Behind-the-scenes at Widex: Manipulating less for a natural hearing experience
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Imagine a world where hearing aids don’t just “aid”. They transform the auditory experience into something so natural, that the user forgets about their hearing loss. That’s the dream we have been chasing here at Widex since 1956, with the constant push to manipulate less for a natural hearing experience.
Now, we’re putting our passion and ideologies into words with the Widex Sound Philosophy.
Read on for a look at how this philosophy guides us and what it means for Widex hearing aid users.
Preserving the details
Adam Westermann, Widex’s Innovation President, says that achieving sound like no other starts with a deep respect for the sound and quality of our products.
“We’re super focused on the wearer, and their perception of the hearing aid,” he says.
This commitment to the user led to the formation of an innovation team with a clear goal: to enhance the natural hearing experience for hearing aid users. This team's explorations and discoveries have been instrumental in advancing Widex's technology, notably when developing Widex PureSound, a feature that makes Widex hearing aids sound less artificial.
“We thought about what we could do to make the hearing aid experience more natural, and the hearing aid sounds more natural in the user’s ear,” says Westermann. “This is all based on our sound philosophy.”
Listener-focused sound
With hearing aids, it’s important to create sound that is natural to the person hearing it. That’s why, Widex doesn’t just rely on averages when fitting hearing aids.
“We measure the specifics of the user’s ear canal,” says Westermann. “We measure hearing with the hearing aid in the ear, then adjust settings for the individual wearer.” Widex also has a feature called MySound in the Widex app, which lets users fine-tune their settings, for a truly personalized hearing experience.
Adapting to real life
The ability to focus and communicate while still sensing and detecting what goes on around you is part of a natural hearing experience. However, individuals with hearing loss often experience an imbalance between focus and awareness.
We strive to address this by seamlessly amplifying sounds of focus and gently reducing others while preserving the user’s awareness of the surroundings. Whether the user is at home, in the car, at the office, or in a noisy restaurant, our hearing aids are designed to smoothly adjust to each listening environment.
They do this by using advanced speech and noise detection that highlights speech and keeps background noise below the user’s threshold. This ensures clarity and focus on conversations, even when it is noisy – or windy.
“Our technology is great at distinguishing between wind noise and speech and adjusting appropriately,” says Westermann. “On a windy day, our hearing aids will reduce wind interference, so users can enjoy conversations outdoors.”
The future of natural sound
Overall, this philosophy acts as a driving force behind Widex’s groundbreaking innovations and signify a commitment to delivering the most natural sound. Looking ahead, Widex is committed to continuous innovation in the realm of natural hearing technology.
“We are always looking for new ways to refine and enhance our sound technology,” says Westermann. “The goal is to bridge the gap between artificial and natural hearing, ensuring users not only hear better but also experience sound in its most authentic form.”
About the Widex Sound Philosophy
At Widex, we believe the natural auditory system is the best tool for processing sound. That’s why we do all we can to let our hearing aid processing respect the way the auditory system works.
To achieve this, we take a different approach than the rest of the industry. We manipulate less to craft a more natural hearing experience. Because we believe that feeding the auditory system with as authentic and detailed sound as possible enhances speech understanding, increases social engagement, and enriches quality of life.
Our sound philosophy includes three mantras:
- Respect all sounds – We craft an authentic sound experience that respects how the auditory system works, preserving the details and applying extreme sound processing only when necessary.
- Tailor to the user – We provide a tailored sound experience where intelligent technology shapes sound delivery to each individual user and their preferences.
- Focus on what matters – We create a seamless sound experience with advanced analysis continuously adapting processing to any challenging situation – reducing distracting noise and improving speech clarity.
A full overview of the Widex Sound Philosophy can be found here.