Panasonic Introduces New Receiver-In-The-Canal Hearing Aids Plus Wireless ‘Hearing Hub’

The Panasonic Healthcare Group has expanded its hearing-aid product line with the new R1-W Series of receiver-in-the-canal (RIC) hearing instruments that moves the company closer to the top ranks of global hearing-system manufacturers.

Among other things, the new product line features a Hearing Hub offering wireless connectivity with peripherals including Bluetooth phones and a transmitter that sends TV audio signals directly into the hearing aids.

Panasonic, which has been selling hearing aids in Japan for decades, only recently entered the North American market with its 4 Series and JZ Series open-fit and body-worn hearing aids. The new R1-W Series provides more power to address a broader range of users’ hearing problems including moderate-to-severe hearing loss. In addition to the wireless peripherals, other new features such include remote volume control and the ability to record voice memos such as personal reminders and phone numbers that can be played back through the hearing aids.

Although Panasonic is still playing catch-up to the world’s largest hearing-aid brands such as Phonak, Oticon, Widex, Starkey and ReSound, the new more powerful hearing aids plus wireless peripherals are a big step toward more parity with competitors who have made wireless communication a key selling point in their new products over the past year.

“With the new R1-W series, Panasonic has introduced a line of hearing instruments with sound quality design that equals or exceeds anything we have seen in the industry,” said Delain D. Wright, Director of Sales, Panasonic Healthcare Group, who called the R1-W series “the next phase” of Panasonic’s long-term plan to establish a major presence in the global hearing-aid market.

The Hearing Hub allows users to wirelessly connect the hearing instrument to Bluetooth®-compatible* mobile phones, landlines and a Panasonic Audio Transmitter, which plugs into a television’s audio-output port to transmit sound wirelessly into the R1-W Series hearing aids. And the remote control allows users to easily and discreetly adjust the volume level and programs of their hearing instruments.

“As a new player in the US hearing market and with our brand strength, we are finding that professionals are embracing our vision to deliver meaningful solutions to a broad segment of people who want to hear better,” Wright said.

Panasonic’s New JZ Power Hearing System Brings Back “Body-Worn” Hearing Aids In A Sleek New High-Tech Package

Panasonic has given new life to a very old idea–”body-worn” hearing aids–with the new Panasonic JZ Power hearing system. But the new Panasonic product is unlike those original hearing aids of more than 50 years ago, which required a cumbersome sound processing unit hanging from the neck, wired to bulky, unattractive hearing aids that by today’s standards provided no more than very simple linear amplification.

The Panasonic JZ Power system is more like a sleek Apple iPod, with a nice set of high-tech ear buds that provide stereo sound amplified to your exact hearing profile. The next step up from the original Panasonic JZ hearing system, the Panasonic JZ Power has five channels instead of three and a frequency range from 200 to 6400 Hz, a major expansion in fitting range over the original JZ’s 220 t0 4300 Hz range.

Available in blue, black and silver, the Panasonic JZ Power is a palm-sized unit featuring an LCD screen, noise reduction, wind noise management, feedback management, left-right balance, a slide power switch and easily accessible volume control, and four “Scene Selector” program settings for standard, music, party and indoors listening environments. The stereo binaural headset (earphone with microphones) is designed to comfortably fit into the ear canal and stay in place for long hours of wear. The JZ Power also includes a rechargeable battery with a charging cradle for the main unit, which can also use commercial AAA alkaline batteries.

“Panasonic is committed to a series of unique hearing solutions using the JZ form factor,” said Delain D. Wright, Director of Sales, Panasonic Corporation of North America, Healthcare Group. “With the new JZ Power Panasonic can help an even broader segment of the hearing impaired who are challenged by the difficulty of managing traditional hearing instruments.”

New ‘Buy A Hearing Aid’ Web Site Provides Good Information On Hearing Aid Brands Along With Referrals To An Audiologist Near You

There is a new web site devoted to helping hearing-aid buyers sort through what products on the market will best meet their needs and find a reputable audiologist nearby who can help them. Buy a Hearing Aid provides detailed information about the major hearing aid brands and makes it easy to compare and contrast features and benefits. And if you provide them with your zip code and email address, they will refer you to an audiologist in your neighborhood who can fit you with a new pair of hearing aids.

Buyers need to beware of the growing number of sites on the web that purport to offer information on hearing-aid choices, but which have actually been set up just to generate search traffic and advertising revenue, without offering substantive or even helpful information. That’s why it’s nice to see an addition to the few reputable sites (such as Hearing Planet which I’ve written about before) that are staffed by professionals who know what advice consumers need and who can provide appropriate referrals to the right kind of hearing-health professionals.

