Hearing aids weren’t always the answer for Nabil Ashi, owner of Michigan’s Aldana Mexican Bar & Grill. When he completely lost his hearing in one ear overnight due to a virus in 2013, Ashi believed it wouldn’t be a big deal and that he could live with it easily, according to an announcement from the hearing aid manufacturer, Signia.

“I didn’t want my hearing loss to be a handicap, so I just settled with the fact that I couldn’t hear well on my right side,” explained Ashi. “But I started facing challenging environments, even before I opened my restaurant – for example, when I was working in a corporate job attending meetings. Sometimes I’d have to record the conversations so I could listen to it afterwards in a quiet environment.” 

His hearing struggles increased when he opened his restaurant and had to communicate with customers and employees every day. That’s until he met Jerry Weber, a Signia sales representative, who was a customer at his restaurant in early 2021. After discussing with Ashi his difficulties hearing, Weber connected him with Dr Tiffany Inman, audiologist of Inman Audiology, who introduced Ashi to Signia CROS Pure Charge&Go X hearing aids. Shortly after, his outlook on the importance of hearing health changed. 

Since then, Ashi has upgraded to the latest Signia CROS Pure Charge&Go AX hearing aids, built on Signia’s Augmented Xperience (AX) hearing aid platform that uses two digital processors to intelligently understand which sounds should be pulled to the foreground and prioritized, and which should remain in the background.

“The biggest challenge for someone like Nabil, who works in a restaurant with high ceilings, flat surfaces, and an open kitchen, is the inevitable echo and reverberation,” explained Inman. “Signia’s new Augmented Xperience technology has made it so much easier for Nabil to hear customers and employees clearly despite the reverberation and background noise.” 

Benefiting from a CROS device

Aldana Mexican Bar & Grill has been a source of pride and excitement for Ashi since the restaurant opened its doors in 2020. Filled with authentic Mexican flavors, terracotta flooring, and live mariachi music, when guests step into Aldana, they’re surrounded by the sights, smells, and sounds of Mexico.

As a restaurant owner, much of Ashi’s role includes communicating with customers and employees. However, with complete deafness in his right ear, this proved to have its difficulties. 

The Signia CROS Pure Charge&Go AX is designed to deliver an augmented hearing experience for those with untreatable hearing loss in one ear to optimize hearing in all scenarios. Signia’s CROS technology pairs a hearing aid worn on Ashi’s left ear with a similar-looking transmitter device on his right ear. The transmitter then captures sounds from his right side and sends them to the hearing aid on his left ear, while also amplifying sounds from both sides for immersive sound and outstanding speech clarity in all scenarios.

“I’ve always tended to turn to my left side when speaking with customers to better hear them,” said Ashi. “With the CROS functionality, I don’t have to worry about which side I’m on when talking to someone. Now, I can hear from my right side perfectly.”

Using the Signia App for the most customized experience

In addition to the device itself, Ashi takes advantage of the Signia App, providing on-the-go support and access to hearing aid controls. 

Through the Signia app, Ashi can additionally utilize streaming capabilities, tinnitus therapy, Signia Telecare for remote care support, and the new Face Mask Mode for better speech understanding through masks. The app also includes the Signia Assistant, which leverages artificial intelligence to continuously optimize the performance of the device by learning in real time the wearer’s individual preferences.

“In a way, I forgot what I was missing,” explained Ashi. “With Signia, my hearing has improved incredibly. Now, I’m doing everything I can to educate others on the importance of visiting a hearing care professional if they’re struggling with hearing.”

For more information on Signia Pure Charge&Go AX, visit: www.signia-pro.com/en-us/product-portfolio/signia-ax/pure-charge-go-ax/. To read Ashi’s testimonial, click here. 

Source: Signia

Images: Signia