Turtle Beach Corporation (NASDAQ: HEAR), the leading-edge audio technology company, today announced a new partnership with Audiology Management Group, Inc. (AMG) for HyperSound Clear™, the Company's groundbreaking hearing healthcare product planned to launch later this year. HyperSound® technology is a fundamentally new approach to sound delivery that generates a highly directional, narrow beam of audio in the air, much like the way a flashlight directs a beam of light. When an individual enters the audio beam created by HyperSound Clear, they hear immersive 3D audio, and as a first-of-its-kind product for the hearing healthcare market, HyperSound Clear has been shown to improve sound clarity and speech intelligibility for people with hearing loss for a crisp, clear home entertainment listening experience. With this new partnership, AMG – a leading audiology services company that provides an extensive range of products and services proven to drive sales for the country's most elite Ear, Nose & Throat, Retail, Hospital and University Hospital practices – will offer HyperSound Clear as an all-new, entry level hearing healthcare solution to hearing centers and their patients as soon as it becomes available.
"We're thrilled to partner with AMG to offer HyperSound Clear as a gateway hearing solution product, and a device that we believe will spark broader awareness in hearing healthcare," said Rodney Schutt, Senior Vice President and General Manager for the HyperSound business at Turtle Beach Corporation. "Researchers estimate that over 48 million Americans suffer from hearing loss. Additionally, approximately 80% of people who go see a hearing healthcare specialist for the first time do so because they're having trouble hearing and understanding the television, and we think HyperSound Clear will be a great entry-level hearing healthcare device that directly addresses that issue with hearing and enjoying home entertainment."
Schutt continued, "Currently, the amount of time between a patient's first visit with their hearing healthcare specialist and when they actually get their first hearing aid is five to six years. Typically, these first-time patients simply don't want to get a hearing aid, and instead turn to other means to address hearing and understanding the television; whether that means turning-up the volume or turning on closed captioning. What happens from there is that this behavior creates a divide in the household where family members and friends no longer want to sit in the room and watch television with somebody with hearing loss because the volume is too loud. With HyperSound Clear connected to your TV or home theater system, we create an environment where everyone can once again return to the family room and enjoy the latest home entertainment together."
"HyperSound Clear is a unique and innovative device for hearing healthcare. Why? Because, most importantly, HyperSound Clear has the potential to motivate people with hearing loss to address their hearing issues earlier in life," said Michael Tease, President, Audiology Management Group. "Addressing hearing loss earlier is not only better for enjoying home entertainment again, but is also important for overall health as well."
Researchers estimate that one in five Americans, and one in three people over age 65, suffer from hearing loss, and an estimated 360 million people worldwide suffer from some form of hearing loss. Further, hearing loss is the third most common chronic physical condition in the United States after heart disease and arthritis. A nationwide survey1 of nearly 4,000 adults and their significant others show a considerably higher rate of depression, anxiety, and other psychosocial disorders in adults with untreated hearing loss.
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