Phonak released its latest technology in hearing aid in August 2024, fully loaded with deep neural network (DNN) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) algorithms. In a nutshell, it sounds superior to all other hearing aids on the market. The product will be available to the UK market in early September 2024, so I thought this review could be beneficial to those following hearing aid technologies or the ones in the market to purchase one. Continue ready to find out more about Phonak Infinio.
#phonak #phonaklumity #phonakinfinio #phonakshpere #hearingnow #infinitepossibilities #spherespeechclarity
From what has been published about Phonak Infinio the highlights of the hearing aid are:
Unmatched Speech Clarity: Thanks to its proprietary DEEPSONIC chip, the Audéo Sphere™ provides remarkable clarity of speech from any direction. Users experience an impressive 10dB improvement in signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), making conversations clearer than ever before—up to 3.7dB better than competitor devices.
Revolutionary AI Processing: The DEEPSONIC chip, with 53 times more processing power than existing industry technologies, employs a Deep Neural Network (DNN) with over 4.5 million connections. This allows for dynamic, real-time adjustments, enabling users to actively participate in conversations, regardless of background noise.
Significant Reductions in Listening Effort: Studies show that users experience a 45% reduction in listening effort and 21% less fatigue during prolonged use. This means that you can enjoy social interactions longer and with more ease.
What technology platforms is Phonak Infinio available?
The Phonak Infinio technology comes in two technology platforms:
Phonak Audeo Infinio
Both above platforms use the new AI and DNN chipset called ERA, but the premium model Phonak Audeo Sphere Infinio integrated onboard a second chip dedicated to artificial intelligence processing of the sound. This second chip enhances the hearing aids to adapt dynamically and seamlessly to complex soundscapes and does a better job of enhancing speech in noisy environments.
Each technology platform is tailored to satisfy the needs of a different user: Audeo Infinio offers a versatile option for those seeking reliable performance without advanced AI processing, while Audeo Sphere Infinio offer the next level of processing for a higher speech understanding in noisy environments.
How Phonak Audeo Sphere Infinio can achieve such superior speech intelligibility?
Going above and beyond any existing hearing aid technology, it is powered by not one, but two chips: ERA™, a proprietary ultra-responsive chip, and DEEPSONIC ™, the world’s first dedicated AI chip for sound processing inside a hearing aid. It’s 53 times more powerful than current industry chip technology, enabling a deep neural network with 4.5 million neural connections to instantly separate speech from noise from any direction. Thanks to the AI chip, the new Spheric Speech Clarity feature unlocks a level of clean and clear speech far beyond any existing technology, so you can focus on what’s important.
What are the benefits of having two processing chips in Phonak Audeo Sphere Infinio?
Phonak's research shows that Spheric Speech Clarity doubles your chances of hearing and understanding each one. Having a dedicated AI chip in Phonak Audeo Sphere Infinio hearing aids offers you:
Instant speech separation from noise all around - with an unprecedented 10dB signal-to-noise ratio improvement.1
Expanded access to speech from any direction1, allowing you to excel in noisy environments with multiple speakers talking at the same time.
Navigating even noisier environments without an increase in listening effort.2
Increased speech understanding in complex listening environments by up to 36.7%, compared to two other leading devices.
What is the difference between Phonak Audeo Lumity and Phonak Audeo Infinio?
My understanding is that the Infinio platform is a step up in terms of AI and deep neural network (DNN) functionality. The dedicated AI chip in Phonak Sphere Infinio is called DEEPSONIC™, Deep Sound Optimized Neural Integrated Chip. Is this something new? Yes, a dedicated AI processor in Phonak hearing aids is new. Phonak Lumity was claimed to use AI for better speech understanding in noisy environments but as Phonak CTO (chief technology officer) said the Phonak Infinio is a game changer, like the first time the digital hearing aids were introduced to the market.
DEEPSONIC chip offers 53 times more processing power, 22 million sound samples used for training its DNN algorithm, and 7700 operations per second. What does it mean to the end user? According to Phonak, Spheric Speech Clarity doubles your chances of hearing and understanding each one.
It also helps you listen effortlessly when in a noisy restaurant or event with impressive statistics such as:
34% less listening effort with a speech from a distance
45% less listening effort with a speech from an adjacent room
Phonak Infinio uses AutoSense 6.0 which is the upgraded version of Phonak AutoSense 5.0 used in Lumity. The AutoSense works as the operating system of Phonak hearing aids. Phonak hearing aids can sense the soundscape and adjust automatically to a setting suitable for the noise and other aspects of the sound in the environment that the wearer is stepping in. This happens all automatically.
