From the iPhone to BeHear: Why, as an audiologist, I decided to also become an engineer
Suhail explains his journey and how BeHear hearing technology bridges the gap between audiology and smartphone technology with an app that gives the user control over their hearing.
When the first iPhone was released, back in 2007, I envisioned a revolution in my field of audiology. If it would be possible to connect between the mobile phone and hearing aids, this could create new hearing technology and empower hearing aid users in a completely new way – instead of being completely dependent on the audiologist to tune their device, users could access some of the technological features and control their own hearing definitions.
The smartphone industry began to flourish, and it was obvious to me that, as a result, hearing rehabilitation and the hearing aid industry would forever change.
My name is Suhail Habib Allah and I am an audiologist. I am also an electrical engineer with a specialty in software programming. My dream was to bridge the gap between audiology and technology and develop a device that empowers the user with more control over their hearing while providing high-fidelity sound.
Enter, BeHear.
In 2015, I joined Alango Technologies and took a leading role in the development of the BeHear product line: hearables that provide cutting edge hearing technology at minimal effort for the user. BeHear hearing amplifiers are powerful, professional hearing enhancement solutions.
BeHear devices are a combination of a hearing amplification headset and a dedicated app that enables user control over sound definitions. The app walks the user through the set up and fine tuning of what he or she hears. Front end algorithms were incorporated to improve the SNR (Signal to Noise Ratio) in complex listening situations. Hearing mode presets were designed to help the user switch between different modes in real time.
The core of the app and the element on which the sound customization is based is our hearing test. Accurate hearing screening has always been the foundation of successful rehabilitation and device fitting, it’s no different for BeHear. Our innovation is putting a professional quality screening tool in the hands of the user. We knew that the customization capabilities would differentiate our offering. That’s why we invested a lot of time developing the hearing test, putting it through extensive field testing and fine tuning of capabilities before its release.
In the second stage of BeHear development, we worked on the fitting formula. Our goal was to deliver crystal clear, sharp sound, providing users a comfortable sound range, thus reducing listening strain and enabling comfortable use for extended periods of time.
We developed a fitting formula based on equalization of the of the loudness dynamic range across the frequency spectrum, giving more weight and emphasizing the high frequencies – especially in the region 2-4 KHz. This formula, combined with some of the company’s proprietary technology, resulted in an industry-disruptive assistive hearing device with clear advantages:
- high end sound enhancement features – the quality of a hearing aid in the form of an easy to adopt hearable;
- disrupting the process of getting a hearing rehabilitation device – reducing the timeframe between when a person recognizes that he or she needs hearing help and getting a device can be significant in preventing further hearing degradation, in addition to maintaining quality of life. The old, complex and prolonged process is replaced with a new streamlined option;
- gives the users more independence and control – this is important for emotional wellbeing!
- affordable – cost is known to be one of the significant barriers in adopting hearing aids. BeHear makes quality hearing accessible to all.
It’s been over a decade since I first began this journey. Learning to be an engineer as well as an audiologist enabled me to realize my vision of leveraging technology to create a new hearing experience. It also provided me the opportunity to play a significant role in the development of BeHear, which is making life sound better for people, worldwide.
Written by Suhail Habib Allah, BeHear Chief Audiologist
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You’ve really hit a home run with BeHear PROXY!
I am standing in my kitchen now, listening to “Abraham, Martin and John” through the device’s speakers (stereo enhancement turned on). It sounds AWESOME, and yet if I take it off, it is certainly not loud enough to bother my next door neighbors, like my TV used to…
The sound fidelity is crystal clear, the tonal qualities are just right, I can hear fine nuances in the music, it is comfortable to wear and it is so easy to use. I love the fact that I do not have to use the earbuds. I don’t want to stop listening.
Now I’m mellowing out to the sound of Barbra Streisand singing “What’s it All About, Alfie?” I am in music heaven!
A few weeks ago I had created a personalized hearing profile in the BeHear app when I reviewed the BeHear ACCESS. Is it possible to copy that hearing profile over to the BeHear PROXY, or will I need to get my hearing tested again?
I really love listening to my music library, while I wear the BeHear PROXY. It lets me consistently listen to pleasing, high fidelity audio, without the need to use earbuds or headphones. When walking, driving and engaging in other activities, the BeHear PROXY hearing amplifier should enable users to clearly hear, and be aware of, all that is going on around them.
Now, finally, I can enjoy my music at a volume that is loud enough for me to hear it, without bothering anyone. Life is good. You’ve really hit a home run with BeHear PROXY.
