Bose claims “audiologist quality” for its self-fitting app as the corporation officially becomes a hearing aid manufacturer

Cleared by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the new behind-the-ear, receiver-in-canal SoundControl hearing aids are sold to be paired with the Bose Hear app, allowing users to fit, program, and control their device without a hearing test or prescription, without the intervention of a healthcare professional. Users can make setting adjustments themselves, in real-time and real-world environments, says Bose. 

With availability across the US to follow, the SoundControl hearing aid is purely a hearing device; though it is compatible with iOS and Android devices for connection using Bluetooth LE – for control and adjustment – there is no music streaming, and no calls. Says its makers, “it's deceptively simple˝. There are two controls: World Volume to turn up quiet sounds more than loud ones; and Treble/Bass to ˝adjust tone to accentuate or diminish certain vocal frequencies. Using Treble, what's heard is crisper and brighter; using Bass modifies richness and depth.˝

An additional Focus feature allows users some control over directionality. A Front setting means zoning in on conversations; an Everywhere setting is for sounds all around, such as while walking, being at home,…Presets for activities and places can be named and stored in Modes. 

SoundControl comes with three sizes of ear tips, both open and closed dome. For this, the app provides guidance. At no cost, one-on-one video appointments can be scheduled with Bose Hear product experts to get personalised help and guidance.

This clinical study with researchers at Northwestern University, backs the company’s claim that its Bose CustomTune technology ˝yielded results that were as good if not better than those achieved by traditional prescription-fitting methods used by audiologists.˝

"In the United States alone, approximately 48 million people suffer from some degree of hearing loss that interferes with their life. But the cost and complexity of treatment have become major barriers to getting help," said Brian Maguire, category director of Bose Hear. "The Bose Hear app lets owners set up and customise their SoundControl Hearing Aids from home — in less than an hour — to reconnect with the moments that matter. That's an amazing advancement the industry has been missing and nothing short of a breakthrough."

Source: PR Newswire/Bose