Potomac Audiology offers hearing aids in a variety of styles and technologies. Each model is tailored to a specific type of hearing loss and listener’s needs. Selecting a style that is right for you depends on the following:
Behind-the-ear hearing aids are housed in a curved case that fits neatly and comfortably behind your ear. A custom earmold is made to the shape of your ear, keeping the hearing aid in place and conducting the sound from the hearing aid into your ear. The powerful and durable behind-the-ear hearing aids correct all degrees of hearing loss. They are particularly suited for severe hearing loss and special needs in difficult listening conditions.
Benefits of behind-the-ear hearing aids include these features:
Receiver-in-the-Ear hearing aids have the receiver or speaker unit moved from behind the ear into the ear canal. This is a hybrid style of a behind-the-ear and in-the-ear hearing aid. This makes the behind the ear component much smaller and more discreet. This hearing aid is appropriate for the entire range of mild to profound hearing losses. The ear can be left more open for milder or high frequency hearing losses, or custom molds may be used for moderate up to profound hearing losses.
Benefits of Receiver-in-the Ear hearing aids include these features:
Microphone and Receiver-in-the-Ear (M&RIE)
Combines the natural sound of custom models with the advanced features and ease of use of a RIC model. M&RIE collects sound right inside the ear, using its unique shape to provide an individualized and complete sound experience. The two traditional microphones that sit on the case behind the ear are combined with a third situated inside the ear as an integrated part of the receiver module. M&RIE uses the unique shape of the ear to collect sound the way nature intended. Using the pinna to collect sound gives better special perception and increases the ability to identify where sounds are coming from.
Benefits of Microphone and Receiver-in-the Ear hearing aids include:
In-the-ear hearing aids are custom designed, fitting directly into and filling most of the visible portion of your ear. All hearing aid components are housed within a single lightweight plastic shell, using no external wires or tubes. When properly made, they fit comfortably and securely in the ear. In-the-ear hearing aids are generally used for mild to moderately severe hearing loss.
In-the-ear hearing aids are not recommended for these conditions:
In-the-canal hearing aids are custom designed, smaller and fit deeper into the ear canal than the in-the-ear hearing aids. They are less visible, giving them strong cosmetic appeal. All the components are housed within a single plastic shell. Their small size limits their use to people with mild to moderate hearing loss.
Features of behind-the-ear hearing aids include these items:
Completely-in-the-canal hearing aids are custom designed, fitting deepest into the ear canal of all hearing aid models. They are the most aesthetically pleasing and least visible. CIC hearing aids sit close to the eardrum, reducing problems with “echo”, wind noise and feedback when using the telephone.
However, the small, hardly visible CIC hearing aids may be difficult to manipulate for those with poor manual dexterity, the smaller battery has a shorter lifespan, and additional appointments and casing remolding may be required for optimal fit. The shape of the ear canal and severity of hearing loss may limit some people from using this hearing aid.
Benefits of completely-in-the-canal hearing aids include the following:
CROS hearing aids are used to treat unilateral hearing loss where there is normal hearing or aidable hearing loss in one ear and reduced or no hearing in the other ear. The hearing aid is worn in the ear with better hearing and an additional microphone is used on the unaidable side. The CROS hearing aid transmits the sound from the ear with poorer hearing to the ear with better hearing, improving the listener’s experience.
Authorized Distributor
Phonak Hearing Aids Bring You the Best Possible Solutions for Your Hearing Needs
Thanks to modern technology, an innovative spirit, the highest quality standards and industry-leading expertise, Phonak is able to continuously bring you the best possible solutions for your hearing needs. We believe we can do more, do better, for everyone with hearing loss, and we will not stop until wearing a hearing aid is as simple and routine as eyeglasses or contact lenses. After all, why should it be any different?
The second generation of the world’s first waterproof rechargeable hearing aid is capable of being submerged in up to ½ a meter of fresh, pool or salt water.
It’s the ideal solution for patients who want to understand speech better in physically demanding environments or those looking for a hearing aid that will withstand strenuous activity.
