Questions worth asking

Phonelum is a hearing aid brand owned by Shenzhen Yinshu Electronics Co., Ltd. Our products are designed and manufactured by Shenzhen eartech Technology Co., Ltd. — a National High-Tech Enterprise and a Guangdong Provincial SRDI (Specialized, Refined, Differential, Innovative) enterprise.

eartech's technology originates from Tsinghua University and focuses exclusively on intelligent hearing aids. The Phonelum product is the US-market version of the RIC 3.0 (Crescent Air) hearing aid, which has been validated through a year of sales in China with tens of thousands of users.

Our core technology assets include:

• Chips: 6nm BES2800 AI hearing chip (BES has made a strategic investment in eartech)
• Algorithm: proprietary JI AI hearing algorithm — explainable, iterable
• Clinical partnerships: Beijing Tongren Hospital (National Key R&D Program), Peking University Shenzhen Hospital (AI auditory research)
• Patents: 12+ Chinese invention patents, ISO 13485 medical device QMS certified

Phonelum hearing aids have completed FDA Establishment Registration and Device Listing, and comply with FDA OTC (over-the-counter) hearing aid regulations.

• No 510(k) required. OTC hearing aids for adults 18+ with mild to moderate hearing loss do not require 510(k) premarket notification.
• Our labelling and packaging follow FDA OTC identification requirements.
• Phonelum devices are legally sold as OTC hearing aids in the United States.

This is the same regulatory pathway used by Jabra Enhance, Eargo, Elehear and other OTC hearing aid brands — just as over-the-counter medications follow a different path from prescription drugs.

Phonelum combines professional-grade hearing technology with direct-to-consumer affordability.

Professional-grade technology

• 6nm AI hearing chip, the same class used by premium prescription brands
• 96–108 digital channels for precise frequency compensation
• AI neural-network noise reduction of roughly 20 dB
• IP68 rating — dust-tight and water-resistant

Features you will actually use

• Self-administered hearing test via smartphone (Tsinghua-patented technology)
• Remote fitting by hearing specialists — lifelong, free
• Speech-to-text real-time transcription
• Bluetooth streaming for calls, music and media
• Four preset listening modes: All-Around, Restaurant, Outdoor and TV

Affordable pricing

• The direct-to-consumer model removes retail markup
• Typically one-fifth to one-tenth the cost of comparable prescription hearing aids
• Free lifetime remote fitting support

Phonelum devices are real, FDA-registered medical-grade hearing aids — not PSAPs (Personal Sound Amplification Products). The differences matter:

• Phonelum compensates for your specific hearing loss based on your hearing test results. PSAPs simply amplify every sound equally.
• Phonelum uses 96–108 channel professional hearing aid chips (6nm BES2800). PSAPs use generic audio amplifier chips.
• Phonelum can be programmed remotely by a hearing specialist. PSAPs have no fitting capability.
• Phonelum includes AI noise reduction, feedback cancellation and speech enhancement. PSAPs lack these.

Using a simple amplifier for hearing loss can actually damage your residual hearing, by over-amplifying the sounds you already hear normally.

Phonelum hearing aids are designed for adults aged 18 and older with mild to moderate sensorineural hearing loss. They are particularly effective for:

• Age-related hearing loss (presbycusis) — the most common type
• High-frequency hearing loss — difficulty with consonants such as s, f, th and sh, especially in noise
• Hearing thresholds of roughly 25–70 dB HL between 250 Hz and 8 kHz

They are not suitable for:

• Severe to profound hearing loss (> 90 dB HL) — please consult an audiologist
• Conductive hearing loss — please see an ENT doctor
• Sudden hearing loss — seek immediate medical attention
• Children under 18

You can check your suitability with the free hearing test in the Phonelum app. For a comprehensive evaluation we still recommend an audiogram from a hearing care professional.

If three or more of the following are true, hearing aids are likely to help:

• You turn the TV or radio up louder than others prefer
• People seem to mumble or not speak clearly
• Conversation in restaurants or groups is hard to follow
• You frequently ask people to repeat themselves
• Telephone conversations are a struggle
• You miss doorbells, phone rings or alarms
• You feel tired or stressed after listening for a long stretch
• You avoid social situations because of your hearing

Roughly one in three adults over 65 has clinically significant hearing loss, yet fewer than one in five who could benefit actually use hearing aids. Untreated hearing loss is associated with increased risk of cognitive decline, depression and social isolation.

