The breakthrough hearing aid was recognized for its innovative L-shaped design that places the microphones at an improved angle to enhance speech directionality and better align with the wearer’s listening focus.

HAUPPAUGE, NEW YORK, September 30, 2024 — Widex today announced that its breakthrough Widex SmartRIC™ hearing aid took home a top prize in the 2024 Hearing Technology Innovator Awards™. Widex SmartRIC won in the Non-Traditional Hearing Aid category for its ability to deliver natural hearing through an industry-first L-shaped design that improves microphone angles to enhance hearing across every listening environment.

“We’re honored to have the Widex SmartRIC hearing aid recognized by this esteemed industry award program,” said Dana Helmink, Au.D., Sr. Director of Audiological Development, Widex US. “In developing SmartRIC, our goal was to reimagine the way sound is captured in a hearing aid, enabling wearers to enjoy a more engaged life and feel more connected to their environment. This Hearing Technology Innovator Award, as voted on by our industry peers, is further proof that we’re accomplishing this goal.”

Widex SmartRIC reflects the company’s commitment to deliver pure, undistorted, natural sound for every wearer in every situation. By placing the microphones at an improved angle, the device enables wearers to experience the voices and sounds they want to hear, while minimizing distracting background sounds – helping them enjoy more of the world around them.

Widex SmartRIC is built upon the company’s PureSound™ with ZeroDelay™ technology platform that has set new industry standards for natural hearing. PureSound with ZeroDelay delivers the fastest sound processing in a digital hearing aid to eliminate the tinny, artificial sound commonly associated with other hearing aids – creating a more natural, true-to-life listening experience for wearers.

With a 37-hour charge, SmartRIC is Widex’s longest-lasting rechargeable hearing aid. The hearing aids come equipped with a portable charger that can fully charge the hearing aids in four hours, or add eight hours of continuous use through a brief 30-minute fast charge. The sleek portable charger provides wearers with hassle-free charging, offering five full charges and fitting easily into any pocket or bag. 

The latest win continues the award momentum for Widex. This year, Widex SmartRIC has been recognized by several award programs including the HearAdvisor Expert Choice Awards, A’Design Awards, and Red Dot Design Awards for its innovative design and exceptional performance.

The Hearing Technology Innovator Awards celebrates cutting-edge technological innovation and accomplishments in the hearing industry. This year's program featured numerous pioneering technologies submitted by companies globally across eight categories.  

Since its conception, the awards program has raised more than $30,000 in support of hearing-related charities. This year, the proceeds have benefited organizations such as the Hearing Health Foundation, SoundWrx, the Hearing Loss Association of America, and Stop The Ring.