Starkey Introduces Signature Series Custom Hearing Aids; Announces Next-Gen of Genesis AI

Starkey, Eden Prairie, Minn, has unveiled a new line of non-wireless (NW) custom hearing aids called the Signature Series, which includes two completely-in-canal (CIC) models in rechargeable (R) and disposable-battery options and a battery-powered invisible-in-canal (IIC) model. The company has also announced several enhancements to its flagship family of Genesis AI hearing aids.

Starkey Signature Series

Starkey has a well-earned reputation for being a leader in custom hearing products, and the company's founder, Bill Austin, is credited with being one of the first to focus on and popularize in-ear custom aids starting in the early 1970s. Starkey is again setting the pace for quality design in customization and discreet hearing aid styles with the Starkey Signature Series, the company’s tiniest hearing aids yet with three non-wireless (NW) custom products all utilizing Starkey’s Neuro Sound technology:

• Signature CIC R NW: According to Starkey, the all-new Signature CIC R NW is the world’s smallest custom rechargeable hearing aid and what consumers and professionals have been asking for—an extremely discreet, rechargeable hearing aid. The new CIC R NW can operate for up to 38 hours before recharging and, consistent with other Genesis AI rechargeable products, is waterproof (IP68 rated).
• Signature CIC NW:  This non-wireless CIC is for people who want a discreet form factor. It uses a size 10 battery, which should provide up to 6 days of use before a battery change is needed (given 16 hours/day wearing time).
• Signature IIC NW: Nobody does invisible like Starkey, and no other smallest-of-small hearing aid performs better than the new Signature Series IIC NW, says the company. A solution for consumers concerned with size and stigma, this new IIC uses a size 10 disposable battery that lasts up to 7 days before changing (given 16 hours/day wearing time).

All the above Signature hearing aids are IP68 rated—the gold standard for hearing aid protection from moisture and debris—and come with the option of Starkey's tinnitus technology. The CICs are available in 6 faceplate colors and in 4 receiver types, making them suitable for most hearing losses; the IIC is available in 5 faceplate colors and 3 receiver types.

The Signature series offers:

• Virtually invisible CIC and IIC models
• Custom-fit for your individual ears
• Transparent sound
• Rechargeable CIC option
• Premium transient noise reduction
• Premium wind and machine adaptations
• Music enhancement
• Feedback cancellation

Starkey is clearly striving to dominate the custom market. Although a non-wireless CIC and IIC with disposable battery options (including size 10 and 312) were included in the February 2023 launch of Genesis AI, Starkey views the Signature Series as a separate brand designed “to establish the industry’s premier choice for an invisible custom,” a company spokesperson told HearingTracker. “When you see a small custom product, you know it has Starkey’s signature on it.”

Notably, in September, Starkey also launched its unique wireless Genesis AI CIC 312 with 2.4 GHz streaming and Neuro Sound Technology.

Genesis AI receives Next-Gen Features

Starkey's flagship Genesis AI was launched only one year ago and billed as "all new everything,” with its new chip platform anticipated to power the company's AI-assisted hearing healthcare products for years to come. At the heart of Genesis AI is the Starkey Neuro Processor, designed to operate fast and efficiently, with speeds 4 times faster than that found in the previous-generation Evolv AI, allowing the new hearing aid to make 80 million automatic adjustments per hour.

Starkey reports it is now building on the success of Genesis AI with two new features designed specifically to help patients hear clearly in more situations:

1. Further automating Edge Mode+: Edge Mode+ has now become automatic once engaged. After the user turns on Edge Mode+, it will continue to scan, adapt, and optimize hearing as the listening environment changes.
2. Motion-based optimization: Sensor technology embedded inside Genesis AI now informs the use of the hearing aid's adaptive directionality. This feature works in two ways:

• Situational awareness. When activity-based motion, like walking or running, is detected, the microphones switch to omnidirectional, ensuring greater awareness of your surroundings and the best listening experience. Starkey’s research has shown that motion-based optimization improves wind noise reduction during activity, enhancing Genesis AI’s already impressive wind noise reduction of up to 35 dB.
• Reduced Feedback. Feedback caused by hearing aid placement and small movements by the wearer, like chewing or putting on glasses or a hat, are less likely to result in whistling or chirping; these types of actions will prompt Starkey's feedback cancellation system to be at its most aggressive.

“The response to Genesis AI around the world has met and exceeded what we set out to do, but we aren’t stopping there,” said Starkey President and CEO Brandon Sawalich in a press statement. “With the introduction of Signature Series, the world’s first fully custom rechargeable hearing aid, and even better sound quality to Genesis AI, Starkey continues its drive to deliver the most intuitive, convenient, and patient-driven hearing products in the industry—further proving the best never rests.”

Source: Starkey