About Signia Hearing Aids
Signia Hearing Aids is a premium hearing aid brand and is now part of WS Audiology. Read about their long history of entrepreneurship, scientific curiosity, and desire to help others. Signia/Siemens hearing aids is a story of people with great ideas, failures, and successes in helping millions of people worldwide with hearing loss.
“Dedication to helping improve the lives of the hard of hearing has long been a tradition at Signia/Siemens Hearing Aids.”
In 2019, WS Audiology A/S was formed through the partnership of Sivantos (Signia) and Widex. Two industry pioneers merged together to form a hearing industry juggernaut. This partnership has a single ambition: to expand care to millions of people around the world, helping them with their better hearing needs.
Together, they can proudly look back on a history spanning nearly 170 years of innovation in the hearing industry. WS Audiology employs over 10,000 people worldwide, does business in more than 125 markets, and generates over 1.88 billion dollars in annual revenue.
With more than 800 specialists, WS Audiology A/S is considered to have one of the preeminent research and development teams in the industry. Their R&D budget of more than 110 million dollars annually drives innovation across a wide range of hearing products.
Signia is driven by a passion to improve the quality of life for those with hearing loss and define the landscape of the hearing aid industry. Signia’s parent company, WS Audiology offers a diverse portfolio of high-tech hearing care solutions.
With their core brands, WS Audiology addresses the hearing needs of millions of people worldwide.
The History of Signia and Siemens Hearing Aids
1878
Werner von Siemens said, “Every day is a new discovery.” Siemens made a pivotal discovery in 1878 when he designed a telephone utilizing a horseshoe magnet, considerably improving the device’s sound quality. This innovation led to the understanding that the hard of hearing understand the person they are talking to much better if voice signals are amplified.
1900s
In the first steps in developing hearing aids, Reiniger, Gebbert & Schall, predecessors to the Sivantos Group, begin building electric audio meters. These produced a ringing sound by means of a special hammer that set magnetic coils into motion.
1910s
Siemens hearing aids production begins in Berlin, called the “Esha-Phonophor”.
Over 100 years later, the device can be viewed in Erlangen, Germany, in the medical museum – and it still works!
1920s
After the huge success of the first Phonophor hearing aids, Siemens & Halske expanded production activities at Berlin’s Wernerwerk plant. New materials and designs make the Phonophor lighter and more compact while advances in technology improve performance and sound quality.
1930s
In the 1930s many people with hearing loss still had to be convinced of the benefits of electric hearing aids. Alongside advertising and partnerships with ear specialists, the salesperson’s training is key. Hearing aid salesmen were predecessors to today’s hearing care professionals, advising people with hearing impairment how to use the new technology.
1940s
At the end of World War II, almost all manufacturing plants in Berlin were destroyed or severely damaged. Siemens-Reiniger & Werke, based in Erlangen, became the branch of the company specializing in medical technology. They take over the audiological business in 1945. It does not take long to get their hearing aid business back up and running.
1950s
In 1951, Siemens launched the first hearing aids developed and produced in Erlangen, Germany. From then on, hearing aid production increased dramatically. The audiology division grew rapidly while introducing a number of new technologies.
A new design is introduced: The Behind-The-Ear (BTE) hearing aid.
1960s
In 1966, Siemens succeeded in placing a hearing aid completely inside the ear (Siretta 339). A huge step forward in the view of many users.
1970s
This was a decade of economic growth, as Siemens began to capture markets in Europe and North America.
“You understand each other better with Siemens hearing aids” was a marketing slogan used by Siemens Hearing Aids in the 70s.
1980s
The ’80s were a decade of acquisitions. The purchase of the Rexton and Audio Service hearing aid companies significantly expanded the Siemens product portfolio.
Siemens began serving markets in Asia and became a true global market leader.
1990s
Following decades of gradual improvements, the 1990s ushered in a new era in hearing aid technology. In 1997, the world’s first completely digital hearing aid with two microphones is launched called “Prisma”.
Unity Computer Programming Software/System was introduced in 1996 allowing for the measuring and adjusting of Siemens hearing aids using a computer.
2000s
The early 2000s was a time of concentrating on traditional strengths and improving internal processes. Siemens’s most important focus: innovate products.
2010s
The 2010s is a decade of significant milestones and transformation for Siemens and Signia.
Siemens sold their business unit “Siemens Audiology Solutions” to Sivantos. A new premium brand,
Signia is born.
In 2014, Signia introduced another world first: a wireless system connecting hearing aids in both ears to each other. Now hearing aids can share and exchange audio signals with each other, thereby imitating the natural hearing processes. This process results from their systematic development of e2e (ear-to-ear) wireless technology, first launched in 2004.
In 2018, Signia brought the world’s first SLIM-RIC hearwear to the market named Styletto. Styletto combines style with high-tech hearing. The slim portable charging case enables four days of user autonomy, free from plugs or cables.
On March 1st, 2019, Sivantos Group and Widex merged and formed a new corporation, WSA Audiology. The two hearing industry pioneers joined forces with one clear ambition: to expand access to hearing aids and care for the millions of people with hearing needs around the world and give people unlimited access to the world of better hearing.
Signia was once known as Siemens hearing aids and is considered a top-tier brand. Signia hearing aids are recognized worldwide as one of the industry’s leaders. HearSource is proud to offer these high-quality hearing aids to our clientele.
Many of their hearing aids include a dedicated music program that provides excellent sound reproduction.
Signia hearing aids can be easily and discreetly controlled with their downloadable apps available through your app store. Specialized accessories can enhance the hearing aids’ performance in specific situations. These hearing aids are very high-quality and offer many features that have proven to be successful in helping wearers in challenging listening environments.
About Signia Hearing Aids
A top-tier brand in the hearing aid industry for many years, Siemens sold their hearing aid division to Sivantos who changed the name to Signia Hearing Aids and then later to WS Audiology.
The progression of Siemens to Signia to WS Audiology reflects the overall evolving landscape of the hearing aid industry and technologies. These companies are making a global impact for the better. Providing innovative, technologically advanced better hearing solutions and their associated support services to a broad and diverse consumer base.
Embedded with cutting-edge technology, Signia hearing aids enhance the natural sounds of the world around you, providing clear, clean, and distinct improved hearing. These hearing aids enhance the brain’s auditory processing, providing increased speech discrimination.
Signia hearing aids help solve a lot of the complications that come with hearing loss. They offer many useful hearing aid accessories that help make listening to phone calls, and music, and understanding speech in noise easier.
For more information, please call 1-800-416-2434, Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time (6:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Pacific Time), USA.
The use of the Signia or Siemens logo or name and other relevant educational materials on this website is purely for informational purposes about the products we offer for sale.
