Most hearing aid brands belong to just a few groups. Phonak and Unitron are Sonova brands; Signia and Widex belong to WS Audiology; Oticon belongs to Demant; ReSound belongs to GN. Knowing the owner explains shared technology, and helps you compare brands sensibly.
The direct answer
Most of the world's hearing aids come from a handful of groups. Sonova owns Phonak and Unitron. WS Audiology owns Signia and Widex. Demant owns Oticon. GN owns ReSound. Starkey is an independent American company. Sister brands often share underlying technology but are positioned and priced differently.
Who owns what
- Sonova (Switzerland): Phonak and Unitron, along with cochlear implant maker Advanced Bionics.
- WS Audiology (Germany and Denmark): Signia and Widex, formed by the merger of Sivantos (formerly Siemens hearing) and Widex. It also owns Rexton, a sister brand of Signia. Prudent does not sell Rexton; the closely related brand we fit is Signia.
- Demant (Denmark): Oticon, as well as Bernafon and Sonic.
- GN (Denmark): ReSound, along with Beltone, Interton and Jabra Enhance. Prudent does not sell Beltone; the closely related GN brand we fit is ReSound.
- Starkey (USA): independent, family-founded.
Why this matters when you compare
- Shared platforms: sister brands can build on the same chip and research, so features may be similar even when names and prices differ.
- Different positioning: for example, Unitron is often positioned around personalisation and trial flexibility, while Phonak leads its group's flagship range.
- Service and parts: the same group often shares repair and support networks.
- Beware of 'different brand, different technology' marketing: sometimes it is the same technology with a different name and price.
What we fit at Prudent
We work with Signia, Phonak, Unitron, ReSound, Oticon, Widex and other brands, and recommend based on your audiogram, lifestyle and budget rather than loyalty to a group. See our brand pages for Signia, Phonak, Unitron, ReSound, Oticon and Widex.
Compare sister brands
Ownership can change with acquisitions, so treat this as a guide and check each manufacturer for the latest. Book a free hearing test to try brands side by side.
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