3 ways to avoid using our products
Our goal is to democratize hearing and help make everyone’s life sound better. That’s why we make cutting edge hearing technology accessible to everyone who needs it. BUT, since prevention is the best cure, we’ve decided to share 3 easy hearing tips that will help protect you and the people you love from hearing loss in the future:
Hearing tip № 1
Love to spend time at restaurants and bars with loud music? How about rock concerts? Prepare to be our customer! The outbreak of Covid19 made it difficult to do many of the things we most enjoy. The good news is that, as vaccinations become more prevalent and quarantines are opened, we are going back to our old routines. The bad news is that loud music creates a dangerous level of sound which damages your ears.
Avoid being close to loudspeakers, especially for extended periods of time. Prepare in advance and use earplugs or give your ears a rest by going outside from time to time.
Hearing tip № 2
Working in a loud place without hearing protection? Welcome to our club!
Many people are exposed the sounds generated by machinery during their working hours. That means extended exposure, day after day, for years. Hearing loss occurs slowly, over time and so, for example, a construction worker might not notice there is a problem until it is too late. This is a case of better safe than sorry! Your employer should supply you with ear protection in the form of noise cancelling headphones, or at least earplugs. If they don’t, it’s worth purchasing your own earplugs. The expense is small but the benefit in avoiding accumulative damage is large.
Hearing tip № 3
Are you a parent to a teenager? It’s important to check whether or not they are blasting their eardrums, paving the way to a future of hearing loss.
Teenagers commonly prefer listening to music at the highest possible volume to lose themselves in the beat. If you can hear the music “spilling out” of their room or headset, it is too loud – but that also means you are in luck! It’s highly probable that your teenager is blasting his or her ears via their headphones and, unless you actively check, you will never know. Be active in teaching hearing health awareness. Your kids might think you are annoying now (they will for a million other things anyway), but they will thank you in the future.
Whenever possible, it is best to prevent difficulties, but if you are currently experiencing hearing loss, no worries! Our hearables offer a simple and accessible hearing enhancement solution that make life sound better. There is no reason to miss out on the activities and interactions that you love!
Shattering disability stigma for World Hearing Day with Israeli BeHear technology enabling self-administered hearing screening
A.R.M. and BeKol leverage BeHear’s innovative hearing check kiosks to raise hearing health awareness and accessibility
A special initiative by A.R.M. Medical Center, experts in Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck, and Oral and Maxillofacial surgery; BeKol, the organization representing the hard of hearing in Israel; and BeHear by Alango Technologies is designed to shatter disability stigma while promoting hearing health awareness and accessibility.
Imagine a world where disabilities are addressed without stigma. Imagine a world where all people are treated with dignity and respect and can easily implement technological solutions without experiencing shame. While this seems like an obvious and morally imperative goal, when it comes to hearing health there is a painful dissonance between its importance and the general levels of awareness and accessibility. Worst of all, there is a high level of social stigma attached to hearing as a disability, as if it is indicative of being “broken”, old, or damaged, as well as the negative and completely inappropriate association of cognitive incapacity.
World Hearing Day is an annual global initiative sponsored by the World Health Organization (WHO), designed to raise awareness and promote hearing care at community and national levels across the world. This year’s theme “Hearing care for ALL! Screen. Rehabilitate. Communicate.” fits perfectly with the A.R.M.-BeKol-BeHear initiative to provide free, accessible hearing screening.
Using equipment donated by Alango to BeKol, free access will be provided to BeHear’s hearing check kiosks located at the A.R.M. Medical Center in Assuta Hospital, Tel Aviv. The innovative kiosks offer a unique balance of user-independence with precision results, testing in a quick and simple process that anyone can undertake without the help of a healthcare professional. The system guides the user through a 5-minute hearing assessment using an intuitive interface available in English, Hebrew, Russian, and Arabic. Results are received on the spot and can be sent to the user’s email. The user is then invited to compare “what they hear” with “what they could be hearing” once BeHear’s advanced hearing enhancement technology is applied to the sound they hear.
“Increasing visibility raises acceptance and reduces social stigma.” states Dr. Alexander Goldin, Founder and CEO of Alango Technologies. “There is no excuse for people to be deterred from attaining the hearing care they need due to complicated bureaucracy, fear of going for screening, or high costs. We hope that through the donation of our kiosks to Bekol and the screenings that will take place, many people will be empowered to take control of their hearing health and address any issues they might have sooner, rather than later. People tend to like playing with gadgets so many will find that our hearing assessment is actually an interesting and engaging experience.”
