JVC to Enter OTC Hearing Aid Market

JVCKenwood (JVC) has announced a partnership with Intricon and Tuned Ltd that is expected to bring JVC over-the-counter (OTC) hearing aids into leading online and retail spaces, further expanding the amplification choices of consumers.

The new self-fitting hearing aid with its AI software is expected to be offered in a traditional receiver-in-canal (RIC) form factor (not earbuds) and at a price below $1000, which may be more in line with the “affordability” goals of the OTC legislation. Having decades of experience in high-quality sound reproduction, JVC plans to leverage its knowledge and branding—as well as the expertise and technology embodied in Intricon’s Lumen hearing aid and Tuned’s artificial-intelligence (AI) powered app—to offer self-fitting hearing aids that can be easily set up, adjusted, and personalized for people with mild to moderate hearing loss.

“The recent approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration of over-the-counter sales of hearing aids is a boon for the millions of adults who suffer from hearing loss,” said JVCKenwood USA Vice-President Patrick Koehn in a press statement. “We’re delighted to partner with Intricon and Tuned to offer high quality, high value OTC hearing aids that will improve the lives of so many people.”

The JVC hearing aids will be powered by the Tuned AI-driven smartphone app through which users access guided hearing tests for personalizing the devices. An advanced chat interface provides customer support, and a remote support platform allows hearing care professionals to connect to users through the app remotely.

Intricon is a Minneapolis-based micromedical device manufacturer with decades of hearing aid design engineering and manufacturing expertise. As reported by HearingTracker last month, Tuned’s AI-powered self-fitting app recently received FDA Class II clearance. The app is being integrated into some new hearing devices manufactured by Intricon. Combining audiology and psychology to enhance user engagement and education, the Tuned app is designed to improve hearing aid effectiveness and reduce product-related issues and service costs. AI is central to Tuned's teleaudiology platform and offers personalized hearing tests, coaching, and support through a chatbot.

Established in Yokohama, Japan, in 1927, JVC is part of a JVCKENWOOD Corp, a multinational electronics company with its U.S. headquarters in Long Beach, Calif. The company focuses on car and home electronics and wireless systems for the global consumer electronics market. The brand includes numerous wireless earbuds and headphones for a variety of needs. Other JVC products include high-definition displays and home theater projectors, camcorders, and home theater systems, as well as serving as the OEM manufacturer of audio equipment in cars, including Datsun, Nissan, and Honda. Its brands include JVC, Kenwood, and Victor.

Tuned’s AI technology has been designed specifically for OTC hearing aids, allowing for private branding and retail and online sales. In late September, Intricon, Tuned, and Warner Tech-Care Products partnered to offer the Tuned Lumen 155 OTC self-fitting hearing aids, with the online hearing aid distributor Hearing Help Express (an Intricon subsidiary) providing remote support and customer care via the Tuned app.