Tag: #hearing

Hidden Hearing Introduces Oticon Zeal

Groundbreaking new hearing device delivers exceptional sound quality, always-on AI sound processing and full modern connectivity, with a virtually unseen design

It addresses the overlooked consequences of hearing loss in the workplace and beyond

Hidden Hearing, Ireland’s leading provider of hearing healthcare, has announced the arrival of a breakthrough in hearing technology with the launch of Oticon Zeal. This next-generation hearing device combines exceptional sound quality, always-on AI sound processing and full modern connectivity in a remarkably discreet form.

Not everyone sees themselves in traditional hearing aids and with that in mind Oticon designed something different, discreet, elegant and effortless.It looks and feels more like the earbuds that many people already wear. It’s an exceptional hearing aid without the compromise or stigma of conventional designs.

With Zeal, seeing is believing. It’s the hearing aid for people who never thought they’d wear one. It delivers intelligent, high-performance hearing with seamless connectivity to today’s digital world, while remaining virtually invisible in use.

For many people, particularly those in fast-paced and demanding roles, hearing loss becomes a silent challenge. Missed information in meetings, increased listening effort and end-of-day fatigue can all affect performance long before someone realises hearing is the root cause. Despite this, most people delay seeking help for seven to ten years, often due to concerns about visibility, stigma and the belief that they must compromise on either discretion or performance.

“We regularly meet people who are coping rather than thriving at work,” said Dolores Madden, Marketing Director for Hidden Hearing. “They are working harder just to keep up, without realising how much untreated hearing loss is impacting their focus, confidence and energy. By launching this premium product in our clinics, we’re offering a solution that supports people in their working and social lives without drawing attention or requiring compromise.”

In the modern workplace, clear communication is critical. Untreated hearing loss can quietly undermine productivity, collaboration and confidence, particularly in meetings, open-plan offices and hybrid working environments. Supporting clearer hearing can reduce mental strain and help people stay engaged, effective and confident throughout the day.

“I see patients with hearing loss that is often left untreated due to perceived stigma around it,” said Dr Clodagh Gallagher, Medical Advisor for Hidden Hearing. “They also experience mental fatigue, frustration and a drop in confidence at work as a result. When you have clear hearing, it supports better decision-making, stronger communication and overall performance.”

This new innovation addresses the often unseen impact of untreated hearing loss on people’s professional performance, confidence and everyday wellbeing.

A significant barrier to early treatment is the belief that people must choose between discretion and performance. Many delay addressing hearing loss because they don’t want a visible device to define them professionally or socially.

Stigma remains one of the most powerful reasons people put off seeking help. Hearing loss affects people of all ages, yet outdated perceptions continue to hold many back.

“One of the most damaging myths around hearing loss is that it’s something to hide or ignore,” added Dr Gallagher. “The longer people wait, the more impact it can have on their personal and professional lives. Discreet, modern solutions like this help remove that stigma and encourage people to take action earlier.”

Oticon Zeal is designed to fit effortlessly into everyday life, offering a personalised hearing solution for people who want to stay active, social and fully engaged. Whether in quiet moments, busy social settings, at work, enjoying sport or listening to music, it adapts naturally to different environments while maintaining exceptional sound quality and connectivity.

With state-of-the-art innovations like Oticon Zeal now available in Hidden Hearing clinics nationwide, the organisation continues its commitment to helping people hear clearly, perform confidently and stay fully connected to their work and lives without

Vodafone Ireland Launches Critical Service for Deaf and Hard of Hearing

Vodafone Ireland has announced the launch of Real-Time Text (RTT), a breakthrough accessibility service designed to improve emergency communications for the Deaf and hard of hearing community.
Vodafone Ireland is the first mobile operator in Ireland to introduce RTT, reaffirming its commitment to inclusive, barrier-free digital communication and connection.  The service is now available for emergency calls following pilot tests on the Vodafone network supported by BT ECAS and ComReg.
RTT is a next-generation messaging technology that enables text to be transmitted instantly, character by character, while maintaining a voice connection – eliminating the need to press “send.” This creates a more natural, fluid communication experience, particularly for deaf, hard of hearing, and speech-impaired users.
Vodafone Ireland customers using both Android and iOS devices can now activate Real-Time Text (RTT) directly via their handset accessibility settings. Once enabled, RTT allows users to send and receive text instantly during a call – making communication more accessible, especially for the deaf and hard-of-hearing community.
 Crucially, RTT is fully compatible with Ireland’s Emergency Call Answering Service, allowing users to communicate directly with 112 or 999 in real time. This capability can be lifesaving in urgent situations where every second counts.

