With over 1.5 billion people worldwide experiencing hearing loss — 430 million of whom face moderate to severe impairment — there is a pressing need for accessible, effective alternatives to traditional hearing aids. Despite their availability, only 17% of those who could benefit from hearing aids use them, highlighting a significant gap in the market.
The partnership between Alango and BEStechnic, one of the leading wireless SoC companies from China, delivers a reference design that simplifies the development of hearables with integrated hearing aid functionality, reducing time and costs for manufacturers while making advanced hearing solutions more accessible to consumers. The design incorporates key technological advancements, including ultra-low-latency signal processing, neural network noise reduction for clearer speech in noisy environments, and own-voice attenuation to address the discomfort of amplified self-voice — a common issue with traditional amplification devices.
Based on the powerful BEStechnic Smart Audio SoC, these devices can connect to smartphones for features like voice assistants and music streaming. By bridging the gap between consumer electronics and medical-grade hearing solutions, Alango and BEStechnic aim to provide manufacturers with tools to deliver innovative, user-friendly devices that improve quality of life for millions worldwide.
“Alango's team is very excited to cooperate with BEStechnic to simplify the integration of hearing augmentation into consumer-accessible products. BEStechnic offers a line of advanced Bluetooth SoCs from entry to high level, all integrating highly efficient DSP or MCU cores and offering enough power to provide solutions supporting various levels of hearing loss and price-performance tradeoffs. We sincerely value the exceptional support and technical resources provided by BEStechnic throughout our project collaborations,” explains Alexander Goldin, CEO of Alango Technologies.
According to Alango, the new reference design allows manufacturers to create TWS earbuds that can seamlessly switch between music, calls, and hearing enhancement modes, implemented on discreet and stylish designs with modern aesthetics that help reduce the stigma often associated with traditional hearing aids. These designs are significantly more affordable than conventional hearing aids, making them accessible to a wider audience. The platform also enables additional user control and customization. Companion apps enable users to personalize their listening experience according to their preferences.
“Our Bluetooth chipsets enable full-featured sound processing for TWS and other hearables including hearing enhancement, adaptive beamforming, AI-powered noise reduction, and users’ own-voice attenuation,” adds Guoguang Zhao, CEO of BEStechnic. “By integrating cutting-edge hearing accessibility solutions into consumer electronics, we empower individuals worldwide to break down barriers and connect more fully with their communities, fostering a world where everyone can hear, engage, and thrive."
The BES2800YP is an ultra-low power, high performance, smart Bluetooth audio SoC that is ready to support real-time adaptive ANC even for open designs, also supporting AI Voice applications. The platform incorporates a powerful CPU subsystem comprising a dual-core Arm Cortex-M55 processor with a dual-core BECO NPU, a BES proprietary coprocessor for advanced signal processing and NN workloads, a Tensilica HiFi 4 DSP, an audio codec, and a host subsystem comprising a dual-core STAR-MC1 processor with a dual-core BECO NPU. This combination significantly reduces power consumption while providing substantial application processing capabilities.
The platform incorporates a dual-mode Bluetooth 5.4 subsystem for both Bluetooth classic and LE audio. The highly integrated solution is optimized through the use of IBRT technology, a BES patented sniffing technique that incorporates Forward Error Correction (FEC) for enhanced RF performance in TWS systems. Companies interested in integrating hearing augmentation into their products are encouraged to contact Alango or BEStechnic for more information.
www.bestechnic.com
www.alango.com