“We at A.R.M. Medical Center work hard to raise awareness about the importance of early diagnosis of hearing loss and the need for appropriate and customized treatment,” states Prof. Michal Lunz, Director of the Department of Ear Surgery and Hearing Rehabilitation, A.R.M. “Each year, in conjunction with World Hearing Day, we hold a special week-long event. We invite the public to come and get tested by A.R.M.’s team of experts and receive the best diagnosis and consulting, all at no cost, in order to make good hearing health accessible to everyone.”
BeKol Executive Director Damian Kelman explains, “Bekol constantly strives to raise awareness and increase accessibility to good hearing health. World Hearing Day 2021 marks a unique opportunity to enhance Bekol’s efforts to provide free hearing screenings to the general population and to elderly adults in particular. With the newly and highly appreciated addition of BeHear kiosks to our centers and hearing mobile stations, we at Bekol look forward to expanding and maximizing the impact of our screening program throughout the year as well. Increasing testing availability and simplifying the process is a critical part of disrupting the barriers to hearing health.”
Free screenings using the Hearing Check Kiosks will take place over the course of two days (March 8 & March 10). The appointments are conditional on pre-registration by phone: 03-7645464, and will take place at A.R.M. Medical Center located at 20 Habarzel Street, 1st floor, Assuta Hospital, Ramat Hachayal, Tel Aviv. In addition to the hearing screenings, A.R.M. offers at no cost consulting appointments with its team of leading otologists and audiologists.
About A.R.M.
A.R.M Medical Center was founded in 2009 as a center of expertise in the fields of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck, and Oral and Maxillofacial surgery. With its team of leading Israeli doctors, it works to deliver all-encompassing solutions for patient needs, with full consideration of the best available technologies. The A.R.M Medical Center operates within “Assuta”, the most advanced private hospital in Israel. For more information, visit: www.aram-ent.co.il/en
About BeKol
BeKol is the organization representing the hard of hearing in Israel that strives for the empowerment, attainment of equal opportunities, and real integration of the hard of hearing in Israel, in all areas of life. The goal of the BeKol is to ensure that every hard of hearing person in Israel will be able to make the most of their skills, to the extent that their heart desires. For more information, visit: www.bekol.org
About Alango Technologies
Alango Technologies, Ltd. (www.alango.com) has been developing sound enhancement technologies since 2002, selling over 50 million software licenses that improve the audio experience in automotive, entertainment, and smart home applications around the world. Realizing the importance and opportunity of combining the sound enhancement technology found in hearing aids with the advances and costs in the consumer electronics world, the Company is now using its field-proven expertise in sound technology to create products for personal hearing enhancement: the “BeHear” product line (www.WearAndHear.com).
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BeHear, HearLink, and Wear & Hear are registered trademarks of Alango Technologies, Ltd. in the United States. All other trademarks are the property of their respective holders.
Also published at:
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/shattering-disability-stigma-world-hearing-160200047.html
March 2021 Newsletter
3 Things for You
♦ NEW PRODUCT offers surround sound on your shoulders! ♦ Hearing is believing – customer becomes advocate ♦ How to keep your ears young and your mind sharp ♦
To get these newsletters sent directly to your inbox, register here. ♦
How to keep your ears young and your mind sharp
Did you know that hearing health impacts not only your physical, but also your emotional and mental wellbeing? Most people don’t realize how important, or how complex hearing is. It’s the one sense we just don’t think about.
We experience the richness of life through our ears and don’t even notice. If a grilled cheese sandwich doesn’t sizzle, it doesn’t arouse our appetite in the same way. When we want to describe a city as exciting, we tend to focus on the bustling crowd and the urban beat. For nature it’s the bubbling of a brook, chirping birds or rustling leaves.
Sound injects feeling into experiences that would otherwise be mute, flat, and distant.
When we truly understand how complex the hearing mechanism is, it is easier to understand why it is a good idea to make hearing health part of our self-care anti-aging regimen, to maintain mental and physical wellness.
Hearing loss and cognitive function are related. The correlation between untreated hearing loss and cognitive decline is well documented. Hearing loss makes social interaction more difficult, reduces the ability to connect with others, and often leads to isolation and decreased physical activity. This results in a marked decline in physical and even mental health. Recent research has uncovered that untreated hearing loss in mid-life is the most significant factor in the later onset of dementia(!).
This discovery is shocking, but it is also good news. Awareness of the significance of hearing health, coupled with the realization that hearing degradation is a natural part of life, is the first step to implementing mitigatory care.
