Hearing Economics

The series on hearing aid pricing began in fall 2020 with a look at average nominal (Part 1) and inflation-adjusted (Part 2) wholesale costs. As we moved into 2021, readers were presented with findings for the average nominal (Part 3) and inflation-adjusted (Part 4) retail costs. In the fifth, and final, installment of this series, we do the unthinkable and

Use a 9 Iron and Watch for Innocent Bystanders   Added features keep popping up on Hearables, as expected, but they’re also showing up in clever ways on hearing aids, targeting specific and general needs of wearers. Here are two fun forays in that direction from this month’s patent list: Starkey’s 10894194 for an Ear-wearable device providing golf advice data

In our series on hearing aid pricing, readers have been provided with data on average nominal (Part 1) and inflation-adjusted (Part 2) wholesale hearing aid price, and, more recently, with average nominal retail hearing aid pricing (Part 3). In the fourth installment of this series, the reader is presented with a comparison between unadjusted and inflation-adjusted average retail cost of

Here’s Listening to You, Dear Those of us who sing in the shower. play air guitar or practice our dance moves in the all together may want to hit pause when donning hearables of the future. No one says it better than PCMS Holdings’s patent #10860645, Systems and methods for creation of a listening log and music library. Look beyond

In late 2020, readers were provided with data on nominal and inflation-adjusted wholesale hearing aid prices. In this third installment in this series on hearing aid pricing, the reader is presented with nominal retail hearing aid pricing.   What is the Retail Cost of a Hearing Aid?   The response to this question varies, with retail prices ranging between $1000

The feature image is from Bose patent 10835145, Ear tips capable of capturing bioelectrical signals and providing nerve stimulation.  Bose is not the only company thinking Big by going Small.   Hearing Aids as Small Auditory Augmented Reality Devices   Readers from hearing health lines of work may wonder why patent lists of recent months include inventions centered on virtual/augmented

Dear Readers: During this holiday season, the editors at Hearing Health & Technology Matters (HHTM) are taking some time off. However, we are not leaving you without anything to read on our blog this week. Instead, we are publishing a special holiday edition filled with what we call our Readers’ Choices. Our Readers’ Choices featured this week are the posts

Listen to The Hand   Today’s feature image comes from Finewell Co Ltd’s patent #10795321 for a Wrist watch with hearing function.  Inquiring minds may wonder how this works and it’s not as simple as a talking watch. Instead, the patent aims to provide more effective wrist watches with hearing functions that achieve cartilage conduction via vibration of a hand

Earlier this fall, readers were provided a commentary on wholesale nominal pricing in the US market. In our continuation of pricing in the US hearing aid market, we compare unadjusted and inflation-adjusted, wholesale cost of a single unit device over time.    Consumer Price Index (CPI)   The Consumer Price Index (CPI) was used to assess historical changes in US

The Mind Boggles   Here are a few questions as food for thought while contemplating how the myriad computations, calculations, decompositions, re-creations and retrieval- from- storage audio outputs can be massaged to complement, supplement and creatively enhance our individual hearing capabilities and preferences.    Q1. Which do you prefer, Reality or an Upgrade? Both require binaural processing, by whatever name