Embrace Hearing Blog

On Thursday, September 15^th, Embrace Hearing was invited to attend and display our hearing aids at the Design for All meeting at the White House in Washington, DC.

We were proud to be part of this effort to make high quality devices and fashion with outstanding design available to all Americans who suffer from disabilities and other challenges in everyday life. Many of the innovations demonstrated and displayed at the show were extraordinary and we were humbled to be included with these progressive and talented innovators. You can see some of the highlights HERE. 

Embrace Hearing is committed to making the highest quality hearing aids available at the most affordable prices so that they are accessible to everyone who suffers from hearing loss. The cost of high quality hearing aids can be prohibitive to many who suffer hearing loss and insurance programs often do not direct users to high quality hearing aid options. Our online selling model removes much of the overheads that traditional retailers must include in their costs so our customers can get the hearing quality they need, at a price they can afford. You can learn more about our models Embrace Hearing Aids 

In addition, we are proud of the design of our hearing aids. Our manufacturer has been awarded multiple awards for their sleek and contemporary product designs. The technology inside the aids is the very best and we get great reviews from our customers Embrace Hearing Reviews. Other, independent, product reviews at Consumer Affairs show that our quality is as good or better than the best names in Hearing Aids and our prices make us far more affordable.

Can we make high quality beautifully designed hearing accessible to you?

Once you get over the shock of how much hearing aids cost, you may wonder if buying hearing aids online is right for you?

Think about what is more important to you … buying the best quality product or being pampered? Are you the kind of person who is willing to spend time to scour the internet for the best product at the best price? Are you willing to pick up the phone or write an email and ask for help? If quality and the best possible hearing aid price are your primary concerns, then buying online may be the right way to go.

Premium Online hearing aid retailers, like Embrace Hearing offer high quality, custom programmed European hearing aids for prices that traditional hearing aid retailers cannot compete with.

On average, a pair of custom programmed European BTE/RIC (Behind the Ear; Receiver in Canal) digital hearing aids will cost approximately $4000-$8000 (depending on performance level) at a hearing aid retail store or at an audiologist’s office. The same quality hearing aids can be bought online for approximately $1400- $2500. They will be custom programmed by a professional audiologist and they will be delivered to your door within a week. You will have 45 days to try out them out and can return them for a full refund if you don’t like them for any reason.

How do they do this? Online retailers do not have to absorb the costs associated with retail operations – prime office space, administrative staff, etc. These overhead costs make up a great deal of the cost of each hearing aid sold. In addition, a local retailer is usually limited to selling within a confined geographic region while an online retailer can serve customers all over the country, and even the world.

Are there services a local retail shop can offer its customers that an online retailer cannot? Frankly, yes. Local retailers are in a position to pamper their customers. They can change wax guards and perform minor repairs and reprogramming on the spot. However, this pampering is costing you an extra $3,000 - $5,000 and like online retailers, they will still have to return hearing aids to the manufacturer for more complicated repairs.

How does an online hearing aid retailer provide these services? Some of the services, you will provide yourself with the help of customer service teams and instructional emails and videos. Maintenance and minor repairs are straight forward and can be done by users in a few minutes or less. For major repairs and reprogramming, the hearing aids will have to be returned to the online retailer who will usually turn around your repair in a few days.

In short, the decision to buy online comes down to how much you are willing to spend, whether you are willing to do a little maintenance yourself, and if you are willing to accept that you may have to part with your hearing aids for a few days every few years for reprogramming or repair work. Buying hearing aids online is not as convenient as going to the local store, but allows purchasers to buy high quality hearing aids at affordable prices.

Whether or not you decide to buy hearing aids from a local retailer or online, your hearing aid experience will depend on purchasing good quality aids with reliable professional customer support. Be sure to look online for independent hearing aid reviews for both the retailer and the hearing aid brand you are considering before you buy and make sure you are offered no obligation trial period.

A number of years ago, both my father and father-in-law started to experience hearing loss. Communication became increasingly frustrating for everyone and eventually they were convinced to have their hearing tested. While no one was surprised that their audiologists recommended hearing aids, we were all stunned when we heard how much the recommended models were going to cost! $4,000 for a basic model and over $6000 for the best available. 

