Phonak launch the Audéo Marvel – coming soon to Key to Hearing, Bournemouth

World’s first hearing instrument to fully support binaural direct streaming from Android™, iPhone® and other devices

Phonak have recently announced the release of their latest hearing devices. The Phonak Audéo Marvel is the first hearing aid to feature direct Bluetooth® connectivity to both Android™ and iPhone® devices to both ears and in stereo quality.

The Phonak Audéo Marvel will feature other great benefits including: -

• The new hearing aids are the first to feature Phonak’s new AutoSense 3.0 software platform. Phonak advise the new AutoSense 3.0 provides exceptional sound quality, better speech understanding in noise, reduced listening effort and a rich sound experience when streaming.

• A new rechargeable model will provide 24 hours of daily use on a single charge and a smaller charging case that turns the hearing aids on automatically as soon as they are removed from the charger.

• Directly connect to Bluetooth® devices in stereo including streaming from your Bluetooth TV. For those without a Bluetooth TV you can also use the Phonak TV connectivity box for a highly rated streaming solution.

• Hands free calling means you can answer your phone with a touch of a button on your Phonak Audéo Marvel devices whilst built-in microphones enable you to speak to the person without having your phone in your hands and with voice in both ears.

• Fine-tune streamed sounds via the Remote App so you can hear your favourite music and programs at desired levels.

• The myPhonak app allows your hearing care professional to provide real time remote video support and remote programming changes so you don’t need to schedule face-to-face appointments.

• The new myCall-to-Text app will transcribe your phone conversation to the screen of your mobile phone in real time in more than 80 languages.

• From Autumn 2019 the devices will directly connect to Phonak’s vast selection of Roger accessories such as the Roger Pen that help you hear in the most challenging situations.

What we say

There is great excitement from both consumers and hearing care professionals for the launch of the Phonak Audéo Marvel and Keeley is attending the UK launch in London on Friday 2nd November where she will find out more.

We have many customers across Bournemouth, Poole, Christchurch and Purbeck who love their Phonak hearing instruments and we look forward to seeing how the new AutoSense 3.0 platform in the Audéo Marvel helps with improvement in hearing.

Have your Phonak Audéo Marvel fitted for Christmas

The Phonak Audéo Marvel will be available to order from the 5th November with orders being shipped from Wednesday 21st November. If you would like to register your interest, please let us know.

References

[Phonak]: Revolutionary Phonak Marvel hearing aids: the ultimate combination of exceptional sound quality and universal Bluetooth®® connectivity [https://www.phonak.com/com/en/press/revolutionary-phonak-marvel-hearing-aids.html] [Oct 16 2018]

Phonak Naída B – The 5th generation power hearing aid from Phonak

Phonak complete their Belong platform with the release of the Naída B

Phonak have just launched the 5th generation of their power hearing aid. The Naída B is Phonak’s most powerful hearing aid range and developed for those who need the most amplification. Featuring a suite of dedicated technologies that modify, compress, amplify and help distinguish sounds that bring people with a severe to profound hearing loss closer to the beauty of sound.

Benefits include

• More audibility of high-pitched sounds
• Excellent speech understanding
• Enhanced hearing performance in nearby noise and over distance when combined with Roger microphone technology
• New easy-to-use rechargeable model

The official word

“Around the world, hearing care professionals trust Phonak to deliver innovative hearing solutions that solve even the most challenging situations,” said Thomas Lang, Senior Vice President of Phonak Marketing. “Today Phonak builds on this legacy of trust by introducing products that redefine expectations in power, pediatrics and Roger connectivity. Our now-complete Belong platform portfolio means professionals have the flexibility to offer the industry’s most comprehensive rechargeable suite of hearing solutions to ensure the best possible care.”

Technologies include

• SoundRecover2 – maintains the sound quality of low-pitched sounds, while making high-pitched sounds easier for you to hear again.
• Binaural VoiceStream Technology – both hearing aids communicate with each other in real-time meaning you benefit from excellent speech understanding and reduced listening effort in background noise and in challenging listening situations.
• Rechargeable B-R model – The Naída B-R RIC (receiver-in-the-canal) is a rechargeable hearing aid featuring a lithium-ion battery that is capable of being fully charged in just three hours for 24 hours of use.

What we say

The Phonak Naída range is our go to hearing aid for those who need the most help with their hearing. We have already had our first successful fitting with the new technology and look forward to many more. The Naída B is available in four different models and four technology levels with nine different colours to choose from. Contact us today if you would like to know more about the Phonak Naída B range and are looking for a trusted Phonak hearing aid provider in the Bournemouth area.