The Buy a Hearing Aid site is the brainchild of Mark Brumback of Hearing Aid Express, one of the largest independently owned and operated hearing-aid sellers in the U.S. with primary locations in Houston and Dallas, Texas. (It is also among the first North American hearing-aid companies to sell the new Panasonic line of hearing aids). Hearing Aid Express fits multiple brands of hearing aids, and the company’s breadth and depth of knowledge of the various hearing-aid brands  is now presented on the Buy a Hearing Aid site for three classes of consumers: those who have never owned hearing aids, those who currently own hearing aids, and those who are interested in buying hearing aids.

Petar Dimov, a web developer and search optimization expert, built the site and is developing a comprehensive database of all hearing aid brands and models. Audiologists can pay a small annual fee to have details of their practice presented on the site including any sales offers to attract local customers.

Panasonic Rolls Out Family Of Behind-The-Ear And Receiver-In-The-Canal Hearing Aids In North American Market

Global consumer electronics giant Panasonic is using its decades of experience selling hearing aids to its home market in Japan to deliver a complete family of hearing solutions to the North American market for the first time, with its sales roll-out starting this month. Following the company’s announcement at the American Academy of Audiology convention in April, North American sales leader Delain Wright has assembled a national team that is signing up a network of audiologists throughout the region to introduce American consumers to Panasonic’s behind-the-ear (BTE) and receiver-in-the-canal (RIC) hearing aids. The initial product lineup consists of the Panasonic 4 Series RIC hearing aids, the Panasonic 2 Series BTE hearing aids, and the innovative JZ Series hearing amplification system worn around the neck with an attachable binaural headset. Read more

As The Economy Turns: Audiology NOW! Exhibitors Promise To Feed Hearing-Aid Market Turnaround With New Products And Technology

I just arrived in beautiful San Diego to attend the American Academy of Audiology’s annual conference, Audiology NOW!, which has become the premier North American showcase for new products and technologies from large and small hearing-aid manufacturers. There seems to be a little more excitement from an industry that has been pummeled by the recession and held to low-to-no-digit sales growth in the past couple of years. This year, the big players have come locked and loaded. Everywhere one turns there seems to be a promotion for Oticon’s new Agil flagship product line. Panasonic will be making its formal U.S. market debut Thursday evening where Panasonic hearing’s US chief Delain Wright will share more of the company’s plans. Siemens has a huge booth in what will surely be a show of commitment to its hearing-aid business following its recent apparent decision not to spin off Siemens Hearing Instruments to private equity investors. Starkey is promising a slew of announcements Friday night in a function on the deck of the USS Midway aircraft carrier. And that’s just scratching the surface. I’ll be posting more news on everything that seems to be either interesting or important, or both.

How Big A Splash Will Panasonic Make In The U.S. Hearing-Aid Market?

Panasonic’s announcement this week that it will start selling its line of hearing aids in the U.S. is huge for three reasons.

Distribution: If Panasonic makes a serious investment in getting its products out to audiologists and consumers, it could dramatically realign the competitive landscape in the hearing-aid industry. North America is the world’s largest market for hearing aids but is currently dominated by a small handful of major manufacturers. Panasonic has an extremely strong brand name, a massive distribution channel, and credibility in consumer electronics. In terms of market presence alone, it could be an overnight 800-pound gorilla that will force the other competitors to sit up, take notice, and respond by accelerating development of their own new, competitive products and looking hard at pricing and better value propositions for their customers.

Product: Panasonic has the R&D resources to lead the long-awaited move to more user-friendly hearing-assistance products that further blur the line between complex, high-end hearing aids requiring customers to make large investments in time and money vs. more accessible multi-function consumer products that expand the overall market by enhancing and protecting hearing and communication at lower price thresholds. A lot has been done by the current hearing-aid manufacturers about easier-to-wear form factors, a broader variety of solutions for different levels of hearing loss, integration of Bluetooth and other wireless technologies, and attractive design. But it remains to be seen what kinds of exciting technical innovations and new products a heavyweight consumer electronics leader will deliver to this market. Yoshi Yuasa, Corporate Senior Vice President of Panasonic North America, noted that with its combination of global consumer electronics experience and long history providing hearing products to the Japanese market, “Panasonic is well positioned to participate in the convergence of audio products and hearing aids.”

People: Panasonic made the smart move of hiring Delain Wright to lead the charge into the U.S. market. Wright, who previously led Siemens Hearing Instruments in the U.S. and held senior management positions with Siemens Hearing in Europe, started his career fitting patients with hearing aids in his own private practice and knows the business from top to bottom. He is a bona fide hearing-aid industry leader who knows exactly who he needs on his team and what Panasonic needs to do to hit the ground running the the U.S. market. “With the recent development of its own proprietary digital sound processing devices and algorithms and sleekly styled products coupled with the powerful consumer brand’s strength, I think Panasconic is in a strong position as we launch local operations in this country,” said Wright, whose title is Director of Sales for Panasonic Corporation of North America’s Healthcare Group.

Panasonic will hold a kick-off event Thursday at the American Academy of Audiologists AudiologyNOW industry conference in San Diego.