Andrew Bellavia

Moderated an international panel with three globally-recognized people working to deliver hearing care around the world. In this video originally aired as part of HHTM's Future of Hearing Healthcare event, they shared what works, what needs to be done, and what barriers still exist to fully realize the WHO's goal of "hearing care for all!"

In this survey report on all the ways AI is impacting the aging journey, analyst & thought leader Laurie Orlov invited my contribution to discuss the hearing health space.

It's often said that designing for accessibility is designing for everyone. With Auracast broadcast audio, one could argue the opposite. With thanks to AudioTelligence for having me on, I break it down in this second part of a two-part video.

With so much curiosity around the new Bluetooth LE Audio & Auracast, it was a pleasure to spend 15 minutes with Rick Radia of AudioTelligence to explain what is different & how it will positively impact people with hearing loss, the hearing care professionals who serve them, and the mass market as it becomes broadly deployed.

Win Cramer, CEO of JLab, a growing top-5 headphone brand globally, joins host Andrew Bellavia to discuss their hearing health products launched at CES in January. JLab is the first major consumer audio brand to focus on hearing loss prevention and treatment. Given their sheer size and popularity with a younger demographic than that of traditional hearing aid companies, JLab’s entry into the hearing space has the potential to make a big impact.

In discussing Starkey's new Genesis AI hearing aids we went beyond the published material to get deeper on the feature set and improvements for both consumers and audiologists. We especially dove into how the Starkey Neuro Processor works and what that means for people with hearing loss. We also explored what Starkey sees as the future of AI and biometrics in hearing devices.

An interesting interview to conduct as co-host of this Week in Hearing since Orka reflects the potential future of consumer hearing devices. In it, Xinke describes their approach to device design, onboarding new users, and continuing support.

On World Hearing Day I considered the meaning of the WHO's theme "Ear and hearing care for all! Let's make it happen." Why is this initiative important, and what would be the societal and economic impacts of carrying it out? Find out in this 4 minute read.

Having spoken many times on the need to address the global pandemic of untreated #HearingLoss, I was delighted that the WHO chose the theme "ear and hearing care for all, let's make it a reality" for #WorldHearingDay 2023. In this conversation I shared my thoughts on why it's important and how we could get there when many parts of the world have little or no access to hearing care professionals.

The Audio Voice 408: The Future of Hearables, Hearing Assistance and Augmentation As Previewed at CES 2023. A glimpse on the future of hearing augmentation by Andrew Bellavia of AuraFuturity.

At CES 2023, Andrew Bellavia of AuraFuturity interviewed several of the companies working on advanced tech for the next generation of hearing and hearable devices. Andrew also tried their demos, producing the video in a way that allows the viewer to experience them as he did.

The annual Consumer Electronics Show (CES) recently took place in Las Vegas, Nevada, where companies across the globe had the opportunity to showcase a range of new and emerging technologies.

This week, host Dave Kemp is joined by Andy Bellavia, Founder of AuraFuturity, and Kevin Liebe, President and CEO of HHTM, to discuss their recent experience at CES, where a number of audio and hearing-related technologies were on display.

They discuss the implications of the latest trends… Show more

The annual Consumer Electronics Show (CES) recently took place in Las Vegas, Nevada, where companies across the globe had the opportunity to showcase a range of new and emerging technologies.

This week, host Dave Kemp is joined by Andy Bellavia, Founder of AuraFuturity, and Kevin Liebe, President and CEO of HHTM, to discuss their recent experience at CES, where a number of audio and hearing-related technologies were on display.

They discuss the implications of the latest trends and key takeaways for the hearing health and audio industries. Show less

At CES 2023 I covered a number of innovations in the hearables space and the intersection with hearing health. But to unlock their full potential, one fundamental still needs to be addressed - comfort. It's more than just physical fit as I explain in The Audio Voice 404.

Andrew Bellavia a veteran with technologies that go in your ear joins us to explain what is hearing health. We touch on some of the history of the technologies in the legacy devices and we explore the direction the markets are going with the convergence of audiology-grade products with consumer-grade products.

In this special episode, host Andrew Bellavia offers his thought on attending the Academy of Doctors of Audiology (ADA) 2022 AuDacity Conference, as a non-audiologist, which took place last month in Dallas, Texas.

