The audiology industry continues to release ever "improved" designs that gradually add all the technology that consumer earbuds have been exploring for the past 3 years at least. The problem is, consumers who spend their lifesavings or their insurance allowance to buy new hearing aids discover quickly that the new "best ever" product is the one they should have bought but no longer can afford. While many companies are innovating with the way they are exploring deep neural networks and more consumer-friendly form factors, most continue to ignore Bluetooth LE Audio and Auracast implementation — a standard effort that was originally pushed by the audiology industry.
As a leading hearing aid company with a global presence, GN Hearing understands how people with severe to profound hearing loss struggle to understand speech in noise environments and how the use of the latest generation of real-time processors with AI can significantly help overcome those challenges. Of course, pairing a traditional hearing aid with more processing power and the latest Bluetooth technology results in the need to embrace rechargeable designs, which in itself requires a big lifestyle adjustment for many users.
The new ReSound Enzo IA and Beltone Boost Max S hearing aids embrace this new reality by combining enhanced speech understanding and all-day battery life, in a rechargeable design that GN claims to be "the world’s smallest." The new design delivers powerful amplification while spotlighting speech and preventing unwanted feedback and offers seamless streaming and connectivity. GN calls it "the world's first Super Power hearing aid made for Bluetooth Low Energy (LE) Audio and Auracast broadcast audio, supported by the ReSound Smart 3D app."
To solve the challenges of speech intelligibility in noisy environments, the new ReSound Enzo IA features a new chip that processes sounds in real time, using machine learning and artificial intelligence to classify and adapt to different acoustic environments for the best all-round listening experience. This approach, which GN calls Intelligence Augmented (IA), works by analyzing surrounding sounds and adjusting settings accordingly, reducing the cognitive effort typically required for people with severe to profound hearing loss to navigate complex listening situations.
In noisy environments, Clear Focus, which GN claims to be the hearing industry's most narrow beamformer, spotlights speech in front and eliminates distractions, resulting in a 93% preference for hearing in noise for users, and a significant 2.7dB SNR improvement over the company's legacy devices.
The device also offers all-day battery life, while a single charge provides 28 hours of use, or 20 hours when streaming media half the time, allowing users to enjoy their day without battery anxiety, and experience greater independence especially while traveling.
The even better news is that the ReSound Enzo IA and Beltone Boost Max S hearing aids support Bluetooth Low Energy (LE) Audio and Auracast technology, allowing users to use the listening assistance streams that are increasingly available in public spaces (unlike telecoils, Auracast transmitters are relatively easy to set up even in temporary events). And hearing aid users will also eventually benefit from audio broadcasts in public venues, which they will be able to identify and select through their smartphones using the ReSound Smart 3D app.
To help users hear clearly in every situation, the hearing aids are also compatible with the Multi-Mic+ separate remote Auracast microphone and built-in telecoil receiver for improved listening in public spaces, and the TV-Streamer+ for TV-assisted listening. Additionally, the new ReSound Enzo IA and Beltone Boost Max S can connect to two devices simultaneously and enable direct phone call streaming activated by a simple tap of the hearing aid.
"At GN, we've engaged deeply with people facing severe to profound hearing loss to understand what truly makes a difference for them. With ReSound Enzo IA, you can have it all – we're empowering people to access the sounds that matter most, enabling them to participate confidently in conversations and stay connected with loved ones, without having to accept compromises in terms of size or battery life," says Peter Justesen, President, Hearing division at GN.
The ReSound Enzo IA and its Beltone equivalent, Beltone Boost Max S, are launching on August 21, initially in the US and Germany, with more markets to follow in the ensuing months.
www.gn.com
