This Week in Hearing

What if the future of hearing technology doesn’t sit inside the ear at all? At CES 2026, one of the most important trends was the rapid rise of open-ear hearing devices — from smart hearing glasses and clip-on assistive audio to bone-conduction and hybrid speaker systems. In this special recap, Andrew Bellavia explores how companies including Cearvol, Knowles, xMEMS, Mimi, Absolute Audio Labs, and...

What if advanced AI noise reduction could run efficiently on standard hearing device hardware? In this episode, Dave Kemp speaks with Aernout Arends of Absolute Audio Labs and Zengyi “Boltzmann” Li of Aizip about how platform-based hearing architectures and tiny AI models are reshaping the future of hearing technology. The discussion centers on the integration of Aizip’s AI-driven speech and noise...

What does Auracast actually feel like in a real-world performance? In this episode, Andrew Bellavia visits the Marriott Theatre near Chicago, where he was invited to personally experience Auracast during a live production and speak with the people behind its implementation. The deployment brought broadcast audio into a working theater environment, giving hearing aid users—and others—the opportunit...

What makes tinnitus distressing for some people—but barely noticeable for others? In this in-depth conversation, clinical psychologist and tinnitus researcher Dr. Jennifer Gans explains why tinnitus is best understood not simply as a sound, but as a brain-driven experience. Drawing on neuroscience, clinical experience, and mindfulness-based research, she explores how the brain’s response—rather th...

What if hearing technology didn’t try to hide—but instead embraced visibility and style? In this conversation, Nick Morgan-Jones shares his personal journey with hearing loss and the stigma that kept him from wearing hearing aids for years. That experience led him to found Overtone , a consumer-focused hearing technology brand aiming to rethink how hearing devices look, feel, and fit into everyday...

Why do so many people delay hearing care—even after acknowledging a problem or receiving a recommendation? In this conversation, hearing instrument specialist and researcher Bobbi-Jo Marlatt explores how motivational interviewing (MI) can help hearing care professionals better support patients who feel uncertain, ambivalent, or overwhelmed about treatment. Drawing on her new book, Motivational Int...

What will it take for accessible audio to become the norm rather than the exception in public spaces? In this conversation, Andrew Bellavia is joined by Paul Daft of GN and journalist and accessibility advocate Liam O’Dell to explore the growing momentum behind Auracast and its potential to reshape how people access sound in venues such as theaters, cultural spaces, and other public environments....

Dr. Richard W. “Dick” Danielson’s career in audiology spans decades of service, leadership, and innovation across the U.S. Army, academic medicine, and NASA. A retired Army Colonel and former manager of Audiology and Hearing Conservation at NASA’s Johnson Space Center, Dr. Danielson has dedicated his professional life to reducing the risk of hearing loss among military personnel, astronauts, and t...

What does accessible audio look like when it’s designed for real-world environments—not just controlled settings? In this conversation, Jonathan Hoskin of Ampetronic explains how Auracast was deployed at Bristol Temple Meads railway station to deliver clear station announcements directly to personal devices such as hearing aids, cochlear implants, earbuds, and smartphones. Host Andrew Bellavia spe...

Where do the best ideas in hearing aid innovation come from, and how do they reach patients? In this conversation, Dr. Jason Galster, Vice President of Clinical Research at Sonova , explains how hearing aid research moves from early feasibility to clinical readiness and post-market studies. He discusses how research ideas originate—from clinicians, academic partners, and internal technology roadma...

Widex has expanded its Allure™ hearing aid platform with new form factors and charging options, giving hearing care professionals more flexibility across a wider range of patient needs. In this discussion, Dana Helmink, Au. D., Senior Director of Clinical Development at WSA, walks through the addition of a rechargeable Allure BTE, Widex’s first rechargeable ITE, and a new portable charger for the...

A fully implantable cochlear implant isn’t just a technical milestone—it's a fundamentally different way of living with hearing loss. In a candid conversation, Gael Hannan speaks with Michael Seufer, one of the first recipients of the Envoy Medical Acclaim, an investigational fully implanted cochlear implant that eliminates external hardware. Michael shares how his hearing loss, first identifi...

A growing number of people are exploring hearing help earlier, and LXE Hearing believes there is a place for devices that bridge the gap between everyday earbuds and traditional hearing aids. In a detailed discussion, LXE Chief Commercial Officer Brian Maguire explains how the newly formed company—created from the merger of Lexie, hearX, and Eargo—is blending strong hardware engineering with deep...

