By Pauline T. Mayer
Medical Device News Magazine Editor
With so many hearing aids on the market, it often becomes difficult to determine which one is best for someone who is challenged with a hearing issue(s). As Medical Device News Magazine editor, I felt compelled to give it a try.
I research many topics. One topic, in particular, has to do with hearing aids. After speaking with many senior citizens, I have learned that many hearing aids have numerous imperfections that have generated various complaints from users, including ‘tinny’ and ‘artificial’ sound quality, bulky exteriors, uncomfortable fit, no assistance from the manufacturers, limited and/or inconclusive support and training from audiologists who know little about design or functionality of a hearing device, and many other issues.
As a result, I took it upon myself to learn more about WIDEX MOMENT which has been receiving so many positive reviews above others. So I reached out to the company to learn more.
WIDEX MOMENT is the first digital hearing aid to ever incorporate dual artificial intelligence engines to improve real-time listening. It works like this. The hearing aid learns how users prefer to hear their surroundings, leveraging AI to analyze settings and guide them through a series of A-B comparisons. Once completed, the technology draws from millions of user settings stored in the cloud, helping to personalize the user’s listening experience. Widex, founded 60 plus years ago in the Netherlands, prides itself on employing top engineers and tech teams including credentialed audiologists.
My device came with a set of instructions. First, to download the WIDEX Remote Care App from the Apple Store and to charge the device. The device has a lithium battery, one of the smallest in the industry, so charging was fast!
My phone consult was with an expert audiologist who conducted the training via the App. I was able to place the hearing ear pods behind my ear with great ease followed by placing the receiver (a thin wire) inside my ear. I remarked that I thought the wire could be just a bit longer. From the audiologist’s end, she adjusted the power, one ear at a time. I was expecting to hear some “white noise” but the sound was pure as snow. And here’s why:
Powered by AI, Widex SoundSense Learn processes inputs from connected hearing aids throughout the world and shares anonymized data with a cloud-based AI system. The system then continuously learns how to further optimize hearing aid settings in different situations for specific wearers.
Widex SoundSense Learn presents users with A-B comparisons to begin understanding how a person wearing compatible Widex hearing aids prefers sound in an environment. SoundSense Learn manages three acoustic parameters, low, mid, and high frequencies, which can each be set to 13 different levels, resulting in more than 2,000 possible settings.
To A-B test each setting would require more than 2 million tests, but by using the power of machine-learning algorithms, Widex SoundSense Learn requires only about a dozen comparisons to calculate the optimal settings for the individual person. The SoundSense Learn algorithms also track the user’s individual adjustments and draw from other user settings stored in the cloud to more precisely tailor the hearing aids to one’s surroundings.
The WIDEX MOMENT leverages ZeroDelay™ technology to reduce the standard sound delay from 7-10 milliseconds seconds to 0.5 milliseconds, creating a natural sound that transforms how people with hearing loss experience the world.
Like any product or service, it is always best to check with a healthcare professional. And it might be worth your while asking them about the WIDEX MOMENT.
After having the opportunity to try WIDEX MOMENT, I can give it a rating of 5 stars for the following reasons: High-Quality Sound, Design, and Comfort.
Pauline T. Mayer, Medical Device News Magazine Editor