WS Audiology manufacturers several brands of hearing aids including Signia, Widex, and Rexton. They also own numerous retail brands such as HearUSA, Helix Hearing Care, and Hear.com, among others.
AX Chip Provides Better Speech Understanding, Signia Claims
Styletto AX incorporates the new AX chip platform. According to Signia, the AX platform provides reduced audio latency between hearing aids, a faster audio transfer rate, and improved battery life compared to its predecessor, the X platform.
Signia further claims that the AX platform can provide improved understanding in noise compared to other methods of signal processing. In a small internal study, their dual stream signal processing, called Augmented Focus, was compared to two leading competitors.
The findings suggest that in a restaurant scenario (lab conditions), the Signia AX performed significantly better than two competitors and Augmented Focus provides a statistically significant advantage for speech understanding in noise. This study was conducted with both normal-hearing and hearing-impaired participants.
However, keep in mind that you're listening not in a lab under controlled conditions, but in real-life situations. As such, study results can be helpful but should not be taken as absolute proof that you, with your unique hearing loss and listening situations, will have perfect hearing in every situation.
This simply isn't possible and certainly isn't a claim Signia is making. Also, keep in mind that if you have a significant hearing loss with poor speech understanding even in quiet, no hearing aid can overcome the inherent loss of your auditory system.
Still, what the study does tell us is that Augmented Focus did make a difference to the listeners in the two different noise situations within the study. It also tells us that, again in the specific test conditions of the study (restaurant), the AX hearing aid performed better than some of its competitors.
What this means for you is that any of the AX hearing aids, including the new Styletto AX, can provide excellent sound quality in a wide range of listening environments. Happily, Augmented Focus is available in all 3 technology tiers (7AX, 5AX, and 3AX), allowing you choose a tier that best fits your listening needs and your budget.
User Experience
Some wearers are reporting that the light and slim device is comfortable to wear all day, even when wearing glasses. The product is cosmetically appealing and hides nicely behind the ear.
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