本文来源国外网站hearingtracker，作者为David Copithorne，他详细地介绍了贝尔通助听器的各种主流型号助听器及无线附件。
David Copithorne
Updated 31 August 2020
Beltone is a leading global hearing aid brand with a strong retail presence in North America through 1,500 hearing care centers.Founded in 1940 and based in Chicago,Beltone is part of the GN Hearing Group,one of the world’s top five hearing aid manufacturers.Its broad product line serves people with all levels of hearing loss.Beltone benefits from the parent company’s global reach and history of hearing aid innovation,including leadership in Made-for-iPhone hearing aids and other advances in hearing technology.
Beltone Imagine,the brand’s current flagship hearing aid model,is based on an advanced chip platform that delivers premium sound quality and Made-for-iPhone and Android ASHA audio streaming via Bluetooth.Hands-free calling is also possible via the Beltone Phonelink 2 wireless accessory.The new chip platform offers twice the memory and 50%more processing power than the previous generation,and delivers beamforming directionality,which enables improved speech understanding in background noise.
In 2018 and 2019,Beltone installed new senior managers with extensive hearing aid industry experience to position the company for ongoing growth.In June 2019 Scott Davis was named president of GN Hearing North America to oversee the ReSound,Beltone,Audigy and FalCom businesses in the United States and Canada.Previously Davis was the North American CEO of Sivantos,another top global hearing aid brand.Monte Dillow,an executive with extensive experience in the medical device industry,has served as President of Beltone since December 2017.
2020:Beltone Imagine
2018:Beltone Amaze
2017:Beltone Trust
2015:Beltone Legend
Beltone technologies
Beltone has stayed at the cutting edge of new hearing aid technologies with its Imagine platform.Imagine,launched in 2020,introduced binaural beamforming directionality,improved ingress protection,and“M&RIE”.And Imagine inherited all of the advancements from the previous Amaze generation,including improvements in miniaturization,streaming audio quality,rechargeability,and remote care:
High-bandwidth audio streaming:The extended bandwidth of the chip platform in Imagine hearing aids provides high sound quality when streaming music or phone calls directly from Apple and Android devices,or with 2.4 GHz audio streamed through Beltone wireless accessories.
Rechargeable batteries:Beltone touts the long life of the rechargeable lithium-ion batteries in Imagine hearing aids.The company says a single 3-hour charge provides 30 hours of power.Expect no more than 25 hours if you plan to do a lot of Bluetooth streaming.
Remote care:Beltone’s two-way,remote care service allows wearers to share feedback about their real-time listening experiences via a smartphone app.And hearing care professionals can provide programming updates,counseling and other services remotely,saving time for both professionals and users.
IP68 ingress protection(upgraded in 2020)-Imagine products are classified as“dust resistant”and may be"immersed in 1.5 meters of freshwater for up to 30 minutes".Amaze was IP58.
Beamforming directionality(new in 2020)-Beltone"uses a new binaural connection to create a stronger,more focused beam for sounds in front of the listener.Compared to traditional directionality it provides up to 2 dB better signal-to-noise ratio"
“M&RIE”(new in 2020)-M&RIE or“Microphone&Receiver-In-Ear”places a microphone on the speaker unit which rests in the ear.Beltone claims the new tech improves sound localization,wind noise reduction,and sound quality ratings.
Miniaturization:In August 2019,Beltone introduced a family of Amaze custom hearing aids that fit within the ear.The family includes the industry’s first completely-in-the-canal(CIC)Made-for-iPhone hearing aid,with the ability to stream music,calls,and more,straight from a phone.Beltone is expected to release custom Imagine products in the future.
In addition to wireless audio streaming from iPhones,Beltone’s Imagine and Amaze hearing aids feature wireless“Made-for-Android”streaming.Beltone’s parent GN Hearing has a technology partnership with Google to enable Bluetooth LE(low energy)streaming from Google’s Pixel 3 and Pixel 4 Android phones.The Amaze uses the new ASHA protocol(Audio Streaming for Hearing Aids)that GN Hearing developed with Google.Other Android phones are expected to adopt the ASHA protocol in the coming months.
