Blog

Introducing the new Oticon Zircon line of hearing aids, this new line delivers 360° speech and clear sound from every direction, even in the loud environments, so everyone can now concentration on the sounds they appreciate. The Zircon family is offered in five different colours across a range of miniBTE and miniRITE styles with disposable or rechargeable batteries, and all come standard with tinnitus features and telecoils. 

Oticon Zircon is the newest line in the Essential range which applies Brain Hearing technology to benefit all customers to improve their quality of life, and to enhance their listening and understanding. Due to this life-changing technology, Zircon balances sound from every direction and allows speech to be clear and precise, letting customers easily locate and focus on what they want to hear in comfort.

Zircon offers two technology levels, Zircon 1 and 2, with 1 being the superior level of technology within this new line.  Zircon 1 utilises the OpenSound Navigator processing strategy, that was initially developed for the Opn line and then further enhanced in the More hearing aids. While Zircon 2 applies Oticon’s more common sound processing approach of Adaptive Directionality.

Being equipped with OpenSound Navigator, Speech Guard, and SuperShield, these hearing aids reinforces Oticon’s Brain Hearing philosophy to provide “a superb listening experience for people with hearing loss, even in noisy environments.” This new line also provides customers seamless connectivity, including support for hands-free communication and direct streaming from Apple and certain Android devices. Featuring a telecoil and Bluetooth low-energy technology, Oticon Zircon offers a range of connectivity options, such as: Access to Oticon apps, like Oticon ON and Oticon RemoteCare, Connect Clip, TV Adapter, Remote Control, Phone Adapter and EduMic. These accessories are to support this transformative technology to accommodate lifestyle and listening needs of all customers.

Introducing Oticon Jet, this new line offers both discreet in-the-ear and sleek behind-the-ear hearing aids. It was produced to support those with hearing loss to prosper, as it possesses great quality of sound, even in loud surroundings. Offering nine styles to select from, customers can now be tailored with an extremely proficient hearing aid based on Oticon’s Brain Hearing philosophy.

Each aid is furnished with a high-powered microchip that is incredibly fast, as it processes sound 50 x faster than the previous generation. The aid effectively reduces any noise between words while gradually decreasing any unwanted background noise. Customers can now effortlessly focus on the sounds that are in front of them.

Oticon Jet features Brain Hearing technology, which is designed to support the way the brain makes sense of sound and allows all users to listen with less effort. This powerful approach enables these hearing aids to be finely adjusted to match everyone’s unique hearing profiles and personal sound preferences. The sound is delivered in the clearest, purest sound signal for your brain to understand, and to effortlessly decode it. Which allows a more natural, effortless listening experience.

The comprehensive family of JET hearing aids offers nine styles to choose from, ranging from a sleek miniRITE to a tiny custom IIC, so everyone can now find the right hearing aid just for them. You can select out of five different colours, which allows the chance to choose the correct colour match to your skin or hair.

Offering connectivity to your compatible Apple and Andriod devices, this new line boasts wireless connectivity, with a wealth of accessories. Having the following being made available to purchase; the Oticon ON app, TV Adapter, Remote Control, ConnectClip, EduMic, and more. These are a wide range of helpful wireless accessories that are made to assist all Oticon Jet customers. Oticon Jet also features Bluetooth Low Energy wireless technology, which reduces energy consumption when streaming to support battery longevity.

Oticon Jet delivers a more progressive way of supporting those with hearing loss.

Widex SoundRelax has recently been introduced to the Widex range, made to help hearing aid users relax and reduce stress. New sounds have been generated in the hearing aid based on a strong legacy in tinnitus relief, to support hearing aid users’ relaxation, concentration and well-being. This results in less stress and sustained health for users with and without tinnitus.

The Widex SoundRelax enhances Widex’s legacy of helping people with tinnitus. A new palette of fractal sounds has been formed to help avoid repetition for tinnitus sufferers. By avoiding repetition, predictability may decrease the effectiveness of the sound stimulus. Therefore, the Zen fractal tones can induce relaxation and reduce tinnitus distress, awareness, and annoyance as part of tinnitus management.

The Widex SoundRelax presents 14 options: six musical styles and two wave sounds, with the additional option of combining each musical style with a wave sound into a soundscape. Furthermore, the pitch and tempo of each style can be altered to the user’s preference.