I have to clarify that just like other hearing aids, your experience in hearing speech better with Phonak Audeo Infinio also depends on the way they are fitted in your ears. If they are fitted with open domes (which is recommended for most of the mild to moderate hearing loss profiles) then the background noise can easily pass through the domes and be heard. It relies on the expertise of your audiologist to find the optimum balance between comfort, acoustics and what Phonak Infinio hearing aids can offer for a better speech understanding in the presence of background noise.
What technology levels the Phonak Audeo Infinio hearing aids are?
It is nice to know that the new Phonak Infinio platform comes in all form factors off the bat and in several different technology levels. I will update this article with more information about the differences in each technology level as soon as Phonak releases more information. For now here are the form factors and the technology levels you can consider for Phonak Infinio:
Phonak Audeo Infinio - It comes as RIC (receiver in the canal) and in 4 technology levels: I90, I70, I50 and I30.
Phonak Audeo Sphere Infinio - The premium version of Phonak Infinio comes only in I90 and I70 technology levels.
Phonak Audeo Infinio CROS - It is great to have a CROS version right off the bat for a new platform. The Phonak Audeo Infinio CROS goes with Phonak Audeo Infinio. Sphere Infinio does not have a CROS version.
Phonak Virto Infinio - The Phonak Virto Infinio is for in the canal and in the ear style including IIC, CIC and ITE models and comes in I90, I70, I50 and I30. More on this follows.
Does Phonak Infinio hearing aids come in an invisible in-the-ear model?
Yes, Phonak Virto Infinio comes in four technology levels I90, I70, I50 and I30 and in IIC, CIC, ITE and ITE styles. The ITE and ITE can be rechargeable with seamless connectivity for multiple devices streaming through classic Bluetooth. In addition to a complete range of Virto rechargeable In-the-Ear (ITE) devices, Phonak Virto Infinio comes in battery-powered non-wireless Completely-in-Canal (CIC) and titanium Invisible-in-Canal (IIC) aids.
Here is what you can expect from Phonak Virto Infinio:
Pair up to 8 Bluetooth devices with the option of 2 simultaneously connected (only ITE and ITC come with Bluetooth connectivity)
Powered by the ERA chip for handsfree calls and streaming across 2x distance
Seamlessly shifts between acoustic and streaming modes
RogerDirect built-in
Compatible with myPhonak
Does Phonak Audeo Infinity offer better Bluetooth connectivity and streaming?
My understanding is that similar to older models Phonak has decided to stay faithful to Classic Bluetooth for its latest platform Phonak Infinio. However, according to the published reports the Phonak Audeo Infinio hearing aids uses Bluetooth 5.3 which have a more stable Bluetooth connectivity with a longer range compared to Phonak Lumity which uses Bluetooth 4.2. Classic Bluetooth connectivity means better connectivity with Android mobile phones. Also same as Phonal Audeo Lumity, the Phonak Audeo Inferio can pair to 8 and connect to 2 Bluetooth devices at the same time and switch between them as and if needed. This feature makes Phonak Audeo Inferio a great option for people who working from home and need direct connectivity of their hearing aids to their laptop (e.g. for Zoom and Team online meetings).
The great news is that Phonak Audeo Infinio is Auracast ready (more on Auracast in this article).
Another piece of news is that none of the Phonak Infinio family is equipped with Telecoil.
What are the differences in Phonak Audeo Infinio's technology levels?
Please see the technology levels and the specs of each level of Phonak Audeo Infinio hearing aids. My best advice is to choose the Phonak Audeo Sphere Infinio if you are keen to get the best performance of hearing speech in a noisy environment. As per the research reports it is clear that The Sphere premium model with the help of a DEEPSONIC chip makes a huge difference in hearing speech better in noisy environments. Phonak's in-house research indicates that Phonak Audeo Sphere Infinio achieved an improvement of 10 dB in signal-to-noise (SNR), a record in the hearing aid industry so far.
If hearing speech in noise is not a massive factor in your criteria of selection and you wish to choose the standard Infinio, then I'd recommend Phonak Audeo Infinio I90 or I70 to ensure you benefit from all the latest developments in the ERA chip.
Are Phonak Audeo Infinio hearing aids waterproof?
