Stäfa, Switzerland January 20, 2009 - Phonak, the world's leading manufacturer of innovative hearing solutions, is introducing Audéo YES. With Audéo YES, people with hearing loss are once again able to enjoy all the sounds of life as the world's smallest completey wireless hearing system makes high frequencies audible again.
The new Audéo YES hearing systems are based on the proven Communication Optimized Real-audio Engine (CORE) platform and employ a variety of proprietary Phonak technologies to optimize speech comprehension.
Chief among these is the innovative SoundRecover technology developed by Phonak. Many people with hearing loss experience difficulty recognizing sounds and understanding speech in the high frequency ranges. Specifically, this tends to affect consonants such as "b," "p" and "d" and sibilant sounds such as "s" and "sh," all of which are very important for speech comprehension. SoundRecover makes these high frequency sounds audible again. With the SoundRecover technology, the relevant signals are compressed and shifted into a lower frequency region that is more easily heard by the hearing system-wearer. This enables people with hearing loss to understand speech and sounds optimally again.
In addition to SoundRecover, Audéo YES employs a patented multi-program automatic system known as SoundFlow to automatically adapt to the wearer's sound environment. NoiseBlock helps with recognition and suppression of interfering signals, and WhistleBlock precisely identifies and eliminates feedback, or whistling. Additionally, the ZoomControl function allows the wearer to decide from which direction he or she wishes to listen to speech and sounds.
Audéo YES also sets new standards in size and power. It is the world's smallest completely wireless hearing system, and is equipped with the most recent and most powerful microprocessor for hearing systems. Audéo YES is compatible with wireless devices such as mobile telephones, navigation systems and MP3 players, allowing the hearing system-wearer unlimited access to the advantages of digital communications and entertainment.
"With Audéo YES, we can truly expand audibility, offering people with varying degrees of hearing loss the ability to clearly discern sibilant sounds, which can be so problematic for this group," said Valentin Chapero, Phonak CEO. "Audéo YES guarantees that every word is understood and makes a definitive contribution to improving the life quality of the hearing system-wearer."
Audéo YES is not only equipped with the latest technology, but also delivers a combination of high comfort and stylish design. Extremely lightweight and durable, the Audéo housing was awarded the Red Dot Award for Product Design for its ergonomic shape.
Audéo YES is now available from hearing care professionals. Wearers have the choice of 17 different color combinations, which can be adapted to reflect the wearer's taste - from Crème Brulée to Royal Velvet.
About Phonak
Headquartered near Zurich, Switzerland, Phonak has developed, produced and globally distributed state-of-the-art hearing systems and wireless devices for more than 50 years. The combination of expertise in hearing technology, mastery in acoustics and strong cooperation with hearing care professionals allows Phonak to significantly improve people's hearing ability and speech understanding and therefore their quality of life.
Phonak offers a complete range of digital hearing instruments, along with complementary wireless communication systems. With a worldwide presence, Phonak drives innovation and sets new industry benchmarks regarding miniaturization and performance.
For more information about Phonak, please visit https://www.phonak.com/ or the Phonak Web Channel on Audiology Online.