In addition, we hear from practice owner, Dr. Yasmin Battat, SADA President Shannon Kim, and ADA Executive Director, Stephanie Czuhajewski, on what made this year's ADA event unique and plans for future conferences.

In this special episode, Andrew Bellavia sits down with the winners of the Academy of Doctors of Audiology (ADA) student business plan competition: Pallavi (Pooja) Sobun, Au.D. and Camden Orologio, Au.D. Their business plan was nominated among a group of finalists who were selected to present at the 2022 AuDacity Conference, which recently took place in Grapevine (Dallas), Texas.

As winners, the pair received a $5,000 ADA cash grant to be used to advance business objectives and enhance… Show more

In this special episode, Andrew Bellavia sits down with the winners of the Academy of Doctors of Audiology (ADA) student business plan competition: Pallavi (Pooja) Sobun, Au.D. and Camden Orologio, Au.D. Their business plan was nominated among a group of finalists who were selected to present at the 2022 AuDacity Conference, which recently took place in Grapevine (Dallas), Texas.

As winners, the pair received a $5,000 ADA cash grant to be used to advance business objectives and enhance business and leadership skills. Show less

Discussed AirPods Pro as hearing devices, the easy steps one should take in advance of trying any consumer hearing device, and the reasons why seeing a hearing care professional is important.

Chips & algos driving hearables & hearing aids are advancing by leaps & bounds. Observable improvements have been incremental for a while but a seminal change is coming. Think mobile phones to smart phones. The 30 min conversation below with Jonathan Russo of Femtosense, Dave Kemp & I lays out the equivalent path for in-ear devices.

Understanding the connection between perceived sound quality and well-being is critical to anyone developing hearables for applications such as remote meetings, health and wellness, or hearing augmentation, as well as music.

In this keynote address delivered at EarComp 2022 I shared the surprising variability in people's hearing, how that affects their well-being in unexpected ways, and how hearables of the future will account for hearing variability to deliver the best possible… Show more

Understanding the connection between perceived sound quality and well-being is critical to anyone developing hearables for applications such as remote meetings, health and wellness, or hearing augmentation, as well as music.

In this keynote address delivered at EarComp 2022 I shared the surprising variability in people's hearing, how that affects their well-being in unexpected ways, and how hearables of the future will account for hearing variability to deliver the best possible experience. Show less

In 2019 I got career coaching to help me discern my next step. The path to getting there took three years and was by no means a straight one. I wrote about how I came to start a company and devote my efforts to help innovators make hearing care more accessible.

With thanks to Hearing Health & Technology Matters, I shared my own thoughts in 5 minutes along with Barbara Kelley, Shari Eberts, and Gael Hannan, three people with interesting & thoughtful things to say.

Expanding the perspective on the evolution toward hearables, this article explores the current trends as well as the acoustical challenges and solutions for designing true wireless earphones. The article explains the enabling technologies currently converging as the TWS market continues to grow and use cases multiply, with more consumers using wireless earbuds for a diverse and varied set of applications, from listening to podcasts and audiobooks to Internet meetings and interacting with voice… Show more

Expanding the perspective on the evolution toward hearables, this article explores the current trends as well as the acoustical challenges and solutions for designing true wireless earphones. The article explains the enabling technologies currently converging as the TWS market continues to grow and use cases multiply, with more consumers using wireless earbuds for a diverse and varied set of applications, from listening to podcasts and audiobooks to Internet meetings and interacting with voice assistants. This article was originally published in audioXpress, April 2022. Show less

As a complement to my earlier presentation to music pros at NAMM with Dr. Laura Sinnott, I shared at the audiophile show CanJam Chicago safe noise levels over time & how to mitigate excessive exposure. Then I gave practical tips for managing safe listening levels both with headphones & at live gigs without impeding music enjoyment.

I wrapped it up by describing the progression of age-related hearing loss, how to safely compensate for it when listening to music, & the importance of… Show more

As a complement to my earlier presentation to music pros at NAMM with Dr. Laura Sinnott, I shared at the audiophile show CanJam Chicago safe noise levels over time & how to mitigate excessive exposure. Then I gave practical tips for managing safe listening levels both with headphones & at live gigs without impeding music enjoyment.