Audéo Lumity with unique Phonak SmartSpeech™ Technology improves speech understanding and allows for easier conversations in a variety of sound environments.
Hearing can be challenging in different situations. Market research (MarkeTrak IX) shows that hearing aid adopters report social benefits of hearing aid use, such as better ability to engage in group activities and positive impact on relationships.
There’s nothing like the sound of Paradise
Comprised of all-new hardware, Audéo Paradise excels in hearing performance and hosts several elevated features. The result?
A hearing aid that delivers an unrivaled* hearing experience:
The power BTE hearing aid with next level, powerful sound, connectivity to smartphones, TV and more, and empowering smart apps.
Combining new hardware and enhanced software, Phonak Naída Paradise responds to your needs in countless different listening situations. Connect directly to either your iOS® or Android™ smartphone or other Bluetooth® enabled devices. Enjoy hands-free calls and seamless switching between two active devices. With the myPhonak app you can personalize your hearing experience by fine-tuning sound settings and creating your own custom programs. You can also get real-time hearing aid adjustments remotely by your hearing care professional.
New features include
Custom hearing aid now also available in stylish black finish with direct connectivity and hands-free calls.
The world’s only 100% invisible hearing aid that delivers clear, natural sound!
While traditional hearing aids capture and process sound outside of the ear, Lyric uses the natural anatomy of the ear to amplify and give you a full, natural listening experience. Because Lyric is placed in the ear canal near the eardrum by a trained professional, it is a 100% invisible hearing aid.
Authorized Distributor
The ReSound Organic Hearing philosophy enables people to connect to the world around them in the most intuitive and natural way.
We achieve this by developing solutions that work with the individual ear anatomy to more closely mimic how sounds in the environment are naturally collected and delivered to the brain. This philosophy drives our history of innovations that deliver the whole sound picture so users can instinctively select the sounds they want to listen to – and tone down the ones they don’t.
Introducing ReSound OMNIA – made for hearing in noise
Wouldn’t it be a relief to enjoy an activity or celebration with friends and clearly hear and understand the voices around you? Now you can with ReSound OMNIA, which enables you to hear speech in noise in any direction. Best of all, it all sounds and feels natural and connects you naturally to the world.
With ReSound OMNIA, now you can:
✓ Hear your best in noise
✓ Enjoy sounds from all around you
✓ Sound like yourself, hearing your own voice as you know it
✓ Have crystal clear phone calls and direct streaming from your favorite devices
✓ And more
Want to hear your best in noise and enjoy sounds all around? Now you can with ReSound OMNIA.
Hear like no other
Just like a fingerprint, your hearing is one of a kind. Now you can experience truly individualized, natural, and more complete sound with an extra microphone placed in your ear canal. We call it M&RIE. It uses your own ears to deliver sound.
Power plus performance
The complete hearing solution for severe-to-profound hearing loss
Meet a complete hearing solution that is beyond powerful
ReSound ENZO Q our most advanced technology for severe-to-profound hearing loss was created for you to enjoy clear and comfortable sound, plus extensive options for connectivity and support.
As clarity of sounds is highly important, you can personalize your hearing experience to suit your preferences. Feel comfortable knowing that there won’t be whistling or squealing noises even when your hearing aid volume is ramped up.
60% improvement in recognizing speech from in front in noisy environments*
It takes effort and energy trying to hear in noisy places. Hear better in noise with ReSound ENZO Q, which cleverly supports the way you like to listen without cutting you off from your surroundings. Follow group conversations and hear where sounds are coming from all around you, while focusing on speech and other sound details.
Research shows that people with severe-to-profound hearing loss experience a 60% average improvement in recognizing speech from in front of them in noisy places with our technology.
Oticon hearing aid solutions – Authorized Distributor
Oticon’s mission began more than 100 years ago. In 1904, Oticon founder Hans Demant wanted to help his hearing-impaired wife live a better life, introducing her to one of the world’s first electronic hearing aids.
