Smart hearing aids: Clearer voices, greater confidence
Marketing executive Sarah Tan (not her real name) is always on the go, zipping from her quiet office to noisy restaurants for client meetings. Constantly engaged in conversation, you would never realise the busy mum in her 40s is actually hard of hearing.
She recently started using Unitron Stride Vivante PR (Stride V-PR), a smart, high-tech hearing aid that can automatically adjust to her surroundings – something that traditional models cannot do.
Features like the Soft Speech Lift enhance the clarity and volume of her conversations, making it easier for her to engage in softer one-on-one chats. In noisy environments, the AutoFocus and dynamic noise-reduction features cut through background noise, allowing her to focus immediately on what people are saying.
“Older hearing aids might require you to manually adjust the settings each time to suit your environment, while some may not adapt at all. So, the ability to hear clearly in a variety of environments, engage in conversations without strain, and experience natural, comfortable listening seamlessly are game changers,” says Ms Leu Yee Ven, a senior audiologist at 20dB Hearing Singapore.
Listen better, live better
Like other next-generation hearing aids, the Stride V-PR is packed with features that aim to improve users’ quality of life.
For example, its 360 Conversation in Car programme uses an app-based speech location capability to detect where sound is coming from. This ensures everything and everyone around the user is not just easily heard, but their location is also spatially accurate.
“This is especially important if you are a driver since you can’t turn and face the person who is speaking, which is what some traditional hearing aids might require you to do,” says Ms Leu.
When Ms Pereira picks up her children from school, she can hear every detail of their excited chatter, even if it is from behind her, despite the car engine and traffic noise.
Another benefit of the Stride V-PR is its Bluetooth connectivity, which Ms Tan uses to stream Global Positioning System directions and hands-free phone calls from her car and audio from online meetings via the laptop directly to her hearing aid.
For a more customised fit, users can use the Unitron Remote Plus app to adjust the hearing aid’s volume, sound balance, microphone focus and noise reduction strength without needing to make the usual trip to the audiologist.
Besides the Stride V-PR, which is a rechargeable model ideal for mild to moderately severe hearing loss, there is also the non-rechargeable Stride V-UP, which works better for severe-to-profound hearing loss that requires more powerful sound amplification.
Experience this new range with 20dB Hearing Singapore’s exclusive Real-World Testing take-home trial. For up to 20 days, you can use the device daily on a trial basis to assess if it suits you before you make a purchase.
*This article is officially published on The Straits Times newspaper (17 July 2024).
