On the 8th September 2023, Amy and Adam (co-founders of Whitstable Hearing) were invited to the exclusive launch of the latest Signia hearing aid portfolio at the Courthouse Hotel, in Shoreditch, London.
We were greeted by the lovely team at Signia and enjoyed a reception which allowed time to network with colleagues and old friends.
Introduction
A new platform is launched every 4-5 years or so and so this was a big occasion for Signia. A select group of professionals were in attendance and excited to learn about the latest innovations in hearing technology.
Who are Signia?
Signia are a relatively new brand name, but are built on a huge history of hearing technology. They believe that this latest portfolio will be a significant step forward in the capabilities of hearing devices.
The power of conversation
Signia’s clinical leaders eased us in to the new features and the power of the new hearing technology. The topic of the day was, ‘conversations’.
Hearing aid research has historically taken place in a lab which does not transfer well in to real world conversations and is not reflective of a user’s experience.
Signia recognised that they needed to move away from artificial lab testing and conventional hearing testing and instead focus on enabling conversations and human interaction.
Group conversations in noisy environments
During a typical conversation, an individual will respond within half a second of the other person ending their sentence. To do this, the brain needs to construct an answer before the other person has finished their sentence. A very complex task for the brain to undertake, which becomes increasingly difficult with hearing loss or deafness.
Understanding conversation
Signia introduced us to the 3 components of conversation:
- Social Interaction
- Selective hearing
- Multi-stream processing
Social Interaction
Social interaction is communication that occurs between at least two individuals. Variations such as speech style, context, and non-verbal communication are all factors involved.
Selective hearing
Selective hearing is the brains incredible ability to attentively focus on one person and actively ignore everything else around them. It is important to understand that the brain does not discard the other information, instead it steers attention away from it.
Multi-stream processing
Multi-stream processing is the ability to focus on a task and still listen. Signia’s research indicates that individuals with hearing loss can still manage to monitor several sound streams and navigate between them. But this can be further enhanced through effective amplification and their latest hearing technology offering. And this led them on to introducing Signia Integrated Xperience.
Signia Integrated Xperience (IX)
All of the information provided throughout the morning led us to the announcement of their new product portfolio; Signia IX.
The most significant new feature announced by Signia is to assist with multi-stream processing. The hearing technology is able to actively track and monitor multi-speakers in a dynamic listening environment with ease. A groundbreaking step in hearing enhancement.
Their research indicates that 95% of wearers had improved performance in group conversations when wearing the new Signia IX hearing aids.
Signia Silk IX – now rechargeable
The Signia Silk IX, the worlds first and only ready-to-wear completely in the canal hearing aid, is now rechargeable.
More than 24 hours of wear time on a single charge
An incredible achievement for such a small device. Through unique engineering and well considered design the Signia Silk IX gives you more than 24 hours per charge. This means that you can enjoy a full day of uninterrupted hearing enhancement.
The Signia IX also offers fast charge meaning that 30 minutes of charge will give 6 hours of wear time.
Quick Replacement Service for Silk IX
Signia now offer a quick replacement service for their Silk IX meaning that faulty devices can be replaced in clinic on the same day. The aim is to enhance patient experience and avoid downtime for hearing aid wearers.
This is a fantastic service for Signia to offer, especially considering most custom hearing aid repairs involve a 1-2 week turnaround.
Signia Charge & Go IX – up to 36 hours of charge
If it is uncompromising performance you are after, the Signia Charge & Go IX could be the solution for you. With up to 36 hours of usage on one charge, you’ll never miss another moment.
Telecoil version available
The telecoil is still an important component for many hearing aid wearers. It is surprising how many hearing aids now do not offer this as standard. It is great to see Signia continue to offer this feature.
Signia IX connectivity
Not much has changed here. The hearing aids can connect to both iPhone and android devices with an app to make adjustments to the hearing aids. The accessories also remain the same with a TV streamer, remote microphone, and remote control available.
Qi charging – worlds first for hearing aids
A replacement hearing aid charger can cost hundreds of pounds. And so having access to more affordable chargers is a real plus. Signia IX are the first hearing aids to offer Qi charging. This is an incredible step towards making hearing technology more accessible and more affordable.
Qi charging is a universal charging standard which means that with Signia IX hearing aids you can charge on the go using universal charging pads such as those used for your phone. This makes integrating hearing aids in to daily life even easier.
Signia app with AI assistant
*It sounded OK in the clinic room but as soon as I got outside….” is a very common phrase we audiologists here. And so, enabling the hearing aid wearer to be able to make a quick adjustment in the moment or accessing additional information without the inconvenience of travelling back to the clinic would be a great feature for many individuals.
This is where Signia Assistant comes to the rescue. Using the Signia AI support assistant the user can have a human-like interaction with the app to provide personalised adjustments to the hearing aids, or directed to further educational information. It’s like having an audiologist at your fingertips.
When is the Signia IX launching?
The Signia IX hearing aid portfolio is available now, from September 2023 onwards.
Where do I get the Signia IX?
Whitstable Hearing are one of the premier independent hearing providers that are able to offer the Signia IX hearing aids.
Our audiologist can provide a full diagnostic hearing assessment and discuss your suitability for hearing technology.
Contact Us
To make an appointment, you can email, text or call. Alternatively, fill out the contact form below.
Our friendly team of experts will make your journey to better hearing a breeze.
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Did we also mention our clinic is right opposite the beach?
