Australians suffering from hearing loss will now be able to pinpoint speakers, follow multiple conversations and ease feelings of isolation and anxiety in complex group situations following the launch of SIgnia's Integrated Xperience.
Integrated Xperience is a new technology that enables hearing aid wearers to hear all speakers in noisy group conversations.
The company said that even when speakers move or the wearer turns their head, the hearing aids ensure improved speech understanding for the wearer.
According to James Benston, the managing director of WS Audiology Australia and New Zealand, the release will be a welcomed innovation for Australians with hearing difficulties.
About 3.6 million Australians experience hearing loss. That figure is expected to double by 2060.
“Alarmingly, almost 8 million Aussies are going to suffer some form of hearing loss in the coming decades, as the population ages, making it among the most pressing health and well-being concerns today,” said Mr Benston.
“Worryingly still, people with hearing loss are at higher risk of social isolation and loneliness, because of the anxiety and stress that group conversations present on a near daily basis. Once a word or phrase is missed, it can be very difficult to stay engaged.”
According to a recent study of speech performance in a group scenario, the use of Integrated Xperience showed significant improvement in speech understanding. Almost all, 95 per centof the participants showed better performance with RealTime Conversation Enhancement than without.
“Integrated Xperience is about more than just hearing better. It is about giving hearing aid wearers the confidence to engage, interact, and contribute, especially in noisy group conversations. They don’t have to observe from the sidelines anymore. No other hearing aid can track and enhance multiple speakers in real-time,” added Mr Benston added. “I am incredibly excited to see this launched in Australia, where better, more inclusive and immersive audiology technology is greatly needed.”