Bose adventures into the hearing aid sector, making a grand entrance with its direct-to-customer device. The SoundControl Hearing Aids are the audio gear giant first hearing aids. It’s also the industry’s first FDA-approved prescription-free hearing aid for adults who believe they have mild-to-moderate hearing loss. Meaning, you don’t need a consultation with a doctor, an audiologist, or even a hearing test – you can buy them like you would a pair of wireless headphones.
Brian Maguire, global head of Bose Health, stated:
In the United States alone, approximately 48 million people suffer from some degree of hearing loss that interferes with their life. But the cost and complexity of treatment have become significant barriers to getting help. The Bose Hear app lets owners set up and customize their SoundControl Hearing Aids from home – in less than an hour – to reconnect with the moments that matter. That’s a fantastic advancement the industry has been missing and nothing short of a breakthrough.
SoundControl wearables feature audio tuning tech comparable to that used in the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds. Audio calibration is one of their standout features. And the company also promises audiologist-quality results.
Using the Bose Hear mobile app, you can tweak the volume levels, treble, bass, and tone, so the sound is suited to your ears.
The hardware involves two SoundControl Hearing Aids, weighing just 3 g (0.1 oz) apiece, with the main component resting behind a user’s ear and the earpiece plugging into the canal. The hearing aids are pairable with a smartphone running the Bose notice iOS/Android app over Bluetooth.
They can survive “light exposure to rain or water” being water-resistant and they come equipped with a carry case, two microphones, a solitary presenter, and eight 312 zinc-air batteries. Each battery lasts as much as four days if the device is used for 14 hours a day. They are not rechargeable.
The equipment comes with three sizes of ear tips with both closed and open domes. If you need assistance, the app includes a step-by-step guide to finding the perfect fit. You can schedule a free one-on-one video appointment with a Bose product specialist through the app.
The app also includes the company’s CustomTune technology, allowing users to personalize settings in as little as 30 minutes, with hundreds of options via two on-screen sliders. The procedure is straightforward.
You can even do things like amplify quiet sounds and quiet-loud people or tune out louder sounds overall or use a “focus feature” to help zone in on conversations. And you can save settings as presets (for example, “movie time” or “at the beach”). There’s even a button on the hearing aid so you change between presents if you don’t have your smartphone with you to open the app.
SoundControl comes with a 90-day risk-free trial, so if you’re not satisfied, you can return them for your entire $849.95 back. Initially, they’ll only be available in the following five US states: Massachusetts, Montana, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Texas. However, Bose promises a nationwide rollout soon.
