- More than two thirds admit that hearing aids have improved their quality of life more than expected
- Only 17% of adults over 50 in Germany say they would be embarrassed by wearing a hearing aid
- Cutting-edge design and functionality, such as portable charging and Bluetooth streaming, help hearing aids fit into modern lifestyles better and earlier than ever
Germany, July 2, 2019— A new survey conducted by global hearing aid manufacturer Signia has revealed that only 17% of German adults over 50 would be embarrassed to wear a hearing aid.[1] The traditional view of hearing aids and the stigma surrounding them has prevented their adoption – and left many millions without the help for their hearing loss that they need.
“This is a fantastic signal for the fitting and service work of the hearing care professionals and for the industry developing high tech hearing aids. Still, people wait too long to get their hearing tested, thereby losing valuable time. People above 50 should regularly test their hearing with Hearing Care Professionals. The study shows that 2/3 regret not using a hearing aid earlier,” said Christian Honsig, General Manager at Signia Germany.
According to the survey, hearing problems affect over half of the subjects. With 32% having to turn up the TV or radio volume louder than usual, 22% having pretended to hear what has been said to them, and 17% having made up a response in the hope that they heard correctly. The research also showed that 67% of people with hearing aids had not realized how much a hearing aid would improve their quality of life – with most wishing they had found help for their hearing loss sooner.
“The perception of hearing aids has changed. This is the kind of positive feedback we receive from customers and hearing care professionals every day. Design, connectivity and usability are key drivers. It’s no coincidence that changing perceptions of hearing aids have come in tandem with the introduction of advanced modern technologies and stylish design options to the market, such as those made by Signia,” said Christian Honsig.
Signia’s Styletto Connect hearing aid embraces versatile and user-friendly technologies, including Bluetooth connectivity and portable chargeability. The new hearing aid combines exceptional design with high-quality connectivity to the wearer’s smartphone, allowing the users to stream calls, music and TV. It also offers fully portable rechargeability, enabling a generation of ‘baby-boomers’ to be more active than previous generations. Styletto Connect was developed by Signia to offer this demographic unlimited freedom and independence.
[1] Based on a Survey conducted by Onepoll in May 2019 with 2000 subjects age 50+ in Germany.
About Styletto Connect
With Styletto Connect, Signia has developed a hearing aid that combines modern audiological technology with exceptional style and performance.
Styletto Connect’s portable-charging features, coupled with its stylish design and Bluetooth connectivity, allow a generation that grew up with music available first-hand through the radio or live experiences, to have access to it literally everywhere at a touch. Whether the wearer is on-the-go or at home, Styletto’s new technology offers a solution for every eventuality, without having to worry about running out of charge.
In fact, Styletto’s built-in lithium ion battery powers a full day’s worth of wearing with five hours of streaming on a single charge. And if you need more power on the go, Styletto Connect comes with a pocket-sized portable charging case that adds a further 5 hours of use, or three hours of streaming via the fast charge option for complete flexibility on the move. Fully loaded, the charging case delivers four days of user autonomy, free from plugs or cables. Three times smaller and half the weight of other chargers with a built-in power cell, it is easy to fit in the wearer’s pocket and carry with them.
The new hearing aid is IP 68 rated and available in three attractive colour combinations: Black / Silver, Cosmic Blue / Rose Gold, and Snow White / Rose Gold. Styletto Connect is available in the performance levels 7, 5, and 3 and includes remote-control options via the Signia myControl app.
The entire Signia Li-ion portfolio is built on the acclaimed Signia Nx platform, which includes Ultra HD e2e with Narrow Directionality for superior speech understanding in noise. It also has the world’s first Own Voice Processing (OVP) feature for a more natural sounding own voice and higher user acceptance.
All hearing aids offer Signia TeleCare, the remote support and fine-tuning software that keeps HCPs connected to their clients. It enables them to offer advice and remote tuning via the wearer’s myHearing smartphone app in between appointments to help ensure a smooth and successful trial period and continued customer loyalty.
For more information: https://www.signia-pro.com
About the Sivantos Group
Since March 1, 2019 Sivantos Group has been a part of WS Audiology A/S, a company formed that day through the combination of Singapore-headquartered Sivantos with Lynge/Denmark-based Widex. Today, the business has revenues of more than EUR 1.7 billion annually and sells one in three hearing aids worldwide.
More information can be found at www.sivantos.com
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