I knew there had to be a better and a more affordable option. After all, incredibly sophisticated smart phones and computers cost hundreds of dollars, not thousands!

I decided to look into the industry and see what could be done. Some very smart people had looked at this issue including The New York Times: The search for an affordable hearing aid and AARP: Why do hearing aids cost so much. But most articles simply explained why they were expensive rather than what do do about it. 

I quickly learned two things:

First, there are many models and options for hearing aids but the best ones are built using European technology and are custom programmed by an experienced audiologist to meet each individual patient’s hearing challenge.

Second, much of the cost of hearing aids comes from the highly costly local retail model. Hearing aid retail shops must cover the many costs that come from running a “brick-and- mortar” storefront, including rent, equipment, and staff salaries. In addition, they typically serve only a very local customer base so these exceptionally high fixed costs must be spread over very few customers, adding several thousand dollars to each order.

So, I began to wonder if it would be possible to provide high quality hearing aids without the costs of retail storefronts and retail staff while maintaining a highly experienced audiology and customer service team … and that is when I discovered Embrace Hearing.

Thanks to the Internet, Embrace Hearing can offer the highest quality audiologist programmed hearing aid technology found at a brick-and- mortar retailers for thousands of dollars less. I was really impressed and spoke with the owners and eventually decided to buy the company.

Embrace Hearing keeps costs down by:

1. Buying directly from the German manufacturer. We focus on a few, really great models of hearing aids to get the best pricing possible.

2. Selling exclusively online. We sell to customers anywhere – across the United States and around the world but we only sell online to keep our costs down.

3. Eliminating the costs of retail storefronts and retail staff while maintaining a highly experienced audiology and customer service team.

In fact, Embrace Hearing can deliver custom programmed hearing aids directly to your home is less than a week for about 1/3 of the cost charged by the typical local retailer. That’s a savings of $2,500 - $4,000!

So, I found a solution that offers German technology, 24/7 customer service and a 45 day free trial program – 100% satisfaction or 100% of your money back.

Can I help you afford top quality hearing aids?

When we’re not suffering from hearing loss, our brain naturally adjusts to noise levels as we go about our day. For example, if we move from a quiet car to a busy restaurant, our brain will gradually become accustomed to the higher noise level in the restaurant, enabling us to easily hear conversations around us.

But after hearing loss strikes, it becomes harder for our ears (and thus our brain) to make those adjustments. Instead, we must rely upon hearing aid technology to make those adjustments for us.

Most hearing aids today are equipped with so-called “programs” that allow the listener to manually switch between hearing modes depending upon their surroundings. So a hearing aid user can toggle between a mode for quiet surroundings and a mode for noisy environments, often just with the press of a button on a remote control.

But wouldn’t it be nice if you didn’t have to press a button at all—in other words, if you could return to the “automatic” adjustments that you experienced before hearing loss?

At Embrace Hearing our H-300 and H-700 hearing aids are equipped with new technology that does just that. It’s called AutoSurround, and it automatically fine-tunes your hearing aids’ settings as you move throughout your day.

Here’s how it works:

• More than 30 sophisticated sensors inside your hearing aids constantly scan your environment to determine the level of noise around you.

• Once the sensors have identified your current noise level, AutoSurround technology inside the hearing aids adjusts your aids’ settings to match the situation.

• Even situations that confuse other hearing aids—like a quiet room, speech in a large group, or even live or recorded music—are easily handled with AutoSurround.

• And when you move to a different environment, AutoSurround stays active, automatically adjusting to maintain the purest quality sound.

And while most customers prefer the automation offered by AutoSurround, Embrace Hearing hearing aids still offer you the ability to manually switch between hearing programs with buttons on the hearing aids or with a remote control if you so desire.

With Embrace Hearing hearing aids equipped with AutoSurround, the effortless transitions from different noise levels you experienced prior to your hearing loss are now even easier to enjoy, all without any additional work on your end.

Out with the bulky hearing aids of your grandfather’s generation. In with hearing aids designed to double as fashion-conscious accessories.

Embrace Hearing, the leading online provider of high-performance European hearing aids, is proud to unveil the results of a partnership with industrial designer Ray Fontaine to conceptually redesign the hearing aid as a reflection of the user’s personal sense of style.

