Bernafon is a global company that defines and sells hearing aids and hearing aid accessories, including fitting software and consumer applications. The company is headquartered in Bern, Switzerland, has approximately 500 employees worldwide, and is active in more than 70 countries.

Bernafon History

Bernafon’s history began in 1946 when it was called Gfeller AG, a telephone system company located in the suburbs of Bern, Switzerland. The management wants to expand the product range, and company boss Hans Gfeller can’t hear it. So, Hans Gfleller’s son and one of his classmates began to develop their own hearing aids.

The first model was manufactured in 1946. The device and battery were housed in two separate leather cases, hence the name A1 2Pack. The demand for this device was fast, and hearing aids quickly became an indispensable part of the Gfeller product line.

In 1, Gfeller AG merged with Autophon, Hasler and Zellweger Telecommunications to form the Ascom Group. The group employs 14,000 people and ranks 11th among global telecommunications companies. Another expansion was carried out in 1992 when the German company Robert Bosch GmbH was acquired to produce hearing aids.

The integration of Bosch’s hearing aid production and the establishment of a production line in Australia at the same time proved to be too difficult for a relatively small company. The acquisition of Bernafon by William DeMant in 1995 led to the establishment of a new trading company and the expansion of the product range. In 2016, Bernafon celebrated its 70th anniversary in the hearing aid industry.

Throughout its history, Bernafon has achieved many achievements and successes in the industry, including the world’s first digital programming hearing aid and ChannelFree signal processing technology. In 2017, a new DECS technology platform was launched.

DECS: Dynamic Environment Control System

How is DECS different from previous systems or other current systems? DECS is keeping pace with these changes so that the listener’s conversation is not interrupted by unexpected extra noise, noise reduction, or amplification. These resulting changes may be subtle.

Listeners can hear naturally without worrying about their environment or whether the hearing aid responds correctly. You should note that when babies start crying, they should not interfere with their conversation. This is because DECS has been adjusted for the deterioration of the signal-to-noise ratio when the baby is crying.

The goal is not to isolate the listener from the environment rather involve the audience in their environment. But it will not affect your understanding of language comfort. So how do we verify that this actually works for the end-user?

We conducted a field trial in which hearing aid volunteers wore Bernafon hearing aids with DECS for two weeks and did not wear DECS for two weeks and shared their experience. The design is double-blind, which means that the customers we tested did not know. The client completes the questionnaire survey and conducts interviews with the researchers after each period.

We collect all feedback. In the interview, we group the words most commonly used to describe the experience in the DECS setting. The most commonly used words are intelligibility, comfort, balance, environment, and naturalness.

Bernafon hearing aids: Viron 9

Viron 9 of Bernafon hearing aids provide high-quality technology for the most demanding listening environments. Bernafon’s first True Environment Processing hearing aid allows users to immerse themselves in a natural sound environment and experience sounds closer to reality. is perfect for active people who want to get the most benefit from modern hearing aids.

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here