The challenge is in overcoming the psychological and financial barriers to seeking care. 15% of the general population experience some level of hearing loss but because degradation is gradual, many don’t recognize the decline until it becomes serious. On average it takes 7 years from the moment a person accepts that he or she is experiencing hearing loss to the point where they start to seek treatment.
When hearing loss is ignored and left untreated, the auditory system is deprived of sound, resulting in subsequent atrophy of the auditory nerves and speech processing areas of the brain. In other words, untreated hearing loss goes beyond the ears to affect the brain itself. Unfortunately, technological solutions cannot fully compensate for the physical and mental capabilities which are lost when ears go untreated. Severe hearing loss needs to be treated with hearing aids or surgery, solutions that are both expensive and complicated.
So how can we attain the best possible hearing health and maintain a high quality of life, for as long as possible?
3 steps for keeping the ears young and the mind sharp
Step 1: Awareness
Understanding that hearing matters can help us protect ourselves and those we love. Try to notice if you or someone close to you frequently asks people to repeat themselves, has trouble making out conversations in noisy places, or gets frustrated trying to understand dialogue on TV.
Step 2: Prevention
Age-related hearing loss is something most of us will eventually experience ourselves or in someone close to us. Preventative care can help delay onset so it is a good idea to protect the ears whenever possible. Avoid environments that are extremely loud, especially when the volume remains intense over extended periods of time. But what if you are a factory worker? Or work in a bar? Prepare in advance! Use protective gear, a headset or earplugs. It’s better to be safe than sorry!
Step 3: Get hearing help early!
Implementing assistive hearing solutions sooner, rather than later, addresses hearing challenges when the problem is mild to moderate. This is a way to keep the ears young and the mind sharp and help avoid worse problems in the future. BeHear hearables for example, are hearing enhancement solutions that provide the audio quality of hearing aids at the price of competing hearables. BeHear’s sophisticated technology provides a customizable solution that enables the wearer to self-tune and control his or her own hearing without having to go through the complex and expensive process of getting a hearing aid.
PROXY Listening Experience Helps Battle Zoom Fatigue
Alango releases BeHear PROXY, a customizable Bluetooth neck speaker and hearing amplifier that provides a comfortable, rich stereo sound experience for TV watching, mobile calls, audio/video streaming, gaming, and live conversations
Alango Technologies announced that a new model called BeHear® PROXY has been added to its line of hearing enhancement solutions.
The COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent preference to shelter at home have driven remote working, virtual communications and TV watching through the roof. It turns out that virtual communication is stressful for the brain and over-use of these platforms can create a type of tiredness, worry, or burnout which has been coined “Zoom fatigue”.
BeHear’s PROXY can help alleviate some of the stress of Zoom fatigue by creating a comfortable, customized, immersive listening experience. Straining to hear and the need to focus almost entirely on vocals (in contrast to an in-person interaction that provides many more visual cues) is a major factor in Zoom fatigue. PROXY connects to the audio source to deliver sound in close proximity (get it?) to the ears, while Alango’s advanced hearing enhancement technology clarifies dialogue and customizes amplification based on the wearer’s unique hearing profile.
PROXY’s ergonomic form factor rests lightly on the shoulders, emitting rich surround sound enhanced by Alango’s technology. This enables the wearer to enjoy high quality sound without having anything in the ears, worrying that earbuds will fall out or getting hot from over-the-ears headphones. Ears-free is a different and cool way to listen but the true beauty in PROXY is the customization capabilities.
Alango’s audio experts designed the product to produce an individualized hearing profile for every user, including those who are hard of hearing. BeHear PROXY can be used with hearing aids, or as a back-up hearing amplifier to relieve hearing aid fatigue. Amplification can be ~20% stronger than that of a mobile phone or computer speaker – but it is applied only where and when needed, according to the user’s hearing profile. Amplification on its own just makes everything louder. The BeHear magic is in custom fitting the sound to each user and supporting their individual hearing needs.
“We developed BeHear PROXY to create a new hearing experience, to make life sound better when watching TV and participating in mobile and video calls,” notes Alango’s CEO and Founder, Dr. Alexander Goldin. “In these difficult times, it’s good to be able to alleviate the stress of Zoom fatigue and straining to hear. Why not pamper yourself with a comfortable and satisfying listening experience?”
BeHear PROXY also includes extractable earbuds that support personal sound amplification for live conversations. The earbuds are also useful for private listening during mobile phone and video calls, or while watching television when others are present but not engaged. BeHear PROXY can pair simultaneously via Bluetooth to two different devices, such as a smartphone and a computer.
