Oticon Opn S 1 miniRITE Hearing Aid

Oticon Opn S 1 miniRITE Hearing AidOticon Opn S 1 miniRITE hearing aid One of the most popular hearing aids on the market was the Opn S range of hearing aids because innovations changed the way they processed sound in a background noise environment. Instead of narrowing the beam of focus using super directional microphones they kept the listening landscape open. So this had the effect of giving more awareness of where sounds are coming from to support the way our brains naturally

Oticon Opn S 1 miniRITE hearing aid

One of the most popular hearing aids on the market was the Opn S range of hearing aids because innovations changed the way they processed sound in a background noise environment. Instead of narrowing the beam of focus using super-directional microphones they kept the listening landscape open. So this had the effect of  giving more awareness of where sounds are coming from to support the way our brains naturally attend to and make sense of sound. Oticon’s research showed that this reduces listening effort and improves speech understanding in complex listening environments. The Opn S was released in three tiers of technology with the Opn S1 being the top of the line or premium hearing aid. Opn S2 Advanced and Opn S3 considered the upper mid-range in the product portfolio.

BrainHearing Technology™

Oticon is a world leading at researcher into how we make sense of sound and understand speech. Their BrainHearing™ research shows that by providing our brains with the full ‘sound scene’ it supports the way we naturally attend to sound and switch attention when desired. So, the new Velox S sound processing platform enables the streams of speech to be preserved from wherever they are coming from. Simultaneously environmental sounds are available, but just rebalanced such that they aren’t overly invasive. The preservation of the full sound scape therefore best supports speech understanding in complex and unpredictable communication environments. It was claimed that the suite of new technologies could provide the brain with up to 30% more speech cues.

The Opn S platform was originally introduced in behind the ear RIC and BTE models and then later rolled out into it’s custom completely in the ear style models.

Open Sound Optimiser TM

An almost necessary innovation moving from Opn to Opn S is the improvement of the feedback management system. Called Open Sound OptimiserTM, the system boasts a proactive feedback system that anticipates the likelihood of feedback due to any provocative activities around the head such as taking glasses or hats on and off. It is actually a very fast feedback system taking the suppression of feedback from an industry average of

500 milli-seconds to a mere 90 milli-seconds. So, annoying and potentially embarrassing whistling and squeaking sounds are a thing of the past with Oticon Opn S and beyond.Compared to Oticon Opn

Oticon claims the Opn S sound processing platform will improve the performance in the following three measures compared to the former Oticon Opn:

1. 15% improvement in speech understanding.
2. 10% reduction in listening effort.
3. 10% improvement in memory recall.

Features that Maximise Speech Understanding

The following features are designed to enhance listening comfort whilst maximising speech understanding in difficult listening environments.

• Enhanced OpenSound Navigator™ opens up your soundscape that allows you to hear clearly from all directions
• Made for iPhone technology allows you to directly stream phone calls and music directly from your iPhone
• Lithium Ion rechargeable technology
• Open Sound Optimiser™ Improved feedback (whistling) system
• Improved speech understanding in crowds and background noise
• Sound Booster feature gives you an extra level of control over the hearing aids.

Opn S hearing aids are available in three technology levels to suit your lifestyle and budget: Opn S 1 (Premium), Opn S 2 (Advanced) and Opn S 3 (Mid-Range).

Disposable Battery and Rechargeable Models

This Opn S 1 is the premium model in the range. Therefore it provides the best possible speech understanding in competing background noise and listening comfort. This in turn reduces listing effort and fatigue. This model takes a size 312 disposable battery, which helps maintain its small size. It is therefore a true “miniRITE” style of hearing aid. There is also a slightly larger rechargeable Opn S1 model which has a lithium ion button battery contained within a tamper proof batter compartment.

Contact Harmony Hearing & Audiology if you would like a free demonstration of these great hearing aids.