Sound to make you smile.

Transcription

1 Sound to make you smile.

2 2 Sonic Bliss Sound to make you smile Happiness sounds just like this. Bliss gives you and your patients plenty to smile about. Simple connectivity to wireless devices. Speech Variable Processing that delivers the natural sound Sonic is known for. And Speech Priority Noise Reduction specifically designed to make everyday conversations every bit enjoyable. Introduce your patients to Bliss. It s a conversation you ll be pretty happy about, too.

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4 4 Sonic Bliss Sound to make you smile The Many Joys of Sonic People love the natural sound of Sonic, the result of our 4S Foundation. These guiding principles set lofty standards for every Sonic product. And Bliss is no exception. Sound that s natural Bliss provides a rich, natural quality to everyday sounds. We aim to free people from any sense of mechanics or artificiality. Instead, we want Bliss users to be comfortable, confident, and able to enjoy the world around them. Speech understanding in noise We appreciate that true understanding involves more than just volume. Bliss uses technologies that enhance speech while managing other unwanted sounds in the environment. Simplicity in everything we do Listening shouldn t be a chore. So we keep the user experience simple. Bliss provides hands-free operation in most listening situations. When patients do interact with their device, Bliss features are easy to access and intuitive. Style that stands out We believe people will enjoy their hearing experience more when they re not self-conscious about a hearing instrument. With a variety of models to choose from, Bliss has a look that fits most lifestyle and hearing needs.

5 Sonic Bliss Sound to make you smile 5 Sonic 4S Foundation Sound that s natural Speech understanding in noise Simplicity in everything we do Style that stands out Speech Priority Noise Reduction Soft Noise Reduction Adaptive Directionality Hybrid Adaptive Directionality Universal Environment Binaural Coordination Wireless Connectivity Speech Variable Processing Impulse Noise Reduction Wind Noise Reduction Adaptive Feedback Canceller minibte and BTE in 10 hair and skin colors custom instrument models in 4 skin tones Clear, natural sound and unobtrusive listening comfort Comfortable, discreet solutions Ability to understand conversations, even in challenging situations Hands-free operation and simple connection to external audio sources Delighted Patients

6 6 Sonic Bliss Sound to make you smile Bliss Fully Smart Bliss includes the very best Sonic technologies, including our impressive Speech Variable Processing. A fast-acting WDRC system designed to replicate the cochlear amplifier model, Speech Variable Processing helps keep sounds natural and speech clear. While many processing systems may have similar descriptions, these implementation specifics make Sonic Speech Variable Processing superior. Speed is key to accuracy The cochlea has a natural ability to quickly analyze and internally adjust amplification of sound. This impressive skill is key to a natural perception of sound volume and quality. To recreate the behavior of the cochlea, a processing system must attempt to replicate this timing. Speech Variable Processing does just that, aiming to preserve the valuable temporal information inherent in environmental sounds. Second, once the level of the input is known, the required amplification must be applied. Again, speed is of the essence the system must be able to apply the correct amount of amplification for just the right amount of time. Signal processing schemes that are not designed to react quickly to changes in signal intensity typically systems with fast attack and slow release times fail to properly identify the amplitude differences in speech. Slower systems overshoot or undershoot the amount of gain applied. The result doesn t sound natural Figure 2 Original signal Gain applied for very fast attack / fast release Gain applied for fast attack / slow release First, it is important to quickly and accurately measure the input level of the incoming signal. Input levels are rarely static they change rapidly. This is especially true of speech. Figure Amplitude time in seconds nd s B.10 Amplitude time in seconds Ev ery day S ound s Better Figure 1: Sound pressure level differences over time for the incoming signal Everyday Sounds Better. Notice that the intensity level between the phonemes /nd/, /s/, and /B/ are very different. Speech Variable Processing is able to capture and amplify each individual phoneme precisely, including the softest parts of speech. Figure 2: Systems with fast attack and slow release times (light orange) typically apply to much or too little gain because they do not react quickly enough to changes in sound pressure levels. With its very fast attack and release times, Speech Variable Processing (dark orange) is able to accurately measure and compensate for sudden changes in sound pressure levels. Speech Variable Processing is specifically designed to very rapidly analyze the incoming signal and quickly adjust gain thousands of times per second. The ability to quickly identify a sound and apply amplification the attack time and then to change applied gain quickly when the sound changes the release time is what allows Speech Variable Processing to enhance speech intelligibility and create a natural sound.

