Zounds

Zounds Information

Zounds is a 6 month old company headquartered in Mesa, AZ. It was founded by Sam Thomasson, an acccomplished Engineer and Father of a hearing impaired teenage daughter. Frustrated with current high-end hearing aids' performance and very high prices, he started Zounds with 42 patents to offer the best technology at an affordable price point.

Zounds is available in both ITC (In-The-Canal) and Mini BTE (Behind-the-Ear). No, the ITC doesn't physically fit all ear canals, but the Mini BTE does. Both products address mild, moderate, and moderate/severe (up to 80db in the high frequencies) hearing loss. Zounds is launching a Power BTE in the the Fall of 2007. All three products have the same state-of-the-art noise cancellation, directional microphones, feedback cancellation, and rechargeability (up to 18 hours). As a result, Zounds eliminates up to 90% of unwanted noise, has excellent fidelity, and virtually no feedback. Sound demos of its performance in multiple environments can be found on Zounds Hearing Aids.

Pricing for all three products is $999 per hearing aid, or 1/4 the price of other premium hearing aids on the market. The price also includes a charging station and remote control. Zounds hearing aids automatically adjust to different environments but research indicated consumers liked to "fine-tune" their listening experiences throughout the day, such at volume, bass, treble, and a couple pre-sets for optimized listening environments.

Zounds is not sold over the internet. It is only available at Zounds stores and select Physician offices in Arizona, Florida, Pennsylvania, and several more markets in the US in the near future. All Zounds hearing aids are fitted and programmed by licensed Audiologists and Hearing Instrument Specialists. They will determine the best product (ITC, Mini BTE, or Power BTE) and programming based on extensive diagnostic testing on-site, which is complimentary.

Fitting/programming is completed within 1 visit and one can test out Zounds hearing aids in the store in a simulated noisy restaurant environment before purchase. There is also a risk-free 30 day or 45 day trial period based on the state one resides. There are no restocking fees either.

Hope that addresses your questions above.

Jay Turner
Zounds Representative
 
bbnt said:
so what is wrong with there itc?
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It is a generic "Jam it in your ear" type device. ITC's should ideally be custom order for the persons ear. Look up the success stories of Songbird or Sonic Innovations Addesso, I bet you won't find too many. There are so many issues that can arise from a device such as this. But mainly the only advantage is you come in for a hearing aid, you leave with a hearing aid same day. There is no waiting 2 weeks for a properly fit hearing aid.
 
jaywturner14 said:
Zounds is a 6 month old company headquartered in Mesa, AZ. It was founded by Sam Thomasson, an acccomplished Engineer and Father of a hearing impaired teenage daughter. Frustrated with current high-end hearing aids' performance and very high prices, he started Zounds with 42 patents to offer the best technology at an affordable price point.

Zounds is available in both ITC (In-The-Canal) and Mini BTE (Behind-the-Ear). No, the ITC doesn't physically fit all ear canals, but the Mini BTE does. Both products address mild, moderate, and moderate/severe (up to 80db in the high frequencies) hearing loss. Zounds is launching a Power BTE in the the Fall of 2007. All three products have the same state-of-the-art noise cancellation, directional microphones, feedback cancellation, and rechargeability (up to 18 hours). As a result, Zounds eliminates up to 90% of unwanted noise, has excellent fidelity, and virtually no feedback. Sound demos of its performance in multiple environments can be found on Zounds Hearing Aids.

Pricing for all three products is $999 per hearing aid, or 1/4 the price of other premium hearing aids on the market. The price also includes a charging station and remote control. Zounds hearing aids automatically adjust to different environments but research indicated consumers liked to "fine-tune" their listening experiences throughout the day, such at volume, bass, treble, and a couple pre-sets for optimized listening environments.

Zounds is not sold over the internet. It is only available at Zounds stores and select Physician offices in Arizona, Florida, Pennsylvania, and several more markets in the US in the near future. All Zounds hearing aids are fitted and programmed by licensed Audiologists and Hearing Instrument Specialists. They will determine the best product (ITC, Mini BTE, or Power BTE) and programming based on extensive diagnostic testing on-site, which is complimentary.

Fitting/programming is completed within 1 visit and one can test out Zounds hearing aids in the store in a simulated noisy restaurant environment before purchase. There is also a risk-free 30 day or 45 day trial period based on the state one resides. There are no restocking fees either.

Hope that addresses your questions above.

Jay Turner
Zounds Representative
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FYI....You may want to tell someone to amend your claims on "Limits Occlusion" with your products. If there isn't a vent, which from the looks of the products there isn't, you have occlusion, there's not way around it. Stick anything in your ear and plug it and you create a hearing loss by occluding it. Place a tiny comply tip (which is what your using) and not seal off the ear canal and then how much sound is escaping out of the ear canal? Do your salesmen do any real ear measurements to verify insertion gain if it's that loose?

Likewise if your using the same type of feedback cancellation as all other manufacturers, which is nothing more than phase cancellation, many will experience feedback with the telephone. Especially when their hearing loss reaches the upper limits of a moderate hearing loss. Moreso if you give someone control over "treble" (ie....high frequencies). I'm sure you know the two most common types of hearing loss are age related and noise exposure (ie...lend themselves to good low frequency hearing and a predominately mid-high frequency hearing loss). So naturally they are going to crank up the high frequencies, which makes the hearing aid more susceptible to feedback when something is placed near the microphone like a telephone. Furthermore, if your claims of not having to "Fill the persons ear with an oversized custom shell (which this statement goes to show the tactics used to promote your product-the shells are not made oversized, they are made as close to spec of the earmold impression taken) by placing a poorly fit foam tip, the you most certainly will get feedback, even with the feedback cancellation systems of today.

Personally, I would not fit a completely occluding hearing aid on either hearing loss (the patient will inevitably complain that their voice sounds as if they're in a tunnel.
 
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