Unlike many other hearing aid brands,Beltone sells its products through its own retail stores.With 1,500 Beltone-branded locations in North America,it is among the largest hearing aid retailers.Through its stores,Beltone offers financing plans and warranty options of up to 48 months,including full loss and damage coverage and lifetime care.
Beltone sells premium hearing aids that are programmed by an audiologist or other hearing health professional based on the results of your hearing test.It has a broad range of hearing aid models addressing all levels of hearing loss.They come in multiple form factors,with Made-for-iPhone and Android ASHA capabilities,along with a family of wireless accessories.
Imagine is the latest flagship product from Beltone.In many ways,Imagine is an upgrade from Beltone's previous receiver-in-canal flagship,Amaze.Like Amaze,Imagine offers wireless audio streaming for iOS and Android devices(via MFi and ASHA),hands-free calling,and remote programming support.But,Imagine offers a number of key upgrades when compared to Amaze,like binaural beamforming directionality(“Ultra Focus”)and a brand new design that places a microphone in the ear canal(“M&RIE”).Beltone claims that this"innovative"new technology eliminates"unnatural sound"and delivers"superior sound quality."
The Beltone HearMax smartphone app,which works with Imagine,lets you change program settings,adjust volume,check battery status,and change speech focus.Remote counseling and hearing aid adjustment is also possible through the app.
Amaze,first introduced in 2018,are based on Beltone’s previous-generation processor platform,which integrated improved sound processing,connectivity,and rechargeability.Designed for people with mild-to-severe hearing loss,they provide premium sound quality,Made-for-iPhone wireless connectivity,ASHA connectivity with Google Pixel Android phones,2.4 GHz streaming,Bluetooth audio streaming via the Beltone PhoneLink 2 wireless accessory,smartphone app control,and remote programming support.
When they were introduced,Beltone Amaze hearing aids were only available in receiver-in-the-canal(RIC)form factors.But in 2019,Beltone introduced a range of custom hearing aids for the product family as well.Today,the family includes completely-in-the-canal(CIC),in-the-ear(ITE),in-the-canal(ITC),microphone-in-the-helix(MIH),and RIC form factors.Beltone said it was first to deliver a CIC Made-for-iPhone hearing aid with the ability to stream music,calls,and more,straight from a phone.
The hearing aids come in seven colors to match patients’skin and hair tones.Amaze custom hearing aids use standard-sized disposable hearing aid batteries.And the RIC Amaze hearing aids have integrated lithium-ion rechargeable batteries.A charging station accessory supplies an overnight charge to provide all-day power.
Beltone introduced its Trust hearing aids in May 2017.In addition to premium sound processing,the hearing aids feature Beltone’s 5th generation 2.4 GHz wireless technology for audio streaming from remote mics via Beltone accessories.Available in all hearing aid styles,they are suitable for mild-to-severe hearing loss.
The Beltone Trust family was also among the first in the industry to provide remote care by connecting customers with their hearing care providers via smartphone.Wearers can share feedback about difficulty hearing in the moment via the Beltone HearMax app,rather than trying to remember how to describe issues later during an adjustment visit.And hearing care professionals have the freedom to offer follow-up services remotely.
Beltone Boost Max hearing aids were introduced in August 2017 to bring the benefits of the Beltone Trust family to people with severe-to-profound hearing loss.The behind-the-ear(BTE)hearing aids are based on GN Hearing’s 5th generation 2.4 GHz wireless technology and 3rd generation binaural directionality.They help hearing aid users with severe-to-profound hearing loss experience improved sound quality and speech clarity in challenging listening environments.
Beltone Legend hearing aids came in March 2015.In addition to receiving audio directly from an iPhone,iPad,or iPod touch without additional adapters,the Legend hearing aids work with the Beltone HearPlus app to adjust settings to match your listening environment.
