Government Study Validates Sonomax's SonoCustom(R) Hearing Protection Devices

Editor: As folks in the workplace become more aware of the need to protect their hearing, manufacturers will be offering products to do just that. One such product is Sonomax's SonoCustom(R) Hearing Protection Devices, which have just completed a "real world" test at a GM plant in Flint, MI. Here's their press release.

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May 2007

SonoCustom(r), the advanced custom-molded hearing technology developed and patented by Sonomax Hearing Healthcare Inc. of Montreal (TSX VENTURE: SHH), now licensed exclusively in North America to Aearo(r) Technologies which markets and sells an improved version of this technology under its E-A-R(r) brand as CustomEar(r), has been found to be safe and effective in protecting the hearing of workers in noisy environments according to a major study conducted by NIOSH, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. NIOSH sets the standard for noise exposure in the workplace in the United States and reports directly to the CDC, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a division of the US Department of Health and Human Services.

Participants in the study were divided into three groups; those wearing SonoCustom(r) hearing protection devices, those wearing conventional devices but with fitting assistance and training, and those wearing conventional devices with no additional training in their use.

The one-year study of 228 members of the UAW, the United Auto Workers at General Motors Flint Metal Center in Flint, Michigan found that workers wearing SonoCustom(r) hearing protection devices had the largest percentage of ears falling in the "ideally protected" category, almost double the number recorded for workers wearing conventional earplugs.

Additionally, the report concluded that the group wearing the SonoCustom(r) earplugs exhibited the least change in their average hearing thresholds over the course of the year-long study, and that SonoCustom(r) provided consistent protection and was less variable in real world performance than the other devices.

The subjective portion of the study was less conclusive. No earpiece was reported as "comfortable" by participants in the study, and a high proportion of the subjects assigned SonoCustom(r) dropped out of the study over the course of the year. While SonoCustom(r) was reported as being more comfortable than the other devices, the comfort measurements were not statistically significantly different from any of the other groups, and accordingly, Sonomax cannot authoritatively declare victory in the comfort and wearer satisfaction categories. The company notes that since the completion of the study, it has brought to market the SonoCustom(r) V3, a version which was engineered to add a high degree of comfort to the product's already proven protective capabilities. E-A-R(r)'s CustomEar(r) is the improved SonoCustom(r) V3 version.

Said Nick Laperle, President of Sonomax, "The findings of this report translate to validation of our technologies at the highest level. With this third-party validation delivering the credibility that our technologies deserve, we are confident that we are now on our way to changing this industry and giving the American worker and workers around the world the protection they deserve."

Mr. Laperle went on to say, "This day was made possible by the willingness of the CDC/NIOSH to evaluate and consider new ideas, the visionary thinking and concern for the wellbeing of GM workers exhibited by Lawrence Burns, Senior Vice President of R&D and Planning at General Motors, and the United Auto Workers' unwavering dedication to workplace safety."

Over 100 million workers around the world are exposed to dangerous noise levels at work that can lead to permanent hearing loss.

About Sonomax:

Sonomax Hearing Healthcare Inc (TSX VENTURE: SHH) (http://www.sonomax.com) is a leader in the development and manufacturing of intra-ear technology for hearing protection, hearing enhancement, and other auditory applications. Sonomax has expanded the capability of its SonoPass(r) software so that it can now test hearing protectors other than SonoCustom(r), with the objective of establishing individual fit-testing of hearing protectors as the universal standard. The Company's SonoPlatform(tm) is the foundation for affordable, instantly available, state-of-the-art hearing aids, active and passive earpieces for military use, and music and entertainment and cellular telephone digital wireless applications.

E-A-R, CustomEar, and Aearo are trademarks licensed exclusively to Aearo Company.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health do not endorse any of the earplugs used in the GM study. The results and conclusions of the study do not represent any official NIOSH or CDC policy.

This news release contains certain forward-looking statements that reflect the current views and/or expectations of Sonomax Hearing Healthcare Inc. with respect to its performance, business and future events. Such statements are subject to a number of risks, uncertainties and assumptions. Actual results and events may vary significantly.