I wrapped it up by describing the progression of age-related hearing loss, how to safely compensate for it when listening to music, & the importance of establishing a relationship with an audiologist to help protect the one piece of audio gear that cannot be replaced - your ears. Show less

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), about 1.5b people live with some level of hearing loss. Of those, about 1b are not "debilitated" by it. They may not even identify as having hearing loss, yet they lose an appreciation for hi-res music, become fatigued after internet meetings, or have difficulty understanding dialogue when watching TV.

Audio companies who focus on and promote their sound quality while ignoring their customers' hearing response do so at their own peril… Show more

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), about 1.5b people live with some level of hearing loss. Of those, about 1b are not "debilitated" by it. They may not even identify as having hearing loss, yet they lose an appreciation for hi-res music, become fatigued after internet meetings, or have difficulty understanding dialogue when watching TV.

Audio companies who focus on and promote their sound quality while ignoring their customers' hearing response do so at their own peril. Today the technology exists to individually personalize the sound, and more OEMs are taking advantage to improve the user experience. This can result in higher sound quality ratings and therefore, increased sales. I also believe this has the potential to normalize thinking around hearing care and reduce stigma. Show less

Podcast topics:

• Approaching hearing aids from the perspective of the audio industry
• The three reasons that keep people from treating their hearing
• Treating hearing loss similarly to blood pressure
• The stigmatization of hearing aids in different age groups
• How hearing aids can make an incredible difference

Originally presented at NAMM 2022 at the invitation of TEC Tracks, this seminar focuses on hearing conservation for music professionals. Andrew Bellavia of Knowles shared the basics of harmful sound levels v. exposure time, sound levels from different instruments, and how daily activities like riding the subway can adversely affect one's hearing (and how to prevent it.)

After Andrew touched on how to properly compensate the mix for those with some hearing loss, music audiologist Dr… Show more

Originally presented at NAMM 2022 at the invitation of TEC Tracks, this seminar focuses on hearing conservation for music professionals. Andrew Bellavia of Knowles shared the basics of harmful sound levels v. exposure time, sound levels from different instruments, and how daily activities like riding the subway can adversely affect one's hearing (and how to prevent it.)

After Andrew touched on how to properly compensate the mix for those with some hearing loss, music audiologist Dr. Laura Sinnott of Sound Culture took the stage to describe the advantages of using in-ear monitors, the pitfalls that come with incorrect fit or use, and what can be done to optimize the hearing protection benefit of IEMs. Real-world data from a pilot study by Dr. Heather Malyuk and Dr. Alex Meibos on IEM isolation rounds out the program describing how music pros can protect their most valuable instrument – their ears – to maximize ability to practice their craft over the long term. Show less

One-minute video advocating for people to address their hearing loss

Is it possible that the FDA’s proposed rule on OTC hearing aids is already obsolete – even before it becomes finalized? Andy Bellavia and Dave Kemp discuss how the long-awaited regulations from the FDA may already be obsolete, five years after the Over-The-Counter Hearing Aid Act was signed into law.

All those who worked hard to bring OTC hearing aids to life may be breathing a sigh of relief that their battle is coming to an end. However, the new legislation doesn’t consider the capabilities of hearable devices on the horizon.

Host Dave Kemp chats with Kat Penno, Director of Hearing Health at Nuheara, and Andy Bellavia, Director of Market Development for Knowles Corp. The 2-part episode provides a deep dive into where things are headed in 2022, including:

-The increasing sophistication of patient expectations and education
-Hearing device technology innovations currently underway
-The evolution of hearing care service delivery models

Continuing the discussion where host Dave Kemp chats with Kat Penno, Director of Hearing Health at Nuheara, and Andy Bellavia, Director of Market Development for Knowles Corp. The 2-part episode provides a deep dive into where things are headed in 2022, including:

-The increasing sophistication of patient expectations and education
-Hearing device technology innovations currently underway
-The evolution of hearing care service delivery models

I shared the latest trends in TWS earphones, especially the link between high quality audio and the increasing popularity of hearing personalization. Then Knowles engineer Erik Wiederholtz dove in to how speaker systems can support ANC, extended treble for hi-res audio, and hearing personalization to make the listening experience better for more people.