7 Sonic Bliss Sound to make you smile 7 Figure 3 Uncompressed (Linear) Speech Variable Processing Multichannel A B Output Level (db SPL) frequency (Hz) / e / Figure 3: The frequency contrast for the vowel sound /e/. Clarity requires frequency contrast If speed is the key to accuracy, frequency contrast is the key to clarity. Frequency contrast is the difference in the amplification across frequencies for an incoming sound. Correctly identifying these contrasts plays a large role in speech clarity. A healthy cochlea amplifies sound to maintain this natural level difference across frequencies. With a sensorineural hearing loss, the ability to amplify correctly at different frequencies is diminished, resulting in a loss of frequency contrast. A: Traditional multichannel systems can cause a flattening of the spectrum, resulting in a loss of contrast across frequencies. B: Speech Variable Processing applies gain to the entire wideband signal, thereby preserving the frequency contrast. Most traditional multichannel compression systems split the acoustic signal into separate frequency bands, measure the signal at separate levels for each band, and compress each band according to its individual measurement and prescribed gain setting. In doing so, these systems systematically flatten the spectrum of sounds they process, losing contrast across frequencies in the process. Speech Variable Processing overcomes this loss of frequency contrast by measuring and applying gain to the wideband acoustic signal. Because the system is never measured and adjusted in separate frequency regions, it avoids the summing effect of applying gain in multiple bands. Speech Variable Processing preserves the contrast inherent in the original signal.

8 8 Sonic Bliss Sound to make you smile Reduce the Noise, Increase the Joy Unwanted noise can be distracting, confusing, and simply irritating. Bliss puts multiple systems to work to identify and reduce unwanted sounds. Less noise means better speech understanding and greater patient comfort. Speech Priority Noise Reduction 1.0 ] 0.8 ] 0.6 ] SPEECH 0.4 ] Soft Noise Reduction While amplifying important speech signals is part of a hearing device s basic function, amplifying annoying and unwanted noise shouldn t be. This is particularly true of low-level sounds: the whirring of a fan or the soft rumble of a refrigerator. Soft Noise Reduction reduces these quiet but distracting sounds without modifying the amplification of important speechrelated signals. Audio in db 0.2 ] 0 ] -0.2 ] -0.4 ] STEADY-STATE NOISE -0.6 ] -0.8 ] -1.0 ] Time in Seconds Wind Noise Reduction Wind Noise Reduction makes time spent outdoors more enjoyable by preventing wind sounds from being amplified. When wind is detected, the Wind Noise Reduction feature quickly sets the lowest frequencies to an optimal directional response and applies maximum attenuation across all frequencies, providing instant relief. Speech Priority Noise Reduction A hearing device s primary goal is to maximize the ability to understand speech. This can be difficult when speech is mixed with noise. Correctly identifying what is speech and what is noise can be very difficult, and often noise reduction systems trade comfort for speech intelligibility. Not so with the sophisticated Speech Priority Noise Reduction found in Bliss. Speech Priority Noise Reduction works to separate speech from surrounding noise, making conversations comfortable and clear. The system constantly monitors the input and determines the modulation fingerprint of the signal. Sounds that are highly modulated are most likely speech and should be preserved; sounds that do not show modulation characteristics are most likely noise and should be reduced. By independently managing the noise and leaving the speech signal intact, Speech Priority Noise Reduction provides comfort and preserves underlying speech signals, resulting in improved speech intelligibility. Impulse Noise Reduction Impulse Noise Reduction suppresses unexpected loud sounds, like the clinking of silverware or jangling of keys. Patients often rate the amplification of these sounds as one of the most uncomfortable aspects of wearing hearing instruments. Impulse Noise Reduction identifies impulsive sounds by examining the input and checking for the following traits: Is the input unexpected does it greatly differ from the average input? Is the input quick is it of a short duration? Does the input have a high intensity is it loud? Once an impulsive sound is identified, Impulse Noise Reduction suppresses the sound without modifying other parts of the input that may contain important speech cues. The result is improved listening comfort without sacrificing speech intelligibility.

9 Sonic Bliss Sound to make you smile 9 No More Whistle and Squeal Feedback is a thing of the past with Bliss. Bliss removes offending feedback signals often before they are even heard for squeal-free, easy listening. Feedback signals typically build in intensity before they become loud enough to be audibly perceived as feedback. The Adaptive Feedback Canceller system in Bliss continually monitors the frequency content of the input signal for oscillation characteristics typical of feedback. Once identified as feedback, the inverse phase canceller quickly applies a counter signal to the offending component, which typically eliminates feedback before it is audible. If an amplified signal re-enters the microphone within 5 milliseconds of exiting the receiver, the system recognizes that component as a signal that has been previously amplified, and treats the signal as feedback. This allows for very quick removal of unwanted feedback. Conventional feedback cancellation systems typically react too late to stop feedback before it starts, reacting only once it is a noticeable problem. The Adaptive Feedback Canceller in Bliss proactively attacks feedback, resulting in squeal-free easy listening. Yes Incoming Signal Memorize signal characteristics Has the signal been in the system in the last 5 milliseconds? No Yes Is there feedback? No Apply inverse phase cancellation to remove feedback Send signal to receiver