Beltone First Made-for-iPhone hearing aids were introduced in February 2014 at the same time ReSound,a GN sister brand,introduced the ReSound LiNX iPhone hearing aids.The hearing aids made a splash with the media,as they were first to open up the world of wireless smartphone connectivity–unimpeded by an accessory streamer–to hearing aid users.
While Beltone continues to support the First and Legend hearing aids,they are built on an earlier technology platform than the newer Imagine,Amaze,Trust and Boost Max hearing aids.
HearMax is Beltone’s most highly integrated smartphone control app.It connects Imagine,Amaze,Trust,and Boost Max hearing aids to your iPhone,Apple Watch or Android phone to provide a range of control functions.You can also control your hearing aids from an Apple Watch and use the“Find My Hearing Aid”feature to locate misplaced or lost hearing aids.
For support from your hearing care professional between scheduled appointments,you can access the Beltone Remote Care service.Send a request through the app,and your hearing care professional can make programming changes in the fitting software.Those new settings can then be sent to you electronically.You will receive notification in the HearMax App on your smartphone,and then you can download the new settings into the hearing aids via the 2.4 GHz wireless connection.
Beltone Direct Line wireless accessories include remote microphones and audio streaming devices to make it easier to watch television,follow conversation at a distance or talk on the phone.
The Beltone myPAL Micro and myPAL Pro are small portable microphones that you can hand over to the person you want to hear.Small enough to clip to the listener’s shirt collar,they capture the speech in noisy environments and streams it directly into your hearing aids.
The myPAL microphones have a wireless range of up to 80 feet(with a clear line of sight),they have directional microphones to isolate the speaker’s voice,there is on board volume control with a muting button,and they have a 10-hour battery life.The myPAL Pro has the same features as the myPAL Micro but also offers an automatic“table mode”setting to pick up multiple voices around a conference table.It also has a telecoil setting and Direct Audio Input(DAI)capability.
The Beltone Direct Line TV Link 2 connects directly to most audio devices,including TVs,stereos,and computers,wirelessly transmitting the audio directly to your hearing aids.No neckloop or intermediate streaming accessory is necessary.
TV Link 2 lets you adjust the TV volume to the level right for you,without changing what others hear.You can also dampen background room noise.It works with both digital and analog audio inputs,accepts Dolby Digital-encoded audio inputs,and has a range of at least 23 feet with a clear line of sight.
Beltone’s Remote Control and Remote Control 2 provide push-button management of multiple hearing aid functions.Remote Control is designed with large,tactile buttons that enable you to adjust the volume of your hearing aids and change programs without looking.
Remote Control 2 lets you adjust the volume in one or both hearing aids,change programs,or easily switch between sound streamed from your TV,phone,myPAL remote microphone or PC.You can adjust the balance between the streaming audio and the external sounds around you.And an easy-to-reach LCD display shows programs,volume and battery level at a glance.
Beltone’s Phone Link 2 makes the phone ring directly in your hearing aids.And dual microphones with a speech reduction feature allow you to speak hands-free,even when your phone is put away in a pocket or a handbag.You can also use it to stream music or podcasts directly from your phone.
The Phone Link 2 also serves as a remote control to adjust hearing aid volume or change your programs whether or not you are on the phone.Mute and program buttons control basic hearing aid functionalities.And with the Beltone SmartRemote app,the Phone Link 2 can turn an iPhone or Android smartphone into a discreet,full-functioning remote control.
Beltone’s Sound Therapy app and Tinnitus Calmer app offers a combination of masking sounds and relaxing exercises,which can help provide relief from the ringing,humming,and other noises in your head caused by tinnitus.The apps are available on iPhone,iPad,iPod Touch and Android devices.
Beltone’s tinnitus management apps let you choose from the selection of sounds from within the app’s library or upload your own sounds.You can balance the sounds between your right and left ears or turn on the timer so you can fall asleep to soothing sounds.
David Copithorne is a longtime hearing-loss blogger and Content Director at Hearing Tracker.In 2002,he suffered a sudden and severe hearing impairment.Since then,he has dedicated himself to sharing the valuable information he has learned along his journey.