The conversation at the Futuresource Consulting Audio Collaborative panel on hearables convergence was interesting & far-ranging, with insightful comments from fellow panelists Anders Holm Jessen, Damon Johnson & Philippe Jørgensen. Anders' opening presentation was a fascinating look at how industry attitudes toward OTC hearing aids evolved over time.

Dave Kemp interviews James Fielding, CEO of Audeara, and myself to break down the latest Qualcomm 'State of Sound Report' and discuss the implications of increasing consumer preference for HD audio. We also share how the trend is affecting the uptake of hearing personalization to compensate for age-related hearing loss. Also available on major podcast platforms.

In this webinar I discussed how the infrastructure is coming together to deliver mobile HD audio streaming through TWS earphones, and shared examples of devices that deliver the sound quality consumers are now demanding. The increasing popularity of HD audio is also driving adoption of hearing personalization which has implications for TWS design.

It was a pleasure to appear on the HearingTracker podcast following Juliëtte Sterkens, AuD, to give an overview of Bluetooth, how connectivity can benefit hearing aid wearers from my own experience, and to share the coming new features like broadcast mode, along with a few words about Bluetooth safety.

It was exciting to join HHTM's This Week In Hearing podcast for the second time to share how the Knowles / Chatable partnership will improve conversational enhancement for everyone, along with describing the overall value of Knowles' new TWS dev. kit for enabling premium sound with ANC, hands-free voice (including multiple wake words), and more.

It was an honor to be an invited guest for the inaugural episode of This Week in Hearing by HHTM and Dave Kemp. Joining me was Brent Edwards, Ph.D, director of National Acoustic Labs to discuss the blurring line between consumer audio and traditional hearing aids, and the potential impact on the overall hearing health industry.

[Dave Kemp] This week on the Future Ear Radio Podcast, I’m joined by my right-hand man, Mr. Andy Bellavia, to discuss the always evolving hearables and hearing health landscape. Our conversation explores a wide variety of topics, including:
- President urging FDA to accelerate drafting OTC regulations
- Underlying tech driving OTC & consumer solutions
- Three barriers to adopting hearing care solutions
- Bragi OS & the evolution of hearable app ecosystems
- The impact of voice… Show more

[Dave Kemp] This week on the Future Ear Radio Podcast, I’m joined by my right-hand man, Mr. Andy Bellavia, to discuss the always evolving hearables and hearing health landscape. Our conversation explores a wide variety of topics, including:
- President urging FDA to accelerate drafting OTC regulations
- Underlying tech driving OTC & consumer solutions
- Three barriers to adopting hearing care solutions
- Bragi OS & the evolution of hearable app ecosystems
- The impact of voice tech in hearables Show less

It was both fun and a pleasure to share the story of the Knowles Corp. mic on Mars, and the pioneering work in improving hearing aids that led to it. Thanks to NPR station 90.7 WMFE | 89.5 WMFV for having me on. (Beginning 13:30.)

[Dave Kemp] Kat Penno, AuD & Andy Bellavia return to pick up where things left off in ep 48. Much of the conversation revolves around innovative ways to provide hearing care, a deeper exploration of new software-based solutions & the opportunities these new applications present. As Andy describes, we’re seeing a wave of new innovation that represents, “Hearing Version 2.0,” and shares his own ecosystem of ancillary hardware and apps that help to fill in some of the gaps of his day-to-day… Show more

[Dave Kemp] Kat Penno, AuD & Andy Bellavia return to pick up where things left off in ep 48. Much of the conversation revolves around innovative ways to provide hearing care, a deeper exploration of new software-based solutions & the opportunities these new applications present. As Andy describes, we’re seeing a wave of new innovation that represents, “Hearing Version 2.0,” and shares his own ecosystem of ancillary hardware and apps that help to fill in some of the gaps of his day-to-day hearing experience. Show less

On World Hearing Day 2021 I took a look at the changing landscape of hearables and their impact on noise induced hearing loss.

Luke and Andy sit down with Dave this week to talk through Futuresource's 2020 Hearables Market Report, citing the key findings and then talking through some of the major trends indicated in the data.