References

[Phonak]: Phonak to strengthen its market position by expanding industry leading rechargeable portfolio [https://www.phonakpro.com/uk/en/about-phonak/press-center/2018/2018-february-14-expanding-rechargeable-portfolio.html] [Feb 14 2018]

Winter Newsletter 2018

Welcome to our latest newsletter. We hope you've had a good start to the new year despite the cold and wet weather. Please enjoy the latest edition and please let us know if you have any questions, feedback or topics you would like us to discuss in future editions.
Best wishes Keeley and Will

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Why do colds affect our hearing?

There are a lot of cold and flu viruses currently circulating and if you have been unfortunate enough to catch one you may find that it has affected your hearing.

The cold virus can often cause a build-up of fluid in the middle ear which prevents sounds from efficiently travelling from the eardrum and across the tiny bones in the middle ear through to the cochlea. Sounds may appear muffled and distorted when you are suffering from a cold. The good news is that the fluid should dissipate once your cold is gone.

If you however find that your hearing has not returned to its expected level, please ensure you contact your local GP or us for further advice to ensure that the cold has not caused an ear infection.

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Have you had your hearing checked recently?

Have you noticed recent changes in your hearing? At Key to Hearing we always recommend having an annual hearing check-up. This allows us to keep an eye on your current hearing levels and compare them to past results. If there are any marginal differences, we can make sure your hearing aids are adjusted to ensure that your devices are giving you the best hearing possible. 

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When is the right time to upgrade?

Technology rapidly changes and if your hearing aids are more than four years old you could benefit from trying the latest hearing technology.

Hearing aid manufacturer's generally release a new operating platform every four to five years. On each platform you would normally see two new hearing aid models released. The upgraded second model normally released two-years after the launch of the first. If you are on a previous operating platform and upgrade to a hearing aid on the newest operating platform you should hear a noticeable improvement.

This does not mean that your existing hearing aids are no good. If you look after your hearing aids they can last between seven to 10 years. However, you may find if your hearing aid is six years or older and needs repair the replacement components may no longer be available. We recommend having a service appointment every six to nine months to ensure Keeley can make sure your hearing aids are performing correctly.

At Key to Hearing we have the latest hearing aids available to demonstrate as well as new models to trial. If you’re interested in hearing the difference the latest technology could make to your life, then let Keeley know at your next appointment or contact us to find out more.

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Latest in-the-ear hearing aids released

Phonak and Unitron recently released their latest custom in-the-ear hearing aids. The Phonak Virto B is the world’s first hearing aid with Biometric Calibration which Phonak claim results in a 2dB improvement in directionality for better hearing performance. You can learn more about the Phonak Virto B here.

The Unitron Insera uses Unitron’s EarMatch process to optimise directional microphones to help provide you with fantastic speech understanding in conversation. Learn more about the Unitron Insera.

We have already started fitting these products to customers with great results. Please contact us for further details.

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Servicing

If you are a Key to Hearing customer we will visit you every six months during your chosen inclusive hearing care period. Thereafter we recommend six to nine monthly appointments. These appointments ensure that we can keep an eye on your ear health and make sure your hearing aids are functioning correctly. We will carry out a hearing check-up if you haven't been tested in the previous 12 months or if you have noticed recent changes to your hearing. At the appointments we will also give you the opportunity to purchase consumables including batteries at a reduced rate.

If you choose not to have a regular appointment, please feel free to contact us at any time to book one at your convenience or to request consumables. Unfortunately, we charge slightly more to mail consumables due to administration, labour and postage costs.

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Phonak announce Virto B hearing aid with Biometric Calibration

At the sametime as announcing the Audéo B-Direct, Phonak also announced the latest additions to their Phonak Virto B range. Following on from the Spring launch of the Phonak Virto B-Titanium the newest  models to the Virto B range sees the Phonak Belong platform incorporated into a range of custom in-the-ear (ITE)  hearing aids to suit your needs. 

World's first hearing aid with Biometric Calibration

The Phonak Virto B are the world's first hearing aids with Biometric Calibration. Using over 1600 biometric data points, unique to your ear, Phonak calculate the unique calibration settings for each Virto B hearing aid. Phonak claim this results in a 2dB improvement in directionality leading to better hearing performance.

What this means for you

As your ears are unique, just like your fingerprints, the characteristics of our ear anatomy influences on how sound is captured, directed towards your ear drum and converted into information that your brain can understand. The custom-made fit to your ears, ensures the Phonak Virto B will be able to reliably sense where sound is coming from and provide a better hearing performance. This improvement is to be confirmed in a soon to be released study by Phonak. The Biometric Calibration combined with Phonak's AutoSense Operating System (OS), which automatically senses your surroundings and adjusts your hearing aids, should result in an improved performance and sound quality.

A model for you

Six models will be available from launch in four performance levels from the truly invisible Virto B-10 Invisible-in-the-canal (IIC) to the larger Virto B-13 Full Shell (FS). See the Phonak Virto B brochure for further details.

