Sonic Innovations Reports Strong 2008 Sales Growth

Sonic Innovations announced strong sales growth for its fiscal year while acknowledging the recession’s impact on the industry with a sharp drop-off in fourth-quarter sales.

Rayovac Parent Spectrum Brands Files for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy Protection

Spectrum Brands, parent of hearing-aid battery maker Rayovac as well as other well-known consumer product brands including Remington electric razors, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection after failing to make a scheduled debt payment.

Opinion: NBC and NFL Join Super Bowl Closed Captioning Hall of Shame

Last night’s Super Bowl telecast was great, not just because the game was exciting, but also because it appeared that more ads than ever were broadcast with closed captions. How ironic, then, that the NFL and NBC themselves failed to caption their own in-house promotional ads broadcast on the show!

NXP Semiconductor to Deliver Low-Power Wireless Chips for Phonak Bluetooth Hearing-Aid Platform

NXP, the independent semiconductor company founded by Philips, said it will develop a single-chip, ultra-low-power radio for use in hearing systems developed in collaboration with Phonak.

Phonak Audeo YES Hearing Aids Provide Wireless Connection to MP3 and Bluetooth Devices

Phonak has long touted its Audeo hearing aids as having cool designs for cool, young, and hip users. But the features it’s recently added go beyond style by delivering wireless connectivity that younger, plugged-in consumers demand.

America Hears Expands, Upgrades its Unique ‘Clicks-and-Mortar’ Hearing-Aid Business

Many people know that America Hears, Inc., is the only company to design, develop, manufacture and market a full line of premium digital hearing aids directly to consumers over the Internet–including even the programming kit they need to adjust their hearing aids themselves. Less well known is that the company has its own complementary retail sales operation in suburban Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Logitech Acquires Ultimate Ears, Leading Supplier of In-Ear Monitors for Professional Musicians

Logitech acquired Ultimate Ears, a leading supplier of in-ear monitors for professional musicians. Ultimate Ears has a rich history, including an early dalliance with earpiece leader Westone, which ended in tussling over patent ownership.

Site Review: Microbattery.com Offers Hearing-Aid Battery Ratings Along With Low Prices

There are a lot of battery sites on the web, but the best I’ve found for hearing aids so far is Microbattery.com. The site offers a comprehensive selection of hearing-aid batteries from all the top vendors. It promises to be the lowest-price supplier, and it offers comparative data if you are inclined to shop on performance as well as price, with a helpful rating chart based on surveys of users of the life of different hearing-aid brands and sizes when used by real customers wearing different models of hearing aids.

Product Review: Clarity Cordless Phone Provides Maximum Amplification with Mobility

The Clarity Professional C4230 5.8GHz Cordless Amplified Phone not only provides up to 50 decibels of amplification, but also provides a very clear signal through its wireless handset.

Peltor Headset Communicates Safely Even In Noisiest Environments

A tree came down in our yard this week prompting a visit from our treeman, Conor Gleeson. Something was different this time: in addition to their usual safety helmets, Conor and his crew each were sporting a pair of bulky two-way communication headphones. I’ve seen them with hearing protectors in the past, because the noise of a high-speed wood chipper combined with several chain saws running at once can ruin your hearing in no time.

Next Page »