Head of Customer Content Experience
Audiology Expert & Founder
Launched in Summer 2022, Phonak expanded the latest series of its Paradise hearing aid platform with Phonak Audeo Fit hearing aids. These devices introduced various specialised lifestyle features offering wearers valuable health data such as heart rate, step count, activity levels and distances walked or run.
Phonak Audeo Fit hearing aids are crafted to cater to today's active lifestyles, particularly those individuals who prioritise health or engage in outdoor pursuits. They incorporate Phonak's highly acclaimed Paradise platform, which includes universal Bluetooth connectivity for delivering clear, natural sound and an advanced hearing experience.
In this article, I go through the main features and benefits of this new commer so you can discover whether this hearing aid is the right fit for you.
"Consumers seek products that resonate with their unique personalities, and hearing aids are no exception. With these three new offerings—Audéo Fit, Audéo Life, and Phonak Slim—you can monitor your fitness data, explore new horizons, or simply showcase your style.
This Paradise line represents just the initial step towards intertwining hearing solutions with overall well-being. Our objective is to encourage individuals to lead their most active and fulfilling lives."
Angela Pelosi, Phonak's Director of Global Audiology
Hearing loss has always been linked to reduced physical activity, while physical activity can enhance cognition, learning and overall well-being. Phonak Audeo Fit hearing aids are designed to provide individuals with hearing loss more opportunities and effective solutions, enabling them to embrace and engage in their active lifestyles.
Phonak Audeo Fit hearing aids, via the myPhonak App, empower hearing aid wearers with insights into various health metrics, including heart rate, steps taken, activity levels, and distances covered. This innovative hearing aid incorporates built-in sensors to provide access to personal activity data, enabling users to pursue healthier habits and set fitness goals, all accompanied by clear sound.
"Phonak's latest hearing aids seamlessly integrate with your lifestyle. This marks a pivotal moment in harnessing technology and innovation to promote well-being. We are committed to breaking down barriers so that more individuals can fully benefit from our hearing aids."
Jon Billings, Phonak's Vice-President of Marketing
This new hearing aid model highlights the versatility of the Paradise hearing aid platform - meeting the unique needs of individuals while maintaining the exceptional sound quality associated with the Paradise platform.
Hearing aids have evolved far beyond their primary function of restoring auditory capabilities. Today, they serve as multifunctional devices that not only enhance hearing but also contribute to overall health and well-being through data-tracking features.
Modern hearing aids, exemplified by products like Phonak's Audeo Fit hearing aids, incorporate health data tracking capabilities. This convergence of hearing technology and health tracking is particularly significant.
As I mentioned earlier, hearing loss has been linked to reduced physical activity and social isolation, both of which can impact overall health. Hearing aids with data tracking empower users to take charge of their health, encouraging them to adopt healthier lifestyles and remain socially engaged.
Furthermore, the clear and natural sound quality provided by these advanced hearing aids enhances speech comprehension. This not only improves communication but also supports cognitive function, benefiting mental health.
Hearing aids, such as Phonak Audeo Fit, with health data tracking capabilities represent a transformative step in healthcare technology. They empower individuals to proactively manage their health while addressing hearing issues, fostering a holistic approach to well-being.
Wondering whether this hearing aid is right for you? Our audiologists can help and support you in finding the right fit for your hearing loss needs, lifestyle and much more. Call us free on 0800 567 7621 today.
Do not spend hundreds of pounds without getting a second opinion from us.
If you are looking at this page then it is likely that an audiologist has suggested that you purchase this particular hearing aid, so is this the best model for you?
In general, any audiologist will always be recommending to you the model that best suits your needs. Here is a useful check list to make sure that is the case.
If in doubt, feel free to give us a call. That's what we're here for.
If you have a significant hearing loss in both ears, you should be wearing two hearing aids. Here are the audiological reasons why:
Localisation. The brain decodes information from both ears and compares and contrasts them. By analysing the miniscule time delays as well as the difference in loudness of each sound reaching the ears, the person is able to accurately locate a sound source. Simply put, if you have better hearing on one side than the other, you can't accurately tell what direction sounds are coming from.
Less amplification required. A phenomena known as “binaural summation” means that the hearing aids can be set at a lower and more natural volume setting than than if you wore only one hearing aid.