Embrace is the first hearing aid company to partner specifically with designers and jewelers to create truly customized hearing aid designs.

While children’s hearing aids are often customized with glitter or stickers, there are few existing options for adults looking to add similar personal appeal. Fontaine and Embrace worked together to explore hearing aid accessories that both protected the aids and made them fashion-forward.

Embrace, which serves an ever-increasing share of the 48 million Americans suffering from hearing loss, worked with Fontaine to help her hearing aid redesign work, which she began after tackling other medical devices like insulin pumps.

Embrace provided 3D models, hearing aids, and critical information about battery and microphone schematics to help the design process.

Equipped with that information, Fontaine worked through the four phases of design, from conceptualization to computer-based and physical prototypes to finally create a working model of an integrated accessory for Embrace Hearing aids that can be decorated with customized jewelry.

Once she had created the framework for the hearing aid, Fontaine partnered with jewelers to design and install elaborate creations on each device featuring complex metalwork, stone-encrusted casings, and a range of unique shapes and forms.

“If I could do one thing for the millions of Americans wearing hearing aids, or any medical device, [it] is to provide a variety of options to personalizing the tools they have to carry with them every day and better fit those objects into their life,” Fontaine said.

Fontaine showcased her work in May at the Pratt Institute, where she completed her graduate work in industrial design.

About Embrace Hearing:

Embrace Hearing is the leading online provider of high-performance European hearing aids. By buying directly from the manufacturer without the associated costs of a brick-and-mortar operation, Embrace saves their customers thousands of dollars while still retaining world-class customer service and an experienced audiology team.

About Ray Fontaine:

A graduate from Pratt Institute’s Master of Industrial Design program, Ray Fontaine (www.rayfontainecreate.com) thrives in interdisciplinary environments. A passionate innovator, Ray participated in the Global Innovation Design program at Pratt Institute in its second year of existence (2014-2015).  She visited Keio University (Tokyo), Imperial College, and Royal College of Art (London), and studied user research, design thinking, storytelling, extreme user scenario design, basic prototyping mechanics/computer science, and worked on corporate projects with companies like Pernod Ricard. She represented Japan as a National Finalist in the 2015 Mobile Asia competition, hosted in Singapore where 24 teams from 8 countries pitched ventures to investors.

Her Master’s thesis, The Engineer & The Artist: High-Tech Meets Handcrafted, investigated society’s future relationship with technology, with a focus on making personal electronics (including medical devices) more personal, approachable, and desirable. An area of passion is improving assistive tools and medical devices for individuals living with chronic illness and physical impairment. This interest has led Ray into much experimentation in the integration of fashion and technology.

We’re proud to introduce our new top of the line H-700 hearing aid, which features discreet design, powerful sound processing, and unprecedented new technology to make your hearing experience as seamless as possible no matter your surroundings.

Below you’ll find highlights from the H-700 alongside feedback from satisfied customers who have upgraded to this next level in hearing aid technology.

State of the Art German Technology:

The H-700 is packed with all the standard features you would expect from a high-end hearing system, as well as new and updated technology that you won’t find in standard hearing aids.

Among the powerful features of the H-700 are:

• The latest background and wind noise reduction technology
• Advanced automatic feedback blocking
• Dual/directional microphones on each ear for 360 degree hearing and background noise management
• Easy-to-use volume and program buttons
• Bluetooth compatibility to stream phone, music or T.V.
• Customized programming by our experienced audiology team
• 24/7 live toll-free customer service line

Also included on the new H-700 are two new technologies that bring industry-leading performance to your hearing experience:

“Live” Monitoring Auto-Surround Capability: The H-700 is equipped with auto-surround technology, a feature that the vast majority of premium hearing aids lack. This new, cutting-edge programming allows the software built into the hearing aid to continually monitor your surroundings and adjust levels to match the accompanying background noise. For example, the H-700 can detect when you move from a quiet car to a noisy restaurant and automatically manage the associated background noise levels in each environment.

Ultra-performance Bluetooth Remote: The H-700 features a completely wireless Bluetooth remote system that streams audio from your phone, music player, computer, or even your television directly to your ears in the smallest, most convenient size yet offered.

