Miracle-Ear, Inc. is a
hearing aid
A hearing aid is a device designed to improve hearing by making sound audible to a person with hearing loss. Hearing aids are classified as medical devices in most countries, and regulated by the respective regulations. Small audio amplifiers su ...
company consisting of a network of franchised and corporately-owned retail outlets. The company is a subsidiary of
Amplifon
Amplifon SpA is an Italian company, based in Milan, and the world's largest hearing aid retailer.
History
Amplifon was founded in 1950 in Milan by Algernon Charles Holland, a former official of the British special forces, involved in the Italia ...
, the worldwide distributor of hearing aids based in Italy. Miracle-Ear's U.S. headquarters are located in
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Minneapolis () is the largest city in Minnesota, United States, and the county seat of Hennepin County. The city is abundant in water, with thirteen lakes, wetlands, the Mississippi River, creeks and waterfalls. Minneapolis has its origins ...
.
[Franchises – Miracle-Ear Inc.]
2014 Franchise 500. ''Entrepreneur
Entrepreneurship is the creation or extraction of economic value. With this definition, entrepreneurship is viewed as change, generally entailing risk beyond what is normally encountered in starting a business, which may include other values th ...
''. As of 2014 it has more than 1,200 locations in the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
,
and it is the best-known hearing aid brand in the U.S.
In 2014, the company added several locations in
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
, with plans to open more Canadian outlets.
["North America's Most Recognized Hearing Aid Brand, Miracle-Ear, Is Now in Canada"]
''Seattle Post-Intelligencer
The ''Seattle Post-Intelligencer'' (popularly known as the ''Seattle P-I'', the ''Post-Intelligencer'', or simply the ''P-I'') is an online newspaper and former print newspaper based in Seattle, Washington, United States.
The newspaper was foun ...
''. March 21, 2014. According to the company, Miracle-Ear outlets offer free
hearing tests and consultations, and the hearing aids include a risk-free 30-day trial period plus service, warranty, and lifetime after-care.
Product history
Origins
"Miracle-Ear" began as a hearing aid manufactured by Dahlberg Electronics, an electronics company founded in 1948. Kenneth Dahlberg started Dahlberg Electronics after he left a position as assistant to the president of Telex Communications
Telex Communications, originally Telex Corporation, was a Burnsville, Minnesota-based manufacturer of hearing aids and audio equipment. Founded in 1936 as a maker of hearing aids, it entered the computer peripherals businesses in the 1960s. Telex ...
, another manufacturer of hearing aids.[Stavig, Vicky]
"Kenneth Dahlberg: Still Airborne"
. ''Twin Cities Business''. July 1, 2003. Prior to manufacturing hearing aids, Dahlberg's company produced pillow radios for hospitals and motels.
In the early 1950s, Dahlberg Electronics began producing hearing aids that utilized the newly invented transistor
upright=1.4, gate (G), body (B), source (S) and drain (D) terminals. The gate is separated from the body by an insulating layer (pink).
A transistor is a semiconductor device used to Electronic amplifier, amplify or electronic switch, switch e ...
technology – beginning with "hybrid" hearing aids that used transistors and vacuum tubes
A vacuum tube, electron tube, valve (British usage), or tube (North America), is a device that controls electric current flow in a high vacuum between electrodes to which an electric potential difference has been applied.
The type known as a ...
, and then releasing an all-transistor model in 1953. In 1955, they introduced the first so-called "in-the-ear" hearing aid, the D-10 Magic Ear – which concealed all electronic components in a shell snapped onto an earmold, and weighed 1/2 ounce, including battery, three-transistor amplifier, microphone, and receiver. Other innovations included the D-14 "Solar Ear" eyeglasses hearing aid, which used a solar cell
A solar cell, or photovoltaic cell, is an electronic device that converts the energy of light directly into electricity by the photovoltaic effect, which is a physical and chemical phenomenon. for power.
Further innovations
In 1962, the Miracle-Ear IV was the first hearing aid that used integrated circuitry, and in 1971, the company introduced the Dahlberg SHARP circuit, an ultra-low power circuit utilizing in-house hybrid production. In 1988, the company debuted the Miracle-Ear Dolphin, the first programmable hearing aid on the market. In 1997, following university testing, the United States Food and Drug Administration
The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA or US FDA) is a List of United States federal agencies, federal agency of the United States Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Health and Human Services. The FDA is respon ...
(FDA) approved claims on Miracle-Ear's Sharp Plus circuitry that the Miracle-Ear devices improved hearing in the presence of background noise.
In 1998 the Miracle-Ear Messenger was introduced, which featured proprietary technology that enabled the aid to be customized by the wearer.[Miracle-Ear – About]
Facebook
Facebook is an online social media and social networking service owned by American company Meta Platforms. Founded in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg with fellow Harvard College students and roommates Eduardo Saverin, Andrew McCollum, Dustin M ...
. In 2003 the company's entire line of hearing aids went digital, and in 2005 Miracle-Ear brought out the innovative Open Fit design.["New Aquavi Hearing Aid From Miracle-Ear Supports Active Lifestyle for the Hearing Impaired"]
''Reuters
Reuters ( ) is a news agency owned by Thomson Reuters Corporation. It employs around 2,500 journalists and 600 photojournalists in about 200 locations worldwide. Reuters is one of the largest news agencies in the world.
The agency was estab ...
''. August 15, 2011. It can be completely submerged in water up to three feet deep for up to 30 minutes without damage to the instrument,IP rating
The IP code or ingress protection code indicates how well a device is protected against water and dust. It defined by the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) under the international standard IEC 60529 which classifies and p ...
of 68.[Advanced Waterproof Hearing Aid: Miracle-Ear Aquavi]
''Miracle-Ear.com''. In 2013, Miracle-Ear launched a new technology platform called ClearVation, which learns the wearer's individual preferences and delivers appropriate amplification levels, while preserving natural acoustics. The technology aims to provide a natural hearing experience with a self-customized balance of comfort and clarity, and is available across the Miracle-Ear product line.
