Media Release

Stäfa (Switzerland), August 23, 2022 – Sonova Holding AG, a leading provider of hearing care solutions, today unveils the new Lumity platform, which is designed to further improve speech understanding and reduce listening effort^1,2,3,4 – to support fully immersive conversations in virtually any situation. This latest innovation, which builds on the strong success of the Marvel and Paradise platforms, will power the next generation of Phonak hearing instruments.

Arnd Kaldowski, CEO of Sonova, says: “Lumity is a major step in our 75-year Phonak and Sonova journey to significantly improve hearing and allow people to actively participate in all moments of life. With this next-level platform, we build on the foundations laid with Marvel and Paradise, our two most successful technology platforms to date. This strongly underlines our continuous commitment to innovation, as also reflected in our steadily increased R&D investment, which has grown by a double-digit percentage in each of the last three years.”

Robert Woolley, Sonova’s Group Vice President, Hearing Instruments, says: “With the launch of Lumity, Sonova is very well-positioned to extend its industry-leading position. We want to provide an ever-better hearing experience in each new generation of hearing instruments, and cater to the needs of consumers and hearing care professionals by providing the best possible solutions.”

Lumity provides 16% better speech understanding from the front* and an average of 15% better speech intelligibility from the back and sides**. It integrates Phonak’s proprietary SmartSpeech™ Technology for improved speech understanding and reduced listening effort^1,2,3,4, particularly in challenging environments. The wearer will be able to fully immerse in conversations and enjoy easier hearing in many situations, in quiet or even in environments with background noise, such as a restaurant.

The platform delivers a new dimension in directional microphone technology with improved speech detection and speech understanding through new StereoZoom 2.0  and SpeechSensor. StereoZoom 2.0 provides a smoother, gradual and continuously adaptive focus on a conversation partner and SpeechSensor provides 360-degree speech detection.

In addition, Lumity includes universal Bluetooth^® connectivity and allows users to track a range of personal health data with the myPhonak app, including step count and the distance walked and ran.

For more information please refer to the media release of the Sonova brand Phonak, which you can find in the Newsroom section of the Sonova webpage at https://www.sonova.com/en/media-release.

*compared to fixed directional
** Compared to conventional acoustic coupling

¹ Appleton, J. (2020) AutoSense OS 4.0 - significantly less listening effort and preferred for speech intelligibility. Phonak Field Study News retrieved from www.phonakpro.com/evidence, accessed February, 2022. 

² Latzel, M & Hobi, S (2022) ActiveVent™ Receiver provides benefit of open and closed acoustics for better speech understanding in noise and naturalness of own voice perception. Phonak Field Study News retrieved from www.phonakpro.com/evidence, accessed May 2022

³ Thibodeau L. M. (2020) Benefits in Speech Recognition in Noise with Remote Wireless Microphones in Group Settings. Journal of the American Academy of Audiology, 31(6), 404–411. "

⁴ Woodward,J and Latzel, M (2022) New implementation of directional beamforming configurations show improved speech understanding and reduced listening effort. Phonak Field Study News in preparation. Expected end of 2022.

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Disclaimer
This Media Release contains forward-looking statements, which offer no guarantee with regard to future performance. These statements are made on the basis of management’s views and assumptions regarding future events and business performance at the time the statements are made. They are subject to risks and uncertainties including, but not confined to, future global economic conditions, exchange rates, legal provisions, market conditions, activities by competitors and other factors outside Sonova’s control. Should one or more of these risks or un-certainties materialize or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual outcomes may vary materially from those forecasted or expected. Each forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date of the particular statement, and Sonova undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, except as required by law.

About Sonova
Sonova is a global leader in innovative hearing care solutions: from personal audio devices and wireless communication systems to audiological care services, hearing aids and cochlear implants. The Group was founded in 1947 and is headquartered in Stäfa, Switzerland.

Sonova operates through four businesses – Hearing Instruments, Audiological Care, Consumer Hearing and Cochlear Implants – and the core brands Phonak, Unitron, AudioNova, Sennheiser (under license) and Advanced Bionics as well as recognized regional brands. The Group’s globally diversified sales and distribution channels serve an ever growing consumer base in more than 100 countries.

In the 2021/22 financial year, the Group generated sales of CHF 3.4 billion, with a net profit of CHF 664 million. Over 16,000 employees are working on achieving Sonova’s vision of a world where everyone enjoys the delight of hearing.

For more information please visit www.sonova.com.

Sonova shares (ticker symbol: SOON, Security no: 1254978, ISIN: CH0012549785) have been listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange since 1994. The securities of Sonova have not been and will not be registered under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “U.S. Securities Act”), or under the applicable securities laws of any state of the United States of America, and may not be offered or sold in the United States of America except pursuant to an exemption from the registration requirements under the U.S. Securities Act and in compliance with applicable state securities laws, or outside the United States of America to non-U.S. Persons in reliance on Regulation S under the U.S. Securities Act.