About Alango Technologies
Alango Technologies, Ltd. (www.alango.com) has been developing sound enhancement technologies since 2002, selling over 50 million software licenses that improve the audio experience in automotive, entertainment, and smart home applications around the world. Realizing the importance and opportunity of combining the sound enhancement technology found in hearing aids with the advances and costs in the consumer electronics world, the Company is now using its field-proven expertise in sound technology to create products for personal hearing enhancement: the “Wear & Hear” product line (www.WearAndHear.com).
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BeHear, HearLink, and Wear & Hear are registered trademarks of Alango Technologies, Ltd. in the United States. All other trademarks are the property of their respective holders.
Also published at:
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/proxy-listening-experience-helps-battle-143500018.html
Working from Home?
Hear loud and clear in your virtual meetings and mobile phone calls with BeHear headsets
Video calls are a workday staple while we shelter in place, and hearing clearly is essential to performing well in these sessions. You’ll appreciate how effortless it is to communicate using a BeHear headset, which is specifically designed to help you hear your colleagues, clients, and classroom clearly.
All BeHear Bluetooth headsets pair simultaneously with your computer and smartphone. Get the full benefit of working remotely, whether via mobile calls or conference platforms such as Zoom, Skype, Microsoft Teams, Google Meet, etc., as you enjoy these great BeHear features:
- Customization: Using the integrated smartphone app you can automatically program the headset to suit your unique hearing profile.
- Amplification: Get a volume boost when you need it: about 20% greater than your mobile phone gives you!
- Comprehension: Our proprietary EasyListen technology imperceptibly slows down incoming speech to improve understanding.
- Loudspeaker: The BeHear PROXY can rest on your shoulders, or on a table to deliver clear dialogue to your unencumbered ears.
- Multi-functional: Our Bluetooth headsets can be used for live conversations as well as streamed audio.
Which BeHear is Right for You?
All are great for Zoom, Skype, Microsoft Teams, Google Meet, etc., mobile calls, and face-to-face conversations!
NOW – Classic BeHear headset, streamlined neck loop style ACCESS – all the great features in NOW with added T-coil, large buttons, and charging cradle PROXY – Ergonomic neck speaker with tabletop option. Can be used with hearing aids.
Pleased with Mobile Call Clarity in BeHear NOW
“In the family they’ve stopped saying ‘why can’t you hear?’, ‘why’d you ask me to say that again?”
Rodney Lever, BeHear NOW Customer
Rodney’s Story
Now, it took me a while to realize that I actually needed any help with my hearing. The family really pushed me into it. And when I eventually got the hearing aids, after much discussion about the high costs, I found them OK, but then I found that batteries are expensive, so in the long term I stopped wearing them, which really was a very silly thing to do, but that’s what happened. So this led me to look for another solution.
I was actually looking for hearing aids that are rechargeable.
But when I was looking I found this interesting company called Wear & Hear and after some searching with Frequently Asked Questions and listening to people who had actually used the device I decided to take a plunge and go ahead and buy the BeHear NOW. It was of course very very very much cheaper than the headphones I was looking at and so I bought it and I’m very pleased with the results so far. And of course, particularly in the family they’ve stopped sort of saying “why can’t you hear?”, “why’d you ask me to say that again?”
So, it’s changed quite a lot in the house, because my wife particularly is benefiting from not having the television absolutely blasting out.
The situation I find now is that when I’m particularly listening to a conversation on a mobile phone, this is dramatic improvement for me because I was finding it very difficult to hear conversations either on the actual phone itself (holding it to my ear) or in fact through the speaker. This has made a dramatic difference, it is really very very clear, and that’s a great help. The other thing I find is that, it’s rather interesting, if somebody’s on the line, and absolutely gabbling away to me, I press the speech “slow down” button and that really helps also!
Advice for Others Starting Their Journey to Improved Hearing
I would say that anybody who’s looking for hearing aids, or some solution to help their hearing, I would certainly say try one of the Wear & Hear headsets because, first of all, there is a tremendous saving from the economical point of view but also from the actual quality of hearing.
People think you’re listening to music and people don’t realize you have a hearing problem.
Thoughts About Usability: Simple as A-B-C
I love playing with gadgets, and this to me was a new gadget. It took me a very short time, I read the instructions. There are also very helpful videos, which I watched as well. And, to set it up and do the hearing test, really very simple, absolutely A,B,C. And got it up and running very quickly. And then after that, of course, I found out there were other little tweaks that you can do. And so, really it was not a problem at all. Anybody who isn’t sort of “tech” — no problem at all.
