Phonak Sphere Infinio

Phonak Sphere Infinio Hearing Aid Review

Hearing clearly in a noisy restaurant, café or group is one of the biggest complaints hearing impaired individuals have. Speech is unclear, voices are muffled and the cacophony of noise just overwhelms conversation. Hearing aids have tried to fix this problem with directional microphones, noise filters and AI filters but all struggle to truly separate speech when it’s extremely noisy.
Phonak’s Sphere Infinio claims to solve this problem with a dedicated AI processor 53 times more powerful than anything else on the market making it able to isolate a speaker in all directions. Never before has a hearing aid had a dedicated chip focused solely on speech in noise separation.

Phonak Infinio comes in 5 models

Phonak Virto Infinio R is Phonak’s first Rechargeable in-the-ear hearing aid following the likes of Signia, Starkey and Resound.

Key Features

Automatic Environment Switcher – Autosense OS

Phonak’s automatic program switcher has always been one of the best. The hearing aid dynamically changes programs by monitoring your sound environment, making adjustments to provide the best speech clarity and comfort in that particular environment.

Universal Bluetooth Streaming

Phonak Infinio comes with all the connectivity you’ll ever need. Whether you’re connecting to a phone, laptop, TV, tablet or even a public venue broadcast system, Infinio has you covered. 

• Bluetooth Classic – Enabled 
• Bluetooth LE Audio – Enabled
• Bluetooth Auracast – Enabled
• Bluetooth Auracast and LE Audio are still in development and

Dedicated DeepSonic AI Deep Neural Network Chip

Phonak have managed to pack in a 2nd AI processor in their larger Sphere Infinio hearing aid, capable of processing sound and speech only possible before in large scale computers. They even claim to process up to 7,700 million calculations per second and to be 53 times more powerful than anything else currently on the market.

Key Figures

• Deep Neural Network trained on 22 million sound samples
• Speech in noise processor with 64 channels of separation
• 36.8% better speech in noise understanding
• 45% reduction in listening effort
• 21% less hearing fatigue with speech enhancer on

Additional Features

Long term Durability and Waterproofing

With an IP68 water and dust resistance rating, the Infinio hearing aids are set to take a beating. Gone are the days worrying about your devices dying during sweaty workouts or after forgetting them during a shower. IP68 is good for 30 minutes of submersion in 1.5m deep waters, making it now possible to swim with your devices in!

Speaker Dome Options (Eartips)

As seen below, Phonak has a range of Domes and Earmoulds. With an experienced audiologist, they can select the right option to match your ear shape, hearing loss,cosmetic, and dexterity needs.

myPhonak App – Hearing aid controls

The NEW myPhonak app is available for both iPhone and Android allowing you to control settings like volume, programs, directionality, and tap control. The NEW app also has smart features to keep track of your health and cognition.

For instructions on how to pair your Phone with your Phonak hearing aids click here: Android

Battery Life

Phonak Infinio Recharegeable options are set to last 16 to 20 hours (on a 3 to 4 hr full charge) giving you a full day of sound.

Chargers

Phonak Infinio R

• ChargerGo RIC Infinio – with Battery
• Charger RIC Infinio – without Battery

Phonak Sphere Infinio

• ChargerGo RIC Infinio – with Battery

Phonak Virto Infinio 

• Virto Charger

Drawbacks

Increased Size – 

• Although Infinio R is a similar size to previous models, Sphere Infinio is quite large in comparison to pack in a secondary AI chip. Not everyone is willing to give-up additional visibility behind the ear for additional speech clarity.
• For those who are looking for the best in class for ease of hearing in a noisy place, it’s a fantastic option.

Feedback/Whistling

• Phonak hearing aids have always struggled in reducing feedback/whistling. Audiologists must occlude the ear canal with tight domes to reduce this, which may reduce residual hearing and cause an echo in user’s own voice.
• Depending on your hearing loss, tolerance of occlusion (echo in your voice when blocking your ear) and other factors like the device size, Phonak may not be the best option.

Verdict

Phonak Infinio is an exciting breach into a new world of hearing. We are finally getting a glimpse of what AI integration can do to tackle decades old problems in the hearing aid industry. Their great range of options will hopefully provide something suitable for you. But it’s always important to rely on your audiologist to select the best option for your hearing loss, lifestyle, aesthetic choices and management needs.