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Hearing Aid Technology

If you have ever tried to research hearing aids online, you already know the problem: every manufacturer seems to have invented the greatest hearing aid in history.

Apparently they cannot all be the greatest hearing aid in history.

That is one reason I have always loved being independent.

When I founded Levine Hearing in Charlotte in 2015, I built it much like the hearing clinic my mother ran in my hometown of Macon, Georgia. We work with all of the major hearing aid manufacturers, so we can choose technology based on the person sitting in front of us—not based on which logo is on the box.

Today, that means we routinely work with hearing aids from Phonak, Oticon, Starkey, Signia, ReSound, Widex and other major brands.

And there is a lot happening right now.

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So, What Are the Newest Hearing Aids?

Several major manufacturers have released new technology over the past year.

Phonak EON

Phonak’s newest platform is EON, including Audéo EON Sphere.

Phonak continues to focus heavily on one of the biggest complaints we hear every day: understanding speech in background noise.

For someone who says, “I hear pretty well until I walk into a restaurant,” Phonak is often a brand worth comparing.

Its previous Infinio Sphere technology is also still very current, so owning last year’s model does not mean you suddenly have an antique on your ears.

Oticon Reveal

Oticon Reveal is Oticon’s newest premium platform.

Oticon has long talked about BrainHearing, which probably explains why their philosophy gets my attention.

At Levine Hearing, we talk constantly about the Ear-Brain Connection.

Your ears collect sound. Your brain has to make sense of it.

That means good hearing care is about much more than making things louder.

Oticon Intent, the generation before Reveal, is also still excellent technology.

ReSound Sensia

ReSound Sensia is ReSound’s newest premium platform.

ReSound has been doing interesting work with AI, directional hearing and connectivity, especially for people trying to follow conversation in changing environments.

The prior generation, ReSound Vivia, is still very modern technology and remains worth considering.

Signia MaX

Signia’s newest platform is MaX, beginning with Pure Charge&Go MaX.

What I find particularly interesting about Signia is its focus on group conversation.

Real conversations do not happen with one perfectly positioned person speaking politely from directly in front of you.

People interrupt. Someone talks from your left. Your husband starts a second conversation. A waiter appears.

That is real life.

Signia’s newest technology is designed with those situations in mind.

Starkey Omega AI

Starkey Omega AI remains Starkey’s current flagship.

Starkey has pushed hearing aids well beyond amplification, incorporating AI, connectivity and health-related features into its technology.

Some patients love all of those extras.

Others say, “Madison, I just want to hear my grandchildren.”

Both are completely reasonable.

Widex Allure

Widex Allure is Widex’s current flagship family, with newer AI technology added to the platform.

Widex has always had a loyal following among people who care deeply about natural sound quality, including musicians and experienced hearing aid wearers.

That is one of the reasons we like having multiple manufacturers available. Different ears—and different brains—really do prefer different sound.

Which Hearing Aid Is Best?

This is the question everyone wants me to answer.

And unfortunately, the answer is annoyingly unsatisfying:

It depends.

There is no hearing aid I would put on every patient.

We look at:

Your hearing loss
How well you understand speech
How you perform in background noise
Your lifestyle
Your phone and connectivity needs
Music
Tinnitus
Dexterity
Rechargeability
Your previous hearing aid experience

Then we decide which brands are actually worth comparing.

That is the advantage of Levine Hearing being independent.

We do not need to make every patient fit one manufacturer’s technology.

The Ear-Brain Connection Matters More Than the Box

Technology has become incredibly sophisticated.

But a hearing aid is still just a tool.

Its job is to deliver useful sound to your auditory system so your brain can do something with it.

That is why I care so much about the Ear-Brain Connection, and why I spoke about it in my TEDx talk.

A $7,000 hearing aid that is poorly selected or poorly programmed is still a poorly fit hearing aid.

A great fitting requires good technology and good clinical care.

Already Have Hearing Aids?

Please do not assume you need to buy something new just because a manufacturer released a new model.

We see patients every week with perfectly good hearing aids that simply need better programming, maintenance or another professional opinion.

That is why Levine Hearing offers a complimentary Second Look for hearing aids purchased somewhere else.

We can:

Test your hearing
Evaluate your current devices
Run diagnostics
Look at how they are functioning
Tell you what we would recommend

There is no charge for the Second Look.

If your hearing aids are doing beautifully, we will tell you.

If we think they could work better, we will tell you that too. Then you decide whether you want Levine Hearing to make the changes or adopt your ongoing hearing care.

New to Charlotte?

We also adopt patients who move here all the time.

If you loved your hearing provider in Atlanta, New York, Chicago, Macon—or wherever home used to be—you do not have to start over and buy new hearing aids just because you moved.

Bring them with you.

We work with all major brands and can help you establish a new hearing-care home in Charlotte.