Category: Blog

Welcome to the third article in this blog series on entering into the world of hearing aids. So far we’ve discussed trying hearing aids for the first time and what it might feel like when you first begin wearing your devices.

During this article, we’ll be discussing some of the thoughts you might be having if you’re coming towards the end of your trial period. Furthermore, I’ll offer some reflections that I hope will help guide your decision about whether you would like to keep your devices, or not.

Thought 1: Reflect

When you first visited Harley Street Hearing, part of your hearing aid assessment will have included discussing the listening situations you find the most challenging.  These are called your ‘outcome measures’ and help your audiologist to assess your progress over the course of your appointments. These measures are unique to you and could have included hearing your family, difficulty socialising, or simpler hearing moments like the doorbell or telephone ringing.

At Harley Street Hearing we care deeply about you and your aural fulfilment and want to provide the best possible improvements. Take time to reflect on the concerns you initially raised with your audiologist and evaluate if you feel these situations have become easier, more difficult, or if there has been no change at all. If you have been keeping a sound diary, then use it to reflect on the changes you have noticed in the last month, since you began wearing your hearing devices.

Thought 2: Don’t panic!

Should you not be getting on as well as you hoped with your devices, then don’t panic. Your follow-up appointments provide the perfect opportunity for you to reflect honestly with your audiologist about your progress. The more information you have to hand (especially where there’s room for improvement) the better, as this allows us to fine-tune your devices and make tailored suggestions to suit the specific challenges you might be facing.

I often describe to my patients that one of three things can happen during their follow-up appointments:

1. You’re getting on well and seeing improvements with your hearing. This is wonderful news and allows us to continue down the rehabilitation journey we have started together. We’ll make adjustments to your hearing aid settings based on your feedback to try and improve things even further.
2. You’re seeing some positives, but also some negatives. This is where we can come back to the drawing board and consider our options. At Harley Street Hearing you are welcome to have trials with multiple devices, to see what options might result in better outcomes for you.  This could be considering a different manufacturer, or maybe a different style of hearing aid.  Your audiologist will guide you on what options they think will have the best chance to overcome the difficulties you have encountered.
3. You’re not getting on well at all and are wondering if hearing aids are the right thing for you. Should this be the case, then there are multiple things we can do together. Firstly, if you are at all on the fence, then we may be able to extend your trial period, giving you the chance to try your hearing aids with further adjustments. However, if you would rather return to trialling hearing aids at another time, then you are welcome to return the devices to us within your trial period, and you will receive a full refund for the devices, minus a small trial fee.

Thought 3: What’s included?

Financial considerations are, of course, a crucial part of your decision-making process. So it’s important to highlight what you would be getting as a hearing aid patient of Harley Street Hearing:

1. A lifetime’s worth of aftercare – all your appointments, including wax removal, are all included within the cost of the hearing aids.
2. Two-year manufacturer warranty on the devices, which can be extended to four years.
3. Complimentary annual reviews. We want to see all of our hearing aid patients at least once a year.  These 60-minute appointments give us the opportunity to check the health of your ears, retest your hearing, and ensure your hearing aids are doing the best job they can be for you.
4. Two years’ worth of batteries. Should your hearing aids use replaceable batteries, enjoy a two year supply, included within the cost of your hearing aids.
5. Excellent customer service.  As of September 2024, Google has us rated at 4.9 stars after a whopping 1362 reviews. Don’t just take our word for it, we pride ourselves on our aftercare and this comes across in how people review us.

We also have the option of payment plans, should this make purchasing the devices more manageable for you.

Even if you choose not to go ahead with the devices, this would not mean the end of your care under Harley Street Hearing. We will endeavour to offer you complimentary annual reviews, to retest your hearing and see if we can be of any further help for you in the years to come. To find out more contact us here.

Enjoy this article? You might be interested in some of our others:

• Audiologist Insider: Part One – So you’ve decided to think about hearing aids
• Audiologist Insider: Part Two – So you’ve started wearing hearing aids?
• How do hearing aids work?

Harley Street Hearing has an exciting new Auditory Training Therapy (ATT) service, and we did an interview with Nadia Abbott, Senior Audiologist at Harley Street Hearing who is running the service to find out more about it.

