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2 Sonic Flip Your Expectations the status quo.

Sonic Flip Your Expectations 3 Presenting a new hearing instrument that might just take you by surprise. Flip, the new miniric from Sonic, will change your expectations about hearing devices. Flip is perceptibly compact yet surprisingly full of the features patients want most: simple operation, wireless connectivity, and a size that s stylish and discreet all with the outstanding sound quality Sonic is known for. It s everything most people with hearing loss need to enjoy the flip side of life.

4 Sonic Flip Your Expectations Go ahead. Flip it open. 1 3 Small in size. Packed with features. And so easy to operate. See for yourself how Flip is turning expectations about hearing instruments around. 2 6 8 5 7 4 1 Receiver Unit No tools needed to connect or disconnect the Receiver Unit simply snap it into place 2 Covered Microphones Dual microphone design allows for sophisticated directional features Optimally positioned to maintain a horizontal plane when worn, providing exceptional directional performance 3 Memory Switch Provides access for up to four fullyconfigurable listening programs 4 Volume Control Large, easy to locate and operate Programmable range Configurable alerting tones provide audible cues to the patient as the wheel is turned 5 Battery Door Unique design provides easy access to the battery compartment 6 Phone Coil Provides optimal sound quality for telephone use 7 Auto Telephone Provides hands-free switching to a fully configurable listening program 8 Wireless Connectivity Allows for communication between devices, uniting the processing power of two devices Provides connectivity to external audio sources (mobile phone, television, computer, etc.)

Sonic Flip Your Expectations 5 10 9 13 14 11 12 9 Battery Compartment Design minimizes case size while allowing for large, long-lasting size 13 battery Integrated On/Off switch 10 Right/Left Indicator Provides a visual cue to indicate right or left orientation 11 Microphones with Moisture Protection Replaceable membrane protects microphones from debris and moisture 12 Programming Port Hidden and protected by port cover panel Programming cable easily connects directly into programming port no boots or flex strips needed 13 Domes A variety of domes provide incredible fitting flexibility 14 Receiver Unit and Wax Guard Standard and Power Receiver Units available, providing amplification for hearing losses up to 90 db Receiver Unit color-coded to indicate right or left orientation Patient-replaceable wax guard protects the Receiver Unit from wax and moisture (Standard Receiver Unit) Retention Lock fits securely in the concha to hold the Receiver Unit in place

6 Sonic Flip Your Expectations Flip Fully Smart Flip 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. 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. 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. 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..20.15.10.05 Figure 2 Original signal Gain applied for very fast attack / fast release Gain applied for fast attack / slow release.20 Figure 1 0 -.05.15.10.05 0 Amplitude -.10 -.15 -.20 time in seconds 1.1 1.15 1.2 1.25 1.3 1.35 -.05 -.10 nd s B Amplitude -.15 -.20 -.25 time in seconds 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1.0 1.2 1.4 1.6 1.8 Ev ery day S ound s Better Figure 2: Systems with fast attack and slow release times (light blue) 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 blue) is able to accurately measure and compensate for sudden changes in sound pressure levels. 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. 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.

Sonic Flip Your Expectations 7 Figure 3 Uncompressed (Linear) Speech Variable Processing Multichannel A B 100 90 80 Output Level (db SPL) 70 60 50 40 30 frequency (Hz) 100 250 500 1000 10000 / e / Figure 3: The frequency contrast for the vowel sound /e/. 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. 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. 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. flip miniric at actual size

8 Sonic Flip Your Expectations Compulsive attention to impulsive noise Hearing devices can sometimes do a poor job of managing impulsive sounds 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. Using the new Impulse Noise Reduction feature, Flip 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. Cancel feedback before it starts Feedback is sneaky. It starts out quiet, perhaps even unnoticeable. If left unchecked, it can quickly get out of hand and cause the whistle and squeal so many patients and those nearby find annoying and uncomfortable. Conventional feedback cancellation systems typically react too late to stop feedback before it starts, reacting only once it is a noticeable problem. With Flip s new Adaptive Feedback Canceller, feedback is proactively attacked, resulting in squeal-free easy listening. The system starts by analyzing all incoming signals, searching for oscillation characteristics typical of feedback. Once identified as feedback, these components are passed through an inverse phase cancellation system that quickly removes the offending signal before it becomes audible feedback. Signal components that are characterized as feedback are memorized, allowing them to be instantly eliminated should they occur again.

Sonic Flip Your Expectations 9 Keep background noises in the background With patients living more active and athletic lives, many find themselves spending more time in the great outdoors. The sensation of wind on the face may feel great, but it doesn t sound great when amplified. When Flip detects wind, its Wind Noise Reduction feature quickly sets the lowest frequencies to an optimal directional response and applies maximum attenuation across all frequencies, providing instant relief. 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. With Flip s Soft Noise Reduction, these quiet but distracting sounds are reduced without modifying the amplification of important speechrelated signals. Noise Levels Environmental Noise Speech Noise Speech Modulation Music Soft Noise Soundscape without Soft Noise Reduction or Speech Priority Noise Reduction A hearing device s primary goal is to maximize a patient s 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 all-new Speech Priority Noise Reduction found in Flip. Speech Priority Noise Reduction 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 increased speech intelligibility. Noise Levels Environmental Noise Speech Noise Speech Modulation Music Soft Noise Soundscape with Soft Noise Reduction and Speech Priority Noise Reduction

