Sony announces new over-the-counter hearing aids

sony electronics gave details Wednesday of two hearing aids that will be available over-the-counter, in partnership with WS Audiology. Sony and WS Audiology announced last month that they were teaming up to create over-the-counter hearing aids, following new regulations from the US Food and Drug Administration that clears many hearing aids for sale without a prescription.

Sony said the first two products will be the CRE-C10 and CRE-E10, two self-adjusting hearing aids that work with the company’s hearing control app to “intuitively adjust to speech and environment of each user”. People will be guided through the app for the fitting process, which is a similar setup process that we can expect for other over-the-counter hearing aids, like Devices from Bose and Lexie Hearing.

The CRE-C10 is “one of the smallest” hearing aids entering the over-the-counter market and has a battery life of up to 70 hours, Sony said. It will be available this month online from Sony and retailers including Amazon and Best Buy for $1,000. It will also be available from some hearing care professionals.

The CRE-E10 will cost $1,300 and arrive this winter, Sony said. This device looks like an earphone and has a rechargeable battery with up to 26 hours of use. The E10 is also Bluetooth compatible and will allow Apple iOS users to stream music or audio.

In August, the FDA paved the way for the sale of hearing aids without a prescription, which is should reduce cost and burden for the approximately 30 million American adults who could benefit from a hearing aid. It will also allow more companies to enter the healthcare market, ushering in a new era that blurs the line between healthcare and technology.

Over-the-counter hearing aids will be available for adults with mild to moderate hearing loss.

The information in this article is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended to constitute medical or health advice. Always consult a physician or other qualified health care provider with any questions you may have about a medical condition or health goals.