Sonic Innovations has jumped into the booming market for comfortable “open-fit” mini behind-the-ear (BTE) hearing aids with its new Ion Open Ear family, which it touts as the smallest and most powerful in its class. The open-fit phenomenon — featuring small BTEs with very thin tubes attached to lightweight, one-size-fits-all, open-vented tips inserted deep within the ear canal — is driving the hearing-aid industry to new growth and profitability. Because they are practically invisible, extremely comfortable, and avoid the fitting problems of both custom in-the-ear and standard BTEs with traditional earmolds, the open-fit designs appeal to baby boomers worried about both cosmetics and comfort. And because they deliver increasingly powerful programmable solutions for high-frequency hearing loss, they hit the sweet spot of today’s market: aging baby boomers who are starting to strain to hear the high notes. Sonic Innovations is staking out leadership positions in both performance and size in this fast-growing market with its new Ion family.
At the American Academy of Audiology convention in Minneapolis last week, I got my hands on an excellent Ion training guide Sonic Innovations is distributing to dispensers. Among other things, it has side-by-side pictures of the Ion with several principal competitors, along with comparison charts showing the fitting range — or maximum amplification across hearing frequencies frequency — of the competitive products. Widex Diva Elan and Siemens Acuris Life, which came close to matching the Ion’s 80 db gain at frequencies above 1,500Hz, coome in BTE cases that are nearly twice the size of the tiny Ion. Starkey’s Aspect open-fit design is comparable in size but only provides two thirds the amplification. The Sonic Innovation Ion therefore may be the only game in town for for baby-boomer patients who want invisible hearing aids but who suffer from moderate-to-severe loss of high frequencies. By integrating its proven 16-channel processor, adaptive directionality, automatic noise reduction and feedback management, and multi-memory option with three configurable programs into the Ion family, Sonic Innovations has lived up to its reputation as a digital technology leader bent on pushing the envelope of higher performance and functionality across its product lines.