Widex completed a study of 22 participants with and without tinnitus, using 12 different styles of tones. It was discovered that a full 90% of participants rate the relaxing effect of their favorite sounds at either 9 or 10 on the 10-point scale. The majority of the participants indicated that the sounds helped them relax, concentrate and feel ‘good’.

Finally, Widex have ensured to provide the most natural and preferred sound quality in the Widex SoundRelax hearing aids, that is free from distortion, allowing for ease of use and further tinnitus relief.

Widex have presented a new line of hearing aids called the ‘Widex Moment’.

The Widex Moment has been designed to deliver the most pure, natural sound ever. This new sound experience has been named ‘PureSound’. Generally, the sound processed in hearing aids reaches the eardrum later than sound heard directly. Therefore, an artificial sound is developed when these become ‘out of sync’. However, the Widex Moment’s PureSound has been designed to enable users to hear every moment like they used to.

The Moment is also available to directly connect with iOS and Android devices without the need for accessories. This allows the user to enjoy high-quality calls, videos and music in any environment. Furthermore, the rechargeable Widex Moment comes equipped with a convenient, discreet Widex Charger.

The Widex Moment has also been designed with more durability and less corrosion due to the advanced water-resistant nano coating, durable microphones and smart engineering. This therefore reduces the risk of moisture damage to your hearing aids.

Phonak has introduced a new range of hearing aids called the Audeo Paradise. The Audeo Paradise has been equipped with all-new hardware such as exceled hearing performance and several elevated features, resulting in a hearing aid that delivers an unmatched hearing experience. These features include:

• Crisp natural sound
• Personalized noise cancelling using the Dynamic Noise Cancellation for loud environments
• Vivid speech understanding using the Speech Enhancer
• Easily accessible voice assistance with Tap Control, which activates Siri or Alexa on devices to answer/reject calls and pause/resume audio
• Motion sensor hearing to detect when the user is moving
• Health data tracking
• Connectivity to smartphones, TV and other electronics
• Empowering smart app called the myPhonak app to control and personalize aids

Phonak has also included the world’s first intelligent hearing aid receiver in the Audeo Paradise range. The ActiveVent Receiver features a mechanically switching vent to provide the naturalness of your own voice, whilst still optimizing your hearing performance. This receiver is designed for difficult environments where it may usually be hard to listen or focus. Furthermore, it is controlled by AutoSense OS 4.0, which is designed to automatically adjust your hearing aids in suitability of the environment.

Starkey have introduced their newest line of hearing aids, called the the Evolv AI. The Evolv Al is Starkey’s most advanced hearing aid yet, giving you the best “Starkey Sound”. It is designed to deliver realistic and genuine sound in all environments by including up to 55 million personalized adjustments to your hearing every hour. This will allow for more enjoyment in life by producing effortless hearing.

The whole range of the Evolv Al technology provides an additional 40% reduction in noise compared to previous technology, further reducing your efforts for listening. Furthermore, this range includes Starkey’s newest and most advanced connectivity. The Evolv Al has more Android connectivity, and improved connection and sound quality to allow users to enjoy TV, music and engage in conversations.

The 2-Way Audio feature in the Evolv Al allows for hands-free conversations, where the wireless hearing aid microphones pick up and stream your voice directly back to various different Apple products.

The Starkey Evolv Al also runs with the Thrive Hearing Control app, which includes multiple advanced features such as:

• Edge mode
• Fall alerts
• Activity tracking
• Aid adjustments
• Reminders
• and TeleHear

Signia’s award-winning ‘Styletto AX’ has been recognised for its exceptional speech clarity, inconspicuous appearance and rechargeability. Its Augmented Focus™ technology comprises of two processors to assist users in separating speech from background noise. A new study has shown that 95% of users were satisfied with this technology, and 100% of users reported excellent speech understanding within their homes.

The Styletto AX is rechargeable, which means you no longer have to worry about constantly buying and changing batteries. Once the portable charging case has been fully charged (approximately 3 hours), its ‘powerbank’ will be able to give your hearing aids 3 full wireless charges. To charge these hearing aids, simply insert them into the charging case. Once fully charged, your hearing aids will last up to 17 hours. The Styletto AX also has a ‘Dry & Clean’ charging case which uses ultraviolet light to clean and dry your aids after exposure to moisture.