Recently Theodora Lau posed the question "How will we remember 2020?" At the time I responded that it was like my last race before lockdown. Conditions were difficult and though I achieved my goal, I was so beat up it gave me no joy. But lately a different running experience has been on my mind.

An amazing conversation with Dave Kemp & Kat Penno on recent advancements in hearables tech & the apps that will drive mass-adoption other than music. We also discussed how hearables will be the gateway to hearing health awareness, especially addressing the underserved mild loss category where situational assistance adds value. Good timing too as the Qualcomm / Jacoti collaboration was announced right after we recorded this.

Host Dave Kemp, Cliff Olson, and I discuss the flurry of new hearing aids that hit the market, and speak to the broad level of tech innovation that these devices represent. We chat about how the primary use case (amplification) has been massively improved in the recent years, as well as how BT connectivity is reshaping the way today's HAs can be used. We also walk through some of the emerging use cases that hearing aids are enabling, & how HH professionals can engage their clients with them.

Mackie’s new MP Series in-ear monitors get their unparalleled sound from Knowles Audio’s drivers. Jamie Hernandez gets the lowdown from Matthew "Chaz" Herrin, Product Manager at Mackie, and Andrew Bellavia, Director of Market Development at Knowles, about how this exciting partnership came about and what went into making these IEMs sound so good.

In part two Charles Balderstein of What Sounds Design & I discuss augmented reality, personal audio experience, audio etiquette, advertising evolvement, and multi modalism.

Host Jeanna Isham invited Charles Balderstein of What Sounds Design & I to discuss cohesive audio experiences, accessibility options through hearables and hearing aids, audio augmented reality, audio ethics, gaming sound experience, and more.

It was an honor to be selected for the 3rd time to share my views on where the audio industry is heading. The complete collection of "Q&As with Industry Experts" is an excellent and diverse set of thoughts on future trends in audio.

[Dave Kemp] Features first-time guest and Audiologist, Kat Penno, and re-occurring guest, Andy Bellavia. Kat’s based in Peth, Australia, and started the Hearing Collective in 2018, which offers personalized online hearing health services. She’s a big proponent of utilizing digital offerings within the hearing health setting, which is why I wanted to have her, along with my trusty hearables side-kick, Andy, on to chat about some of the AirPods-specific updates that are included in Apple’s next… Show more

[Dave Kemp] Features first-time guest and Audiologist, Kat Penno, and re-occurring guest, Andy Bellavia. Kat’s based in Peth, Australia, and started the Hearing Collective in 2018, which offers personalized online hearing health services. She’s a big proponent of utilizing digital offerings within the hearing health setting, which is why I wanted to have her, along with my trusty hearables side-kick, Andy, on to chat about some of the AirPods-specific updates that are included in Apple’s next version of its operating system (iOS14). Show less

[Dave Kemp] Our conversation this week revolved around the feasibility of using wearables and a variety of sensors to build early detection systems for individual data health sets. The ensemble of guests provided three different perspectives with Andy serving as our hardware expert, Ryan as the expert in data capture, and Chris as an expert in data output & analytics. This served for a fantastic conversation about a topic that I think will be gaining a lot of notoriety soon.

(Contributing author) Hearing Healthcare 2020 is a column where we explore the forces behind the changing landscape and disruptions impacting the hearing healthcare industry. This week, HHTM is exploring the impact COVID-19 may have on the hearing healthcare consumer and what sort of trends might we expect to see over the coming months and years.

[Dave Kemp] The next episode of the Future Ear Radio podcast features Nikolaj Hviid, CEO of Bragi, and re-occurring guest, Andy Bellavia, Director of Market Development at Knowles Corp. This episode is particularly special for me, as I have admired Nikolaj from afar since he launched Bragi's flagship hearable, The Dash, back in 2014.

This was a fascinating conversation with Giles Tongue on ChatableApps application of neuroscience to the speech-in-noise problem, part of what I think of as hearing v2 - A body of new techniques beyond (and enhancing) amplification as a means of ameliorating hearing loss at different levels.

At CES David Cannington of Nuheara was kind enough to lend me a preproduction IQbuds² MAX for a reprise of my trials at the previous year's NAMM show. NAMM was the following week so I immediately put them to the test and shared my thoughts with Hearing Tracker.