Satisfied Customers:

Embrace customers who have purchased the new H-700 have praised their new aids as easier to use and with even more powerful performance.

What Customers Think of the New H-700:

“I paid half the price of my local retailer and I am blown away by the quality of the hearing aids.”- Larry, Massachusetts

“My new aids arrived yesterday and they are more than light years improved over the prior technology.” – Dr. James G., Maryland

“Compared to the older version, this upgrade is in a new class.”- Dr. Philip F., Iowa

“Embrace aids are without question the best hearing aids that I have ever used.”- David C., Missouri

What Customers Think of Embrace Customer Service:

“I spent a lot of time online reading reviews. Embrace came up tops. But what really made me [buy] was the customer service.”- Ken M., Florida

“The speedy, prompt and professional service I received in relation to the maintenance and care of my hearing aids has been a great comfort to me…Embrace Hearing is the first and last word in after care service!”- Emma L., Australia

“I was listened to, got great service and the hearing aids are working terrifically. Would recommend them to anyone.”- Judy, United States

“Thank you so much for your “above and beyond” service!”- Paul H., Arizona

Pete Townshend. Eric Clapton. Ozzy Osbourne. Alex Van Halen.

For many Baby Boomers, these artists epitomize rock music played at stunningly loud volumes in front of adoring crowds worldwide.

But as they’ve aged, they also represent another phenomenon: all these best-selling musicians now suffer from hearing loss linked to long hours in front of booming amps.

Some artists have been so stricken by hearing complications that they have had to curtail recent performances, such as AC/DC lead singer Brian Johnson, who stepped away from touring this year after doctors warned him that his partial hearing loss could progress to complete deafness while on tour.

And hearing loss is not just a risk for the bands who take the stage. Increasingly, Baby Boomers who grew up attending concerts pressed up against Fender amps and then switched to Walkmans, portable CD players, and iPods later in life are beginning to feel the effects of years of noise exposure.

In fact, virtually every Boomer suffers from some degree of hearing loss with the severity increasing as they age. It’s estimated that 1 out of every 3 people above age 65 suffers from hearing loss issues, while a survey from the EAR Foundation found that more than 50 percent of the Baby Boomers suffering from hearing loss blame it on noise exposure, including loud music.

So why are loud concerts so hard on our hearing?

Doctors have found that continued exposure to louder-than-normal sounds actually causes a so-called “temporary shift” in hearing, meaning the typical audience member’s hearing ability drops after exposure to loud music.

For most concertgoers, the effect is temporary and their hearing recovers. But after continual exposure to loud sound, the shift can become permanent.

Earlier this year, a group of researchers in the Netherlands studied two groups of attendees to an outdoor concert, one group who wore earplugs during the concert and another who listened without any protection.

The results were clear: only 8 percent of people in the group wearing earplugs experienced temporary hearing loss, while 42 percent of the unprotected group did.

That’s because rock concert sound levels can rise above 120 decibels, louder than the roar of a subway car or the engine of a motorcycle or a chainsaw. Doctors consider any sound louder than 85 decibels to be harmful to hearing and caution that the louder the sound, the more damage can be caused by even short periods of exposure.

But there’s still good news for anyone who struggles with hearing loss: advancements in hearing aid technology have made it easier than ever for Baby Boomers to restore their listening experience.

Increasingly, hearing aids are designed to provide the best possible listening experience for music aficionados. At Embrace, our hearing aids feature:

Up to 20 processing channels: All of our hearing aids are equipped with multiple channels to process sound, meaning you have a richer and more nuanced listening experience than using older models. A higher number of channels also allows for greater customization of your individual listening profile. Our audiology team starts with your hearing test and then further fine-tune the way you hear the world for the best possible experience.

Bluetooth: With Bluetooth compatibility, Embrace Hearing aids can connect directly to your smartphone, music player, or TV so you can hear music beamed directly to your ears the way it was intended.

Discreet size: Because all Embrace models are designed to be ultra-small, you’ll feel comfortable wearing your hearing aids everywhere, even to busy concerts and performances.

And by shopping online, you access the highest-quality technology at the lowest prices in the industry while sacrificing none of the customer service you deserve.

Don’t leave your rock n’ roll days behind just yet—consider how hearing aids can help you recapture the sound you love.