Approximately 5%, almost 270,000, of the Irish population reports a hearing impairment, according to latest Census data. With the European Accessibility Act coming into effect last month, the need for inclusive digital communication has never been more urgent and RTT is a vital step forward in ensuring equal access for all, especially in critical services like emergency response.

The RTT service is natively supported on smartphones that meet international accessibility standards.
These devices allow character-by-character text transmission during voice calls, without requiring third-party apps or additional hardware. This ensures that users can communicate directly and immediately in emergency situations and in everyday interactions.
Commenting as the service was launched today, Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport Patrick O’Donovan T.D. said:
“The introduction of Real-Time Text by Vodafone Ireland marks a significant milestone in our national journey towards digital equality. As the European Accessibility Act comes into force, it is heartening to see Irish tech leaders stepping up with meaningful innovation which instantly improves lives. Most importantly, RTT empowers people who are deaf or hard of hearing to access emergency services with the same immediacy and simplicity as anyone else. This is not just a technological advancement – it is a statement of inclusion, of equality and our shared commitment to building a digital society with universal access.

The RTT service is already available on the majority of Vodafone smartphones in Ireland right now, meaning the opportunity to make inclusive communication the norm is already in our hands.  I encourage not only the Deaf and hard of hearing community, but the wider public also to embrace RTT. By making it part of our everyday communication and help ensure it becomes a turning point for real inclusion in a more connected society – one where everyone has the tools to engage, contribute and to be heard.”

Welcoming the launch, Chief Executive of Vodafone Ireland, Sabrina Casalta, said:

“At Vodafone Ireland, we’re committed to keeping everyone connected – our mission is to ensure digital access and connectivity for everyone, everywhere. RTT represents a significant step forward in digital accessibility, especially in emergency scenarios where real-time communication can save lives.  We are proud to be the first in Ireland and one of the leaders in Europe to bring this innovative service to market, that we believe can change lives for the better. The RTT launch has been developed in partnership with government stakeholders, accessibility advocates, and emergency response teams. Vodafone’s RTT deployment places Ireland at the forefront of inclusive tech innovation in Europe.”
Speaking at the launch, Mark Byrne,  CEO of Chime, Ireland’s national charity for Deaf and Hard of Hearing people said:
“Chime is excited to see Vodafone Ireland leading the way in ensuring crucial accessibility to emergency services through its RTT service. We know this is a major challenge for Deaf and Hard of Hearing people who face barriers in reaching emergency services when they need to.
We commend Vodafone for gathering important feedback from Irish Sign Language users on the RTT, ensuring inclusivity for everyone. We hope to see further investment and expansion of digital accessibility across the communications sector in Ireland.”
Vodafone is Ireland’s leading total communications provider with 2.4 million customers and employs over 2,000 people directly and indirectly in Ireland. Next year, Vodafone Ireland will mark 25 years in Ireland. Vodafone Ireland was recently named Ireland’s best mobile operator for the 10th year in a row by independent benchmarking organisation, umlaut. Vodafone Ireland was also recognised as Best in Reliability, Best in Voice, and Best in Crowdsourced Reliability.
What is Real-Time Text (RTT)?
RTT is an accessibility service that allows text to be transmitted instantly as it’s typed, allowing for natural, real-time conversations. Unlike traditional SMS or legacy TTY systems, RTT doesn’t require waiting for a full message to be typed before transmission. It is especially useful for Deaf, hard of hearing, or speech-impaired users and supports full interaction with emergency numbers 112 and 999.
How to Enable RTT on Your Device
Vodafone Ireland customers using both Android and iOS devices can now activate Real-Time Text (RTT) directly from their handset settings.
·       On Android, users can go to Settings > Accessibility > Hearing > RTT and toggle the feature on.
·       iPhone users can enable RTT by navigating to Settings > Accessibility > RTT/TTY and switching on “Software RTT.” Once enabled, RTT allows users to send and receive text instantly during a call — making communication more accessible, especially for the deaf and hard-of-hearing community.
For more information, please visit www.vodafone.ie.

