Another week, another PSAP

David Kirkwood
January 23, 2012

WHEAT RIDGE, CO–Hardly a week goes by, it seems, that another personal sound amplification product, or PSAP, isn’t introduced as an affordable solution to failing ears.

Among the next to debut will be the Personal Sound AMP from Able Planet, which is scheduled to launch in March. Priced at $800 a pair, the device is not called a hearing aid, presumably to reduce the likelihood of the Food and Drug Administration requiring that it comply with the hearing aid rule.

However, the product is clearly intended to help people with hearing loss, and the manufacturer compares its price with those of hearing aids costing several thousand dollars.

Even before reaching the market, the Personal Sound Amp has made a splash. Earlier this month at the 2012 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, it received an award for innovation in the Health and Wellness category.

The product is intended for people with mild to moderate hearing loss. It uses Able Planet’s patented Linx DSP technology to convert sound from an analog coil for digital processing. It is small, about the size of a dime, and uses a band to hold it in place in the ear.

Able Planet is no newcomer to the industry. It has been making headphones, assistive listening devices, and headsets for a number of years.

  1. Would greatly appreciate more informaiton on the “Personal Sound” amplifier; comparisons with HAs, availability, etc. Thanks.

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