Signia Helps People ‘Hear Across America’

Maker of Styletto Connect Hearing Aids Educates on Hearing Loss

By Anthony Birritteri, Editor-in-Chief On May 30, 2019

As Better Hearing and Speech Month comes to a close this last day of May, Piscataway-based Signia, a developer and manufacturer of state-of-the-art hearing aid technologies, completes its inaugural “Hear Across America” initiative in which free hearing screenings were given by 32 audiologists across 11 US cities.

The hearing education, screening and outreach effort, according Tracey Reynolds, vice president of marketing at Signia, is to make the public aware of the “silent” epidemic that is impacting people of all ages and shatter the social stigmas related to hearing loss.

Reynolds says that more than 38 million people have hearing loss, but only 10 percent of this population wears hearing aids. “We call this the un-aided market,” she tells New Jersey Business.

There are many reasons why the majority of people with hearing problems do not have or wear hearing aids. Among them is the stigma associated with wearing one.

“People have a fear of wearing hearing aids because of the perception that they are solely for older people, but then they avoid going out and enjoying life,” Reynolds explains, giving the example of a personal friend with a hearing problem who doesn’t like to go out in public.

For that reason, Signia also debuted an “Everyday Heroes” campaign in which a diverse cross section of people tell their stories of hearing loss, seeking medical help and how wearing a hearing aid has tremendously changed their lives.

Reynolds continues to say that hearing loss issue is becoming a “massive problem” as more adults and adolescents listen to music through earbuds connected to their smartphones or computers. According to World Health Organization estimates, 1.1 billion teenagers and young adults are at risk of hearing loss globally.

Signia hopes that its Styletto Connect new generation of hearing aids will help people of all ages feel comfortable with wearing the devices. “The Styletto Connect is a slim receiver-in-the-canal (RIC) device that is stylish while allowing patients to wear it in comfort,” Reynolds explains. The device comes in three color combinations: black/silver, snow white/rose gold, and cosmic blue/rose gold. It also comes with a rechargeable battery and case. Additionally, it has won Red Dot and  iF product design awards.

Speaking of the technology behind the Styletto, Reynolds says that Signia prides itself on its audiological advances. “The Styletto has a unique combination of natural own voice quality and superior speech understanding,” she says.

While the R&D for the Styletto is done by Signia in Germany, its US headquarters in Piscataway houses marketing, sales, product management, packaging, IT and human resources functions.

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