Why the Right Ear Plugs Matter – Especially at Concerts

Concerts are all about energy, emotion, and connection — but they’re also about sound. A lot of sound. While we expect loud music in these settings, what many people don’t realise is that just a few hours of high-volume exposure can cause long-term hearing damage. That’s why using the right ear plugs for concerts is one of the smartest choices any music lover can make.

The Hidden Risk in Live Music

Standing in front of a stage, feeling the bass through your body, and singing along to your favourite band is an incredible experience. But concert volumes regularly exceed 100 decibels — a level that can start damaging hearing in under 15 minutes. The ringing you might hear after a show isn’t just a temporary annoyance; it’s a sign that your ears have been overexposed.

And repeated exposure? That can lead to permanent hearing loss or conditions like tinnitus.

Not All Ear Plugs Are Created Equal

Some people avoid ear plugs at concerts because they think they’ll ruin the sound — muffling vocals, flattening the music, or making the experience less enjoyable. That may be true with cheap foam plugs, but not with ear plugs designed specifically for music.

High-quality ear plugs for concerts, like those from Alpine, use special acoustic filters that lower the volume without distorting the sound. This means you get the same clarity, depth, and energy — just at a safe listening level.

Everyday Protection with Alpine Ear Plugs

While concert-specific models are ideal for live events, Alpine’s broader range of ear plugs offers solutions for every situation — from sleep and travel to work and study. All are designed for comfort, durability, and effective sound reduction, so you can find exactly what fits your lifestyle.

Whether you’re blocking out city noise during your commute or protecting your ears at a music festival, Alpine ear plugs make it easy to enjoy life without putting your hearing at risk.

Listen Smart, Enjoy More

You don’t have to choose between your love of music and your long-term hearing health. With the right ear plugs, you can fully enjoy concerts, festivals, and gigs — all while giving your ears the protection they deserve.

 

Sennheiser announces SoundProtex hearing protection earplugs

The new Sennheiser SoundProtex hearing protection earplugs enable wearers to hear the best possible sound at concerts and loud environments without having to worry about damaging their hearing. Many people will be familiar with that ringing sound in the ears after a concert, and that’s not a healthy thing. Music fans are often turned off from using earplugs as they can make it feel like the band or DJ is playing under water, which can ruin the concert experience. Utilising the brand’s extensive knowledge of sound, the Sennheiser SoundProtex enhances the live music experience in a safe way.

Perfect for enjoying concerts and festivals

The advanced high-fidelity ear plugs have patented membrane filter technology. This gives users the opportunity to enjoy perfectly balanced and full frequency sound without damaging their hearing. It preserves all the sonic details that make music brilliant and beautiful. By reducing the sound pressure that reaches your ear, the filter lowers potentially harmful volume levels so that users can listen safely for longer. The decibel level at many rock concerts, for example, is above 100 dB, and exposure to such decibel levels for more than 15 minutes already puts the listener at risk of hearing damage.

Balanced sound to preserve ambient awareness

The two-stage filters in SoundProtex are uniquely capable of passing on only clear, balanced sound to a user’s ears. The combination of a tuned membrane and a sound dampening mesh reduces high and low frequencies in equal measure. To understand speech, people rely heavily on higher frequency details. But standard earplugs can mask those details. The perfectly balanced SoundProtex filters keep enough of the higher frequencies to preserve ambient awareness —so users can still have a normal conversation at a concert.

Long lifetime

Unlike single-use earplugs, SoundProtex can be used as often as users like. Just wipe them off after use or rinse them under water. Three sizes of ear tips are included in the standard package which also comes with a small pouch bag. This way, everyone can enjoy a comfortable, secure fit for hours on end. The soft, flexible, medical-grade TPE material is free of plasticisers and other substances that could irritate the sensitive skin in ears.

