COPENHAGEN, DENMARK – The US Food & Drug Administration (FDA) announced yesterday the regulation enabling access to Over-the-Counter Hearing Aids for millions of Americans. GN shares this ambition to bring hearing support to the millions in the US who have mild or moderate hearing loss but no hearing aid.
Accordingly, GN confirms today its intention to launch Jabra Enhance Plus, a miniaturized true wireless earbud that “delivers a 3-in-1 experience of hearing enhancement, music and calls, in the OTC hearing aid category.”
Jabra Enhance Plus as OTC Hearing Aid
Today, millions of people in the US with hearing loss benefit from the advice and care of a hearing care professional. However, there are still 50 million more who find themselves noticing some degree of hearing loss, perhaps occasionally and typically in noisy situations, who have not yet sought or found a solution that helps them with their particular hearing challenges.
GN “wants to help these people by developing new types of hearing solutions tailored to their lifestyles and compliant with the new OTC regulation.”
Jabra Enhance Plus is engineered specifically for this audience. In a new miniaturized true wireless form factor design, around half the size of Jabra’s smallest true wireless earbuds, it includes the calls, music functionality, and experience that users expect from true wireless earbuds. They will provide hearing help for users in a miniaturized, discreet, stylish and comfortable design. Their extremely small size helps them visually blend in during conversations. The earbuds can be individualized via a user’s smartphone through the Jabra Enhance app. The set-up experience can be completed in minutes by the user, and they will have access to convenient and simple controls to adjust volume and focus mode for any environment they find themselves in.
Last September, Dr. Bob Traynor had a discussion on the pending launch of the Jabra Enhance Plus with GN Hearing CEO, Gitte Aabo:
Following FDA clearance in February of this year, the Jabra Enhance Plus has been selling through GN’s network of ReSound independents and Beltone partners and has succeeded in opening hearing health care to a new audience – on average, Jabra Enhance Plus users are 18 years younger than users of GN’s prescription hearing aid range*.
By planning to launch Jabra Enhance Plus under the new OTC hearing aid regulation, GN intends to make the devices more widely accessible. Those looking to make their first step in their hearing health journey will also now be able to choose Jabra Enhance Plus in more channels, for instance at selected Best Buy stores and online in the fall.
According to the company, the intention is for Jabra Enhance Plus to be bought as easily as a pair of headphones in Best Buy or online, but for those looking for more support for a purchase or after having acquired their Jabra Enhance Plus set, the nationwide network of Certified Jabra Enhance Centers (supplied by GN’s select Hearing Care Professional partners) is available to offer consultation and advice to Jabra Enhance Plus users.
* Internal GN data from US market
About Jabra
Jabra is a world leading brand in audio, video, and collaboration solutions – engineered to empower consumers and businesses. Proudly part of the GN Group, which includes world-leading expertise in both audio and hearing solutions, we’ve committed over 150 years to making life sound better, opening a world of sound without limits. Our cutting-edge innovations in hearing care are engineered for you – whoever you are, whatever you do – and founded in the belief that great sound should be as individual as your personality. Jabra is part of the GN Group – pioneering great sound from world-leading hearing aids and office headsets, to cutting-edge sports headphones. www.jabra.com
About GN Group
The GN Group enables people to Hear More, Do More and Be More through its intelligent hearing, audio and video collaboration solutions. Inspired by people and driven by our innovation leadership, we leverage technological synergies between our hearing and audio divisions to deliver unique and increasingly individualized user experiences in our products and solutions.
150 years ago, GN was founded with a truly innovative and global mindset. Today, we honor that legacy with world-leading expertise in the human ear, sound and video processing, wireless technology, miniaturization and collaborations with leading technology partners. GN’s solutions are marketed by the brands ReSound, Beltone, Interton, Jabra, BlueParrott and FalCom in 100 countries. Founded in1869, operates in 100+ countries, employs 7,000 people and is listed on Nasdaq Copenhagen (GN.CO).
Source: GN