Welcome Nadia, thanks for taking the time to speak with us! So, tell us a bit more about your background:

I graduated as a Speech Therapist and Audiologist at the University of Pretoria in South Africa in 2010 and over the years I have worked in both speech therapy and audiology settings in South Africa and the UK.  There are not always ample opportunities wherein I can combine these two qualifications’ skillsets but with this new service there is a nice balance between the two.

So tell us what is Auditory Training Therapy?

With the auditory training therapy my background is in the Buffalo Model therapy which was developed initially to treat auditory processing disorder (APD) but has been successful in helping anyone who has processing difficulties to improve these skills, this includes those with hearing loss. The therapy is individualised and focuses on the auditory processing skills that are affected like speech-in-noise processing, sound identification and discrimination, localisation and sound integration from both ears. It does this by helping patients to make new associations between the words or parts of words (called phonemes) that they are hearing and what has actually been said.

Ok let’s take a step back, what is Auditory Processing Disorder?

Auditory Processing Disorder (APD) is a disorder of the central auditory system which causes a disruption in the way an individual’s brain understands what they are hearing. It does not affect the hearing mechanism and can exist in people with normal hearing but also co-exist with individuals who have a hearing loss. In much more basic terms, it’s what the brain does with what the ears hear.

Typical characteristics of someone with APD:

• Unable to localise the direction of sound.​
• Difficulty understanding words that are spoken quickly or in a noisy room.​
• Difficulty paying attention to auditory information.​
• Reading and spelling difficulties.​
• Challenges following directions unless they are short and simple.​
• Challenges with learning a new language.​
• Difficulties singing or enjoying music.​
• Trouble understanding and remembering spoken information.​
• Taking longer to reply to someone who is talking to you.​
• Often need others to repeat themselves.​
• Struggles to understand sarcasm or jokes.

Does a person have to be diagnosed with APD to benefit from Auditory Training Therapy?

Yes and no. If someone has normal hearing but they suspect they may have APD then we would recommend an APD assessment to diagnose APD and to determine which processing skills, they struggle with.

If someone has hearing loss, then we know that some of their processing skills will be affected due to the loss and duration of the loss, so in these cases the assessment is not done to necessarily diagnose APD but to determine which processing skill are affected so we can focus our therapy accordingly. Hearing technology would also be recommended since improving access to speech sounds will help ensure the brain is getting as much information as possible which helps with processing.  Beyond this, if there are still difficulties then ATT would also be recommended.

Expanding on that last point, Harley Street Hearing has a lot of patients with hearing loss, so who would you recommend should have ATT?

Patients who would benefit most from this therapy are individuals who have been fitted with hearing aids and have had fine tunings and adjustments made to their hearing aids but still feel that they are struggling in various situations regarding their hearing.  It is important to note that often the difficulties experienced are not a result of the ears not accessing the sound with the hearing aids but more due to how this sound is processed by the brain. During ATT we identify where the brain is struggling, and we address this in the therapy. This therapy has even been proven to be successful for individuals with Cochlear Implants, a special type of hearing device that is implanted into the ear.

How is the Auditory Training Therapy program structured at Harley Street Hearing?

The program consists of 12 weeks of therapy but there will always be an assessment before we start therapy and a re-assessment at the end to determine the level of improvement of the affected auditory skillset. This therapy can be offered in the clinic or via telecare remote sessions over Zoom.

If someone is interested in Auditory Training Therapy, what should they do to access this service?

If you have already been diagnosed with APD, suspect you may have APD or if you are already one of our loyal patients who wears hearing aids and feel that you need some additional help to improve your hearing experience then give us a call to get more information or to get the right appointment booked for you. Contact us here.

Thank you so much Nadia for taking the time to speak with us about Auditory Processing Disorder and Auditory Training Therapy!

Enjoy this article? You might be interested in some of our others:

• Does loss of hearing affect balance?
• Audiologist Insider – So you’ve decided to think about hearing aids
• Can an ear infection lead to hearing loss?