Can lost hearing cells be replaced? Lineage Cell Therapeutics CEO Brian Culley returns to discuss the company’s new collaboration with William Demant Invest. Together, they’re advancing ReSonance™ (ANP1) — an experimental cell therapy designed to replace damaged auditory neurons and potentially restore communication between the ear and the brain. Culley explains how the partnership combines Lineag...

Hearing loss stigma continues to be one of the biggest barriers to seeking help — even as awareness and technology improve. In this discussion, host Shari Eberts speaks with Dr. Katie Ekberg (Flinders University) and Dr. Louise Hickson (University of Queensland) about their research on hearing loss stigma — exploring how social perceptions, disclosure dilemmas, and outdated stereotypes affect help...

At EUHA 2025, Phonak presented the latest advancements to its Infinio platform, including the Virto R Infinio custom rechargeable hearing aid and the new Infinio Sphere Ultra upgrade. In a discussion at the Phonak booth, Gareth Griffiths, Director of Campaign Management, outlined how these updates build on the company’s ongoing commitment to improving real-world hearing experiences. The newest ver...

At EUHA 2025, Oticon introduced its newest in-the-ear hearing aid, Oticon Zeal, bringing the company’s second-generation AI sound processing and BrainHearing™ technology to a smaller, ready-to-fit form factor. In a discussion at the conference, Anja Nagel L’Harraki, Senior Vice President of Global Marketing at Demant, and Ole Asboe Jørgensen, President, Hearing Instrument Group, described Zeal as...

Earlier this month, Starkey released its Omega AI hearing aid platform, and at EUHA 2025, Chief Technology Officer Achin Bhowmik discussed how the company’s latest generation builds on prior AI-driven models with new neural-network architecture designed to improve both hearing performance and health monitoring. Omega AI introduces what Starkey describes as the industry’s first use of three deep ne...

Andrew Bellavia joined Phonak ambassadors — Olympian Aaron Small and pro skier Robin Gillon — on stage to share honest conversations about hearing loss, stigma, and the role technology plays in staying connected — on and off the field. Both athletes spoke candidly about the challenges they’ve faced, how hearing aids have supported their performance and confidence, and the importance of visibility...

Early detection of hearing loss shouldn’t stop at birth. In this episode, Dr. Bob Traynor speaks with Dr. James W. Hall III, an internationally recognized audiologist, educator, and author with more than 40 years of experience in clinical and academic audiology. Together, they discuss a new evidence-based approach to preschool and early school-age hearing screening that goes beyond traditional pur...

With the Atom X, Audien introduces a new touchscreen-based hearing aid designed for simplicity and accessibility. Andy Bellavia speaks with Audien Hearing CEO Ishan Patel about the device’s key features and the company’s broader mission to make hearing care more approachable for people around the world. In this conversation, Patel explains how user feedback from over a million customers shaped the...

Audiologists took to Capitol Hill on Thursday, September 25, 2025, to advocate for better patient access to hearing and balance care as part of ADA Lobby Day in Washington, D.C.Held during the Academy of Doctors of Audiology’s AuDacity conference, the event brought hundreds of audiologists, students, and supporters together to meet with legislators and promote the Medicare Audiology Access Improve...

How do you help people truly understand what modern hearing aids sound like? In this episode, Bob Traynor speaks with Rob Koch, Founder and CEO of AHead Simulations , to introduce ALEX (Audio Listening EXperience) — the company’s newest innovation designed to make hearing aid technology more tangible and relatable for patients, families, and the public. Building on the success of CARL, AHead’s tra...

Professional soccer players Rylee Foster and Trip Neil share their inspiring journeys of living—and thriving—with hearing loss, both on and off the field. Foster, a Phonak Ambassador and the first athlete with hearing loss to sign with a Division I professional women’s soccer team, uses her platform to raise awareness and advocate for hearing health. Neil, founder and COO of Dallas Trinity FC, bri...

Live from the Academy of Doctors of Audiology conference, Andrew Bellavia catches up with John Luna of Nuance Audio, winner of the 2025 Hearing Technology Innovator Awards 'Innovator of the Year' title. Luna discusses how the recognition is driving new interest in their hearing glasses and shares how the technology is expanding into both audiology and vision care channels.