References

[Phonak]: Phonak to release a game-changing Bluetooth hearing aid that connects directly to any cell phone* and TV, based on a revolutionary new chip technology [https://www.phonak.com/uk/en/press/bluetooth-hearing-aid.html]: [Aug 17 2017]

[Phonak]: Phonak Virto™ B [https://www.phonak.com/uk/en/hearing-aids/phonak-virto-b.html]

Phonak Audéo™ B-Direct - Order now at Key to Hearing, Bournemouth

Phonak release a hearing aid that is Made For All mobile phones

Phonak have announced the launch of their new Made For All (MFA) hearing aid the Phonak Audéo™ B-Direct. The Audéo™ B-Direct directly connects to iPhones however unlike their competitors products it can also connect to Android and Windows phones without the need for a body worn streamer or microphone. Phonak Audéo™ B-Direct features Phonak's new propitiatory SWORD™ (Sonova Wireless One Radio Digital) chip and uses the innovative Belong platform on the AutoSense OS (Operating System).

Bluetooth Connectivity works with all mobile phones

The Phonak Audéo™ B-Direct works with all mobile phones that have Bluetooth® 4.2 wireless technology or newer and will work for phone calls with any mobile phone supporting at least Bluetooth 2.1. This should cover any Bluetooth mobile phone released in the last 10 years and may even work with phones older than this.

Remote Control App

The updated Phonak Remote is an app that primarily allows you to control the volume and change the program of your Audéo™ B-Direct hearing aids. The Phonak Remote app will work on smartphones that feature Android OS 6.0 or iPhone 5s and newer running iOS Version 10.2 or newer.

Truly Hands Free

The Phonak Audéo™ B-Direct is truly hands free. As long as your hearing aids are connected to your mobile phone you can accept calls by a short press of the button on the hearing aid. The most amazing part is that you do not need to hold the phone to your mouth to talk with the microphones on the back of your hearing aid picking up your voice. The iPhone and Android compatible hearing aids released to date have required you to have your mobile phone microphone within range of your mouth or required an intermediary device to allow the caller to hear your voice.

Easier TV listening with new TV Connector

Phonak are also releasing a new TV Connector which, using Phonak's new AirStream technology, connects the Phonak Audéo™ B-Direct hearing aids to your TV via a headphone jack or optical out connection. Unlike their previous TV Link which required an intermediary streamer to pass the sound to your Phonak hearing aids the new TV Connector will connect directly to your Phonak Audéo™ B-Direct hearing aids as soon as the TV is turned on. The TV Connector is also capable of connecting to multiple Phonak Audéo B-Direct hearing aids simultaneously, ideal for watching the TV with your partner or friends who may also wear Audéo B-Direct devices.

Don't miss a call whilst listening to the TV

If you are using the TV Connector and have an incoming call the TV audio will cease and an alert will be played in your Phonak Audéo™ B-Direct hearing aids. Once the call has finished the TV audio will automatically begin streaming into your hearing aids.   

Colours, Size and Fitting

The Phonak Audéo™ B-Direct will be available in nine colours and can be fitted with domes, SlimTips or cShells. It is powered by a size 13 zinc-air battery which makes the Audéo™ B-Direct larger than the current Audéo B-10 and Audéo B-312 models. 

Our thoughts

This looks to be a significant technological advancement by Phonak. Over 80% of smartphones purchased are Android and Phonak are the first major manufacturer to launch a phone that caters to the largest user base. 

The fact that the Phonak Audéo™ B-Direct hearing aids do not require you to hold your mobile phone to your mouth or alternatively use a neck worn microphone is really impressive. As a comparison the recently released Apple AirPods have forward facing Dual beam-forming microphones that point towards your mouth so it will be interesting seeing how the microphones on the back of the Audéo™ B-Direct hearing aids cope with picking up your voice when using the phone in noisy situations.

The Phonak Remote app does not currently appear to have as many features as those offered by Starkey and ReSound for use with their smartphone compatible hearing aids. Will Phonak develop the app to allow the user more individual adjustments or allow setting to automatically change based on GPS location tags?

How long will the batteries last? For those that use there Phonak Audéo™ B-Direct hearing aids to talk more on the phone or use the TV Connector for long periods of time the battery will drain more quickly. Will they last a minimum of 5 days?

The new SWORD™ chip will be used in future releases across the Sonova platform so expect to see this Bluetooth connectivity in future releases from Unitron next year.

We look forward to finding out more at the official UK launch on Friday 8th September in London.

Register your interest

The Phonak Audéo™ B-Direct is available to pre-order from today with delivery in the UK from Friday 1st September. Find out more by looking at the official Phonak Audéo™ B-Direct brochure and if you are interested by drop us a message on our contact page and we'll keep you updated.

References

[Phonak]: Phonak to release a game-changing Bluetooth hearing aid that connects directly to any cell phone* and TV, based on a revolutionary new chip technology [https://www.phonak.com/uk/en/press/bluetooth-hearing-aid.html]: [Aug 17 2017]