Interview with David Fabry, Ph.D., Vice President for Professional Relations and Education, Phonak Hearing Systems
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Topic: Audéo - A Personal Communication Assistant
Paul Dybala: Hello, this is Dr. Paul Dybala with Audiology Online, and I'm here with Dr. David Fabry, from Phonak Hearing Systems. He's the vice president of telling you what you need to know about what's going on at Phonak.
David Fabry: That's my new title. Yes, that's exactly right. Thank you for getting it correct!
Dybala: Because normally I get it wrong!
Fabry: Exactly! [laughter]
Dybala: I'm here today to talk about a brand new Phonak product: The Audéo Personal Communication Assistant (PCA). I have to be honest with you, Dave. I don't know if I was shocked, or I was amused or amazed, but the first image that I saw related to this device was a gentleman with a black eye and a fat lip as one of the advertisements for the Audéo PCA. The first question that came to mind for this interview was, "Well Dave, tell me about the black eye, fat lip hearing aid."
Fabry: A fair question! [laughter]
Dybala: [laugher] But, obviously, this is a pretty innovative concept, and this marketing is a part of a new way that hearing aids are being created and marketed. Can you talk more about this?
Fabry: Yes, and thank you for the opportunity to talk about this, in the sense that the marketing concept related to Audéo is exactly what makes this concept different. It is the pairing of a new device, a micro-BTE with an external receiver that has an edgy design, but an edgy design with a purpose; and we call this "amplification with attitude" or "life amplified". The focus is to make a modern, appealing device that will look very much like what you, Paul, would call an ELVAS type device.
Dybala: Ah! Thank you for mentioning that. I will direct our Audiology Online readers to some articles I have written that relate to the fusion of hearing aids with other electronic devices such as mobile phone headsets and MP3 players that I have called Ear Level Voice Activated Systems or ELVAS. [Dybala Article 2006]
Fabry: Audéo would easily be confused as a consumer electronic gadget, and yet, what we've seen in some of these other baby-boomer-geared products that are currently on the amplification market is that they look really good outside, but the inside components are lacking in one area or another. Audéo has taken the next step as we have included all the benefits of digital bionics (www.digitalbionics.phonak.com/), essentially, the Savia Art electro-acoustics and signal processing.
Figure 1. Audéo Colors
Dybala: Would you say then that Audéo is the Savia Art feature set with a new form factor?
Fabry: Even beyond the great feature set in Savia Art, there are a couple of new features on Audéo. Addditionally, it's paired with a marketing campaign that is designed to catch your attention; and obviously, it did.
Dybala: Correct.
Fabry: It doesn't appeal to everybody, but with any good marketing strategy, if it catches your attention and doesn't offend you, then the goal has been met. We have way too many hearing aid advertisements with the kindly, old, geriatric man or woman, smiling and happy. You'll note that in the Audéo ads the people are all much younger, and they have a story behind them, and it's eye-catching.
Dybala: I have included a picture of the advertisement I was talking about earlier. Definitely grabs you. It shows a picture of a man in a suit and tie with a black eye and fat lip including his occupation and interests .....
Figure 2. Audéo Advertisement
Fabry: ... hedge fund manager, amateur ultimate fighter, Sienna's ex-boyfriend, Audéo wearer. A little homage, if you will, to the old Smirnoff ads. You're too young for that, but they used to have a little profile of the person, and then at the end, they'd list, "Smirnoff drinker" or something to that effect.
Dybala: This Audéo advertisement is a part of a series. You actually have several other people, who aren't as shocking, maybe, as this one, but they're definitely interesting. They make you stop and think.
Fabry: Correct. Many of the advertisements that you see today for hearing aids are geared to the practitioner, rather than the end-user. These Audéo ads catch the eye and equally appeal to the audiologist and the end-user.
Paul, what you are going to see is an advertising campaign built around this product that goes through end-users and will work to specifically target baby boomer-era patients, while not ignoring the fact that many of the traditionalists, World War II baby-era generation, it's not going to alienate them. We're going to pull them along, too, but it is a specific marketing campaign geared to those baby boomers who want performance and styling.
