Question
What are the key features of Phonak’s Bolero V, on the Venture platform, and what products are available in this family?
Answer
Martin Grieder: With Bolero V, we’re taking the Venture platform and launching it across an additional form factor – small and robust new BTE designs. The Venture platform features AutoSense OS, a seamless automatic program that provides the best setting for any listening environment. The new platform has twice the processing power than its predecessor and at the same time a 30% reduced battery consumption when streaming. Bolero V is also water resistance and dust tight, with an IP67 rating.
Bill Dickinson: One exciting thing that we’re hearing from the field, as well as finding from our own research, is regarding the sophistication of the new beam former. It marries the best of two advancements of the Quest platform, specifically adaptive null points and narrow beam former. The result is a next generation StereoZoom that allows a narrow beam in front, and 33-band adaptive null points from behind. With the adaptive StereoZoom, we offer the most sophisticated SNR analysis system on the market. When combined with AutoSense OS, it allows Venture products to automatically adapt to optimal performance in any listening environment.
The AutoSense OS feature ties directly to our commitment of meeting consumer needs and expectations of having a natural hearing experience. Natural hearing is making sure the device remains as transparent as possible between patients and their hearing life. To this end, AutoSense OS performs as a true operating system, blending more than 200 separate parameters, across seven unique acoustic performance programs to automatically select the best processing strategy for any type of listening condition. Bolero V builds upon the proven benefits that we first talked about when we launched Audéo V in the fall of 2014.
Bolero V comes in three different power levels; right now we’re releasing the M and P models, with super power expected out early summer 2015. Each is available in four performance levels, V90, V70, V50 and V30. While RIC instruments continue to be the most frequently chosen solution, and we’ve seen a very high level of adoption with Audéo V family of RIC products, BTEs are still approximately 25% of the market. So with this launch we give audiologists more options for their patients.
This Ask the Expert is an excerpt from an interview with Martin Grieder and Bill Dickinson on Bolero V – read the full interview here. For more information on Bolero V, CROS II and other Phonak solutions, please visit www.phonakpro.com or the Phonak Expo Page on AudiologyOnline.