Understanding People Wearing Masks is No Longer a Problem
One of the things I do find very useful is when I’m outside the house is when shopping, and particularly at the checkout counter, it’s very helpful to hear first of all, what they’re saying, and nowadays with the Perspex screen in front of the cashier and the masks on, it’s very difficult sometimes to hear what people say and now I have no problem at all with that.
Spreading the Love & Well-Being
I noticed one particular person always asking me the same questions: “how easy is it to use?”, “is it comfortable?” and I said, yeah, yeah, why? “Well, I actually have a little bit of trouble hearing.” And to cut a long story short, they went out and bought one and are forever grateful. Every time we talk she says “oh, thank you so much, thank you so much.” She says to people: “Rodney’s changed my life!”
Watch Rodney’s full video testimonial below:
Are Hearables part of your anti-aging routine? If not, they should be.
Alango’s Wear & Hear line of hearables integrate Alango’s hearing enhancement technology into Bluetooth headsets, breaking down barriers to hearing health, reducing the risk of cognitive decline and even dementia.
Alango Technologies is presenting a new and important angle to their line of hearables – hearing health as part of the regimen to maintain mental and physical wellness and improve quality of life.
The correlation between untreated hearing loss and cognitive decline is well documented. Hearing loss makes social interaction more difficult, reduces the ability to connect with others, and often leads to isolation and decreased physical activity. This results in a marked decline in physical and even mental health. Recent research has uncovered that untreated hearing loss in mid-life is the most significant factor in the later onset of dementia(!).
This discovery is shocking, but it is also good news. Awareness of the significance of hearing health, coupled with the realization that hearing degradation is a natural part of life, is the first step to implementing mitigatory care.
The challenge is in overcoming the psychological and financial barriers to seeking care. 15% of the general population experience some level of hearing loss but because degradation is gradual, many don’t recognize the decline until it becomes serious. On average it takes 7 years from the moment a person accepts that he or she is experiencing hearing loss to the point where they seek treatment. Technological solutions cannot fully compensate for the physical and mental capabilities which are lost when ears go untreated. Severe hearing loss needs to be treated with hearing aids or surgery, solutions that are both expensive and complicated.
Alango’s CEO and Founder, Dr. Alexander Goldin, goes one step further, declaring that public understanding of hearing health needs to shift from the realm of treating disability to become an integral part of anti-aging regimens:
“Our BeHear headsets are hearing enhancement solutions that provide the audio quality of hearing aids at the price of competing hearables. Implementing these solutions sooner, rather than later, serve as a way to enhance hearing when the problem is mild to moderate but also as a way to keep the ears young and the mind sharp and help avoid worse problems in the future.”
Leveraging wearables to monitor and improve health and wellness has been the rage for a number of years. Melding Alango’s proprietary hearing enhancement technology into standard-looking Bluetooth headsets breaks down barriers to maintaining hearing health and opens the door to sustaining a high quality of life, longer.
For more information: meet up with a member of the Alango team at CES2021, or throughout the year.
About Alango Technologies
Alango Technologies, Ltd. (www.alango.com) has been developing sound enhancement technologies since 2002, selling over 50 million software licenses that improve the audio experience in automotive, entertainment, and smart home applications around the world. Realizing the importance and opportunity of combining the sound enhancement technology found in hearing aids with the advances and costs in the consumer electronics world, the Company is now using its field-proven expertise in sound technology to create products for personal hearing enhancement: the “Wear & Hear” product line (www.WearAndHear.com).
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BeHear, HearLink, and Wear & Hear are registered trademarks of Alango Technologies, Ltd. in the United States. All other trademarks are the property of their respective holders.
Also published at:
Alango – Wear & Hear Products Win Top Honors in NPTA Program
9th Annual New Product & Technology Awards (NPTA) Program Recognizes Two Wear & Hear Products
Haifa, Israel – December 28, 2020 – Alango – Wear & Hear was a two-time winner in the 2020 New Product & Technology Awards. The BeHear ACCESS assistive hearing headset received a Gold Award in the Communication Devices category, and the BeHear PROXY assistive hearing neck speaker received a Gold Award in the Lifestyle Assistive Devices category. The program, presented by the Mature Market Resource CenterSM, a national clearinghouse for the senior market, is the first awards program of its kind to recognize the most innovative products & services for older adults and their families.
