The PNW Section held its October 2025 meeting as a Zoom-only presentation, with Stephen Ambrose of ASIUS Technologies speaking about his innovative method to make in-ear devices safe, work at much lower levels, and help restore the brain’s hearing mechanism. Stephen was assisted by Cole Hammer of ASIUS. About 47 persons attended, with 35 being AES members.
PNW Chair Jess Berg opened the meeting, and attendees introduced themselves. PNW Committeeperson Dan Mortensen, who discovered this topic, introduced Stephen Ambrose.
While not yet commercially available, Ambrose has invented in-ear systems with a unique inflating “bubble” as the seal, and unlike conventional hard sealed devices, the bubble relieves the serious problem of pneumatic pressure on the ear overstimulating the acoustic reflex by being flexible, and aids in transcranial sound conduction which can aid in relearning how to hear. The technology is being adapted not only for their custom devices, but also as retrofits for other in-ear transducers including various hearing aids and even the sound attenuator products. Various users were shown reporting better sound at much lower levels, as well as mitigating certain hearing losses and hearing again in ears declared deaf. The technology is called ADEL, for Ambrose Diaphonic Ear Lens.
Ambrose played several videos along with his live Q&A, showing some famous and not so famous user reactions and testimonials, and a keynote address Ambrose gave in 2016 for Autodesk. The videos had much of the technical explanations with animations and graphics. He seemed to admit that his invention of in-ear monitors helped create the problem of such hearing damage that this device helps fix.
One such user testimonial was the PNW’s Charlie Morgan, long-time owner of one of the largest PNW sound companies. Many know he has been deaf in one ear all his life, yet still grew a major sound business. He has been participating in the ADEL research & development, and reported regaining his sense of hearing in that ear, as well as being able to patch in to a live theatre’s assistive system and being able to hear the dialog clearly, despite having a perforation now in the good ear.
Attendees seemed very impressed, with many questions about the technology and the hearing aid aspects.
About our Presenter:
Stephen Ambrose is a world-renowned audio engineer, inventor, and hearing preservation advocate best known as the creator of the in-ear monitor (IEM), a technology that transformed live performance by enabling musicians to hear themselves with clarity on stage. His groundbreaking work with artists such as Stevie Wonder, Simon & Garfunkel, and Rush set a new global standard for professional sound monitoring and reshaped the live music industry.
Building on decades of innovation, Ambrose later founded Asius Technologies, where he invented the Ambrose Diaphonic Ear Lens (ADEL). This revolutionary technology introduces a soft, compliant “second eardrum” that absorbs harmful pneumatic pressure in the ear canal, protecting hearing while enhancing fidelity and spatial sound perception. ADEL has been recognized by both the audio and medical communities as a landmark advancement in hearing safety and sound quality.
Reported by Gary Louie, PNW Secretary.