Head shadow effect. High frequencies, the part of your hearing that gives clarity and meaning to speech sounds, cannot bend around your head. Only low frequencies can. Therefore if someone is talking on your unaided side you are likely to hear that they are speaking, but be unable to tell what they have said.
Noise reduction. The brain has it’s own built in noise reduction which is only really effective when it is receiving information from both ears. If only one ear is aided, even with the best hearing aid in the world, it will be difficult for you to hear in background noise as your brain is trying to retain all of the sounds (including background noise) rather than filtering it out.
Sound quality. We are designed to hear in stereo. Only hearing from one side sounds a lot less natural to us.
For most people, the main benefit of a rechargeable hearing aid is simple convenience. We are used to plugging in our phones and other devices overnight for them to charge up.
For anybody with poor dexterity or issues with their fingers, having a rechargeable aid makes a huge difference as normal hearing aid batteries are quite small and some people find them fiddly to change.
One downside is that if you forget to charge your hearing aid, then it is a problem that can't be instantly fixed. For most a 30 minute charge will get you at least two or three hours of hearing, but if you are the type of person who is likely to forget to plug them in regularly then you're probably better off with standard batteries.
Rechargeable aids are also a little bit bigger and are only available in behind the ear models.
Finally, just like with a mobile phone, the amount of charge you get on day one is not going to be the same as you get a few years down the line. Be sure to ask what the policy is with the manufacturer warranty when it comes to replacing the battery.
For most people, the answer is yes. But it's never that simple.
The majority of hearing problems affect the high frequencies a lot more than the low ones. Therefore open fitting hearing aids sound a lot more natural and ones that block your ears up can make your own voice sound like you are talking with your head in a bucket. Therefore in-ear aids tend to be less natural.
However the true answer is we can't tell until we have had a look in your ears to assess the size of your ear canal, and until we have tested your hearing to see which frequencies are being affected.
People with wider ear canals tend to have more flexibility, also there are open fitting modular CIC hearing aids now that do not block your ears.
There is also the age old rule to consider, that a hearing aid will not help you if it's sat in the drawer gathering dust. If the only hearing aid you would be happy wearing is one that people can't see, then that's what you should get.
Most people can adapt to any type of hearing aid, as long as they know what to expect. Have an honest conversation with your audiologist as to what your needs are.
Generally speaking, six or more. Unless it's none at all.
The number of channels a hearing aid has is often a simplistic way an audiologist will use to explain why one hearing aid is better than another, but channels are complex and it is really not that straightforward.
Hearing aids amplify sounds of different frequencies by different amounts. Most people have lost more high frequencies than low and therefore need more amplification in the high frequencies. The range of sounds you hear are split into frequency bands or channels and the hearing aids are set to provide the right amount of hearing at each frequency level.
Less than six channels and this cannot be done with much accuracy, so six is the magic number. However, a six channel aid is typically very basic with few other features and is suitable only for hearing a single speaker in a quiet room. The number of channels is not what you should be looking at, it's more the rest of the technology that comes with them.
As a final note, different manufacturers have different approaches. One method is not necessarily better than any other. For example some manufacturers have as many as 64 channels in their top aids. Most tend to have between 17 and 20. One manufacturer has no channels at all.
Hearing aids are easily lost, misplaced or damaged and typically are one of the most expensive personal possessions an individual can own. We offer hearing aid warranty cover for £80 per year per aid. Find out more here
All our audiologists use the very latest technology and provide the full range of tests to accurately measure your hearing for free. Find out about what we offer all our customers here
Hearing Aid UK offers all their customers free home visiting services and home visits for hearing aids - Including hearing tests, fittings, maintenance, check-ups and much more in the comfort of your own home and at your convenience. Find out more information here
Here, at Hearing Aid UK, we are dedicated to offering low hearing aid prices. We achieve this by having no head office and low marketing costs. Our hearing aid prices are amongst the lowest you will find anywhere in the world.
When we refer to a product as 'Latest Launch', we mean it is the latest to be released on the market.
When we refer to a product as 'New', we mean that the product is the newest hearing aid model on the market.
When we refer to a product as 'Superseded', we mean that there is a newer range available which replaces and improves on this product.
When we refer to a product as an 'Older Model', we mean that it is has been superseded by at least two more recent hearing aid ranges.