A NewSound R&D worker tests a hearing aid product. [Photo/WeChat account: touzixiamen]

In 2013, Xiamen NewSound Technology Co launched a rechargeable lithium battery hearing aid product that can be used for 20 hours after charging, relieving hearing aid users from having to frequently replace batteries in their hearing aid.

Established in 2004 and headquartered in Xiamen Torch Development Zone, NewSound is a national high-tech company specializing in the research, development, production, and sales of hearing aid products.

Through years of development, the company has become a leading company and a national "little giant" company in the field.

Consistently emphasizing R&D, the company spends more than 7 percent of its annual revenue on R&D and has established R&D centers in Xiamen in Fujian province, Shenzhen in Guangdong province, as well as Chicago in the United States.

The company has acquired its own core hearing aid technology and has obtained more than 60 patents. It has also established a complete product developing system for each product to go through a process of R&D, developing samples, testing, registration, and going to market, which takes at least three years.

In the past, the hearing aid market had long been monopolized by imported brands resulting in very expensive products. In response, Yu Shihu, founder of NewSound, decided to make homemade affordable hearing aid products for Chinese people.

For instance, different from traditional hearing aid products that require two-to-three hours of professional adjustment, NewSound invented a series of hearing aid products that can be easily adjusted by users on WeChat or through an app.

In recent years, NewSound has been exploring new ways of improvement, such as creating its own brand and improving the automation of its production lines, according to Yu.