As an audiologist with more than a decade of fitting top-of-the-line hearing aids. , I am excited to share with you my pick for what is the current most advanced hearing aid.
The Oticon Real 1 is the most advanced hearing aid available in the market, offering a comfortable and sharp perception of sound in the real world.
Design and Features
The Oticon Real 1 is suitable for people with slight to profound hearing loss ranging from 16-95 dBHL. It is offered in miniRITE (receiver-in-the-ear) and miniBTE (behind-the-ear) rechargeable and disposable size 312 battery models, available in 3 technology levels. The rechargeable miniRITE/BTE versions give a full day of battery life with a full charge, while the size 312 disposable battery versions last just under a week before a battery change is required, depending on usage.
One of the standout features of the Oticon Real 1 is its Bluetooth Low Energy (LE) technology with an extensive range of connectivity options. The new Oticon Companion app is the main control interface, but the Real also comes with manual push-button control for turning the aid on/off (miniRITE R), volume control, mute, and changing up to 4 programs that can be established by your Audiologist. Additionally, it is available in 9 color options, including a new olive green option for the miniRITE R, and is rated IP68, the industry gold standard for hearing aids, meaning the device is dust and water-resistant and can withstand being submerged in up to 1.5 meters of water for up to 30 minutes.
Performance and Functionality
The Oticon Real 1 features advanced technology that enhances its performance and functionality. The SuddenSound Stabilizer helps the device adapt quickly to sudden and loud sounds, reducing listening effort by 22% in the presence of sudden sounds and can handle more than 500,000 sudden sounds during a typical day. Additionally, the Wind & Handling Stabilizer technology is designed to protect against uncomfortable wind and handling noise, selecting the microphone with the cleanest sound input and detecting and cleaning up the wind at a rate of 500 times per second.
The RealSound technology provides users with a full spectrum of sounds in different environments and guards against sudden disruptive signals, such as wind noise and jostling. Furthermore, it offers tinnitus SoundSupport, which your audiologist may enable to help you be less bothered by the ringing.
Comparison to Oticon More
The Oticon Real 1 is the latest flagship hearing aid from Oticon, using the new Polaris R chip platform that powers its RealSound technology. Compared to its last generation product, the Oticon More 1, the Real is trained in 12 million background noise situations, while the More was trained in 1 million. The Oticon Real is designed to provide users with a more comfortable and sharper perception of sound in different environments, guarding against sudden disruptive signals such as wind noise and jostling, and reducing listening effort by 22% in the presence of sudden sounds.
AI is changing the way hearing aids work
Advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) technology have revolutionized the hearing aid industry. AI-powered hearing aids are capable of processing vast amounts of data, detecting patterns, and making adjustments in real-time to provide users with a personalized and seamless listening experience.
AI algorithms allow hearing aids to learn the user’s listening preferences, recognize their hearing needs in different environments, and adapt to changes in the acoustic environment. These hearing aids can detect and reduce background noise, focus on speech, and enhance sound quality in real time.
The eternal question that every hearing aid user wants is to hear better in background noise. Now with AI training the hearing aids, a whole new world of products is available to try. Starkey also just announced AI hearing aids too.
Current prices for the Oticon Real 1: $4598 / pair. Check out the exact offerings at ZipHearing.
So that is a long answer to a simple question. Oticon Real 1 is what I feel is the most advanced hearing aid on the market today.
