Las Vegas — Able Planet has won a Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2012 Innovation Award in the health and wellness category for a new in-the-ear (ITE) personal amplification device that it will be launching in March 2012.

The headphone electronics distributor is positioning the “Personal Sound AMP” device for those with mild to moderate hearing loss. Bloomberg News reports that the device will retail at $800 a pair, joining a growing list of low-cost alternatives to custom hearing aids.

The Able Planet device uses the company’s patented technology called Linx DSP, designed to enhance the soft and medium sound typically produced by speech and music, and reportedly clearly enhancing speech in noisy environments. Amplification settings can also be adjusted through placing a hand over the ear. More information on Linx DSP technology is available on Able Planet’s website.

SOURCE: The Consumer Electronics Show, Bloomberg, and Able Planet.