Multiple use cases

SoundProtex is also great to enjoy some peace and quiet on the road or in a noisy office when users need to concentrate. And whenever the goal is to eliminate as much sound as possible, pop in the included full block filter. It’s perfect any time a user wants complete quiet to relax or sleep and as it is air-and water-tight, it even protects ears from water when swimming.

SoundProtex Plus

The Sennheiser SoundProtex Plus comes with everything included in SoundProtex as well as two additional acoustic filters allowing people to choose between three different levels of sound attenuation to cover any situation from noisy offices to loud concerts.

Choose the strongest filter with an estimated single number rating (SNR) of 20 dB for loud music, motorsports, or power tool use. Medium is perfect for festivals, events, or travelling, with an estimated SNR of 17 dB. The low filter is suitable for quieter or non-amplified concerts, noisy offices, or visiting bars and restaurants and has an estimated SNR of 10 dB. Or, when you want nothing but silence, pop in the total block filter. SoundProtex Plus has the right filters for practically any situation.

Pricing and availability

The Sennheiser SoundProtex and SoundProtex Plus will be available for pre-order on May 16, 2023, and will go on sale on May 30, with an MSRP of 34.99 and 69.99 GBP respectively.

www.sennheiser-hearing.com

Sennheiser launches the Conversation Clear Plus

Many people find it difficult to clearly understand conversations in noisy environments, such as in a busy restaurant or on a loud street. Conversation Clear Plus features advanced speech enhancement technology to let your conversation take centre stage in every interaction. With their smart, intuitive features, these stylish earbuds set a new standard for speech-enhanced consumer wearables

Effortlessly clear conversations in noisy environments

​Utilising sophisticated Sonova chip technology, conversations and calls are enhanced thanks to the Sennheiser Automatic Scene Detection feature, which analyses the noise level of a user’s environment and matches the speech enhancement level to their surroundings.
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​Integrated into the compact and modern earbuds, Automatic Scene Detection ensures the clearest speech in challenging environments, be it in person or on the phone. In concert with Active Noise Cancellation, Conversation Clear Plus works dynamically to block distracting noises and improve the clarity of conversations for every level of background noise.
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​Conversation Clear Plus lets you choose how much background noise you want to hear. Active Noise Cancellation blocks out distractions, while the Ambient Awareness mode enables more connection with the outside environment when desired.
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​”Sennheiser Conversation Clear Plus reflects our customers’ dynamic lives, allowing users to follow every conversation with ease, wherever they are,” says Daniel Holenstein, Sennheiser Senior Product Manager. “An independent study showed 95% of users experienced significant speech enhancement in noisy situations when using the product.”

Easy set-up and operation
​With step-by-step guidance in the companion app, getting started with Conversation Clear Plus is easy. In combination with the Conversation Clear Plus app, the earbuds deliver an intuitive, hassle-free user experience for tailoring listening preferences.
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​Dedicated settings for three different listening scenarios make personalising the audio experience effortless. The ‘Relax’ listening scenario lets sound enthusiasts customise the amount of background noise they want to block, while the ‘Communication’ and ‘Streaming’ scenarios automatically adjust settings for the best performance and clarity during conversations and while streaming content, respectively.
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​Connecting is a breeze with integrated true wireless technology, making pairing with any Bluetooth-enabled device quick and hassle-free. Offering excellent comfort with its ergonomic design, the Conversation Clear Plus earbuds feature an outstanding nine-hour battery life so that they are charged and ready for whenever they are needed. The charging case makes recharging user-friendly on the go, offering another 27 hours of usage time.
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​Conversation Clear Plus complements the new Sennheiser hearing solutions product category, with best-in-class products for different situations to come in 2023 and beyond.
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​Pricing and availability
​The Sennheiser Conversation Clear Plus will be available for pre-order on January 5, 2023, and on sale on January 20 with an MSRP of £749.

