Rumors about SoundControl have swirled around the hearing industry since late-2021, and there appeared to be high turnover in the Bose health division. However, the SoundControl did not achieve the popularity the company believed it would after its long-awaited market launch last May and impressive clinical results for its self-fitting method (eg, see the article by Bose Research Lead Andrew Sabin and colleagues in the June 2021 HR). It was priced at $849.95 a pair, and came with a 90-day return policy. The product and its CustomTune self-fitting system, based on the Ear Machine app ( purchased by Bose in 2014), allowed users to fit, program, and control the devices for “clinically proven, audiologist-quality results-without a doctor visit, hearing test, or prescription,” according to the company. Related Article: Comparing Population Coverage between Hearing Aids Using Presets vs Bose CustomTuneīose SoundControl was the first FDA-cleared self-fitting hearing aid designed for mild-to-moderate hearing losses, and helped define this distinct class of future over-the-counter (OTC) hearing aids via an FDA de novo application in October 2018 and a Class II medical device designation one year later. The ex-employees cited in the article say the layoffs have eliminated the health division, which was responsible for the development, manufacturing, and marketing of the Bose SoundControl Hearing Aid, as well as another version the health division was working on. The company has been missing sales goals “as new products, from hearing aids to audio glasses, were not panning out as expected” and as Bose continued to lose market share to Apple and other large competitors, according to the report. Bose has laid off an estimated 2000 people from its Framingham, Mass, headquarters in recent years and is exiting the hearing aid market, according to an article by Anissa Gardizy in Tuesday’s (May 3, 2022) Boston Globe.

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