Signia Charge&Go Nx hearing aids.

Signia Pure Charge&Go Nx hearing aids.

Signia, Piscataway, NJ, has launched its latest hearing aid, the Pure Charge&Go Nx. The new hearing aid combines wireless inductive rechargeability through lithium-ion batteries, exceptional connectivity with Bluetooth®* connectivity, CROS/BiCROS functionality, and reportedly the most natural sound quality due to unique dual processing and Signia’s Own Voice Processing (OVP) system. It is designed to deliver convenience, discretion, and crystal-clear sound for consumers, and the company reports that it is the first-ever Bluetooth-enabled, rechargeable hearing aid that provides a natural sounding own voice.

Eric Branda

Eric Branda, PhD

“We have now added the inductive lithium-ion recharging with all the benefits of Nx,” Eric Branda, director of product management at Signia told The Hearing Review. “This includes the OVP, the connectivity, the Telecare capabilities, and the ability to have CROS/BiCROS in this Pure line hearing aid.”

Own Voice Processing. Pure Charge&Go hearing aids are built upon Signia’s proprietary OVP technology, released in 2017 as part of its Signia Nx technology platform. OVP is designed to solve the challenge facing many new hearing aid wearers: their own voice can sound unnatural, which often leads to abandonment of hearing devices. Signia’s leading Ultra HD e2e™ binaural link identifies the wearer’s voice and processes it separately from other sounds and voices. Meanwhile, binaural beamforming technology enables clear speech understanding even in noisy situations. The result is a natural-sounding own voice for wearers and an 80% spontaneous acceptance rate (click to see video). Research published in the February 2018 Hearing Review suggests that, when the satisfaction with OVP is compared to alternative solutions from competitive products, a significant OVP advantage was seen—even to the extent that own-voice satisfaction with OVP using a closed fitting is equal or superior to other products using an open fitting.

Recharging made easy. In addition to solving the own-voice issue, Pure Charge&Go uses a  lithium-ion power cell and an inductive charger—so patients avoid the hassle of having to change batteries and purchase new ones typically for the life of the devices. The first hearing aids using Li-ion batteries were introduced by Phonak and Signia in 2016.

With the  Pure Charge&Go Nx aids, users simply place their hearing aids in the charger at night, and through integrated wireless charging, their hearing aids will charge correctly every time and remain charged all day, according to Signia. The lithium-ion cell technology used in Pure Charge&Go reportedly lasts significantly longer than traditional zinc-based rechargeable batteries, even after multiple years of use. Moreover, as there is no need to change batteries, there are fewer moving parts and openings, thereby minimizing the chance of breakage.

Bluetooth connectivity. Pure Charge&Go’s high-capacity power cell reportedly allows for enhanced Bluetooth connectivity. This enables wearers to enjoy high-quality, long-lasting stereo streaming of TV audio, music, and phone calls directly to both hearing aids. Signia reports that wearers can even stream up to 5 hours per day and still benefit from 17 hours of battery cell run time before needing to recharge, or 19 hours of run time without streaming.

Signia Pure Charge&Go Nx

Signia Pure Charge&Go Nx

“Something else that is pretty new to the marketplace is our new StreamLine Mic,” says Branda. “This provides connectivity to Android phones, and also hands-free use of both Android and iPhone, while it also functions as a remote mic. So, it works as a very discreet multifunctional device that can be clipped onto a shirt [or garment]. In effect, it’s a very small remote microphone which also works as something of a remote control for the hearing aid, as well as a relay for any standard Bluetooth paring—including connections with an Android or iPhone.”

CROS/BiCROS. Signia now offers a CROS solution for Nx, similar to its Primax products. The company will be introducing a 312 CROS transmitter for the Nx platform, so it will work with all the wireless Nx products to provide them with CROS and BiCROS capabilities. Additionally, the narrow directionality feature in Nx—designed for better speech intelligibility in noise— will be available with the CROS/BiCROS functionality.

TeleCare. Wearers also benefit from TeleCare™, which enables them to schedule remote consultations with their hearing care professional, who can adjust their settings remotely for greater convenience. For more information, see the article by Patricia Ramirez, AuD, in the December 2016 Hearing Review.

App-based personalization and support. The new hearing aids allow access to Signia’s myControl™ App, which enables them to change settings and personalize their hearing aids directly from their smartphones, and the myHearing™ App, providing the support, exercises, and user guides to get the most out of their hearing aids.

Click here for more information about Signia’s Pure Charge&Go Nx hearing aids.

 

Correction: A previous version of this article stated that the Charge&Go contained a t-coil battery door. The updated 312 Nx contains this feature, but the Charge&Go does not have a telecoil option. Hearing Review apologizes for the error.

*The Bluetooth word mark and logos are owned by the Bluetooth SIG, Inc. and any use of such marks by Sivantos is under license.