Bradley Metrock, organizer of Project Voice, hosted a discussion with Dave Kemp & I on fast-moving hearables developments including how the newly-announced BT 5.2 will drive growth, the potential for location-based content & voice experiences, biometrics for wellness, and more.

In part 2 of our conversation with 52Audio.com at CES, Knowles Corporation's Jon Kiachian & I discuss the convergence between hearing aids and hearables, how the latter can address the need for situational hearing assistance for mild loss, and how Knowles leverages their experience in both markets to bring new transducer solutions.

Knowles engineer Tom Miller & I discuss with interview host Brent Butterworth the differences between dynamic speakers & balanced armature drivers used in earphones and IEMs. Which to choose depends on the feature set of the earphone including size, type of fit in the ear, & sound quality goals. Sometimes they are used together in a hybrid configuration, with the dynamic speaker serving as high-output woofer and the BA providing HD quality treble.

Today we talk about the technology underlying hearables and why we aren’t getting 12-hour, all-day battery life. We also discuss applications, consumer adoption, and how the big players intend to compete. 2020 is going to see a lot more hearables action driven by new apps and new products such as AirPods Pro and Amazon Echo Buds.

Andy and Dave now move into some of the new use cases that voice-assistant enabled hearables will begin to offer... GPS-based applications also represent a new avenue with lots of possibilities, which the two speak about in depth. The idea of having conversations with your voice assistant about loads of information that's already stored in the app ecosystem.

The era of hearables has officially arrived, and Andy and Dave reflect back on this journey to 2020 and the challenges that were overcome, and new hearables-specific features that are beginning to go mainstream.

Hearables have been around for decades in the form of hearing aids. However, only in the past 5 years have new products like AirPods & EchoBuds entered the space ready to expose a new generation to intelligent in-ear audio. In this week's episode Andrew Bellavia from Knowles Corp. shares insights on the coming hearables explosion and how it is poised to usher an a new era for both AI and Voice-First.

Keri Roberts chats with Andrew Bellavia, the Director of Market Development of Knowles Electronics about what hearables can currently do, where they're going, the importance of hardware in hearables, the issues of security and human interaction while wearing them and how they're changing lives.

In-ear translation devices are coming closer to reality. In the popular online magazine Wareable I discuss with author Chris Smith the present state of progress and what the future holds.

I was part of a great panel discussion on hearable devices at the Amazon-sponsored Voice Summit in July 2019. Hear my fellow panelists and I as we share our views on market drivers & future trends.

The 2nd half of my story published in Hearing Tracker about living with hearing aids. By sharing my experience I hope I can influence others to protect their hearing, and make it easier for those with hearing loss to accept their condition and seek care.

Discussion with Dave Kemp of Oaktree Products on the future of hearables and the roles Knowles is playing to enable their mass-adoption.

I give my observations after testing two devices is a very challenging environment, a music industry trade show.

I wrote my story both to encourage others to protect their hearing before it's too late and to share the downside to delaying hearing loss care.

Interview with the publication Shenzhenware after presenting at the Acoustic Block 2018 conference in Shenzhen.

For the 2nd year I responded to Q's on audio, hearables, & voice IoT trends in the Loudspeaker Industry Sourcebook 2018 on behalf of Knowles Corporation.

Originally presented at AES@NAMM 2018, describes why multiple balanced armature drivers are used in earphones & in-ear monitors, and the design considerations that go into making a multi-driver earphone. (Video, 29 mins.)

Q & A session in which I share views on the role of audio in IoT, AR & VR, hearables and modern headphones.

Interview for UE blog: "We sat down with Tim Wickstrom (Global Applications Manager & with the company since 1988) and Andrew Bellavia (Director of Market Development) and tried to take some of the mystery out of BAs and point out some key differences between them and Dynamic Speakers."

"The stakes are huge, according to WiFore Consulting, which predicts that hearables will be the fastest growing wearable market, exploding upward to over $16 billion by 2020." Article on the coming growth of hearable devices in which I contributed.

With so much curiosity around the new Bluetooth LE Audio & Auracast, it was a pleasure to spend 15 minutes with Rick Radia of AudioTelligence to explain what is different & how it will positively impact people with hearing loss, the hearing care professionals who serve them, and the mass market as it becomes broadly deployed.