and have been very happy with the device. The addition of a rechargeable option to this platform will make many prospective consumers happy. It just adds to all of the benefits, better own voice experience, Made For iPhone, now rechargeable.

Three Levels of Tech?

There was no indication of this but I would imagine that the new model will be available across the three usual levels of Signia tech, the 7, the 5 and the 3. If we hear anything else, we will update the article. 

The Relevant Power Facts

Signia say that Pure Charge&Go’s high-capacity power cell will allow for enhanced Bluetooth connectivity. This will enable users to enjoy high-quality, long-lasting stereo streaming of TV audio, music, and phone calls directly to both hearing aids.

They say that you will be able to stream up to five hours per day and still benefit from 17 hours of battery life before needing to recharge. That’s pretty good streaming time and battery life. So for a quick overview:

• Up to 17 hours of battery life with 5 hours of streaming
• Just 3 hours to fully charged
• 30 mins of charging gives 6 hours of use
• Easy wireless charging, drop them in the charger and voila
• Made For iPhone, Direct connection to iPhone
• High-quality audio streaming
• Ultra HD e2e and Bluetooth connectivity

3D Classifier

The 3D Classifier was introduced across the Nx range, it analyses many factors of the user’s environment and communication behaviour. It uses information on the user’s voice activity, their motion and sound data to tailor the hearing aids response to better suit the user’s needs. 

Two Radios

The Signia Nx platform has two wireless radios, the Bluetooth radio and the proprietary Signia wireless system called Ultra HD e2e. This approach brings real benefits, it ensures that the outstanding ear to ear features can still run even if you are streaming audio or taking a phone call. All of this in a very discreet package.

Telecare 3.0

The new service means that you can set-up a video call with your hearing professional and explain the issue you are having in the situation you are having it in. While you are connected, your hearing professional can tweak your hearing aid’s settings live and you can quickly assess if they are better. 

The CROS

The details of the CROS were pretty non-existent other than it is a 312 transmitter. When we hear more, we will gladly let you know. 

The Signia Nx platform has really been very popular since its introduction, I think the move to add a rechargeable device to the line up can only seal that popularity.

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