If you have hearing loss in both ears, we strongly recommend wearing two:

• Sound localisation. One ear alone cannot tell you where a sound came from — which matters when crossing streets or driving.
• Speech in noise. Two ears improve comprehension by 30–50% in noisy environments.
• Auditory deprivation. The unaided ear's pathways deteriorate over time — use it or lose it.
• Natural stereo. Music, television and conversation sound fuller with two.
• Less effort. The brain processes binaural sound more efficiently, so listening is less tiring.

If budget is a concern, start with the worse ear and add the second later. Phonelum supports single and dual purchases, and pairs are factory-matched for synchronisation.

No. This is one of the most common misconceptions about hearing aids.

• Properly fitted hearing aids do not damage residual hearing — output is limited to safe levels (OSPL90 ≤ 131 dB SPL for Phonelum).
• The opposite is true: not wearing hearing aids leads to auditory deprivation, where the brain's ability to process sound declines without stimulation.
• This auditory deprivation effect is well documented in peer-reviewed research.

Think of hearing aids as glasses for your ears. Glasses do not make your eyes weaker; they let you see clearly.

For the current flagship, Phonelum Luma Pro:

• Chip platform: BES2800, 6nm process with AI neural engine
• Algorithm: proprietary JI AI hearing algorithm
• Channels: 96–108 digital channels
• Max gain: 62 dB full-on gain
• Max output: 131 dB SPL (OSPL90)
• Equivalent input noise: ≤ 24 dB
• Total harmonic distortion: ≤ 2%
• Battery life: ≈ 16 hours typical, 12–14 hours with Bluetooth streaming
• Charging: portable Type-C case, ≈ 2 hours to full
• Water resistance: IP68
• Bluetooth: BLE 5.x and Classic Bluetooth
• Style: RIC behind-the-ear, with S/M/L silicone domes

Specifications are laboratory typical values; actual performance varies with environment and configuration.

Four presets, optimised for different environments:

• All-Around — general daily use and quiet home environments
• Restaurant — enhances front-facing speech, suppresses background chatter
• Outdoor — reduces wind noise, optimised for open spaces
• TV — frequency response tuned for television and broadcast audio

Switch with a short press of the button on the hearing aid — a voice prompt confirms the mode — or choose it in the app. Each mode can be fine-tuned further by your remote hearing specialist.

Speech-to-text uses cloud AI to convert spoken words into real-time text on your phone screen. It helps when:

• Watching television — it captures dialogue as subtitle text
• In lectures or meetings — it transcribes what the speaker is saying
• In very noisy places — it gives you a visual backup when audio alone is hard work

To use it, open the Phonelum app, tap Speech-to-Text and place your phone near the sound source. It supports English and several other languages.

Please note: this feature needs an internet connection, and accuracy varies in very noisy environments. It is a supplement to, not a replacement for, proper hearing care.

Phonelum Luma Pro — our flagship, and the right choice for most people. About 16 hours of battery, IP68, 96–108 channel AI noise reduction, RIC behind-the-ear style. Recommended for mild to moderate hearing loss.

Phonelum Luma Pro Max — a higher-power version for moderate to moderately-severe loss, with the same features and increased amplification. Available singly or as a pair.

Coming later in 2026 — Phonelum Pro+ — a next-generation model with a four-microphone “conference pod” charging case designed for television and group conversation, and battery life extended to around 18 hours.

Where we are ahead:

• Price. A Phonelum pair typically costs one-fifth to one-tenth of a comparable imported prescription pair.
• Hard numbers. 62 dB full-on gain, 131 dB SPL maximum output and 96–108 processing channels put Luma Pro in the same bracket as high-power prescription devices.
• Software. Self-administered hearing tests, app fitting, one-to-one remote fitting and free lifetime adjustment.
• Service without travel. Everything is done online, which matters a great deal for anyone who finds getting to a clinic difficult.

Where we are honestly still behind:

• Battery life — around 16 hours, against 18–24 hours for the imported flagships.
• Equivalent input noise — ≤ 24 dB, against 16–19 dB for the imported flagships.

Both are priorities for our next-generation platform.