Dybala: And to expand on that, Audéo is not even called a hearing aid.
Fabry: Correct, we refer to it as a Personal Communication Assistant or PCA.
Dybala: Which gets back to what you were touching on earlier about how we have people now wearing these multi-function, bluetooth-enabled, internet-capable devices on cell phones or as part of ear-level headsets.
Fabry: Yes, and as soon as you call something a "hearing aid" it conjures an image in people's minds that is not always positive. What we're appealing to is that younger, edgier generation. We're still, of course, dispensing these products in the same fashion. This is not an over-the-counter kind of campaign. This is merely to create an image that isn't attached to such a negative connotation; unfortunately with hearing aids, that is the image that we are dealing with.
Dybala: I hear you.
Fabry: Now, can I talk a little bit about Audéo's technical details?
Dybala: No.
Fabry: [laughter]
Dybala: Just kidding, please do!
Fabry: There are two main differences in technical specs between Audéo and our other products: the directionality and bandwidth.
Dybala: Tell us about Audéo's directionality.
Fabry: With the mini and micro BTEs for open applications, we've heard some urban myths that say you don't really need directional microphones on open products or that open fits do not benefit from directionality.
At Phonak, we have really argued strongly against that with evidence in the form of data. And there have been other studies as well, one specifically by Valente & Mispagel that was recently submitted to the International Journal of Audiology. The researchers showed when you have directionality and open-fit products, you still get about a two dB signal-to-noise ratio advantage over un-aided conditions and omni-directionality. And in fact, with omni-directional and open products, patients do worse than if they were not wearing any hearing instrument at all. So, central to our point is that even mild hearing losses can benefit from advanced technology like directionality, and in our case, adaptive directionality.
Additionally, Audéo is geared and engineered to not only be good looking, but the location and orientation of the microphones was not by accident. They are placed in such a manner that they're designed to be on the horizontal plane when situated behind the pinna, optimizing directional microphone performance.
Dybala: So you have a form-plus-function optimization for the directional microphones. Tell us about the bandwidth of Audéo.
Fabry: The second element is a receiver in the canal, or canal receiver technology device, as we refer to it. More importantly, it uses an extended high-frequency response that we call "crystal sound", relative to what the majority of canal receiver or standard receiver micros employ. This works hand-in-hand with our auto-pilot feature which, as you know, has a specific switching mechanism to automatically identify quiet, speech and noise, and noise alone, and then importantly for this, music. It is one thing to have a wide bandwidth, but it is another to have the hearing aid know when to use it!
Dybala: Good point. How far does the high frequency response extend to?
Fabry: It goes out to approximately 10K. But it's not just the extending the bandwidth; it's optimizing the audibility in the region from 4 K to 8 K to above, to provide more audibility in there. At the most recent AudiologyNow meeting, we had an excellent audio presentation to demonstrate that "crystal sound" feature as well. As you know, with hearing aids, hearing is believing. So we had an additional demonstration comparing Audéo's directionality to competitive products, not singling them out by name, just comparing them as they're pre-calculated for a specific loss. These were very effective demonstrations and well attended at the booth. I have provided some of the sound samples below.
Crystal Sound Demos
Dybala: Excellent. Well, Dave, thanks for taking the time to meet with me and the rest of the Audiology Online readers. This is great information, and I look forward to hearing more from Phonak in the future.
Fabry: Always a pleasure, Paul.
About Phonak
Product leadership and innovation have always been key factors in the success of the Phonak Group.
Today, through multiple brands and distribution channels, Phonak offers a complete range of digital hearing instruments - from premium, high-end products to entry level products - along with some important niche products and complementary, unique wireless communication systems.
More information can be found at the www.phonak-us.com and at the Phonak Web Channel at Audiology Online at www.audiologyonline.com/channels/phonak.asp
References
Dybala, P.D., (2006, March 6). ELVAS Sightings - Hearing Aid or Headset? Audiology Online, Article 1542. Retrieved May 10, 2007 from the Article Archives or directly from www.audiologyonline.com/articles/article_detail.asp?article_id=1542
Valente M, Mispagel K. (submitted for publication). Performance of a directional microphone in an open-fit hearing aid. International Journal of Audiology.