This revolutionary earwear can connect to your iPhone or Android via Bluetooth where you can control volume and access a ‘Signia Assistant’ who offers you immediate support. You can also stream your phone calls, music and favourite tv shows in high quality sound.

Beyond 6 feet (2 meters), the effectiveness of hearing aids reduces significantly. With Phonak’s ‘Roger On iN’ microphone, your speech understanding could be dramatically improved within noisy environments up to a distance of 80 feet (25 meters) from the speaker.

Roger On iN’s Multibeam Technology uses four microphones to automatically identify where sound is coming from so you can respond to speech and visual cues quicker. Additionally, the microphone has a ‘Pointing Mode’ where you can manually point it at the speaker so you can focus on them without worrying about the interruption of background noise. You can also download the My Roger Mic app to steer the microphone, mute or unmute. A recent survey showed that 82% of clients found the My Roger Mic app easy to use.

This device comes with accessories including a power supply with a USB cable, docking station, optical audio cable, analog audio cable, lanyard and a case. With the USB cable, you can connect it to your television or computer where the sound will be streamed clearly to your compatible RogerDirect hearing devices.

A recently released survey of United States audiologists ranked Oticon More™ as the best product overall. Feedback from approximately 50 independent audiologists participating in the 2021 Audiologist Survey noted that Oticon More™ had “great reliability, high fitting satisfaction, and excellent sound quality in both quiet and noisy settings.” The audiologists also acknowledged the absence of whistling in many situations where it might normally be expected to occur.

The report highlighted audiologist comments on, “the incredible noise management and processing support for all different types of hearing losses and lifestyles with Oticon More™,” and a description of the hearing solution as “very user-friendly and dependable.” Oticon More™ is “the world’s first hearing aid with an onboard Deep Neural Network.” This network mimics how the brain works and has been trained with 12 million real-life sound scenes, so it can recognise all kinds of sounds in fine detail.  On top of all this, Oticon More™ has recently won several prestigious awards, pictured to the right of the page.

Acoustic Hearing Clinics, as an Independent Audiology Provider, has always been dedicated to fitting the world’s best hearing technology. Don’t cut corners with your hearing by investing in cheaper technology — it’s not worth risking lost opportunities. We would like to offer a free trial of Oticon More™ to people interested in this premium product. Oticon More™ can be trialed at no expense and be returned at trial end if dissatisfied.

Call 5443 6633 to book your free Oticon More™ technology discussion. We can test your hearing free of charge and determine if you are a candidate for this rechargeable hearing innovation! Conditions apply to clients under the

Australian Government Hearing Services Program. Conditions apply. Individual results will vary. Results are dependent on many factors, including degree of hearing loss and sound environment.

74% of Australians aged over 70 are currently affected by hearing loss. Thus, hearing loss has been identified as one of 12 lifestyle risk factors that account for 40% of dementia cases. Notably, a study by Lancet found that out of these risk factors for developing dementia, hearing loss was at the highest percentage (Wolfgang, 2019).

According to data involving Australian men and women from the Centre for Healthy Brain Ageing’s (CHeBA) Sydney Memory and Ageing Study from 2005–2017, individuals who reported moderate to severe hearing difficulties had overall poorer cognitive performances (attention/processing speed and visuospatial ability). It was also reported that they had a 1.5 times greater risk for dementia or mild cognitive impairment at their six-year follow-up appointment. Professor Henry Brodaty said “over six years, there was a 60% greater risk of developing dementia or mild cognitive impairment, and there was significantly greater deterioration in the group of Australians who had moderate to severe hearing loss than those who had no problems or mild problems” (RACQP, 2018).

In correlation with this, Frank Lin and his colleagues found in a study which tracked 639 adults that mild hearing loss doubled dementia risk, moderate loss tripled the risk and people with severe hearing loss were five times more likely to develop dementia (Johns Hopkins Medicine, 2021). Individuals with hearing loss are also more prone to social isolation due to not understanding or hearing conversations. This is consequently also known to heighten the risk of dementia.

Hearing aids can reduce the over-taxing and overworking of the brain caused by hearing loss which therefore makes it easier to process information and socialize. Even if you do not have existing hearing loss, it is important to have regular hearing checks to monitor any changes, reduce background noise and distractions, use visual cues, prompts, gestures and expressions.