Jabra Unveils Innovative Earbuds That Are Engineered For Hearing Enhancement

Building on years of research, innovation and engineering in sound and hearing, Jabra and its parent company GN Group introduce the new Jabra EnhanceTM line of hearing enhancement solutions designed to help users hear more from life. This first-of-its-kind innovation brings together the convenience of true wireless earbuds with advanced hearing technology to alleviate unaddressed user needs and enable millions of people to take a first step on their hearing health journey. This innovation combines a discreet, comfortable design and the Jabra legacy of industry-leading earbud capability with GN Hearing’s expertise and advanced hearing-enhancing technology.

The result is Jabra Enhance Plus – a unique high-tech, all-in-one hearable for those who experience mild-to-moderate hearing loss but who are not yet ready for traditional all-day wear hearing aids. Taking true wireless tech to new levels, the device packs four audiological features: Warp Compressor for analysis of sounds similar to human process for more natural sound quality, Digital Noise Reduction for listening comfort and keeping speech clear, Digital Feedback Suppression to keep feedback from interfering with sound quality amplification, and Binaural Beamformer with directionality to isolate sounds, allowing users to focus on what is important.

Jabra Enhance Plus comes in a miniaturised true wireless form factor, 50 per cent smaller than Jabra’s smallest true wireless earbuds making them virtually unnoticeable, even in conversations. By leveraging Jabra’s database of 62,000 unique ear scans, the technology pioneer was able to create a map of the average human ear and use the insight to design discreet, miniaturised true wireless earbuds that incorporate high-quality hearing technology for situational use, consumerised comfort and design, and wireless connectivity for music and calls. The earbuds’ settings can be individualised via a user’s smartphone through the Jabra Enhance smartphone app. The Jabra Enhance Plus is ideal for those who prefer a lifestyle solution to help them hear conversation easier and better in select situations such as at social gatherings, in meetings or while enjoying media.

 

“By combining the expertise from both sides of our medical and consumer grade audio businesses, Jabra Enhance Plus will offer a sound solution to those of us who experience hearing challenges in everyday life,” said René Svendsen-Tune, CEO at Jabra. “This is a game changer in giving people control of their hearing as well as delivering a premium true wireless audio experience.”

Jabra Enhance Plus will be available first in the US, with launches in other countries at later stages, depending on legislation. It will be sold through licensed Hearing Care Professionals. Users will benefit from a medical hearing test and assessment ensuring that Jabra Enhance Plus is appropriate for their hearing needs.

This makes Jabra Enhance Plus a great first step on people’s hearing health journey and can be used to augment hearing in a variety of environments like restaurants, work meetings and family gatherings, as well as benefiting from traditional earbud functionality such as enjoying media, working from home and commuting.

“With Jabra Enhance Plus we want to expand hearing health to even more people who need it,” said Gitte Aabo, CEO of GN Hearing. “Treating hearing loss has a huge positive impact on well-being and quality of life, which contributes to a person’s overall health. This innovation will help many more people begin their hearing health journey, by providing a unique product that can give them control of their hearing health, act as true wireless earbuds and still ensure access to professional care and counseling.” 

Features enabling clear sound experience 

  • Small, discreet and stylish design
  • Three different sized EarGels for ultimate comfort and secure fit
  • 10 hours battery life on a single charge with 30 hours included with charging case
  • High quality codec for strong streaming sound quality and clearer calls and music
  • Jabra Enhance app allowing for a user-friendly, easy and quick setup process
  • Simple controls for daily use and adjusting volume
  • IP52-rated for water and dust resistance
  • Compatible with select smartphones
  • Available in two colours: dark grey and gold beige

Merging the Power of GN Audio with GN Hearing 

Though the product will not yet be available outside US, it showcases the great leaps taken by Jabra on true wireless technology at the same time as utilizing the GN Hearing capabilities to help people hear more from life. The development of the Jabra Enhance line is the culmination of years of GN Group research into consumer behaviour, hearing challenges and preferences.

Availability 

Jabra Enhance Plus will first be available in the US, with launches in other countries following thereafter. It will be available in select hearing care clinics towards the end of the year. Pricing will be communicated at a later stage. With Jabra Enhance Plus we aim to provide users with a medically regulated device, which we work on getting approved under the appropriate regulation.