Technology in the industry of hearing aids in changing rapidly. After returning from two conferences this month, (World Congress of Audiology and The future of Audiology) I can see that the competitive nature of the hearing aid industry is producing some great new technology to meet this increasing need. This list goes over the newest hearing aid technology and why it might be a good choice for your hearing needs
1. Phonak Belong Platform: Released September 12, 2016.
Phonak has long been a leader in the hearing aid industry. The new Belong hearing aid platform has a few interesting additions most notably being that there is the option to have a rechargeable battery. This is unlike any rechargeable battery seen in the past because it is integrated into the device itself. This means it has no battery door at all. They claim the battery will last for 5 years before it needs to be changed, however this is untested in the hearing aid market, so actual results will remain to be seen. The charger is sleek, small and has a 24 hour charge.
2. Oticon Opn: Platform released June 2016.
This paradigm shift for Oticon has proved successful in the hearing aid fittings we have seen to date in our clinic. Their move away from traditional directionality, (like we see in the Phonak Belong platform), is an industry first. Their philosophy is to keep the sound scape open and by using sophisticated processing algorithms, reduce ambient noise when trying to focus on a speech signal. As well, this is one of only three hearing aids that also connect to an iPhone which makes it appealing to those who want better direct hearing on the phone as well as to control their hearing aids using their phones. It currently is only available in the premium price point class, however they are expanding the class of products to entry level later this fall.
3. Widex Unique: November 2015 release
Widex has had their Unique platform available for nearly a year at this point, but I am including it on this list because of the feature set that it has in the entry level category. For those who are interested in great, new technology but are not in the market for top of the line product, then this choice is for you. The Widex Unique 110 hearing aid has a lot of great features and sound quality for the price point.
At Broadmead and Oak Bay hearing clinics you can have access to any hearing aid that is made world wide. We don’t stock hearing aids, but rather order the one that is the exact match for your needs.
If you are interested in a trial of these or any other hearing aid, please contact us at 250-479-2969.