The Phonak Audeo Infinio and Phonak Audeo Sphere Infinio are IP68, which means they are highly resistant to water and dust. Phonak has brought in a lot of good technologies for coating the internal components of these hearing aids from its waterproof model Phonak Audeo Lumity Life. So generally speaking the Phonak Audeo Infinio is more resilient to water, moisture and dust compared to the Phonak Lumity platform although they both are IP68.
What are the colour sets of Phonak Audeo Infinio hearing aids?
Please find Phonak Audeio Infinio's colour set below.
What hearing aid accessories are compatible with Phonak Audeo Infinio?
The following Phonak accessories are compatible with Phonal Audeo Infinio:
TV Connector,
Phonak PartnerMic,
Phonak RemoteControl,
Roger's microphones, including Roger On iN V2, and
myPhonak app.
What is the battery life of Phonak Audeo Infinio?
Phonak indicated the run time of a fully charged Phonak Audeo Infinio is 16 hours with a 3-hour budget for streaming. I have asked Phonak tech support in the UK to clarify more on the battery side. We know that the Sphere Infinio is very power-hungry simply because of the dual chip and a lot of processing. If on Sphere mode all the time your Phonak Audeo Sphere Infinio will need a recharge only after 7 hours which is a concern. A quick 15-minute charge will give you 3 hours of run time though which is nice.
Is Phonak Audeo Sphere Infinio the smallest RIC hearing aid?
Appreciating the dual processor in the Sphere model and the extra coating to safeguard the electronics inside the Phonak Audeo Sphere Infinio does not allow this hearing aid to be the smallest in the market. The Phonak Infinio and Sphere Infinio are bigger than Phonak Paradise, Phonak Lumity and Phonak Lumity Life, and also bigger than rivals such as Starkey Genesis microRIC and Resound Nexia microRIC. If you have small ears then you may want to consider the named hearing aids, also more about the Smallest RIC hearing aids in this article.
What are the rooms for improvement on Phonak Audeo Infinio?
The Phonak Audeo Infini is one of the best hearing aids introduced in 2024. I am totally impressed by their performance in speech understanding in noisy environment but they could improve in:
It is big. This may put off some patients, especially ladies looking for discrete hearing aids and those with small pinna.
It doesn't support LE Audeo Bluetooth.
Using the Sphere Speech in Noise program for ultimate noise control and speech intelligibility will reduce the run time of a fully charged unit from 16 to only 7 hours.
When will Phonak Audeo Infinio become available to purchase in the UK?
The product launch is planned for late August and the product will be available for purchase in the UK from early September 2024. Please contact us if you have any questions about Phonak Audeo Infinio, or if you wish to pre-order Phonak Audeo Infinio hearing aids.
How best can I insure my Phonak Audeo Infinio?
If you are worried about losing your Phonak Audeo Infinio then the best option is to consider an insurance policy for them. Please see your options for hearing aid insurance here.
Here is what you can expect from Phonak Infinio:
Sound quality: The ERA chip features APD 3.0, a new audiological fitting model that provides superior sound quality from the first fitting, and AutoSense OS 6.0 with SmartSpeech technology, improving speech understanding by 16% and reducing listening effort by 45%.
Connectivity: The Infinio family offers classic Bluetooth connectivity with Auracast, ensuring quick and easy connections with smartphones. The ERA chip’s ultra-responsive design allows more stable Bluetooth connectivity that doubles the range (compared to Phonak Lumity).
Reliability and battery life: Made in Switzerland, Phonak Infinio hearing aids undergo rigorous testing, ensuring mechanical robustness, are IP68 rated and offer 16 hours of battery life.
Why shouldn't I buy Phonak Infinio hearing aids?
It is hard to imagine any show stopper for Phonak Infinio hearing aids just that the battery life of the Phonak Infion is reported as 16 hours which compared to other leading-edge hearing aids is shorter. The Phonka Infinio Sphere comes with a portable charger that gives a bit of ear of mind as you can charge them on the go, but the standard Infinio comes with a desktop charger. Phonak's study suggest that the average use of hearing aids is about 13 hours per day, but then you coudl imagine that the run time of a fully charged unit will certainly drop over the life of the hearing aid. I reckon you might need to send the aids for a replacement of their rechargeable battery, so my best advice is to make sure that you buy Phonak Infinio and Phonak Audeo Infinio Sphere with 5 years warranty.
