THE BEST SOUND EXPERIENCE IN ANY ENVIRONMENT
Hearing aid users are subjected to constantly changing listening environments. Widex hearing aids can instantly assess the sound environment to suit each individual’s unique sound situation and hearing loss.
Distinct Sound Classes Based On Real-Life Measurements
Widex has devised a precise processing system to give users significantly improved sound in a variety of sound environments. Widex Sound Class Technology divides listening environments into distinct sound classes.
Widex Sound Class Technology automatically searches for specific characteristics in the incoming sound detail and determines whether prominent speech is present.
When prominent speech is present, the system targets audibility; when there is no prominent speech detected, it targets comfort.
An Improved Hearing Experience – Automatically
Widex gives hearing aid users an improved hearing experience across different sound environments – without having to push a button to change a program manually.
In each Sound Class, Widex hearing aids continuously monitor whether or not prominent speech is present in that specific listening environment. The internal controller then optimizes the hearing aid features settings so that the individual Sound Class settings are sufficient to deal with the sound environment that a user is in.
Widex hearing aids are available in a variety of models and technology levels, each designed to accommodate your specific hearing loss, lifestyle and budget requirements. Widex’s exclusive Sound Class Technology allows ALL currently available Widex hearing aids to adapt automatically to different situations, delivering optimal clarity, comfort and audibility.
Whether your hearing loss is mild, severe or somewhere in between, your HearSource hearing professional can help you select the appropriate model for your needs, budget and lifestyle.
Widex Moment Sheer, MOMENT, Evoke, Beyond, and Unique hearing aids all categorize listening environments in up to eleven distinct sound classes illustrated below. Although they adapt automatically to each listening environment, each sound class can be further adjusted to your preference for optimal
audibility and comfort using the SoundSense Learn portion of the app..
LIKE HAVING UP TO 11 DIFFERENT HEARING AIDS IN ONE
In our opinion, Widex Sound Class Technology is a game changer. Each “Sound Class” processes sound and speech completely differently and optimally for each sound environment, and all based on your specific hearing loss. All the hearing aid processing settings change automatically and seamlessly when you move from one sound environment to another without the wearer having to push a button or flip a switch. It’s like having a different hearing aid designed specifically for each listening environment.
HOW DO SOUND CLASSES HELP ME HEAR BETTER?
Social – Optimizes the hearing aid sound settings for use in situations characterized by multiple conversations at the same time
Classical Music – Optimizes the hearing aid sound settings for classical music characterized by medium to high intensity and large variations in sound level and/or frequency
Contemporary Music – Optimizes the hearing aid sound settings for contemporary music characterized by high intensity and small variations in sound level and/or frequency
Quiet – Optimizes the hearing aid sound settings for use in quiet environments with limited to no background noise when speech is present or not
Party – Optimizes the hearing aid sound settings for use in listening situations characterized by many people speaking simultaneously, such as a party
Transport – Optimizes the hearing aid sound settings for use in listening situations characterized by continuous low-frequency sounds, such as car noise
Urban – Optimizes the hearing aid sound settings for use in listening situations characterized by variable sounds, such as a supermarket, a city, or a noisy workplace
More satisfied users
Features and benefits:
- Sound Class Technology – automatically adjusting for each sound environment means less need for changing programs manually
- Distinct Sound Classes – automatically classifies the sound environment
- Speech Detector – determines whether prominent speech is present
- Intelligent Internal Controller – assures optimal audibility or comfort in each sound class
- Smooth Transitioning Between Controller Settings – ensures that users aren’t disturbed when the hearing aid changes between listening environments
Sound Class Technology Explained
Optimizing Hearing Aids with Sound Class Technology
Widex hearing aids utilize Sound Class Technology (SCT) to automatically optimize amplification settings based on specific sound environments. SCT comprises two components: a classifier and a controller.
The classifier analyzes the input signal through 12 distinct attributes, comparing them to a class library of sound-based examples from various real-world situations that hearing aid users typically experience. A separate speech detector also identifies if speech is present. Based on matches found in the internal database, the hearing aid processor selects the appropriate sound class.
There are up to 11 different Sound Classes, with five involving speech and six without speech. The controller then adjusts settings for various features in Widex hearing aids, optimizing sound output for wearers according to their unique hearing loss and specific environment. Once the best Sound Class is determined by the processor, settings are updated automatically for optimal performance in that particular situation.
User Preference Control
SCT provides for the automatic optimal processing of sounds in a variety acoustic environments, but some wearers may desire more audibility in a particular situation, while another wearer may prefer more comfort in the exact same environment. To provide for individual preferences, the programming software allows the for individual tailoring of audibility vs comfort for the overall programming and each individual sound class. A User Preference Control is accessible via either a push button on the hearing aid inself or by utilizing the appropriate smartphone app. By using the User Preference Control, the wearers are able to adjust for more audibility or comfort themselves.
For more information on Widex hearing aids or Sound Class Technology, please call HearSource at 1-800-416-2434, Monday thru Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. Eastern Time (6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Pacific time) USA.
This Post Has 2 Comments
I wear Widex Moment Sheer 440 hearing aids and I can really tell the difference between these new hearing aids and my previous aids. I am a real fan of the sound class technology. It works well for me.
A nice article explaining some of the technology that Widex has developed for their awesome hearing aids.