Oticon Own is the world’s first custom hearing aid with an on‑board Deep Neural Network, that works more like the brain because it learned through experience. Built with BrainHearing™ technology, Oticon Own provides more of the relevant input the brain needs to make sense of sound. Oticon Own includes groundbreaking technology designed to give your patients access to the full sound scene.
A hearing aid designed to support your brain
Oticon More with BrainHearing™ technology is a revolutionary hearing aid that gives the brain more of the relevant information it needs to make better sense of sound, so you can get better speech understanding with less effort and the ability to remember more. Take better care of your brain, and your brain will take better care of you.
Oticon More:
Oticon More with takes hearing healthcare to a new level. It’s the world’s first hearing aid with a Deep Neural Network (DNN) embedded on the chip. The DNN is trained on 12 million real‑life sounds to give your brain more of the information it needs to decipher the intricate details of relevant sounds.
More connections. More conversations. More life.
Staying connected to family and friends is more important than ever. With Oticon More, you also get a wide range of connectivity options for a high-quality listening experience in everyday situations so you can go through your day with more confidence and convenience.
Made for a full day’s power, every day
Superb sound quality with the style and groundbreaking features you want to enhance your life, all designed into one compact device. The new Oticon More miniRITE R is a discreet lithium–ion-based rechargeable style that provides a full day of battery life, including streaming, after just three hours of charging. Better hearing and speech understanding in a variety of environments, with less effort and worry‑free rechargeability for more convenience.
For people with severe-to-profound hearing loss
Introducing the world’s most powerful hearing aid
People with severe-to-profound hearing loss rely on hearing aids to get through each and every day, and it can be extremely challenging to follow the conversation with a group of friends, family members or colleagues. If several people are talking, it becomes harder and even more tiring to make sense of the conversations. With the new groundbreaking technology in Oticon Xceed, you will now have the support you need to actively take part in these situations without having to rely on guessing and lip reading. Oticon Xceed opens up your world like never before.
Open up your world to the people around you
Power hearing aids with traditional directionality do not give access to all speakers, but instead focus only on the person in front of you. Oticon Xceed changes this and opens the world around you. Xceed provides access to all speech and relevant sounds and differentiates speech from noise in the process.
More confidence.
More freedom.
Less whistling.
Feedback is an annoying whistle or static noise that usually occurs when something or someone comes close to your hearing aid. Traditional hearing aid technology has handled whistling by simply turning down the volume, compromising your ability to understand speech. Oticon Xceed, with OpenSound Optimizer™, handles whistling and static in a whole new way, preventing it from even happening. With Oticon Xceed, you can enjoy a clear, stable speech signal throughout the day without the worry of whistling.
Stay connected to your favorite people
Oticon wireless accessories help you open up to a connected world, whether you’re at home or on the go. Oticon Xceed connects to any modern smartphone and a wide range of accessories via 2.4 GHz Bluetooth® low energy technology. You can also stream your favorite music and TV sound directly to both ears, enjoy hands-free phone calls, control your hearing aids via the Oticon ON App – and more.
Oticon Xceed supports how your brain makes sense of sound
You hear with your brain, not your ears. Therefore, it is essential that your hearing aids are fast enough to keep up with your brain. BrainHearing technology in Oticon Xceed scans your surroundings 100 times per second to provide:
Made to capture special moments
Oticon Ruby is a line of behind-the-ear hearing aids designed to give you the confidence you need to live life to the fullest. Ruby improves your speech understanding so you can experience the joys of life. It’s time to get out and hear what you’ve been missing. Ruby is made to move.
Which style is right for you?
Authorized Distributor
Signia is one of the leading hearing aid brands in the world. Our goal is to enhance human performance through iconic innovations that shape the hearing aid industry.
We refuse to accept hearing loss as a limitation.
It’s not about correcting a loss, it‘s about gaining an edge. Not just performing, but performing brilliantly. Not just hearing again, but hearing better than ever.
Hearing every word, beat, and breath.