10 10 Sonic Bliss Sound to make you smile Focus On The Positive The sophisticated directional systems in Bliss allow patients to focus on the things they want to hear the important everyday sounds happening right in front of them. Fixed Directionality 1000Hz Fixed Directionality is useful in scenarios where the location of sound is static or more defined. Sitting in a restaurant is a great example. Adaptive Directionality is ideal in more dynamic, variable environments, such as in an office setting or when out on the town. The incoming signal is constantly, quickly analyzed to determine the location of the loudest sound within each of four frequency regions. Upon identifying the location, the best polar response is applied independently in each region to improve the signal-tonoise ratio. Hybrid Adaptive Directionality is the directional system that most closely approximates the performance of a healthy, open ear canal. The system is configured to preserve the manner in which low and high frequency sounds are naturally propagated through the auditory system, taking into consideration head shadow effects and the shape of the external ear. The lowest frequencies those most commonly associated with important environmental cues are set to a fixed omni directional mode. This helps to minimize wind and maintains audibility in reverberant environments. The mid and high frequencies where speech content is prevalent uses Adaptive Directionality to best attenuate the noise and allow the listener to focus on speech. Adaptive Directionality LOW 1000Hz 1500Hz 2500Hz HIGH Hybrid Adaptive Directionality LOW 1000Hz 1500Hz 2500Hz HIGH

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12 12 Sonic Bliss Sound to make you smile Bliss Fully Equipped Life is full of the unexpected. And your patients listening environments change day to day, even hour to hour. Bliss is ready to tackle them all with features that deliver accurate, handsfree operation. So your patients can take on the day with a seamless listening experience. Universal Environment The Universal Environment constantly monitors for specific characteristics of the incoming signal (sound level, presence of speech, frequency content, and harmonics). By analyzing these different sound traits, the system determines which combination of features and amplification will be beneficial in the environment, and then automatically adjusts accordingly. Although the Universal Environment is capable of addressing a variety of listening situations, special attention has been given to prioritizing speech intelligibility. Because speech is vital to comprehension, the Universal Environment is specifically tuned to optimize essential speech-related cues, maximizing speech intelligibility in noisy situations. frequency harmonics sound level speech monics frequency soun leve speech wind quiet noise speech in quiet speech in noise Detect Analyze Adjust

13 Binaural Coordination With Binaural Coordination, Bliss* can wirelessly share information between the left and right devices. The operation is simpler for patients, and the experience is so natural, they may forget they re wearing hearing instruments. Volume and Program Change Changes to volume levels or program selection made on one device are automatically made in both devices simultaneously. Environment Classification Uses the input from both instruments to create a 360 analysis of the auditory scene. Based on this information, the devices adjust in unison to select the ideal configuration for the Universal Environment. Non-Telephone Ear Control (Bliss 100 Exclusive) When one ear engages its Auto Telephone listening program, Bliss automatically specifies the other device as the non-telephone ear and reduces gain or mutes the input on that side. This reduces the distractions caused by non-telephone sounds and increases the perception of volume from the telephone. * BTE, minibte, ITEPDW, ITCPDW models

14 14 Sonic Bliss Sound to make you smile Bliss Fully Connected A hearing instrument isn t the only device patients need to rely on. Cell phones, MP3 players, PCs, and television are integral to everyday life. Created specifically to connect to life s conveniences, Bliss* comes ready to communicate with Bluetooth - compatible external audio sources. The SoundGate device provides wireless communication between Bliss and virtually any external audio source that uses Bluetooth transmission. Simply pair SoundGate with Bliss, and patients can instantly enjoy hands-free mobile phone use, binaural audio streaming, and basic remote control operations. Listening to television is easier, too. Connect the optional TV Adapter to a television, and SoundGate streams the audio directly to Bliss. Thanks to binaural wireless reception, movies and TV shows have never sounded clearer. Even landline phones get direct attention. An optional accessory, the Phone Adapter provides a binaural wireless link between landline phones and SoundGate, making even non-mobile phone use simple and clear. * BTE, minibte, ITEPDW, ITCPDW models

15 Sonic Bliss Sound to make you smile 15 Programmed to Please Bliss provides several features specifically designed to help you get your patients quickly fit, fine-tuned, and on their way. Environments Pre-configured Environments make device configuration simple. Each Environment combines features and amplification adjustments ideal for that specific listening scenario. Wireless programming The nearcom programming unit allows wireless programming between Bliss and your fitting system computer. Simply place the nearcom unit around your patient s neck, start up EXPRESSfit 2013 and begin programming no extra parts, no cables. Data Logging The Data Logging system records usage information about patients listening behaviors. By analyzing this information, you can make quick fine-tuning decisions based on historical performance data. Data Learning (Bliss 100 Exclusive) With Data Learning, Bliss devices learn patients preferred volume settings over time, and adapt the default amplification settings to match their preferences. nearcom