BeHear ACCESS Assistive Hearing Headset Recognized in the Communication Devices Category; BeHear PROXY in the Lifestyle Assistive Devices Category
BeHear ACCESS neckloop hearing amplifier with charging cradle, T-coil support. 
BeHear PROXY neck speaker and personalized hearing amplifier.
“We are pleased that our efforts to develop life-changing, high-quality, affordable, multi-functional, self-fit hearing solutions have been recognized in the 9th annual New Product & Technology Awards program this year,” stated Dr. Alexander Goldin, CEO and Founder of Alango Technologies. “Many aspects of physical, emotional and even mental health are impacted by the ability to hear. For us, these are more than products, they are a gateway to quality of life, health and wellness for those who have lost them due to problems with their auditory system.”
Entries were judged by a distinguished panel of mature market experts from across the United States for overall excellence of design, content, creativity and relevance to the senior market.
BeHear ACCESS is a Personalizable Assistive Hearing Device
BeHear ACCESS is a stylish, affordable, multi-functional, self-managed hearing enhancement device for mild-to-moderately-severe hearing loss. Housed in a high-quality Bluetooth stereo headset, it features advanced technology for personalized amplification of important sounds, based on a self-administered hearing assessment. The headset can be customized in real-time to suit all types of hearing situations: live conversations, mobile calls, music streaming, TV watching, sounds in nature, and more. Two built-in Telecoil receivers ensure best possible hearing in locales equipped with hearing loop technology.
BeHear PROXY Makes TV Watching Enjoyable Again
BeHear PROXY is a self-fit hearing amplifier that looks (and functions) like a standard Bluetooth stereo neck speaker, providing a rich listening experience for television watching, gaming, and music streaming. With the help of its extractable earphones and a dedicated smartphone app, it also provides personalizable amplification for live conversations and hands-free mobile calls. Together with the HearLink® PLUS Bluetooth audio transmitter it provides unmatched accessibility and improved language comprehension for television programs, with perfect audio-video synchronization. It is suitable for use with or without hearing aids.
About Alango Technologies
Alango Technologies, Ltd. (www.alango.com) has been developing sound enhancement technologies since 2002, selling over 50 million software licenses that improve the audio experience in automotive, entertainment, and smart home applications around the world. Realizing the importance and opportunity of combining the sound enhancement technology found in hearing aids with the advances and costs in the consumer electronics world, the Company is now using its field-proven expertise in sound technology to create products for personal hearing enhancement: the “Wear & Hear” product line (www.WearAndHear.com).
BeHear, HearLink, and Wear & Hear are registered trademarks of Alango Technologies, Ltd. in the United States. All other trademarks are the property of their respective holders.
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Most Important: It Helps Speech Comprehension
“The sound from the Bluetooth is very nice, I can hear all the ssss and the consonants. Also, plenty of gain and low delay when listening to TV.
Lévis Malenfant, BeHear NOW Customer
General Comments About BeHear NOW
Fast delivery and good support.
The unit looks very nice and includes a sturdy case. Feels like quality is there!
Documentation is very good and I appreciate the YouTube demos.
I like the neckband form factor and the ear hook design very much. I can wear it all time even when not using earbuds and never worry about losing them or even searching for them.
Most hearing aids come with one side only, I like very much having the two earbuds. Less listening efforts, less fatigue. After all, we don’t wear eyeglasses with only one lens…
The self fitting (personalization) works very well and is quite accurate. I like the sound tuning platform for finer adjustment.
Working Performance of the BeHear NOW Headset
The sound from the Bluetooth is very nice, I can hear all the ssss and other consonants. Also, there is plenty of gain, and low delay when listening to TV. ListenThrough is a nice feature when watching TV with others.
For me, Personal Hearing mode performs best with the volume below mid-level, especially for Indoor mode; at a higher volume, the microphones are overly sensitive to room acoustics (reverberation), especially with noise that is in close proximity. Personally, I prefer using the Personal Hearing in ‘Crowd mode’. It feels less sensitive to room acoustics and and the microphones seem to be more directional.
My Conclusions
I am a satisfied BeHear customer. I like the form factor and the features, but most important it helps a lot with speech comprehension.
Netflix Subtitles Are No Longer Necessary
I received my new hearing device about 10 days ago. The first time I put it on I exclaimed to my carer “amazing! I didn’t know how much my hearing has deteriorated.”
Shayna Orbaum, satisfied BeHear ACCESS customer
In April of this year an article about our assistive hearing products was published in The Jerusalem Post, Israel’s most-read English news website and best-selling English newspaper. As a result, we were flooded with inquiries and purchase orders for our products in our local market. One such customer, Mrs. Shayna Orbaum, filled out our customer feedback form. Her comments are reprinted below, with permission.