I will be the first to admit that I’ve been very excited about Phonak’s new Audéo Sphere Infinio hearing aid. However, my responsibility to you is to go beyond just outlining those positives.

I’ll discuss the top five reasons I think you should buy them, but they are definitely not without their flaws, so I have an equal number of negatives that you need to consider before you do so.

Reasons you should buy the Audéo Sphere Infinio

It’s been a few weeks now since I attended the epic launch of this new hearing aid technology, and I was delighted to be the only audiologist from the UK to attend. Now that I’ve had some time to get hands-on with them, here are five standout features that I think are worth shouting about.

1. Speech in noise processing

Firstly is Phonak’s introduction of their Deep Sonic chip, which is a world first. These hearing aids contain a separate computer chip designed to separate the speech you want to hear from background noise. Honestly, I wish you could have all been exposed to the demonstrations I experienced, because not only does it work, but it works incredibly well. In fact, in a couple of weeks’ time, I aim to upload some sound files demonstrating its capabilities versus some of Phonak’s competitors, so make sure that you watch this space.

This Deep Sonic chip essentially cleans up speech from noise using artificial intelligence in the form of a deep neural network, which has been trained using 22 million sound samples. Phonak claims it is capable of performing 7.7 billion operations per second. As a result, Phonak boasts that this provides a 10 dB signal-to-noise ratio improvement and up to 36.7% enhancement in speech understanding in noisy environments compared to their competitors.

Now, you don’t need to just take my word for it. Hearing Tracker has teamed up with HearAdvisor, an independent hearing aid vetting lab that has built a breathtaking audio lab allowing for the independent testing of all hearing aid technology. The mastermind behind this is Dr. Steve Taddei, and for the first time ever, this setup allows for the comparison of hearing aid products using a standardised test battery.

Now, you might be thinking, why is this important? Well, instead of relying on each manufacturer’s testing, where somehow they always manage to find a way to rank themselves as number one with their own results, for the first time it’s now possible to compare each manufacturer reliably. Here’s the latest data from HearAdvisor comparing all manufacturers’ latest products, and as you can see, the new Audéo Sphere Infinio is leaps and bounds ahead of every other hearing aid manufacturer for speech-in-noise performance.

So, the take-home message is that this artificial intelligence Deep Sonic chip is really doing what Phonak is promising.

2. Automatic environmental adaptability

Impressive new feature number two is Phonak’s update to AutoSense from version 5 to version 6. Now, AutoSense is one of my favourite adaptive programs out there. It’s designed to continuously analyse your surrounding acoustic environment and make real-time adjustments to optimise sound clarity and comfort.

This feature automatically categorises the world into seven key areas, including:

• Calm situations
• Speech in noise
• Spheric speech in loud noise
• Speech in car
• Comfort in noise
• Music

Your audiologist has full control over how these hearing aids react in each specific environment and can adjust them accordingly, which, in my opinion, is unrivalled by any other hearing aid manufacturer out there at this moment in time.

With this new AutoSense development, Phonak claims they have enhanced speech understanding by a further 16% and reduced listening effort by up to 45%, which again contributes to the hearing aids reducing background noise, making it easier for you to focus on conversations. This means you can rely more on your ears and less on focusing on lip reading and the context within a sentence.

3. Bluetooth connectivity

Phonak have always been pretty unique in their approach to connectivity, and they’re the only manufacturer out there to use classic Bluetooth, allowing you to connect to any Bluetooth source, including smartphones, tablets, and computers. This integration supports a wide range of audio codecs, ensuring high-quality streaming regardless of the source, and it also supports dual streaming, allowing you to connect to multiple devices simultaneously, which isn’t possible from any other hearing aid manufacturer out there at this moment in time.

Within the Infinio family of hearing aids, Phonak have improved the transmission power over their previous models, providing a far more stable Bluetooth connection. This ensures consistent audio quality and connectivity over a longer distance and creates a seamless, lag-free transition when switching audio between different sources.

On top of that, the Spheres also support hands-free calling, which is pretty limited with other hearing aid manufacturers, meaning you can keep your phone in your pocket, and the microphones on your hearing aids will pick up your voice to send to the other person on the end of the phone. This is both a positive and a negative, which I’ll discuss later.

