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Phonak has announced a major expansion to its Lumity family of hearing aids, expanding the line of products for three important population segments:
Introduced in August 2022, Audéo Lumity is Phonak’s latest flagship brand and is the first to run on AutoSense OS™ 5.0 with new speech enhancement and directional microphone features that aim to deliver better speech clarity, especially in background noise. The line of products provides easier hearing in many situations, universal connectivity, a full range of rechargeable products, and health tracking. The HearAdvisor Lab named Lumity as one of its 2023 Expert Choice Winners and recognized it as being among the best hearing aids in background noise for 2023.
With this latest product extension, Phonak says more adults, children, and people with unilateral hearing loss can now benefit from the improved speech understanding, universal connectivity, and outstanding sound quality provided by Lumity.
Along with the new models, the Lumity line also has some color and performance-level extensions. Sky L hearing aids will be available in 14 different colors. Audéo™ L, LR, and Life will also be available in three of the new colors: Electric Green, Caribbean Pirate, and Precious Pink. Additionally, the company announced that Phonak Slim, previously available only in technology levels 90 and 70, will now be available in levels 50 and 30.
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“Conversations lie at the heart of life, from a baby listening to their parents' lullaby to an elderly couple reminiscing about a well-loved movie,” said Phonak Vice President of Marketing Oliver Frank in a press statement. “This launch builds on the great success of Lumity. We are thrilled to extend access to this newest technology, impacting the overall well-being of its users. This means that individuals of all ages and various levels of hearing loss can benefit from it. By introducing Sky, Naída, and CROS to the Lumity family, we uphold our commitment to providing the industry's widest range of high-quality Swiss- engineered hearing solutions. After all, conversations should shine for everyone.”
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Below is a closer look at the new Lumity (L) product highlights, according to Phonak.
Naída Lumity includes new features designed to prioritize the most crucial requirement of hearing aid wearers: speech understanding. Robust and dependable, Naída L hearing aids are powered by AutoSense OS 5.0, Phonak's most advanced operating system to date. This cutting-edge technology leverages AI-based machine learning, and continuously analyzes the environment 700 times per second, automatically adapting to the wearer's unique listening environment. Coupling Naída L with Roger technology significantly enhances the listening experiences of their users in challenging communication-driven group scenarios.
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Children spend nearly 90% of their elementary school day exposed to speech in noisy environments. This is why Sky Lumity (L) hearing aids incorporate cutting-edge technology designed exclusively for kids, prioritizing speech understanding in noise. With Sky L hearing aids, children can effortlessly engage with others, whether close together or on the move. These hearing aids feature enhanced connectivity, enabling children to connect to and explore the limitless possibilities of the digital world. When using with Roger, children experience 34% better speech understanding compared to using hearing aids alone, with access to an additional 5,300 words per day.
Sky L hearing aids are designed to work seamlessly with myPhonak Junior—the industry’s only dedicated pediatric app. The highly rated myPhonak Junior app empowers kids by giving them fine control over their hearing aids, lending a sense of ownership and personal connection to their devices. Parents can also utilize the app to monitor wearing time, schedule remote consultations with hearing care professionals, and set parental controls.
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"Sky L represents the culmination of 50 years of unwavering dedication to pediatric solutions, research, and resources for clinicians and families," says Phonak Senior Director Audiology Angela Pelosi. "With Phonak, parents can be confident that their child will receive an innovative and tailored hearing solution, backed by studies specifically developed for and with children."
Tailored for individuals with unaidable hearing loss in one ear, CROS Lumity hearing aids wirelessly transmit voices and sounds from the unaidable ear to a compatible hearing aid on the other side. By seamlessly pairing with a Phonak Lumity hearing aid, CROS Lumity adjusts to enhance situational awareness and improve speech understanding. It is also compatible with Roger for improved hearing over distance and noise. Personalized control is available for CROS L-R through both the myPhonak and myPhonak Junior apps.
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During a virtual pre-launch for members of the media, Frank talked about how the company’s products keep getting better, and—with every new iteration—improve the lives of the people using them, from the very young to the very old. He gave the example of Heike Albrecht-Schröder, a tennis player with profound hearing loss who uses Lumity hearing aids, and how she led the German delegation at the Deaflympics 2022 opening ceremony, and then proceeded to win Olympic gold at the games.
Albrecht-Schröder was a speaker at a recent Phonak event. “She said that every new generation of hearing aids and every new product she uses really has an impact on her understanding, her ability to communicate, and also the development of her language and speech,” says Frank. “[Previously] she had been having a lot of difficulties on the phone, and was not able to understand anything that was said…But when she used the Made-for-All Phonak technology for the first time, she was able to hear her dad—and this was such a profound experience, a capability that really changed her life. For the first time, she was able to communicate well on the phone, and she said she was also able to start listening to music in a way that really absorbs the emotions.”
Frank cited a recent Phonak survey that indicates more than 90% of hearing care professionals have fit Lumity, 93% of those say they plan to repurchase the products, and almost 90% of their clients report they’d recommended the devices to their friends and peers. “When we asked them why, they cited things like connectivity [as noted by Albrecht-Schröder],” says Frank. “And it’s so important to be able to connect to the world regardless of what type of phone, tablet, laptop, or Bluetooth device you've got. You don't have to choose. In sound quality and first-fit acceptance, Lumity stands out as well.”
With headquarters in Stäfa, Switzerland, and U.S. headquarters in Warrenville, Ill, Phonak is part of the Sonova Group which is the world’s largest hearing aid manufacturer. Naída L-PR and L-UP, Sky L-PR and L-UP, CROS L-R and Slim in 50 and 30 levels will be available to order by licensed hearing care professionals starting August 9, 2023.
Karl Strom ist der Chefredakteur von HearingTracker. Er war Gründungsredakteur des The Hearing Review und berichtet seit über 30 Jahren über die Hörhilfeindustrie.