Conclusion
If you are in the market to upgrade your hearing aids then Phonak Audeo Infinio would be a very competitive candidate compared to other premium hearing aids. My best advice is to choose Phonak Audeo Sphere Infinio over Phonak Audeo Infinio simply because of the extra processing power for speech intelligibility and the 10 dB additional signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) that Shere can offer over and above the standard Infinio platform.
I will be updating this post as soon as I get a chance to receive a demo kit to try them myself. Also, I'll be providing updates to this post when my patients have a chance to try Phonak Audeo Infinio and provide some feedback. Until then here is a summary of the latest hearing aid technology Phonak Infinio.
All the Infinio models include the ERA chip which handles sound processing, noise reduction, AI, connectivity, and personalisation. The Phonak Audeo Sphere Infinio has a second chip dedicated to artificial intelligence (AI) for superior speech intelligibility in noisy environments.
At the end of this report, I'd like to invite you to watch the launch of Phonak Audeo Sphere Infinio in the US reported by Dr Cliff.
Updates:
5th of September 2024 - I had the pleasure of attending the Phonak Audeo Infinio launch in the UK held at the BAFTA gallery in London on Thursday 6th of September. Here is a summary of my takeaways:
Regarding connectivity, the Phonak Audeo Infinio is Auracsdt ready. Also, its classic Bluetooth has x6 transmitter power compared to Lumity), it benefits from smart left-right diversity meaning the aids will automatically switch to take the lead in connecting to your smartphone based on the position and signal strength, instant connectivity at boot with your smartphone (no more waiting for the hearing aid to connect to your mobile-phone Bluetooth), and they can immediately switch between streaming to listening modes and vice versa. All this provides a much more steady and readily user experience when it comes to connectivity.
The Phonak Infinity model compared to Phonak Lumity has an updated operating system and uses a new set fitting data set that has improvements in sound quality (inspired by the music and the learnings in the HiFi music industry), better reliability, wider colour range, the option of portable power-pack charger, and other features that makes one convinced to go for Infinio versus Lumity.
The Phonak Sphere Infinio model provides the best speech understanding in the presence of noise in the industry. Up to now, there was no other product in the market that had a dedicated processor for AI and DNN that could provide 10+ dB improvement in SNR overall. The results are that participants in in-house research confirmed that Phonak Sphere Infinio increased their chance of understanding speech in a noisy space 2 to 3 times more than other hearing aids.
The charger unit comes in two versions, with and without a portable power bank. The one with a power bank can give you 3 times full charge on the go.
The custom-made Infinio family is ready to order. The Titanium invisible IIC Infinio and the CIC version of the Infinio take a size 10 battery, but the ITE and ITC styles are only in the rechargeable model.
They also announced Roger On iN V3 which is the family of Phonak Roger remote microphones which are now with unlimited receivers. This gives good news in terms of the delay in repairs and replacement and connectivity to the hearing aids when there is a need for repair.
Only four colours are available for distribution in September 2024: Sand Beige, Silver, Graphite, and Champagne.
Phonak Infinio CROS is also available at any tech level of Phonak Infinio. Phonak Infinio Sphere has no CROS solution at this time.
If you decide to purchase the standard Phonak Audeo Infinio I highly recommend paying the £100 extra and purchasing the power-pack portable charger instead of the standard desktop charge. It is worth the upgrade.
I have reflected on my trial of Phonak Infinio Sphere in a separate article: https://www.hearingnow.co.uk/learning/phonak-infinio-sphere-a-review-by-a-deaf-audiologist
References:
Thibodeau L. M. (2020). Benefits in Speech Recognition in Noise with Remote Wireless Microphones in Group Settings. Journal of the American Academy of Audiology, 31(6), 404–411. https://doi.org/10.3766/jaaa.19060
Enabled by Speech Enhancer with speech coming from an adjacent room; Speech Enhancer reduces the listening effort of speech from the adjacent room." Phonak Field Study News in preparation expected July 2024
Ishida, I., Pichora-Fuller, M.K., Dillon Edgett, L., Voss, S.C., Paccioretti, D., Trusler, A., Liu, Y., Cui, E.M., Qian, J. (2022, Aug 10-14). The effect of a remote microphone technology on the group listening experiences of older adults [Conference Poster#CP311]. IHCON 2022 Conference, Tahoe City, CA, United States.
Latzel, M, Heeren, J and Lesimple, C.(2024) "Speech Enhancer reduces listening effort and fatigue." Phonak Field Study News retrieved from www.phonak.com/evidence
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