The final connectivity feature which I think Phonak is right to be bragging about is the introduction of LE Audio, meaning they’re also Auracast-ready and will be compatible with the pending Auracast transmitters that we’re likely to see rolled out in public venues over the next few years.

It’s worth noting that, while it’s built into the Infinio, it hasn’t yet been activated. This will likely be done in the future with a simple and free firmware update. At this moment in time, in my opinion, it’s not really a big deal, as, as far as I’m aware, no public venues have yet installed the Auracast transmitters. But I do promise to update you on this as soon as I know more about that update.

4. Versatility

Reason number four that you should buy the Infinio Sphere is its versatility. As far as suitability goes, these are the fitting ranges for the interchangeable receiver wires, so whether you have a mild, moderate, severe, or profound hearing loss, they’re technically suitable for you.

I’m delighted to say that this also includes Phonak’s ActiveVent receivers, which I am a big fan of. This receiver, which is unique to Phonak, has a built-in moving piston that changes its position depending on your listening environment. It diverts either more or less sound naturally down your ear canal or, on the contrary, via the hearing aids.

So why would we want this? In turn, this will change how well you hear in noise, how clear your voice sounds, how clearly you can hear in general, and also how music sounds when it’s being streamed from your phone. If you’re wondering if this matters—yes, it does. A lot. There are both positives and negatives to having your ear canals either open or closed, and depending on your hearing loss, sometimes it’s beneficial to have a hearing aid that can do both, but on different occasions. Until ActiveVent was released by Phonak, this wasn’t possible.

For example, in a quiet environment, you might want the vent to be open, allowing natural sound in and out, giving you a nice, natural feeling and connecting you with your environment. Yet, when in noise, it’s better to have your ears closed so that all the sound you’re hearing is via your hearing aids, having been cleaned of background noise. The same thing goes for music and streaming, so when streaming from your phone, the ActiveVent will close, both blocking sound in and blocking sound out simultaneously, which should enhance your music, giving it greater fullness and richness when the sound is being streamed from your phone.

5. Robustness & durability

Now, my fifth and final reason that I think you should definitely try out these hearing aids, before I come on to the not-so-great elements about them, is their robustness. With Phonak’s previous family of hearing aids, they had one standout model which was brutally tested and pushed to the limits in terms of robustness—this was called their Life model.

When I was recently at the launch for the Audéo Sphere Infinio hearing aids, Phonak was screaming from the rooftops about this extra protection having resulted in far fewer breakdowns over the last few years, and I’m delighted to tell you today that Phonak has taken on board your feedback about the previous standards just not being good enough.

Reasons not to buy the Audéo Sphere Infinio

Now, I always share both sides of the story, and while everything I’ve listed so far is exactly what I would want a hearing aid to do, it wouldn’t be fair of me not to give you a balanced view of the technology. There are five things that mean the Audéo Sphere Infinio is not perfect for everybody out there.

1. Size

So, let’s discuss size. I honestly don’t think the size of these hearing aids is an issue, and I don’t want you to dwell too much on it. But I know it was also a concern that Phonak had when they were launching this technology. So, just to give you an idea in terms of size, here is a banana for scale, then you can see Phonak’s previous model, the L R, and also their biggest current competition, the Oticon Intent.

In all honesty, gone are the days when it used to be the race for the smallest hearing aids. Yes, there are, without question, smaller receiver-in-canal hearing aids out there, such as the Widex Moment, but it comes at a significant cost for functionality. For example, you will lose Bluetooth connectivity, rechargeability, and overall functions around clarity and noise reduction capabilities.

2. No disposable batteries

A recent poll on my Hearing Tracker YouTube channel showed at least a third of my subscribers use disposable batteries. Now, of course, I cannot be certain about this, but I am 99% sure—99.9% sure—that the Audéo Sphere Infinios will never be released in a disposable battery option. I know that’s a brave statement to make, but I feel that with the computational power within these hearing aids, and the energy that’s needed to drive them, I just don’t think a zinc-air battery will meet its needs.