flip the same ol same ol

Sonic Flip Your Expectations 11 Flip gives focus to each soundscape Flip employs several directional strategies to keep unwanted noise at bay while preserving important environmental sounds that keep the patient engaged in their surroundings. Fixed Directionality is useful in scenarios where the soundscape is static or more defined. Sitting in a restaurant is a great example. In this mode, Flip uses a fixed, hypercardioid directional response to address sounds coming from the sides and behind the listener. 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 source, the best polar response is applied independently in each region to improve the signal-tonoise ratio. Hybrid Directionality, found exclusively in Flip 100, combines adaptive directional technology in the three highest frequency regions with a fixed omni response in the lowest region. The fusion of these technologies results in a directional system designed to resist wind noise while being effective in environments with moderate noise levels. Adaptive Directionality LOW 1000 khz 1500 khz 2500 khz HIGH Hybrid Directionality LOW 1000 Hz 1500 Hz 2500 Hz HIGH

Sonic Flip Your Expectations 13 A universal approach to speech intelligibility Soundscapes are dynamic, constantly changing as your patient moves through their day. With Flip s Universal listening environment, providing accurate, hands-free operation is easier than ever, giving patients a seamless listening experience all day long. Flip constantly listens for specific characteristics of the incoming signal. By analyzing these different sound traits, Flip 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. Detect Analyze Adjust frequency sound level speech harmonics frequency sound level speech harmonics quiet noise speech in noise speech in quiet wind

14 Sonic Flip Your Expectations Flip through wireless possibilities 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. Now patients can flip past the hassles of using them. SoundGate is a gateway providing wireless communication between Flip and virtually any external audio source that uses Bluetooth transmission. Simply pair SoundGate with Flip, and your patient can instantly enjoy handsfree 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 Flip. 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.

Sonic Flip Your Expectations 15 Performance to the power of two All Flip instruments include Binaural Coordination that allows the device in one ear to communicate important information to the other. In effect, Binaural Coordination gives your patient the processing power of two hearing devices. Changes to volume levels or program selection made on one device are automatically made in both devices simultaneously. The Environmental Classification feature in Flip 100 and Flip 80 devices 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. Flip 100 can be configured to automatically reduce the gain or mute the input on the device specified as the non-telephone ear when the opposite ear engages its Telephone listening program. This reduces the distractions caused by non-telephone sounds and increases the perception of volume from the telephone.

16 Sonic Flip Your Expectations Ease of fitting you ll flip for With all the technology packed into Flip, it s amazing how easy it is to fit, fine tune, and operate. Flip offers several features specifically designed to help you get your patients quickly fit, fine-tuned, and on their way. Flip offers a broad array of pre-configured Environments, making device configuration simple. Each environment combines features and appropriate levels of amplification ideal for that specific listening scenario. Now you can benefit from wireless connectivity in the clinic! The nearcom programming unit allows wireless programming between Flip and your fitting system computer. Simply place the nearcom unit around your patient s neck, start up EXPRESSfit 2012 and begin programming no extra parts, no cables. NOAHlink with nearcom Wireless Programming Unit Flip s Data Logging system records usage information about your patients listening behaviors. By analyzing this information, you can make quick fine-tuning decisions based on historical performance data. The Data Learning feature allows Flip 100 devices to learn your patient s preferred volume settings over time, and adapt the default amplification settings to match their prefererences. Besides providing great amplification in a stylish package, Flip has several convenience features your patients will love. The Push Button Mute feature makes it easy for patients to tune out should they need a short break from amplification. With the AutoTelephone feature, answering a phone call is super easy just pick up the phone and Flip automatically engages a pre-defined Telephone program. When the phone call is over, Flip returns to the previous listening program.

flip open a new chapter of life

18 Sonic Flip Your Expectations Model overview Hardware Program Button n Volume Control n Directionality n Phonecoil n Auto Telephone Detection n Power Receiver Unit l Battery 13 Estimated Battery Life 238 hrs. Color Options Beige Dark Brown Black Accessories SoundGate Wireless Link RC-P Remote Control TV Adapter Phone Adapter l l l l Dark Grey n standard l optional

Sonic Flip Your Expectations 19 Feature overview flip 100 flip 80 flip 60 flip 40 Sound Quality Signal Processing Speech Variable Processing Frequency Bandwidth 10 khz 8 khz 8 khz 8 khz Noise Management Adaptive Feedback Canceller n n n n Wind Noise Reduction n n n n Soft Noise Reduction n n n n Speech Priority Noise Reduction 4 levels 3 levels 2 levels 2 levels Noise Reduction n n Directionality Fixed Directional n n n n Adaptive Directional n n n * Hybrid Adaptive Directional n Binaural Coordination Binaural Volume & Program Change n n n Binaural Environmental Classification n n Non-Telephone Ear Control Programming Options n Universal Environment n n n n Manual Listening Programs 4 4 3 3 Environments 13 10 8 4 Data Logging n n n n Data Learning n nearcom Wireless Programming Patient Conveniences Program Button Mute n n n Audible Performance Indicators n n n n Start-Up Delay n n n n Auto Telephone Detection n n n n standard l optional Accessories RC-P Remote Control Program, Mute and Volume Change SoundGate Wireless Communication Link and Remote Control TV Adapter Wireless transmission to SoundGate Phone Adapter Wireless transmission to SoundGate