Sennheiser, maker of the beloved Momentum headphones and earbuds, announced Tuesday that it’s entering the hearing health market with two sets of over-the-counter hearing aids called the “All-Day Clear” and the “All-Day Clear Slim.”
Sennheiser’s hearing aids are powered by Sonova, a hearing care company.
Like other options for adults who are eligible for hearing aids without a prescription under the US Food and Drug Administration’s loosened rules for how hearing aids may be sold, Sennheiser’s are meant for people with mild or moderate hearing loss. The company says the All-Day Clear and All-Day Clear Slim will be available starting mid-July and will cost around $1,400 and $1,500, respectively.
Judging by the name and price difference, we can assume the “slim” may be a slightly more sleek design, but it also comes with a compact carrying case in addition to the charging case.
“The over-the-counter legislation allows us to bridge a sizeable gap in the hearing devices market by enhancing ready-to-wear solutions with our extensive acoustics and speech enhancement expertise,” Clara Beck, Sennheiser Hearing Category director, said in a news release.
The hearing aids include “scene detection,” which the company describes as technology that monitors your environment for “seamless optimization of dialogue.” The hearing aids also have Bluetooth-streaming capabilities (so you won’t have to take your hearing aids out to listen to music or podcasts) and wind noise management, presumably to cut down on interference when it’s windy outside. The battery life lasts up to 16 hours, after which you can charge them in the case they come with.
You’ll set the hearing aids up and customize them through a paired app that guides you through the process, similar to how you’d set up other pairs of over-the-counter hearing aids. The app is compatible with Apple or Android mobile devices, as are the hearing aids. They also come with an in-clinic package to take with you to a professional if you’d like additional help.
Read more: Hearing Aids: How to Pick the Perfect Pair for You
The availability of hearing aids over-the-counter, without a prescription, has opened the door for big names in audio to join the health market. Bose (in partnership with Lexie Hearing) and Sony (in partnership with WS Audiology) have also announced hearing aids within the year.
