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PISCATAWAY, N.J., March 13 /PRNewswire/
-- "Not your grandpa's hearing instrument" -- that's one way of
describing CENTRA Active(TM), Siemens Hearing Instruments new product
introduced today to meet the needs of a new generation of physically
active Americans. With 73% of Americans age 42-65 with hearing loss
reporting in a new survey(1) that they regularly participate in physical
activities, Siemens saw an emerging market for a hearing instrument that
stands up to an active lifestyle. CENTRA Active is the first instrument
designed to meet this specific need.
CENTRA Active includes features sought after by active
consumers such as superior resistance to sweat,
moisture and humidity; rechargeability; and a
new comfortable, discreet design. The Siemens Survey showed that those
who are physically active are interested in seeking hearing instruments
that will keep up with their active lifestyle (64%), be comfortable to
wear (85%), and protect against sweat and humidity (75%).
WORRIES ABOUT SWEAT AND MOISTURE
According to the survey, more than half (54%) of physically
active persons who own hearing instruments do not wear them while
participating in sports and physical activities. A major concern that
respondents report is the worry that "sweat/moisture will damage the
instruments" (29%).
Yet, seven out of ten of those with moderate or severe
hearing loss say they are very interested in hearing instruments designed
specifically for physically active people.
"We know that the new generation of aging Americans
wants to stay active and physically fit -- and are not about to let
hearing loss slow them down," says Dr. Thomas Powers, Vice President
of Audiology and Professional Relations at
Siemens Hearing Instruments, Inc. "They are at the gym, on the
tennis courts, hiking, biking and keeping a fitness schedule that once
only younger people strived for. We know these men and women need hearing
instruments that not only deliver the technology, but work easily and
comfortably with their busy lifestyle. Siemens CENTRA Active is it."
CENTRA Active's AquaProtect(TM)
technology resists sweat, moisture, and humidity. The housing is nanocoated, a proprietary Siemens technology that
repels water and prevents moisture from leaking into the instrument. It
features a GORE(TM) clip-on microphone cover that protects against damage
from perspiration, water, and other liquids. Siemens has also equipped it
with an exclusive C-Guard(TM) barrier that protects the dome tip against
ear wax and humidity for months at a time.
CENTRA Active is designed for easy operation and maximum
comfort. It is completely automatic with no controls to fuss with and has
a unique receiver- in-the-canal design that makes it tiny, easy to wear,
and extremely comfortable. CENTRA Active's extras include an optional ePocket(TM) remote control that gives control over
virtually all instrument functions.
In addition, CENTRA Active's receiver is ergonomically
shaped for optimum placement in the ear canal and virtually invisible
when worn. Fitting is fast and easy with a wide selection of open tips to
fit all ear canals. And for maximum cosmetic appeal, CENTRA Active is
available in a range of colors to match various hair and skin tones.
Another option for CENTRA Active wearers is an easy-to-use
charger that can charge both instruments at the same time. And after
charging for just 5 hours, the instruments are ready to wear all day and
evening. Now wearers don't have to worry about carrying extra batteries.
For even greater convenience, CENTRA Active will also run on regular
hearing instrument batteries.
Siemens offers several breakthrough technologies with CENTRA
Active including DataLearning(TM) technology
that learns the user's volume preferences and automatically adjusts the
instrument's volume for better performance; SoundSmoothing(TM)
that reduces sounds like rustling paper and clanging dishes without
affecting speech for better comfort and more natural sound; e2e
wireless(TM) technology which allows the left and right hearing
instruments to communicate with each other and work as one hearing
system; an automatic feedback cancellation feature that reduces or
eliminates feedback or whistling that can occur with other hearing
instruments; an advanced multi- channel directional microphone system
designed to improve speech understanding in noisy situations; speech and
noise management that reduces background noise, even between syllables
and words, and reduces noises like traffic and air conditioners for
better hearing comfort; and eWindScreen
technology that automatically adapts to windy conditions for maximum
comfort. Siemens also offers CENTRA Active wearers true 16-channel
digital signal processing which makes optimal use of residual hearing and
enables the Hearing Care Professional to precisely fine tune the instruments
to fit the wearer's unique needs.
SURVEY METHODOLOGY
The Siemens Hearing Instrument, Inc. Survey was conducted
via the Internet from December 14-20, 2006 by ICR, Media, PA.
This research is based on the findings of a sample of 701 online consumer
web panelists, age 42-65 with self-reported hearing loss. Since the data
are based on a non-random sample, a margin of error cannot be computed
for, and the results are not projectable to,
any population other than those consumers on the panel from which this
sample was drawn.
About Siemens Hearing Instruments
(1) The Siemens Hearing Instrument, Inc. Survey was
conducted via the Internet from December 14-20, 2006 by ICR, Media, PA.
This research is based on the findings of a sample of 701 online consumer
web panelists, age 42-65 with self-reported hearing loss.
Siemens Hearing Instruments
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