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| Bose hearing aids do not require a visit to a doctor |
Bose announced that it will sell SoundControl hearing aids directly to adults with mild to moderate hearing loss starting May 18.
SoundControl costs around $ 850, and Bose is sold directly in five states nationwide, including Massachusetts, Montana, North Carolina, South Carolina and Texas.
Hearing aids should be fitted and examined by the wearer without having to go to an audiologist for hearing and professional fitting tests.
SoundControl uses standard hearing aids batteries. Bose says that if you use it 14 hours a day, it can last for four days.
The volume and profile for different listening environments can be pre-set using the Bose Hear app for Android and iOS devices.
There is a focus function with a variety of settings including a noise filter setting in a crowded room and one that gets all the noise when you walk outside or around the house.
“In the US alone, nearly 48 million people suffer from some degree of hearing loss that affects their lives, but the cost and complexity of treatment has become a major barrier to seeking help,” Boss said.
Prescription hearing aids can cost thousands of dollars and are rarely fully insured.
The cheapest personal enhancement products are sold in stores, but their effects are not as effective or modifiable as hearing aids and are not regulated by the FDA.
The SoundControl is the first FDA-approved hearing aid that can be used without the help of a healthcare professional.
The FDA approved the old design of the Bose Hearing Aid headphone in 2018 with a de novo rating. This means that it is a low risk product and there is no such direct consumer device in the market.
This design has a neck strap and battery but was discontinued last year.
The new design is much like a traditional hearing aid, in that there is a receiver and a small shell in the ear canal behind the ear. It was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration last week.