Hearing Aid Features vs. Style | Signia Styletto Connect

Signia:  https://www.SigniaUSA.com

‍Whenever I'm performing a Hearing Aid Evaluation to determine which hearing devices are right for my patient, based on their needs and wants, inevitably the discussion of hearing aid features and style takes place.  You see, each patient has different priorities when it comes to their needs and wants when identifying the best set of hearing aids for them.  Some care the most about Features.  The more features the hearing aid has, the better.  These features can include Rechargeability, Connectivity to a smartphone (Bluetooth), Tinnitus Management, Access to Wireless accessories, or the ability to have Virtual Home Visits.  Other Patients care more about the Style of a device.  In other words, the Looks of the hearing aid, Invisibility, Colors, and Cool Factor.  

The problem is, sometimes the best features and the preferred style can be mutually exclusive, and by picking one you may have to sacrifice the other.However, this is where Signia has changed the way we approach selecting the best hearing aid for a patient when it comes to features and style.  The recent release of the Signia Styletto Connect has received a lot of attention due to it's sleek design and stylish looks, but with all the hype surrounding the aesthetics of the Styletto Connect, the features of this device went largely overlooked.The fact is, the Styletto Connect is part of the very impressive lineup of Signia Nx Devices.  

In terms of features and performance it is every bit as impressive as other feature rich products in Signia's lineup.For starters, it is Rechargeable.  With the Styletto Connect, you get 19 hours of battery life on a single 3-hour charge, and the sleek charger case is easily portable and stores extra charges without having to plug it into an outlet.It is also Bluetooth compatible.  Not only can you wirelessly stream all audio directly from your iPhone into your hearing aids, you also have access to the Signia My Control App, which allows you to make a variety of program and volume adjustments to your devices right from your smartphone as well.  

However, one of the most unique features of the Nx Devices is the Own Voice Processing also known as OVP.  One thing that some hearing aid users have a tough time adapting to is the sound of their own voice when first wearing hearing aids.  Think about it, if you have gone several years with a hearing loss, you haven't been hearing your Own Voice at the proper level for a long time.What Own Voice Processing (OVP) does, after being programmed by your hearing care professional, is reduce the amplification given to your own voice while maintaining the correct level of amplification for other people's voices.  Studies show that OVP can significantly improve the sound of your own voice:  http://www.hearingreview.com/2018/01/...

‍Not only does the Styletto Connect check all the boxes when it comes to Features and Style, but the overall performance of the Styletto Connect is impressive as well.  As soon as the Styletto Connect was released in Early 2019, I almost immediately contacted one of my patients, Neil Brooks, who is a prominent, and might I say stylish, Real Estate Agent in Scottsdale Arizona.   After fitting him with the Connects, and giving him a week to acclimate to the new devices, we decided to go to a noisy Biker Bar in Cave Creek Arizona, to evaluate and discuss how well he had been performing with his new devices.  

Initially thinking he was going to have to give up performance for style, he was blown away by his actual hearing performance with the Stylettos.  Even in incredibly difficult listening environments.  Proving that you don’t have to give up Features & Performance for Style.At the end of the day, trying to get the perfect balance of Features and Style can be difficult, but thanks to forward thinking and innovative hearing aid companies, it doesn't have to be impossible.