This Week in Hearing

What does Auracast actually feel like in a real-world performance? In this episode, Andrew Bellavia visits the Marriott Theatre near Chicago, where he was invited to personally experience Auracast during a live production and speak with the people behind its implementation. The deployment brought broadcast audio into a working theater environment, giving hearing aid users—and others—the opportunity to connect directly to

What makes tinnitus distressing for some people—but barely noticeable for others? In this in-depth conversation, clinical psychologist and tinnitus researcher Dr. Jennifer Gans explains why tinnitus is best understood not simply as a sound, but as a brain-driven experience. Drawing on neuroscience, clinical experience, and mindfulness-based research, she explores how the brain’s response—rather than the sound itself—plays a central role

What if hearing technology didn’t try to hide—but instead embraced visibility and style? In this conversation, Nick Morgan-Jones shares his personal journey with hearing loss and the stigma that kept him from wearing hearing aids for years. That experience led him to found Overtone, a consumer-focused hearing technology brand aiming to rethink how hearing devices look, feel, and fit into

Why do so many people delay hearing care—even after acknowledging a problem or receiving a recommendation? In this conversation, hearing instrument specialist and researcher Bobbi-Jo Marlatt explores how motivational interviewing (MI) can help hearing care professionals better support patients who feel uncertain, ambivalent, or overwhelmed about treatment. Drawing on her new book, Motivational Interviewing for Hearing Care Providers, Marlatt explains

What will it take for accessible audio to become the norm rather than the exception in public spaces? In this conversation, Andrew Bellavia is joined by Paul Daft of GN and journalist and accessibility advocate Liam O’Dell to explore the growing momentum behind Auracast™ and its potential to reshape how people access sound in venues such as theaters, cultural spaces, and

In 2025, conversations around hearing health and hearing technology spanned an unusually broad and dynamic range—from deeply personal patient experiences to cutting-edge science shaping the future of care. This year’s most-watched episodes reflected growing interest in how innovation translates into real-world impact, whether through advances in cochlear implant systems, next-generation hearing aids, accessibility technologies such as Auracast, or emerging therapeutic

Dr. Richard W. “Dick” Danielson’s career in audiology spans decades of service, leadership, and innovation across the U.S. Army, academic medicine, and NASA. A retired Army Colonel and former manager of Audiology and Hearing Conservation at NASA’s Johnson Space Center, Dr. Danielson has dedicated his professional life to reducing the risk of hearing loss among military personnel, astronauts, and those

What does accessible audio look like when it’s designed for real-world environments—not just controlled settings? In this conversation, Jonathan Hoskin of Ampetronic explains how Auracast™ was deployed at Bristol Temple Meads railway station to deliver clear station announcements directly to personal devices such as hearing aids, cochlear implants, earbuds, and smartphones. Host Andrew Bellavia speaks with Jonathan about how the

What will shape the next era of hearing care, and how are global research, AI-driven advancements, and shifting perspectives on healthy aging coming together to redefine the field? In this conversation, Dr. Stefan Launer, Vice President of Audiology and Health Innovations at Sonova, reflects on his three-decade journey from psychoacoustics researcher to leading some of the company’s most influential developments

Where do the best ideas in hearing aid innovation come from, and how do they reach patients? In this conversation, Dr. Jason Galster, Vice President of Clinical Research at Sonova, explains how hearing aid research moves from early feasibility to clinical readiness and post-market studies. He discusses how research ideas originate—from clinicians, academic partners, and internal technology roadmaps—and how Sonova