Now Available: The Widex Allure Hearing Aids
At Now Hear This® Audiology, we are pleased to introduce the latest advancement in hearing technology from Widex: the Widex Allure hearing aid. This new device builds on the success of the previous Smart RIC model, offering significant improvements in performance, comfort, and sound quality.
Refined Design
The Widex Allure showcases a modernized look and feel:
- Updated charger: Smaller and more portable than the previous model.
- Streamlined design: A less curved, more discreet behind-the-ear style compared to the original “boomerang” shape of the Smart RIC.
Key Performance Enhancements
Widex has incorporated several upgrades that enhance the user experience in daily listening environments:
- Enhanced sound classifier: Automatically adapts the hearing aid’s settings based on your environment, optimizing speech understanding and comfort in real time.
- Improved feedback management: Reduces or eliminates high-pitched squealing, allowing for greater volume without discomfort.
- Impulse sound reduction: Minimizes the harshness of sudden sounds such as door slams or clinking dishes.
- Advanced noise reduction: Offers stronger suppression of background noise in busy environments like restaurants or social gatherings.
- Soft noise management: Subtly reduces persistent low-level sounds such as fans or appliances, improving overall listening comfort.
Features Currently Unavailable
While the Allure offers numerous improvements, there are two notable features from previous Widex models that are not currently included:
- Zen Therapy: This tinnitus management feature, which provides calming tones to help mask ringing in the ears, is not available in the Allure model at this time.
- Remote programming: Unlike earlier models, the Allure does not yet support remote adjustments or virtual appointments for hearing aid programming. All adjustments must be made in-office.
Conclusion
Despite the absence of two previously available features, the Widex Allure represents a significant leap forward in hearing aid technology. With its intelligent automation, enhanced sound processing, and modern design, it is an excellent option for patients seeking comfort, clarity, and ease of use in their hearing solution.
To learn more about the Widex Allure or to schedule a consultation, please contact Now Hear This® Audiology at 919-256-2898. We would be delighted to help determine if this advanced device is right for your hearing needs.
Transcript:
“Hey everyone, it’s Dr. Shopovick and today we’re going to be briefly reviewing the new Widex Allure hearing aid. Before I show you the new one, this is what the older model looked like—it was called the Widex Smart RIC. This is what the charger looked like, and it was a unique-looking hearing aid, kind of like a boomerang—very slim and with a curve at the top. Now, this is their new Widex Allure hearing aid. The charger looks a little bit smaller, and the shape has also changed, so it’s not as curvy as their older model.
There are some significant improvements with the Allure hearing aid. The first is the enhanced sound classifier in the hearing aid, so it’s going to work more automatically for you and make changes accordingly based on what environment you’re in. That has been a wonderful improvement. Another improvement is the feedback manager—if you wear hearing aids, you’ve probably experienced feedback, like a loud high-pitched squeal. This part of the software has been improved so we can give the patient more volume without getting that high-pitched squealing noise. Another improvement is their impulse sound reduction, so impulsive sounds like a slamming door will be reduced better. I thought that was a really cool improvement, along with their noise reduction feature, which is more aggressive in noisy settings. The last improvement I would mention is their soft noise reduction—think of soft noises like a fan or a refrigerator humming. Those sounds won’t be as intrusive or loud as they were in previous models.
On the other hand, there are two drawbacks—two features that are no longer in the Widex Allure. One is Zen Therapy, a program on previous models where the patient could click on their tinnitus Zen Therapy and it would play a masking, peaceful, relaxing sound to help drown out their tinnitus. Unfortunately, that’s not in this new model, though maybe there will be an update in the future. The second missing feature is remote programming. In previous models, we were able to do remote support sessions, but with the new Widex Allure model, that has not been released yet. Maybe it will be added in the future, but for now, we are unable to do remote programming and support for the new Widex Allure. That was a brief overview of the new model, and if you have any questions or are curious to know more about it, you can call our clinic at 919-256-2898. Thank you all for joining, and I hope you have a wonderful rest of your day.”
