Oticon wants you to get Real, its latest launch adding two innovations to Deep Neural Network (DNN) technology

Announcement details from the Danish brand are based around the same buzz used for its earlier and very successful Oticon More hearing aid: the onboard DNN (within the Polaris R platform) and the powerful rationale on bringing back “real” sounds to hearing aid users. There is even a publicity image that looks exactly like the imagery for the More launch in 2020.

Oticon      The Deep Neural Network at the heart of the Polaris R platform made its debut with Oticon More

Oticon has spent much time and money over more than a decade in the research behind its BrainHearing philosophy, which underlies the development of product based on the brain, rather than the ears, doing the hearing. So, with so much invested in that trademark pitch, you wouldn’t expect the brand to be changing that yet. Hence, this latest launch may sound like more of the same, or pretty much like More.

New features in Oticon Real

But Real brings a focus on disturbing sound, such as walking in wind or the harsh scrape sounds you get when actually handling an aid. And if offers features through its RealSound Technology that attempt an optimum solution: Wind & Handling Stabilizer and SuddenSound Stabilizer are designed to process complex, unpredictable sounds with extremely high speed and precision, making sure that they are accessible, but not disruptive. “Speech and other surrounding sounds are not compromised, ensuring that the brain receives access to the full sound scene,” Oticon points out.

The new SuddenSound Stabilizer boasted by Oticon Real instantly detects and balances soft and loud sudden sounds so that they are audible without being disruptive or stealing focus. The feature can handle “more than 500,000 sudden sounds during a typical day”. This startling figure from Oticon would, one imagines, be more than enough for the raw carrot-eating user walking a pack of yapping dachsunds alongside a building site. The brand explains that its technology dynamically and instantly reduces and releases gain, as the sounds occur, with no impact on speech understanding.

The HCP can personalise sensitivity and settings

In the Genie 2 fitting, counselling, and audiology softward, the hearing care professional has the possibility to personalise and fine tune settings according to a user’s sound sensitivity or personal preferences, providing optimal and personalized care for the user, points out Oticon.

In its own clinical pupillometry study, Oticon demonstrates that when SuddenSound Stabilizer is activated, listening effort is reduced by a significant 22%. “This helps users to stay sharp and remain engaged,” says Oticon.

Wind & Handling Stabilizer

The familiar annoyance of unpleasant sounds caused by atmospheric pressure changes, i.e. the wind that blows when you are walking, is the focus of “the world’s first wind and handling noise prevention feature” in MoreSound Intelligence 2.0. The new Wind & Handling Stabilizer supports users in having a more comfortable listening experience and provide clear contrast and better access to speech, says the brand.

“Based on our BrainHearing philosophy, with Oticon Real, we are taking the next step to help users navigate their environment, remain aware of their surroundings, and react when needed, so that they can stay sharp in the real world,” says Oticon’s Vice President of Audiology, Thomas Behrens.

The Oticon Real family includes fours styles. The miniRITE R, miniRITE T, miniBTE R and miniBTE T are available in three performance levels, nine colour options, and all feature state-of the-art connectivity, enabling direct streaming, hands-free calls, and more.

For more information on the Oticon portfolio, click here. Oticon Real launches in the USA on March 1, 2023.

Source: Oticon