Starkey Introduces S Series with Drive Architecture

May is Better Hearing Month

MINNEAPOLIS, May 1, 2009 — May is Better Hearing Month — it's a perfect time for people to get their hearing checked. According to the Better Hearing Institute, more than 31 million Americans suffer from hearing loss, but the majority of them don’t get help, which affects their communication and ultimately the quality of their lives over time.

Just in time for Better Hearing Month, Starkey® is introducing brand new line of hearing aids — S Series™ with Drive Architecture™. S Series melds industry-leading technology and the patient's lifestyle to create an unparalleled listening experience. Designed to perform in the most challenging listening situations, S Series offers options for people with any type of hearing loss — delivering maximum performance, comfort and personalization — while overcoming the challenges that hearing aids have traditionally presented.

Historically, some of the most common complaints include not being able to hear in noisy situations; whistling, referred to as feedback, when the wearer put on a hat or hugged a loved one; occlusion, or the feeling of the ears being plugged; and poor performance when the wearer was talking on the phone. S Series uses the most advanced technology available to address all of these issues.

"S Series by Starkey provides the most innovative technology used in hearing aids today," said Jerry Ruzicka, President of Starkey. "Our successful meld of style and advanced science has allowed us to create hearing aids that truly address all of the challenges users have traditionally had, giving them the most advanced performance, comfort and personalization available."

S Series with Drive Architecture uses multi-core processing, similar to technology in computers, to provide three times more power than previous technology for the best performance. The instruments offer comfortable, high-resolution sound with smoother, seamless transitions between quiet and loud environments, automatically adjusting to situations and levels that are the most comfortable for the wearer. And, Starkey's unique PrescriptFit™ hearing and lifestyle assessment ensures hearing aids match the individual's hearing loss, lifestyle needs and ear shape — a completely personalized experience.

S Series' industry-leading features include:

• Acoustic Scene analyser is Starkey's proprietary noise and environmental adaptation system specifically designed to help hearing aid wearers understand more speech in noisy situations by adjusting to their ideal settings.
• PureWave Feedback Eliminator solves the problem of feedback. This feature also allows Starkey to create custom products like the completely-in-the-canal hearing aids with large vents, or holes, so that the wearer doesn't feel plugged up.
• Automatic Telephone Solutions instantly recognizes when a phone is raised to the wearer's ear and adjusts to the optimal setting for telephone listening.
• InVision Directionality helps hearing aid wearers hold a conversation anywhere, even in noisy surroundings, by filtering out unwanted background noise so that they can hear and understand more of what is being said in front of them.
• T² Remote Technology: Starkey's new breakthrough T² technology allows wearers to use a cell or touch-tone phone to conveniently switch modes or adjust volume without using additional hardware.

S Series is available in many styles, which are nearly invisible when worn. People interested in finding out if they have a hearing loss or finding a hearing care professional near them can visit starkey.com.

About Starkey

Starkey Laboratories, Inc. is a privately held, global hearing technology company headquartered in Eden Prairie, Minn. The company is recognized for its innovative design, development and distribution of comprehensive digital hearing systems. Founded in 1967, Starkey employs over 3,500 people, operates 22 facilities and conducts business in more than 100 markets worldwide. For more information, visit starkey.com.