No more straining to hear speech above background noise: Signia’s revolutionary AX technology lets you follow conversations with ease, even in difficult listening situations. It helps you stay focused on the conversation you want to hear, while placing background noises where they belong – in the background.
Benefits at a glance
Automatic Situation Detection
Advanced sensor technology recognizes your movement and automatically adjusts your settings for better understanding of speech from any direction and maximizes you audibility as you move throughout the day.
Tinnitus Relief
Signia AX features three different tinnitus relief strategies to find the right solution to reduce annoying ringing or buzzing in your ears: static noise therapy, ocean wave therapy, and exclusive Notch therapy.
e2s Wireless 4.0
A great leap for true binaural hearing through a synchronization of sound between ears to ensure clearer speech processing with improve4d awareness of where sounds are coming from. Plus, e2e wireless 4.0 enhances feedback cancellation to avoid hearing aid squealing.
Styletto X transforms the outdated image of hearing aids into highly sophisticated hearwear™. Pure in design, sophisticated in form, its graceful lines, refined fit and true-to-life hearing experience mean you feel the difference as soon as you slip it on.
Signia Xperience
Hear what matters to you
Styletto X meets all your hearing needs with its revolutionary Signia Xperience chip for clear sound and best speech comprehension even in noisy environments.
Our unique acoustic-motion sensors allow Styletto X to optimize your hearing to every situation. So you can hear what matters whether you are running outside, in a bustling shop or restaurant, or relaxing with your family and friends at home.
The pocket-sized portable charging case is the world’s first hearing aid charger with Qi wireless technology, enabling you to simply place the charger on a charging pad instead of having to plug it into the mains.
Perfect all-around devices, our range of Pure hearing aids keep you hearing what matters and fully connected to what you need to hear, wherever you go.
These small, high-tech hearing aids sit discreetly and comfortably behind your ears and offer state-of-the-art sound and Bluetooth connectivity for phone calls, music, and TV audio.
Pure Charge&Go AX rechargeable hearing aids change the way you hear the world. No more straining to hear speech above background noise.
And they are packed with all the high-tech features you need to truly shine.
Our popular Pure Charge&Go X combines these advantages with the complete flexibility of a charging case that fits in your pocket or bag.
No battery changes needed – simply Charge&Go!
Strong performers for a natural sounding own voice and the longest streaming time.
The Bluetooth enabled in-the-ear hearing aids for best speech comprehension
Signia’s Insio™ hearing aids are tailor-made to suit your ear anatomy and hearing loss so you can enjoy spending time with those closest to you without having to worry about your hearing and appearance.
Through its incredibly discreet design and exceptional sound quality, Insio gives you the self-confidence to savor the important things in life. Plus, Bluetooth connectivity provides carefree direct audio streaming of TV, music and phone calls.
Enjoy direct streaming of phone calls, music, and TV.
Stream music in high quality stereo straight into your ears, discreetly adjust the volume to suit your wishes while watching your favorite TV show, or hear a phone call at the push of a button.
With Signia’s Insio ITC and ITE models you have discreet and convenient remote control and premium Bluetooth connectivity for audio streaming from various sources at your fingertips – all you need is a smartphone.
Crystal clear sound with a natural flow.
From animatedly discussing music after a concert to enjoying the thrills of a new city, Signia Insio lets you delight in the world of sound.
Conversations require concentration and effort wherever ambient sounds can distract us from hearing what matters. Insio is expertly equipped to tackle these challenges. It replicates the natural way we localize sound, focusing on your conversation partner while filtering unwanted background noise. You hear most clearly what you want to hear. All day long. In every situation.
Authorized Distributor
It’s been proven, hearing health is directly connected to your overall health and well-being. It’s why at Starkey Hearing Technologies, better hearing is all we think about and do.
Give yourself an edge
With Livio Edge AI, the power of artificial intelligence is at your fingertips, giving you never-before-possible sound performance in the most challenging listening environments.
Choose from a standard rechargeable style — or the world’s first custom rechargeable hearing aid — and give yourself the edge you deserve!
