Their understanding of the complex, regulated hearing aid market, and ability to reach more of the millions of people who suffer from hearing loss today was also critical to our decision." In a press release distributed simultaneously, Nick Smith, senior vice president of Bose strategy and business development, states: “We selected Lexie Hearing as our partner to continue to deliver our industry-redefining technology because of our shared mission to make hearing aids more accessible and affordable. "While Bose is no longer manufacturing and selling SoundControl Hearing Aids, we are continuing to offer our complimentary technical support for those who have already purchased SoundControl Hearing Aids," the message states. Now, the company finally updated its website and the SoundControl product page with a message confirming that Bose decided to partner with Lexie Hearing for the category and that its former product will now be available as the Lexie B1 Hearing Aids, available for purchase at the Lexie Hearing website. Bose stated then that it remained committed to "delivering critical technologies that help with hearing augmentation and noise cancellation," while it looked for a new strategy for its direct-to-consumer hearing aid business. According to specialized website HearingTracker, the Bose SoundControl hearing aids did not achieve the popularity the company expected after impressive clinical results for its self-fitting method, a view that Bose disputes. The SoundControl Hearing Aids never managed to kickstart the "over-the-counter revolution" and mainly direct online sales were available. The highly anticipated SoundControl announcement was in general considered vastly underwhelming in comparison with existing hearable concepts (and even rechargeable hearing aids, for that matter), while the projected retail price of $849.95 surprised even more. With this announcement, Bose became the first company to ship a product under that concept, after receiving marketing authorization from the FDA for an over-the-counter (OTC) hearing assistance device in 2018, and receiving FDA clearance in May 2021. Or simply put: Medical devices and consumer electronics are converging.Ī welcoming development for people with some degree of hearing loss, as the cost and complexity of treatment are major barriers.It was in May 2021 that Bose announced the SoundControl Hearing Aids, promoted as affordable, self-fitting hearing aids, accessible to millions of consumers experiencing mild to moderate hearing loss. The previously highly isolated market is being pressured by the emergence of smaller and smarter earplugs, giving birth to many new consumer-friendly startups. Jabra has also proven that a link between headphone and hearing aid technologies is a natural fit (Jabra belongs to the Danish parent company GN Store Nord A/S, manufacturer of hearing aids). In the meantime, Sennheiser has sold its consumer division to hearing aid specialist Sonova. Our perspectiveĮarly readers will recall that we covered the consumerization of the multi-billion dollar hearing aid market in MedTech Pulse Edition 1. Custom earpieces are not currently offered. In tandem with the Bose-Hear app, users can adjust, program and control the device in real time - without the need to consult a medical professional.īose states that the quality is clinically proven and equivalent to audiologists' equipment. The hearing aids are designed for adults with mild to moderate hearing loss. The SoundControl hearing aids are the first FDA-approved hearing aids sold directly to consumers in the US. American audio equipment manufacturer Bose is introducing a new product category.
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