Signia Active Pro IX, Consumer Earbuds that Double as Prescription Hearing Aids, Now Available in the U.S.

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Nov 18, 2024, 09:47 ET

A new survey from YouGov reveals 72% of people age 50+ who are experiencing hearing loss symptoms do not own hearing aids, in large part due to traditional device design and the associated stigma.
Signia Active Pro IX's earbud-style design is reshaping perceptions, with 75% of surveyed respondents claiming that they don't associate very much or any stigma with it.
The survey revealed that 51% of those who don't own hearing aids would consider wearing Active Pro IX in the future.

ISELIN, N.J., Nov. 18, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Hearing aid innovator Signia today announced that Signia Active Pro IX – a cutting-edge category of consumer earbuds that also function as prescription hearing aids – is now available in the United States. Combining advanced hearing technology, the industry's leading hearing-in-noise platform, and a familiar earbud design, Signia Active Pro IX delivers the power of conversation to even more people with hearing loss.

"Signia Active Pro IX combines the ease of use and familiar design of earbuds with the industry's best hearing-in-noise technology," said Kerrie Coughlin, Vice President Brand Marketing at WSAudiology. "For many Americans that have historically hesitated to wear hearing aids due to design-alone, this solution can be life-changing. It's a familiar and widely accepted form factor that breaks stigma and allows wearers to engage confidently in every conversation."

Signia Active Pro IX is powered by Integrated Xperience (IX), the world's only hearing aid platform with RealTime Conversation Enhancement technology to independently enhance multiple conversation partners while separately reducing background sounds to keep them immersive but not distracting.

Integrated Xperience outperforms the competition with a 3.2 dB higher signal-to noise ratio compared to the very best of its top 4 competitor hearing aids. This means that Signia IX delivers more than twice the speech enhancement benefit in a noisy group conversation than the closest competitors, including AI co-processor-driven platforms.^¹

The importance of hearing-in-noise for people with hearing loss was also underscored in the recent YouGov survey, which indicated that 79% of surveyed consumers have difficulty hearing other people, especially in noisy environments.

An Earbud Design for Hearing Aid Rejectors

For millions of Americans with hearing loss, traditional hearing aid designs remain a significant barrier to adoption. The same survey from YouGov found that 72% of people aged 50+ experiencing hearing loss symptoms do not own hearing aids. Additionally, nearly half (48%) of those who do own hearing aids choose not to wear them due to form factor, design, and the associated stigma.

Signia Active Pro IX aims to change this. The same survey indicated that, among those that have visited a hearing care professional (HCP) but failed to purchase hearing aids, 37% would have been more likely to purchase a hearing aid before leaving the HCP's office if they had been introduced to the Active Pro IX. 51% of respondents that don't own hearing aids would consider hearing aids in the future after being introduced to Active Pro IX.

"With Signia Active Pro IX, we're addressing one of the biggest barriers to hearing aid adoption: stigma. It's an opportunity to bridge the gap between need, acceptance, and adoption – allowing more people to embrace the benefits of better hearing," added Coughlin.

Available in multiple color options, Signia Active Pro IX includes a rechargeable battery for all-day power, and wearers can charge on the go with the convenient charging case.

Like consumer earbuds, they support Bluetooth^® connectivity for streaming audio and communicating via smartphone hands-free. Plus, with CallControl functionality, wearers can tap their Signia Active Pro IX earbuds to accept or decline calls. In addition, they are IP68-rated to resist dust, water, and sweat — essential for wearers with active lifestyles.

The YouGov survey was conducted independently of Signia. It surveyed over 1,000 Americans, aged 50-years and older, who are currently experiencing hearing loss symptoms.

To learn more about Signia Active Pro IX hearing aids, click here. For the press kit, click here.

About Signia

Signia is one of the world's leading hearing aid brands. We aim to enhance human performance through iconic innovations and consumer-friendly designs that shape the hearing health market. Since its launch in 2016, Signia has regularly brought innovative, industry-leading solutions to the market and is a pioneer in rechargeable hearing technology.

In addition to highly innovative hearing aids, Signia also delivers tools and apps to increase customer interaction and engagement at all levels of hearing aid management. Signia, and its hearing care professionals, enable hearing aid wearers not just to correct hearing loss but to gain an edge — to Be Brilliant.

¹ Jensen NS, Wilson C, Kamkar Parsi H, Samra B, Hain J, Best S & Taylor B. 2024. Signia IX delivers more than twice the speech enhancement benefit in a noisy group conversation than the closest competitors. Signia White Paper. Retrieved from www.signia-library.com.

Media Contact:
Samantha Bryton
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SOURCE Signia