Knowles' unveils device for growing hearing aid market

ITASCA - Knowles Corp. Tuesday introduced a new product to power hearing aids and ear pods, which could drive new business as the sale of over-the-counter hearing aids are nearing approval in the U.S.

Knowles said its RAQ is a new medium-power balanced armature receiver developed for hearing aids, as well as True Wireless Sound products. TWS is a technology that allows the pairing of two audio devices via Bluetooth, such as the ear pods used with mobile phones and computers.

Following a recently proposed ruling from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the over-the-counter hearing devices are intended to broaden access to hearing aid technology for millions of Americans. Knowles' RAQ receiver is well-positioned to serve this expanding market opportunity, the company said in a news release.

"Knowles is the world's largest producer of transducers for the hearing health market. We continue to drive the industry with new technology and solutions that improve performance and increase access to quality audio solutions for hearing health and consumer electronics markets," said Jon Kiachian, vice president and general manager of Knowles Hearing Health Technologies.