Oticon Xceed Hearing Aids

So, is it the 360-degree sound that is winning us over?

An early judgement, but I have got to admit that this was rather an impressive concept for us, at Hearing Aid UK.  The chance for power aid users to not only benefit from an open sound experience, but to also enjoy being a part of a conversation with more than just one person, with ease and comfort - was nothing but a positive.  Oticon deserve accreditation here, for being one of the very few manufacturers to dedicate research into the solutions for the profoundly deaf.

But, how?

It is down to the super-fast OpenSound Navigator that constantly analyses, prioritises and maintains speech from every direction, at the same time as reducing noise levels.  Resulting in access to more detailed speech than any other power aid on the market.  You can now focus on what is important to you in any hearing situation.

Visually, your hearing's accessibility, with traditional technology, looks like the below picture.

...with Xceed's 360-degree sound, it would look more like the below image.

The good news is you will find it easier to take part in the world and enjoy a better soundscape within all listening environments. No matter how challenging.

Another impressive addition, in my opinion, is the 'Very High' setting that is now available, which will give you support when you need it most.  You can select the OpenSound Booster option, regardless of your pre-programmed settings, whenever you require an extra boost in complex hearing scenarios.

 Has Oticon raised the bar of the power aids industry?

Well, Oticon are claiming that their OpenSound Navigator can organise multiple types of dynamic speech and where the noise comes from, in three steps, by evaluating them separately.  The important thing here, is that it can also disregard other sounds as noise.  Let me explain the steps:

1. Within a second it can give your brain precise information in how it organically makes sense of sound.  By navigating sound, within a 360-degree radius, and quicker than 100 times per second, the nature of your soundscape and setting is pinpointed.  Ultimately, you will know the sounds level of frequency, characteristics, importance and source.
2. OpenSound Navigator balances sounds in your environment so your brain can easily switch its focus, as you separate sounds.  To put it simply, you will gain from clear and focused sound with background noise that is not going to distract you from what you really want to hear.
3. This clever technology improves your experience by removing unwanted sound between spoken words – even when said noise is from the same direction as speech.  Plus, you can benefit when your hearing situation is complex and active.

In summary

I cannot make a fair judgement, as this product is in its infancy, but if Xceed does provide power users with what they say it will - and that's what their studies have shown - then these hearing aids will help power users interact with multiple speakers, in complex situations, while hugely reducing listening effort.  They will be able to take part in life, be in the hub of it all and enjoy noisy environments just like everyone else.

Read about the launch of the Xceed in this article.