Before I was able to use the device I had to do the set-up, which included performing my own assessment of how each ear received the different sounds and tones. And also pairing it with the Bluetooth on my smartphone.
The accompanying instructions are very clear with pictures and big writing. Very easy to follow.
I am able to enjoy TV so much more.
I found myself tuning in more and more to Netflix because there I could read the subtitles. I still love Netflix, but now am able to pick out movies from the VOD library and hear every word loud and clear.
I used to have the volume up to about 45, when now I don’t need to raise the volume to more than 28, which is comfortable for my carer.
Phone calls: what a pleasure to be able to hear so well. I don’t even have to hold the phone to my ear. The phone sits on the table or desk and I just speak normally as though I am speaking to someone nearby. I still have to try out the slow speaking mode.
I have tried medical hearing aids about 3 years ago. I just could not adjust, always hearing an echo or other noises. I went back to the audiologist about 6 or 7 times and it was determined that my ear canals are small and hearing aids are not suitable for me. I was refunded the 8,000 shekels without any problems.
I thank Hillel Fuld for his article in the Jerusalem Post about Wear & Hear.
Keep TV Volume Lower; Converse without Asking to Repeat
The measure of the BeHear Access’s capability was my wife’s request that I put it on any time she could tell I wasn’t wearing it.
Bruce Brown, editor at HealthTech Insider, recently reviewed the BeHear ACCESS personalizable hearing amplifier. With his moderately severe mid-to-high-frequency loss in both ears, Mr. Brown was well-positioned to benefit from the assistive hearing headset, which has a fitting range of mild-to-moderately severe.
He reports:
“The BeHear Access hearables improved my ability to understand what my wife was saying without always asking her to repeat herself. We could both watch TV at a reasonable audio volume as I could just crank it up a bit with the hearable’s volume control.”
The COVID-19 pandemic is disturbing lifestyles for most, if not all, of us. Those with hearing loss may feel particularly affected due to social distancing, which exacerbates hearing difficulty, increasing frustration during communication attempts. Mr. Brown was able to appreciate the Wear & Hear BeHear technology in these situations. He writes:
I used the hearables’ Bluetooth connection successfully for smartphone calls and video conferences. Still, in these days of self-imposed residential sequestering, the most telling benefit for me was in conversation and watching television.”
Need Amplification, But Not Yet Ready for a Hearing Aid?
If you have a hearing problem but don’t think you’re ready for a hearing aid, the BeHear NOW headset is a great halfway house.
So writes Mark Sparrow, Senior Contributor of Consumer Tech for Forbes. Mr. Sparrow is a technology journalist specializing in audio, computing and photography, and he has written a detailed review of the BeHear NOW assistive hearing headset.
In summary, Mr. Sparrow writes: “The BeHear NOW headset is a very clever device that really can help with hearing problems. It’s ideal for TV, cinema, lectures and even social occasions if you can bear chatting while wearing earphones. The product is well made, and a lot of thought has gone into it and the app. The audio quality is very good thanks to the large driver units in each earpiece.”
Phone Conversations Are Now Clear for Both Parties
“I also find this to greatly help with TV listening.”
♦ We love hearing back from our customers about their experiences with our products. Of course, it is always wonderful to learn that your efforts have led to an improved quality of life for someone, but constructive feedback about how to improve our products is also welcome!
Neil Nedrow is a relatively new customer who shared his thoughts with us by completing our customer survey, and then adding comments in e-mail correspondence.
Neil wrote:
“In the past, I’ve had trouble understanding people in phone conversations. But BeHear Now has completely eliminated that problem. And everyone has been able to hear me clearly. This is something I highly value. It works excellently. I also find this to greatly help with TV listening. I use the transmitter with headphones and the comprehension is quite good.”
It works excellently. – Neil Nedrow, Satisfied Customer
He suggested:
- Run the earpiece wires from the back part of the device on each side below and slightly behind the ears. That would keep them away from the face.
- Put a magnet at the bottom of each controller piece (where the earpiece wires are currently located) so it would be easier to find at you throat. I’ve taped magnets there and it’s helpful as it keeps everything in place.
He added:
“I also think there is a market for people who have some hearing loss who love listening to music and would like a device that would compensate for their hearing loss. Just for listening to music and not as a ‘hearing aid’.”
We’d really like to hear from you as well! If you are a customer, please complete our feedback form here, or write to us at info@WearAndHear.com.