16 16 Sonic Bliss Sound to make you smile Bliss Fully Delightful Bliss is a delightfully natural fit for a variety of lifestyles and hearing needs. Patients can choose from two stylish behind-the-ear models Dual Covered Microphones Dual microphones allow for sophisticated directional features to enhance performance in noise Microphone protection keeps unwanted debris and moisture from entering the device 2 Program Button Provides easy access for up to four listening memories 3 Tamper-Resistant Lock Keeps the battery secure from children 4 Direct Audio Input Provides connectivity for FM audio sources 5 Auto Telephone Provides hands-free switching to a fully-configurable, dedicated telephone listening program. 6 Wireless Connectivity Allows for communication between devices Provides connectivity to external audio sources (mobile phone, television, computer, etc.) 7 Programming Port Hidden and protected Programming cable easily connects directly into the port no additional boots or Flex Strips required 8 Battery Compartment Easy open design Integrated on/off switch Size 13 battery for outstanding battery life (200 hours) 9 Acoustic Options Earhook or Thin Tube options Thin Tube option in two diameter sizes for fitting flexibility Domes available in a variety of sizes and configurations 10 Volume Control (BTE only) Large, easy to locate and operate Programmable range Configurable alerting tones provide audible cue as the wheel is turned 11 Telecoil (BTE only) Provides optimal sound quality for telephone use

17 Sonic Bliss Sound to make you smile 17 Bliss custom instruments are powerful, feature-rich*, yet discreet and include several new improvements to help extend the life of microphones and receivers Dual Covered Microphones Dual microphones allow for sophisticated directional features to enhance performance in noise Microphone protection keeps unwanted debris and moisture from entering the device 2 Program Button Provides for easy access for up to four listening memories 3 ProWax System Protects receiver from moisture and cerumen Easily replaceable by the patient 4 Optional Telecoil and Auto Telephone Telecoil provides crystal-clear telephone reception Auto Telephone provides hands-free switching to a fully-configurable, dedicated telephone listening program 5 Wireless Connectivity Allows for communication between devices Provides connectivity to external audio sources (mobile phone, television, computer, etc.) 6 Optional Volume Control (not shown) Programmable range Configurable alerting tones provide audible cue as the wheel is turned *Not all features are available on all models refer to the chart in the back of this guide for details.

18 18 Sonic Bliss Sound to make you smile Model Overview Fitting Ranges IIC* CIC CICP ITCD ITCPDW ITED ITEPDW minibte BTE Battery Size Program Button l l l l l n n Volume Control l l n Telecoil l l l l n Auto Telephone l l l l n n Wireless Accessories l l l l DAI/FM n n Earhook n n Thin Tube n n n standard l optional *Bliss 100 only Fitting Range BTE minibte Frequency in Hertz (Hz) Fitting Range ITEPDW Frequency in Hertz (Hz) Fitting Range ITED ITCD Frequency in Hertz (Hz) Hearing Level in decibels (db) Hearing Level in decibels (db) Fitting Range CIC IIC Frequency in Hertz (Hz) Hearing Level in decibels (db) Hearing Level in decibels (db) Fitting Range CICP Frequency in Hertz (Hz) Hearing Level in decibels (db) Fitting Range ITCPDW Frequency in Hertz (Hz) Hearing Level in decibels (db) Accessories SoundGate Wireless Communication Link and Remote Control TV Adapter Wireless transmission to SoundGate Phone Adapter Wireless transmission to SoundGate RC-P Remote Control Program, Mute and Volume Change

19 Sonic Bliss Sound to make you smile 19 Feature Overview bliss 100 bliss 80 Sound Quality Signal Processing Speech Variable Processing Frequency Bandwidth 10 khz 8 khz Noise Management Adaptive Feedback Canceller n n Wind Noise Reduction* n n Soft Noise Reduction n n Speech Priority Noise Reduction 4 levels 3 levels Impulse Noise Reduction n n Directionality* Fixed Directionality n n Adaptive Directionality n n Hybrid Adaptive Directionality n Binaural Coordination** Volume & Program Change n n Environment Classification n n Non-Telephone Ear Control (with Auto Telephone) n Programming Options Universal Environment n n Manual Listening Programs 4 4 Environments Data Logging n n Data Learning n nearcom Wireless Programming** l l Patient Conveniences Push Button Mute n n Audible Performance Indicators n n Start-Up Delay n n Auto Telephone Detection* n n n standard l optional *BTE, minibte, ITED, ITEPDW, ITCD, ITCPDW models ** BTE, minibte, ITEPDW, ITCPDW models BTE and minibte colors Custom colors beige taupe dark brown grey dark grey black black (IIC Only) beige light brown medium brown dark brown metallic beige metallic dark brown metallic dark grey metallic black

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