In keeping with its new parent company’s promise to continue supporting the brand, Sonic Innovations has introduced its new Varicom hearing aid family providing wireless connectivity to your telephone, television, MP3 player, and more. The Varicom family also provides a range of performance features, fitting options and form factors befitting a new flagship family of hearing aids.
When Sonic Innovations was acquired by William Demant Holding last year, customers questioned whether the Sonic Innovations brand would continue as an independent brand or whether it would be swallowed up by Oticon, the holding company’s leading global hearing aid brand. But now, following William Demant’s recent statement saying it would support Sonic Innovations, is seems clear that, for now, the brand is here to stay.
The new Varicom family brings Sonic Innovations hearing aid technology and features to rough parity with other leading global brands. In the past year, Oticon, Widex, ReSound, Starkey and other leading hearing aid manufacturers have introduced extensive wireless connectivity features that stream audio signals directly into their hearing aids from TVs, stereos, landline phones and Bluetooth mobile phones, among other devices. The new Sonic Innovations Varicom hearing aids have similar wireless features, with a pocket-sized SoundGate wireless streamer that relays standard Bluetooth signals from your dell phone, music player, or other Bluetooth device directly into your hearing aids, as well as wireless audio from separate Varicom TV and land-line phone adapters. The hearing aids also feature binaural wireless communication to improve localization of sound and balancing of audio inputs to provide a more realistic sound.
Varicom hearing aids also come in three form factors–an in-the-canal device, a “nano” BTE (an open-fit configuration with small behind-the-ear processor unit), and a more traditional behind-the-ear configuration for its “Micro BTE” and more powerful “Compact Power BTE” models. They also come in two price/performance levels with different mixes of high-end features including Sonic Innovations high-end sound-processing software, the wireless connectivity functions, noise reduction, feedback canceling, wind-noise monitoring, adaptive directional microphones, and a range of programming and control options. There is also a remote control device providing volume and program-setting control.
Perhaps the most exciting news from the Varicom announcement is that another major brand has introduced a complete set of wireless connectivity options in its flagship hearing aid family, raising hopes that high-end features will more quickly work their way into mid-range-priced hearing aids as well.
David Copithorne says
Thanks for the heads up! I’ve fixed the mistake in the post.
Kathy Landon says
Correction: Varicom does not feature a CIC model, it has an ITCD model for patients who prefer a custom option.