The X7 in-ear headset launched in January 2024 by communication and hearing protection specialist Invisio has achieved a ground-breaking level of hearing protection, performing even better than initial results and providing higher safety levels for users than ever, the company announced on 2 May.
Latest tests show that the Invisio X7 offers a signal-to-noise ratio of 39 dB (the difference between the wanted signal and the unwanted noise): a level of protection that will have a significant impact on users’ ability to operate safely in high-noise environments.
The difference between, for example, 29 dB (the highest current level of certified hearing protection using an over-the-ear dismounted headset) and 39 dB of attenuation corresponds to withstanding three times louder noise levels, Invisio explained in a press release. It also implies that the operator can cope with eight times longer exposure to the same noise levels.
“When we launched the X7 we said it would set a new industry benchmark for in-ear headsets in the most demanding environments, and these certified attenuation figures show that we have achieved exactly that”, Carsten Aagesen, Invisio’s senior vice president of global sales and marketing, was quoted as saying in a company press release.
The high level of performance also affects the protection from impulse noise, such as when firing weapons, both in terms of the calibre used and the number of firings users can be exposed to without compromising safety. It also means that users can be mounted safely in vehicles for longer periods when exposed to high continuous noise levels.
“Invisio’s milestone achievement in hearing protection is fully certified by an independent test laboratory and notified body and is the result of extensive R&D efforts and vigorous testing of the Invisio X7 using six different sizes of foam tips and three different sizes of tri-flanged tips,” the company stated.
The X7 in-ear headset can also be combined with the Invisio T7 over-the ear headset to provide dual-layer hearing protection of 43 dB SNR when exposed to excessive noise environments. These two intelligent headsets work seamlessly together, allowing users to move dynamically without losing vital communications or situational awareness at any time.
The Invisio X7, the performance of which is enhanced using artificial intelligence (AI), was developed using extensive feedback from both military and public safety operators to create a range of new features, including an ergonomic design perfected to fit the shape of each ear and soft materials to ensure the highest level of comfort. The X7 headset has an integrated voice pick-up sensor (VPU) that picks up vibrations from the inner ear and transforms them into speech without the need for a specific in-ear contact point to transmit the speech.
The AI-powered audio enhancements provide unparalleled communication and speech quality, excluding unwanted noise with different hear-through modes and digital signal processing that automatically adjust the received audio volume to the surrounding noise levels, Invisio noted.
