Sony Electronics Launches its First Over-the-Counter Hearing Aids in the US

It didn't take long. A month past from the partnership agreement announcement between Sony Corporation and WS Audiology Denmark A/S with the aim of jointly developing and supplying new products and services in the OTC self-fitting hearing aid market, Sony has already announced the first two products for the Over-the-Counter (OTC) hearing aids space in the US market. The two products to debut from the partnership are the CRE-C10 and the CRE-E10 self-fitting OTC hearing aids.

Following the recently issued rule establishing Over-the-Counter (OTC) hearing aids by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Sony Corporation and WS Audiology Denmark A/S have entered into a partnership agreement and various ancillary agreements with the aim of jointly developing and supplying new products and services in the OTC self-fitting hearing aid market, beginning with the United States. US consumers will be the first to be able to buy Sony-branded hearing assistive products.

It's not only the technology that is evolving much faster in consumer true wireless earbuds. It's also consumer's perception of what these products can do and its widespread appeal. Understanding that hearing aids could greatly benefit from that form-factor to surpass existing stigmas, WS Audiology's hearing-aid brand Signia is targeting a new generation of users with its Signia Active Pro earbud-style hearing aids that also offer high-tech audiological benefits.

Following approval by the European Commission earlier in February 2019, EQT funds, owners of Sivantos Pte. Ltd. (“Sivantos”), and the Tøpholm and Westermann families, owners of Widex A/S (“Widex”), announced the successful completion of the business combination between Sivantos and Widex. The newly created company will operate under the name WS Audiology and be headquartered in Lynge, Denmark and Singapore.