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INDEPENDENT STUDIES PROVE SONGBIRD PERFORMS WELL AGAINST COMPETITORS - EVEN COSTLY PROGRAMMABLE DIGITAL AND CUSTOM-FIT HEARING AIDS

      Cranbury, N.J. (May 25, 2021) - Songbird Hearing Inc., maker of the world's first disposable hearing aid, today announced that two independent studies have shown that the Songbird Disposable Hearing Aid performs equal to or better than even the most advanced traditional hearing aids. The findings were presented at the recent American Academy of Audiology's annual conference in San Diego, Calif.

      "We are extremely pleased with the results of these studies," said Frederick J. Fritz, Songbird's President and CEO. "This research reinforces our firm belief that Songbird, which retails for only $39 per hearing aid, offers sound quality comparable to that of the very best hearing aids in the industry."

"Technical Review of the Songbird Disposable Hearing Aid"
 The first study, Technical Review of the Songbird Disposable Hearing Aid, conducted by Professor Brian C.J. Moore, Dr. M.A. Stone, and Dr. J.I. Alc�ntara of the Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom (U.K.), was commissioned by Defeating Deafness (The Hearing Research Trust).

      The study compared Songbird with four hearing aids: a typical hearing aid dispensed by the National Health Service (NHS) of the United Kingdom (NHS hearing aids are typically older technology and low-cost), a programmable analog hearing aid, and two high-quality digital hearing aids costing more than 1,500 British pounds sterling (approximately $2100 U.S.). For each of the seven Songbird formats available, measurements were made of: frequency-dependent amplification, distortion, noise, automatic volume control and performance at the end of battery life.

      Researchers concluded:

  • Songbird provides smooth amplification over a broad range of frequencies, and its frequency range was wider than that of the NHS aid, programmable analog aid, and the two digital aids.

  • Although all hearing aids distort sound to some extent, Songbird's level of distortion is low enough not to be noticeable to users in typical listening situations.

  • The levels of microphone and circuitry noise in the Songbird Disposable Hearing Aid were unusually low - lower than those produced by any of the other hearing aids to which it was compared.

  • Songbird's automatic volume control system effectively protects the user from excessive loudness due to sudden increases in sound levels.

  • The performance of the Songbird Disposable Hearing Aid was very consistent in the various aids tested. This means that users of Songbird will not notice a difference when it's time to dispose of an old hearing aid and insert a new one.

  • Songbird's performance does not deteriorate near the end of its 40-day battery life. (The product has a life of 40 days when used 12 hours per day.)

  • Real Ear Coupler Differences (RECDs) were unusually large for the Songbird Disposable Hearing Aid, indicating that real-ear gains are greater than coupler gains, especially at high frequencies.

"Fixed vs. Custom Prescription for Precipitous Hearing Loss"
       A second study, Fixed vs. Custom Prescription for Precipitous Hearing Loss, was conducted by T. Walden, B. Walden, and M. Cord, at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C. It compared real-ear responses provided by custom-fit hearing aids and the closest matching Songbird Disposable Hearing Aid acoustical format in patients with precipitous high-frequency hearing loss. Hearing aid performance was measured to determine if real-ear response differences between custom-fit hearing aids and Songbird Disposable Hearing Aids translated into significant differences in patient benefit and satisfaction. Songbird was compared to both Completely-in-Canal (CIC) and In-the-Canal (ITC) one- and two-channel WDRC custom programmable hearing aids to determine if precipitous hearing losses could be fit as well with Songbird's seven fixed acoustical formats as with a custom hearing aid.

      Researchers concluded:

  • There are no significant differences between Songbird and custom fit hearing aids with regard to standard tests including the Hearing In Noise Test (HINT), Satisfaction in Daily Life (SADL), and Abbreviated Profile of Hearing Aid Benefit (APHAB).

  • There was a highly significant (greater) difference with regard to the Real Ear Coupler Difference (RECD). This result indicates that Songbird can fit precipitous hearing losses successfully with much less coupler gain than is required for the custom hearing aids.

  • The larger RECD found with the Songbird Disposable Hearing Aid is due to its very deep fit. A more shallow insertion does not provide this advantage.

  • For patients with high-frequency hearing losses, custom fitting hearing aids to exact prescriptions may not be essential. The data from this study suggests that most can be fit just as well with a limited number of fixed formats.

      "The fact that Songbird performed exceptionally well in these studies against some of today's best traditional hearing aids demonstrates a major advance in hearing aid technology. We've now proven that Songbird is truly a long-term solution for treating the millions of Americans, particularly baby boomers, who have mild-to-moderate hearing loss. Although they may have rejected previous traditional hearing aids, there's no longer any reason for baby boomers to delay getting help for their hearing loss," concludes Fritz.

      For more information about the Songbird Disposable Hearing Aid, please call 1-800-SONGBIRD or visit www.songbirdhearing.com.

      Songbird Hearing Inc. is a privately held company based in Cranbury, New Jersey. The company was formed in 1997 to develop a line of disposable hearing aids based on highly proprietary technologies exclusively licensed from the Sarnoff Corporation (formerly RCA Labs). The Sarnoff Corporation is widely recognized as one of the top research centers in the United States.