Game-changing sound with Edge Mode
Our industry-leading sound performance takes Livio Edge AI to new heights, providing you with instantaneous adjustments for the most challenging listening situations.
· Superior Sound Quality
· Rechargeable
· Edge Mode
· Speech Enhancement
· Phone calls
· Streaming
· Personalized Memories
· Remote Control
· Auto On/Off
Personalization perfected
Our comfortable custom hearing aids deliver the most personalized hearing experience ever, and are designed to:
Picasso delivers solutions you want
Widex Digital Hearing Aids and Service – Authorized Distributor
Potomac Audiology is an authorized distributor and service location for Widex hearing aids. The information below provides a brief overview of the digital hearing aids offered by Widex.
WIDEX MOMENT™ – Delivers the most pure, natural sound ever!
THIS SOUND CHANGES EVERYTHING
RECHARGEABILITY IS DISCREET
BUILT TO LAST
MOMENT BTE 13 D
MOMENT mRIC R D
WIDEX EVOKE™ – The world’s first smart hearing aid
THIS HEARING AID EVOLVES IN REAL LIFE TO KEEP GETTING SMARTER
YOUR LIFE, YOUR HEARING NEEDS
YOU HELP IT GET EVEN SMARTER
AS EASY AS A FEW TAPS
It’s never been easier or more convenient to get satisfaction on the spot.
Combining elegant design with durability, intelligent automation, and long battery life, the EVOKE RIC 10 delivers pure, natural sound automatically in a virtually invisible package.
This smart hearing aid intuitively analyses your sound environment and reacts to changes for natural, effortless hearing today and every day. And because of its ability to learn from the hearing experiences of every user, EVOKE keeps evolving to grow even smarter tomorrow.
Considering purchasing a hearing aid? Read this first.
Although some individuals will do fine with hearing devices they obtain online and some will hear better (compared to having hearing loss!) even with generic devices, these are just simple solutions to a more complex problem than most people realize. Hearing loss is not a benign condition, and it should not be commoditized with a ‘retail’ solution for the vast majority of patients.
Access to hearing aids ‘over-the-counter’ (OTC) available on the internet or through magazines has been around for decades. Anyone who can set up an online ‘store front’ can sell hearing aids direct to the consumer. Some see this as a more ‘cost-effective’ way to purchase hearing aids to treat hearing loss. There are dozens and dozens of website, social media, and magazine advertisements that flood our screens and mailboxes daily. Being able to sift through all the pricing hype and determine what is in the individual’s best interest can be difficult. There is a difference between ‘selling’ hearing aids as a retail item to fix a hearing problem and treating hearing loss as a medical condition with the prescription of hearing aids and other assistive devices as treatment for the condition. However, with easy access to all sorts of devices through the internet and print media, it is easy to get misled into thinking that a lower price is always a better option.
There is no question that an individual can determine if they have a hearing problem. There are hearing screenings widely available online these days and one can attend health fairs to get information about hearing loss and individuals can ask their primary care provider about getting a hearing test. We take over-the-counter medications for symptoms like headaches and muscle strains and stomach upset, etc., after we have decided that we can determine (for ourselves) what is needed to address the symptom and bring relief. Many current over-the-counter medications/treatments were once available only through prescription by a physician. Times change. In terms of hearing assistive devices to treat hearing loss, there are many choices; the issue at hand is whether an OTC or PSAP is best for the individual with the hearing problem. To complicate issues further, big-box retailers have burst on the scene to provide hearing aids to the masses who come through their doors to purchase other items at (seemingly) significant discounts, so why not hearing aids?
Just like with vision problems, people will try the simplest solutions first, like using reading glasses that can be purchased at the local drug store or online to determine if this helps them to read or drive. If the reading glasses work, as they oftentimes do, at least for a period of time, then no further testing or treatment is deemed necessary. However, when the reading glasses no longer suffice to help improve the vision, the individual will start to seek out more advanced or personalized treatment.
In the same way an Optometrist makes lenses that fit your specific vision loss, Audiologists program hearing aids to correct your unique hearing loss.