Zōn Series | Benchmark Data
At the heart of each Zōn hearing instrument is Starkey's new proprietary BluWave Signal Processing, designed to maximize performance in the challenging listening environments our patients deal with today. Best in class, Zōn offers better feedback cancellation, greater headroom, more directionality, improved high-frequency audibility, seamless environmental adaptation, and a more accurate fit.
Keeping in line with Starkey's evidence-based design approach, we benchmarked Starkey Zōn against leading receiver-in-canal products from GN ReSound, Oticon, Phonak, Siemens and Unitron. Only the top performing products are depicted in each figure throughout the site.
For more information, visit www.starkeyevidence.com.
Benchmark Data:
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Highest DI Scores, Lowest Operational Noise Floor
Directional microphones are one of the few effective solutions to improving speech understanding in noise. Laboratory benchmarking was done in order to quantify the Directivity Index in the Starkey Zōn and all leading competing products. It was found that DSD in Zōn provides the highest free-field DIs as shown in the table above as well as class leading 3D and open-fit DIs as measured on a KEMAR manikin.
- Zōn provides listeners with the highest in-class DI, providing performance in diffuse noise that is unmatched by the competition.
- Zōn's ultra stable single differential directional microphone cartridge eliminates microphone drift.
- The single directional microphone used in Zōn's DSD has the lowest operational noise floor in this class.
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Dramatically Improved Speech Understanding in Noise
In typical open fittings, it is expected that directional benefit is minimal. We evaluated the speech understanding in noise ability of 14 hearing-impaired listeners. All listeners responded to the Hearing in Noise Test (HINT) presented in a 7-speaker surrounding noise field.
- At difficult signal-to-noise ratios, listeners performed better when wearing Zōn than with no hearing aid at all. This is not always the case in open fit configurations when the patients have mild to normal low-frequency thresholds.
- Activating DSD in Zōn improves listener performance by an impressive 3.1 dB, indicating dramatically improved speech understanding in noise.
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Better Hearing in Higher Frequencies
In an open-ear fitting, the effectiveness of a hearing aid's feedback management algorithm is crucial to matching an appropriate prescriptive fitting. Starkey's AFI has earned recognition as the benchmark in feedback cancellation solutions. Now in Zōn, AFI has been coupled with BluWave Signal Processing, resulting in a RIC that provides more added stable gain than any of the competing products.
- Activating AFI in Zōn provides up to 20 dB of added stable gain when compared to AFI inactive.
- For instance, if a competing product provides 7 dB of added stable gain and Zōn gives you 20 dB of added stable gain, you can expect up to 13 dB of additional maximum stable gain in Zōn when compared to our closest competitor.
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Better Performance with BluWave Signal Processing
Measures of maximum stable gain levels were evaluated in 20 ears using an open fit. In each product the feedback management protocol was completed prior to data collection. On the figure above Insertion Gain is plotted as a function of frequency for the Starkey Zōn and the two closest performing competitors.
- The Starkey Zōn provides listeners more stable high-frequency gain than the two closest performing competitors in this class.
- Up to 13 dB more gain for your patients in a clinical fitting that you won't find in another product.
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More Accuracy Automatically
Only Zōn gives you the opportunity to do real ear measurement quickly and easily, yielding a customized result and leaving more time for patient counseling and verification.
This unique Zōn feature is called Integrated Real Ear Measurement (IREM), a state-of-the-art measurement system that's built right into the device. IREM allows you to fit a prescriptive target, providing your patients with an immediate, customized gain and compression configuration and ensuring their access to audible speech.
Integrated Real Ear Measurement provides you with an efficient and accurate prescriptive baseline to begin the fitting. This system, in combination with Inspire OS 3.0, will give you the advantage of knowing that the response you see in the programming software is an accurate representation of exactly what is happening in your patient's ear.
Your patients have unique hearing needs. With Zōn you can meet them, precisely.
