New device launched to address 'tinny' sounds of hearing aids

Hearing solutions provider Widex has launched a product aimed at addressing ‘tinny’ and ‘artificial’ sounds of hearing aids.

Such sounds – which often prevents their adoption by those with hearing loss – are produced when sound processed in the hearing aid reaches the eardrum a split second later than the sound that travels directly through or around the hearing aid’s ear-tip.

Widex Moment uses two signal pathways. The ‘classic’ Widex signal pathway is paired with a second signal pathway that adds extra gearing to the platform. 

This Widex ZeroDelay Accelerator can reduce the processing delay between microphone and receiver to below 0.5 milliseconds, enabling the two sound signals to meet at virtually the same time in the eardrum – thereby eliminating the artificial sound quality and creating a more natural sound experience. This new sound experience is called Widex PureSound. 

According to Lise Henningsen, global head of audiology at Widex, this launch marks a fundamental shift not just for the hearing aid industry, but also for a general consumer public plagued by hearing loss at increasingly young ages.

Henningsen added: “To lose your sense of hearing is to lose a fundamental part of yourself, often resulting in increased social isolation, subsequent depression, and other downstream psychological and neurological effects. Though the traditional hearing aid has made tremendous strides in areas such as speech intelligibility, active noise cancellation, and more, a key frontier has been left uncharted – until today. Widex Moment doesn’t just allow you to hear better, it restores one’s sense of perfectly natural hearing, as you remember it before any loss occurred.”

Widex Moment has the smallest lithium-ion rechargeable RIC on the market, and is compatible with the SoundSense Learn smartphone app, which uses AI and machine learning to personalise one’s hearing experience and create hearing programs based on a wearer’s typical environments.

The app gathers a variety of anonymous data such as how often the wearer adjusts the volume, which sound pre-sets they most regularly use, and how many custom settings they create. Based on these preferences, a personalised listening experience is created for the wearer. These adjustments and custom settings can then also be shared directly and securely with their hearing care professional, which helps the professional tailor their consultation more and improve their service.

Henningsen added: “The future of hearing aids will be unlocked through the combination of perfectly natural sound with the latest in streaming, rechargeability, and customisation – and that’s exactly what we’ve created with Widex Moment. We’re breaking down the hearing aid stigma, across all generations, by equipping wearers with a way to experience one’s natural hearing, customised for any environment, while enabling connectivity with all of your favourite apps and devices. It’s a seminal moment for not just our hearing aid industry but for the technology industry, in general.”