October 11, 2006
New Element™ Series Featuring AntiShock™ Offers Premium Innovations for Everyone

Kitchener, ON — Today, Unitron Hearing Australia announced the introduction of a new series of high-quality, brilliant-sounding hearing instruments, spanning the entry to mid-level product categories, that offer premium innovations and comfort features to suit a broader range of clients.

The new Element™ series consists of a choice of three feature-rich models, Element 16™, Element 8™, and Element 4™, with varying degrees of automatic performance and comfort features to meet the specific lifestyle, listening preferences, and budgetary needs of more clients.

The Element series redefines comfort, and makes premium features accessible to even more clients. Offering innovations usually available only in higher priced hearing instruments, the Element series incorporates antiShock™, speech enhancement technologies, a range of automatic functionality with autoPro2™ and autoMic, and data logging.

AntiShock™: Breakthrough Innovation Eliminates Discomfort of Sudden Impulse Sounds While Preserving Speech

A breakthrough innovation in all three Element instruments is antiShock™ which protects from the discomfort of sudden, unsettling noise, such as the clattering of cutlery on plates, the abrupt slamming of a door or the sound of high heel shoes on a floor. AntiShock instantly minimizes impulse sound characteristics, distinguishing undesirable sounds from desirable sounds, resulting in a more comfortable listening experience without impairing speech.

“I am delighted with the introduction of the Element series, which offers more innovative features in the mid and entry-level classes than any other hearing instrument,” says Cameron Hay, President and CEO, Unitron Hearing. “Element is an outstanding product range with brilliant sound, exceptional ease of use, and premium innovations such as autoPro2, level dependent speech enhancement, and antiShock. In particular, antiShock redefines comfort by minimizing sudden, irritating sounds, without compromising hearing aid wearers’ abilities to stay connected to their environment and hear speech clearly.”

Speech Enhancement: Improves Speech Clarity and Ease of Listening

Element’s speech enhancement technologies identify the presence of speech in the listening situation and increase gain in any of the channels where speech is the dominant signal to improve clarity and ease of listening. Element 16 features speech enhancement LD (level dependent), meaning greater gain increases are applied to softer speech inputs than to louder speech inputs, making it ideal for clients who interact in a wide variety of listening environments.

Element’s adaptive directional microphones, noise reduction, and wind noise management work together to deliver brilliant sound quality in everyday listening environments. Built on the latest generation DSP platform, Element allows for a high degree of personalization. Hearing healthcare professionals can offer varying degrees of automatic performance and features, a comprehensive range of styles from Completely-In-the-Canal (CIC) to Power Behind-The-Ear (BTE) and two open fit BTEs, Moda 10A BTE and 13 BTE without volume control. (To learn more, read our Indigo™ and Element Open Fit press release). With Element’s counseling and selection guide, hearing healthcare professionals can recommend an Element to best meet their clients’ needs:

Three Products. Three Price Points. Innovative Features all Around.

Element 16 is an advanced, automatic hearing instrument delivering hands-free convenience combined with premium innovations and comfort features. Element 16 features autoPro2: two distinct listening destinations within one seamless automatic program. AutoPro2 automatically switches between quiet and noise destinations by intelligently monitoring the acoustic characteristics of the listening environment. Element 16 brings premium technologies such as antiShock, speech enhancement LD, an adaptive directional microphone system, and data logging to the mid-level product category, as well as easy-t automatic telephone solution.

Element 8 provides hands-free performance featuring automatic directionality combined with premium innovations and comfort features. Element 8’s autoMic intelligently switches between omni and directional microphone strategies within a single listening program, depending on the signal characteristics of the environment. AntiShock, speech enhancement, an adaptive directional microphone system, data logging and easy-t round out Element 8’s offering.

Element 4 is an affordable hearing instrument with premium innovations and comfort features. Like Element 16 and Element 8, Element 4 incorporates antiShock, data logging, and easy-t. Element 4 offers a directional microphone system and is particularly suitable for budget-conscious clients.

Element’s comfort and convenience technologies include phase canceller, easy-t, wind noise manager, and noise reduction. The introduction of the Element series as well as two open fitting options in both the Indigo and Element product families means that by learning U:fit™ once, hearing professionals can personalize a range of product choices from premium to entry level to satisfy more people with varying hearing losses and preferences. (For more information on U:fit, read our U:fit press release.)

Element is available in a full range of shell styles from Power BTE to CIC. Two stylish BTE options are available. The ultra-small, discreet Moda 10A BTE is very light-weight and inconspicuous, while the 13 BTE offers longer battery life and direct audio input. (For more information on Element’s open fit styles, read our Indigo and Element Open Fit press release.)

Element 16, Element 8, and Element 4 are suitable for clients with mild to severe hearing losses. Contact your local Unitron Hearing representative for inquiring about Element availability in your market.

Additional Information

For a detailed Element counseling and selection guide, contact your local sales representative.

About Unitron Hearing
Unitron Hearing is a global provider of digital hearing solutions. Founded in 1965, the company is committed to solving the everyday problems of people with hearing loss by designing easy-to-use digital hearing instruments. Based in Kitchener, Canada, with operating centers in Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, The Netherlands, New Zealand, United Kingdom, and the United States, Unitron Hearing serves customers in more than 70 countries worldwide. For more information, visit www.unitronhearing.com.au

Contact Information:

Unitron Hearing Australia
Phone: +61 2 9659 8012
1800 212 313 (within Australia)
angela.pelosi@unitronhearing.com