David Fabry: That's my new title. Yes, that's exactly right. Thank you for getting it correct!
Dybala: Because normally I get it wrong!
Fabry: Exactly! [laughter]
Dybala: I'm here today to talk about a brand new Phonak product: The Audéo Personal Communication Assistant (PCA). I have to be honest with you, Dave. I don't know if I was shocked, or I was amused or amazed, but the first image that I saw related to this device was a gentleman with a black eye and a fat lip as one of the advertisements for the Audéo PCA. The first question that came to mind for this interview was, "Well Dave, tell me about the black eye, fat lip hearing aid."
Fabry: A fair question! [laughter]
Dybala: [laugher] But, obviously, this is a pretty innovative concept, and this marketing is a part of a new way that hearing aids are being created and marketed. Can you talk more about this?
Fabry: Yes, and thank you for the opportunity to talk about this, in the sense that the marketing concept related to Audéo is exactly what makes this concept different. It is the pairing of a new device, a micro-BTE with an external receiver that has an edgy design, but an edgy design with a purpose; and we call this "amplification with attitude" or "life amplified". The focus is to make a modern, appealing device that will look very much like what you, Paul, would call an ELVAS type device.
Dybala: Ah! Thank you for mentioning that. I will direct our Audiology Online readers to some articles I have written that relate to the fusion of hearing aids with other electronic devices such as mobile phone headsets and MP3 players that I have called Ear Level Voice Activated Systems or ELVAS. [Dybala Article 2006]
Fabry: Audéo would easily be confused as a consumer electronic gadget, and yet, what we've seen in some of these other baby-boomer-geared products that are currently on the amplification market is that they look really good outside, but the inside components are lacking in one area or another. Audéo has taken the next step as we have included all the benefits of digital bionics (www.digitalbionics.phonak.com/), essentially, the Savia Art electro-acoustics and signal processing.
Figure 1. Audéo Colors
Dybala: Would you say then that Audéo is the Savia Art feature set with a new form factor?
Fabry: Even beyond the great feature set in Savia Art, there are a couple of new features on Audéo. Addditionally, it's paired with a marketing campaign that is designed to catch your attention; and obviously, it did.
Dybala: Correct.
Fabry: It doesn't appeal to everybody, but with any good marketing strategy, if it catches your attention and doesn't offend you, then the goal has been met. We have way too many hearing aid advertisements with the kindly, old, geriatric man or woman, smiling and happy. You'll note that in the Audéo ads the people are all much younger, and they have a story behind them, and it's eye-catching.
Dybala: I have included a picture of the advertisement I was talking about earlier. Definitely grabs you. It shows a picture of a man in a suit and tie with a black eye and fat lip including his occupation and interests .....
Figure 2. Audéo Advertisement
Fabry: ... hedge fund manager, amateur ultimate fighter, Sienna's ex-boyfriend, Audéo wearer. A little homage, if you will, to the old Smirnoff ads. You're too young for that, but they used to have a little profile of the person, and then at the end, they'd list, "Smirnoff drinker" or something to that effect.
Dybala: This Audéo advertisement is a part of a series. You actually have several other people, who aren't as shocking, maybe, as this one, but they're definitely interesting. They make you stop and think.
Fabry: Correct. Many of the advertisements that you see today for hearing aids are geared to the practitioner, rather than the end-user. These Audéo ads catch the eye and equally appeal to the audiologist and the end-user.
Paul, what you are going to see is an advertising campaign built around this product that goes through end-users and will work to specifically target baby boomer-era patients, while not ignoring the fact that many of the traditionalists, World War II baby-era generation, it's not going to alienate them. We're going to pull them along, too, but it is a specific marketing campaign geared to those baby boomers who want performance and styling.
Dybala: And to expand on that, Audéo is not even called a hearing aid.
Fabry: Correct, we refer to it as a Personal Communication Assistant or PCA.
Dybala: Which gets back to what you were touching on earlier about how we have people now wearing these multi-function, bluetooth-enabled, internet-capable devices on cell phones or as part of ear-level headsets.
