Siemans 'CENTRA Active' for Sweaty Boomers
Editor: I usually avoid publishing hearing aid press releases, but
this one caught my eye. It's about a hearing aid that is designed for
boomers who like to work out and want to their hearing aids even when
they're sweating! It's got lots of the typical hype in it, as well. But
it also has some good information!
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Physically Active Americans Now Have a New Hearing Instrument
Designed Specifically for Their Lifestyle
Sweat Resistant, Dirt Repellent, and Comfortable for Sports, Siemens
CENTRA Active(tm) Is First to Deliver The Most Advanced Hearing
Technology in an Ideal New Product
"Not your grandpa's hearing instrument" - that's one way of
describing CENTRA Active(tm), Siemens Hearing Instruments new product
introduced today to meet the needs of a new generation of physically
active Americans. With 73% of respondents ages 42-65 with hearing loss
reporting in a new survey that they regularly participate in physical
activities, Siemens saw an emerging market for a hearing instrument that
stands up to an active lifestyle. CENTRA Active is the first instrument
designed to meet this specific need.
CENTRA Active includes features sought after by active consumers such
as superior resistance to sweat, moisture and humidity; rechargeability;
and a new comfortable, discreet design. The Siemens Survey showed that
those who are physically active are interested in seeking hearing
instruments that will keep up with their active lifestyle (64%), be
comfortable to wear (85%), and protect against sweat and humidity (75%).
WORRIES ABOUT SWEAT AND MOISTURE According to the survey, more than
half (54%) of physically active persons who own hearing instruments do
not wear them while participating in sports and physical activities. A
major concern that respondents report is the worry that
"sweat/moisture will damage the instruments" (29%). Yet, seven
out of ten of those with moderate or severe hearing loss say they are
very interested in hearing instruments designed specifically for
physically active people.
"We know that the new generation of aging Americans wants to
stay active and physically fit -- and are not about to let hearing loss
slow them down," says Dr. Thomas Powers, Vice President of
Audiology and Professional Relations at Siemens Hearing Instruments,
Inc. "They're at the gym, on the tennis courts, hiking, biking and
keeping a fitness schedule that once only younger people strived for. We
know these men and women need hearing instruments that not only deliver
the technology, but work easily and comfortably with their busy
lifestyle. Siemens CENTRA Active is it."
CENTRA Active's AquaProtect(tm) technology resists sweat, moisture,
and humidity. The housing is nanocoated, a proprietary Siemens
technology that repels water and prevents moisture from leaking into the
instrument. It features a GORE(tm) clip-on microphone cover that
protects against damage from perspiration, water, and other liquids.
Siemens has also equipped it with an exclusive C-Guard(tm) barrier that
protects the dome tip against ear wax and humidity for months at a time.
CENTRA Active is designed for easy operation and maximum comfort. It is
completely automatic with no controls to fuss with and has a unique
receiver-in-the-canal design that makes it tiny, easy to wear, and
extremely comfortable. CENTRA Active's extras include an optional
ePocket(tm) remote control that gives control over virtually all
instrument functions.
In addition, CENTRA Active's receiver is ergonomically shaped for
optimum placement in the ear canal and virtually invisible when worn.
Fitting is fast and easy with a wide selection of open tips to fit all
ear canals. And for maximum cosmetic appeal, CENTRA Active is available
in a range of colors to match various hair and skin tones.
Another option for CENTRA Active wearers is an easy-to-use charger
that can charge both instruments at the same time. And after charging
for just 5 hours, the instruments are ready to wear all day and evening.
Now wearers don't have to worry about carrying extra batteries. For even
greater convenience, CENTRA Active will also run on regular hearing
instrument batteries.
Siemens offers several breakthrough technologies with CENTRA Active
including DataLearning(tm) technology that learns the user's volume
preferences and automatically adjusts the instrument's volume for better
performance; SoundSmoothing(tm) that reduces sounds like rustling paper
and clanging dishes without affecting speech for better comfort and more
natural sound; e2e wireless(tm) technology which allows the left and
right hearing instruments to communicate with each other and work as one
hearing system; an automatic feedback cancellation feature that reduces
or eliminates feedback or whistling that can occur with other hearing
instruments; an advanced multi-channel directional microphone system
designed to improve speech understanding in noisy situations; speech and
noise management that reduces background noise, even between syllables
and words, and reduces noises like traffic and air conditioners for
better hearing comfort; and eWindScreen technology that automatically
adapts to windy conditions for maximum comfort. Siemens also offers
CENTRA Active wearers true 16-channel digital signal processing which
makes optimal use of residual hearing and enables the Hearing Care
Professional to precisely fine tune the instruments to fit the wearer's
unique needs.
SURVEY METHODOLOGY The Siemens Hearing Instrument, Inc. Survey was
conducted via the Internet from December 14-20, 2006 by ICR, Media, PA.
This research is based on the findings of a sample of 701 online
consumer web panelists, age 42-65 with self-reported hearing loss. Since
the data are based on a non-random sample, a margin of error cannot be
computed for, and the results are not projectable to, any population
other than those consumers on the panel from which this sample was
drawn.