Additional features
Miracle-Ear's MEBluConnect and mini MEBluConnect have a Bluetooth
Bluetooth is a short-range wireless technology standard that is used for exchanging data between fixed and mobile devices over short distances and building personal area networks (PANs). In the most widely used mode, transmission power is limi ...
radio to receive sound from Bluetooth audio sources, such as cell phone
A mobile phone, cellular phone, cell phone, cellphone, handphone, hand phone or pocket phone, sometimes shortened to simply mobile, cell, or just phone, is a portable telephone that can make and receive calls over a radio frequency link whil ...
s and televisions. Its MEComConnect transmitter also enables electronic devices without Bluetooth capability to transmit Bluetooth audio. Miracle-Ear also offers a smartphone
A smartphone is a portable computer device that combines mobile telephone and computing functions into one unit. They are distinguished from feature phones by their stronger hardware capabilities and extensive mobile operating systems, whic ...
application for Android mobile devices, which allows hearing aid adjustments to be made from the smartphone.
Current styles
Miracle-Ear hearing aid styles include behind-the-ear (BTE), receiver-in-canal (RIC), in-the-ear
A hearing aid is a device designed to improve hearing by making sound audible to a person with hearing loss. Hearing aids are classified as medical devices in most countries, and regulated by the respective regulations. Small audio amplifiers su ...
(ITE), in-the-canal (ITC), and completely-in-the-canal (CIC) devices. The Mirage, an invisible CIC (completely-in-the-canal) hearing aid, uses microtechnology
Microtechnology deals with technology whose features have dimensions of the order of one micrometre (one millionth of a metre, or 10−6 metre, or 1μm). It focuses on physical and chemical processes as well as the production or manipulation of str ...
and includes feedback cancellation, digital noise reduction
Noise reduction is the process of removing noise from a signal. Noise reduction techniques exist for audio and images. Noise reduction algorithms may distort the signal to some degree. Noise rejection is the ability of a circuit to isolate an un ...
, programmable settings, peak smoothing, and SoundBoost volume control. Miracle-Ear's Aquavi model is waterproof, dustproof, and virtually shockproof.["New Miracle-Ear GENIUS™ Technology Provides Better than Normal Hearing"]
''PR Web
Cision Ltd. is a public relations and earned media software company and services provider. The company is incorporated in the Cayman Islands and headquartered in Chicago, Illinois; with clients worldwide. The company went public via reverse merge ...
''. February 18, 2015. The new line of hearing aids offer directional focus, removal of wind noise, zeroing-in on voices and conversations, and high-definition digital sound.
Corporate history and activities
Kenneth Dahlberg sold his company Dahlberg, Inc., and its subsidiary Miracle-Ear, to Motorola
Motorola, Inc. () was an American Multinational corporation, multinational telecommunications company based in Schaumburg, Illinois, United States. After having lost $4.3 billion from 2007 to 2009, the company split into two independent p ...
in 1959, and subsequently reacquired the company in 1964.franchising
Franchising is based on a marketing concept which can be adopted by an organization as a strategy for business expansion. Where implemented, a franchisor licenses some or all of its know-how, procedures, intellectual property, use of its busine ...
in 1984.[Miracle-Ear]
''Business World Magazine''. October 24, 2012. Dahlberg sold the company to Bausch & Lomb
Bausch + Lomb is an eye health products company based in Vaughan, Ontario, Canada. It is one of the world's largest suppliers of contact lenses, lens care products, pharmaceuticals, intraocular lenses, and other eye surgery products. The compan ...
in 1993. In 1999 Amplifon
Amplifon SpA is an Italian company, based in Milan, and the world's largest hearing aid retailer.
History
Amplifon was founded in 1950 in Milan by Algernon Charles Holland, a former official of the British special forces, involved in the Italia ...
acquired Dahlberg, Inc. from Bausch & Lomb, and that year Dahlberg, Inc. and its subsidiary Miracle-Ear, Inc. merged into Miracle-Ear, Inc. In 2014, the company added several locations in Canada, with plans to open more Canadian outlets.["Minneapolis Based Miracle-Ear Transforms 23 Year Old Non-Profit"]
''PR Web''. June 28, 2013. In 2014, the Miracle-Ear Foundation initiated and co-sponsored "One Day Without Sound", which encourages hearing persons to remove sound from their lives for one day in order to empathize with hearing loss.
Miracle-Ear was a sponsor of the 1996 Summer Olympics
The 1996 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXVI Olympiad, also known as Atlanta 1996 and commonly referred to as the Centennial Olympic Games) were an international multi-sport event held from July 19 to August 4, 1996, in Atlanta, ...
in Atlanta,Rwanda
Rwanda (; rw, u Rwanda ), officially the Republic of Rwanda, is a landlocked country in the Great Rift Valley of Central Africa, where the African Great Lakes region and Southeast Africa converge. Located a few degrees south of the Equator ...
n track team had severe hearing loss, and Miracle-Ear assisted the runner so that an ear specialist in the U.S. could perform surgeries which restored the athlete's hearing.[Dillard, Tricia]
"Wayne Minshew: from the big leagues to the local coffee shop"
''Northwest Georgia News''. March 27, 2012.
''New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...
''. December 29, 1996.
References
{{reflist, 2
External links
Official website
Hearing aid manufacturers
American companies established in 1948
Health care companies established in 1948
Retail companies established in 1948
Health care companies based in Minnesota
Medical technology companies of the United States