Super-Ear Type H with Headband/Ear Clip

The Super-Ear Type H was manufactured by the American Ear Phone Company of New York, NY in 1926.

It could be worn with a headband (shown in picture) or with an ear clip (shown later).

The Super-Ear was primarily sold via direct mail.

With the headband, it weighed just 1.2 oz. (34 g). It measured 1¾" (front to back) x 2 7/16" high x 1¼" (width of scoop) (4.4 x 6.3 x 3.1 cm).
 

The scoop funneled the sound waves to the back of the scoop where there was a narrow opening at the end of the raised metal  sound chamber (middle) from which the sounds then proceeded to the ear tip (white bottom)

Note that the sound chamber of the Type H (on the floor of the scoop) was much thicker, with larger opening at the back end and had a more efficient shape than the sound chamber of the previous model (Type G), so it should have worked better.

With the Type H Super-Ear there was an optional binaural headband so you could wear a Super-Ear in both ears.

Wearing a single-sided Super-Ear was the equivalent of wearing just one hearing aid.
 

The ear clip assembly is shown directly below the Super-Ear scoop.
 

The ear clip wires were flexible and could be bent to comfortably fit smaller or larger ears.
 

At the top it reads, "Pat. U.S. 3-3-25" (March 3, 1925) and "Canada 3-31-25" (March 31, 1925).

In the middle it reads, "Apply to better ear". (This fixed the error in English grammar on the previous model, the Type G, which read "Apply to best ear".

Below that is "Trade Mark Super-Ear", "Amer. Earphone Co. New York" and the model, "Type H".

This was a change from the previous model (Type G) where the ear tip was glued in place so it was "one size fits all".

The ear tip was held in place by friction.
 

The Super-Ear mimicked cupping your hand behind your ear so you could hear better.

Front view of the Super-Ear Type H showing the dummy wearing it on the right ear held in place with ear clips. Note that the ear clips did not hold the Super-Ear as tightly to the external ear as did wearing the headband.

Rear view of the Super-Ear Type H showing the dummy wearing it on the right ear, and also showing how the ear clips fastened around the pinna holding it in place.

Although the ear clips were designed to be bent to fit different sizes of ears, the Super-Ear with ear clips did not fit as tightly to the ear with the ear clips as it did when wearing a headband.

There was also a different insert packaged with some Super-Ear Type H models. Read the original instructions on how to use these Super-Ear auricles.
 

Ads appearing in the late 1920's stated "Non-Electric, No Battery, No Cords, No Headband Necessary". Their advertising also stated, "Thousands now used by judges, teachers, merchants, etc."

Note on the center of the box lid are the three essential points—"non-electrical, no cord, no battery"—a jab at the new-fangled vacuum tube hearing aids that were just appearing around this time, as well as at the current carbon hearing aids—both of which needed costly batteries that soon wore out, and which had cords that got tangled and broke.

View of the box the Super-Ear Type H came in.

The box measured 4¼" x 3¼" x 2⅛" (10.8 x 8.3 x 5.4 cm).

View of the insert that came in the box with the Super-Ear Type H.

Note that they recommended you should use your better ear and not to expect instant results.