Fabry: Yes, and as soon as you call something a "hearing aid" it conjures an image in people's minds that is not always positive. What we're appealing to is that younger, edgier generation. We're still, of course, dispensing these products in the same fashion. This is not an over-the-counter kind of campaign. This is merely to create an image that isn't attached to such a negative connotation; unfortunately with hearing aids, that is the image that we are dealing with.
Dybala: I hear you.
Fabry: Now, can I talk a little bit about Audéo's technical details?
Dybala: No.
Fabry: [laughter]
Dybala: Just kidding, please do!
Fabry: There are two main differences in technical specs between Audéo and our other products: the directionality and bandwidth.
Dybala: Tell us about Audéo's directionality.
Fabry: With the mini and micro BTEs for open applications, we've heard some urban myths that say you don't really need directional microphones on open products or that open fits do not benefit from directionality.
At Phonak, we have really argued strongly against that with evidence in the form of data. And there have been other studies as well, one specifically by Valente & Mispagel that was recently submitted to the International Journal of Audiology. The researchers showed when you have directionality and open-fit products, you still get about a two dB signal-to-noise ratio advantage over un-aided conditions and omni-directionality. And in fact, with omni-directional and open products, patients do worse than if they were not wearing any hearing instrument at all. So, central to our point is that even mild hearing losses can benefit from advanced technology like directionality, and in our case, adaptive directionality.
Additionally, Audéo is geared and engineered to not only be good looking, but the location and orientation of the microphones was not by accident. They are placed in such a manner that they're designed to be on the horizontal plane when situated behind the pinna, optimizing directional microphone performance.
Dybala: So you have a form-plus-function optimization for the directional microphones. Tell us about the bandwidth of Audéo.
Fabry: The second element is a receiver in the canal, or canal receiver technology device, as we refer to it. More importantly, it uses an extended high-frequency response that we call "crystal sound", relative to what the majority of canal receiver or standard receiver micros employ. This works hand-in-hand with our auto-pilot feature which, as you know, has a specific switching mechanism to automatically identify quiet, speech and noise, and noise alone, and then importantly for this, music. It is one thing to have a wide bandwidth, but it is another to have the hearing aid know when to use it!
Dybala: Good point. How far does the high frequency response extend to?
Fabry: It goes out to approximately 10K. But it's not just the extending the bandwidth; it's optimizing the audibility in the region from 4 K to 8 K to above, to provide more audibility in there. At the most recent AudiologyNow meeting, we had an excellent audio presentation to demonstrate that "crystal sound" feature as well. As you know, with hearing aids, hearing is believing. So we had an additional demonstration comparing Audéo's directionality to competitive products, not singling them out by name, just comparing them as they're pre-calculated for a specific loss. These were very effective demonstrations and well attended at the booth. I have provided some of the sound samples below.
Crystal Sound Demos
- Classical Music - Hearing Aid 1 then Audéo
- Guitar - Hearing Aid 2 then Audéo
- Harpsicord - Hearing Aid 3 then Audéo
Dybala: Excellent. Well, Dave, thanks for taking the time to meet with me and the rest of the Audiology Online readers. This is great information, and I look forward to hearing more from Phonak in the future.
Fabry: Always a pleasure, Paul.
About Phonak
Product leadership and innovation have always been key factors in the success of the Phonak Group.
Today, through multiple brands and distribution channels, Phonak offers a complete range of digital hearing instruments - from premium, high-end products to entry level products - along with some important niche products and complementary, unique wireless communication systems.
More information can be found at the www.phonak-us.com and at the Phonak Web Channel at Audiology Online at www.audiologyonline.com/channels/phonak.asp
References
Dybala, P.D., (2006, March 6). ELVAS Sightings - Hearing Aid or Headset? Audiology Online, Article 1542. Retrieved May 10, 2007 from the Article Archives or directly from www.audiologyonline.com/articles/article_detail.asp?article_id=1542
Valente M, Mispagel K. (submitted for publication). Performance of a directional microphone in an open-fit hearing aid. International Journal of Audiology.