That isn’t to say that the lesser-spec Audéo Infinios won’t come with a disposable battery option in the future, a little bit like we saw with the Phonak Lumity hearing aids. But it is worth noting that it was a good two years after their initial release that we saw the non-rechargeable version.

3. Battery performance

Now, I just knew that battery life was going to be a factor with these hearing aids. When I was initially exposed to these hearing aids back in January this year, way before they were released, Phonak, at a top-secret event, coyly asked us how important it was that the batteries on these hearing aids last for a full day. Well, it doesn’t take a genius to figure out that there may be some issues around this, or it might be an issue going forward with regards to it lasting for a full day.

So, what does this mean in reality as far as you’re concerned? If the hearing aids are working in their AutoSense setting and adapting according to your environment, and you have a balanced lifestyle, then I am pleased to report that you will not have issues with battery life. They will last you for a full day.

Where the issue comes in is when the artificial intelligence ‘spherical speech in noise, speech in loud noise mode runs continuously. Continuous use could potentially reduce the battery life to around half of its capability. Only time will tell in reality if this is a significant problem for normal daily use.

4. Compatibility

As far as connectivity goes, there is no telecoil and no CROS system compatibility with the Spheres, and I am a big fan of both. If you are interested in the telecoil, then you’ll have to stick with Phonak’s Lumity family of hearing aids for now or look into one of Phonak’s competitors.

However, if you’re interested in a CROS system, then you can look at the standard Infinio. In all honesty, the lack of a telecoil shouldn’t be an issue for you going forward with the introduction of LE Audio and Auracast. However, until we see that global rollout of those transmitters into public venues, and if you’re used to utilising a loop system, then these hearing aids may not be right for you.

5. Bluetooth

The fifth issue that I’ve identified with the Infinio is the fact that Phonak uses classic Bluetooth. Yes, you heard me correctly—this came up in the positives too. That’s because, in my opinion, it is a blessing and a curse at the same time. All right, that sounds quite dramatic—it’s not that bad at all!

One feature that my patients love about their Phonak hearing aids is the fact that their microphones pick up their voice when they’re on the phone, and you can keep your phone in your pocket, giving you a truly hands-free experience, a bit like using a set of AirPods when you’re on a phone call.

The downside of this is that I have some patients—again, this depends on the phone they use—who report that if they take a call in a moderately noisy environment, the person on the other end of the call may struggle to hear them speaking. Now, to be fair, this is an issue with all manufacturers. However, the other guys do allow you to turn it on and off. I don’t know if this will change when the LE Audio features are enabled down the line, I will report back on this as soon as I know more.

But there is a fix if you’re an Apple user, which is to enable voice isolation mode on the phone itself. When enabled, this feature isolates the microphones on your hearing aids to pick up your voice only, and it cuts out—or aims to cut out—the surrounding noise, making it better for those hearing you on the other end of your phone call. And it does work.

So, now you should have a balanced view of all this new technology. But before you even consider buying them, you have to check out the best hearing aids of 2024.

Phonak Audéo Infinio Sphere Review: 5 Reasons to Buy it and 5 Reasons to Not!

Matthew Allsop is a Partner at Harley Street Hearing and the content creator for Hearing Tracker, where he shares his honest opinions on all things to do with hearing health and hearing aid technology. Hearing Tracker is the world’s first truly independent resource for hearing aid customers. You can watch his video reviewing the Phonak Audéo Infinio Sphere below.

Enjoy this article? You might be interested in some of our others:

• Phonak releases brand new Infinio hearing aids
• Reviewing the Phonak Infinio family of hearing aids
• Oticon Intent hearing aids review: The pros and cons

There are an estimated 3.6 billion gamers worldwide, which is almost half of the world’s population. This includes all different types of gaming – from casually playing on your smartphone to more serious PC, PlayStation, Xbox and Nintendo players.

For the more serious gamers, there’s a silent threat lurking: your hearing.

Gaming brings with it a huge risk of hearing loss and tinnitus, and both can be permanent. In this blog, we’ll discuss if your ears are likely to be affected and what you can do to prevent damaging them.

Are you in danger of hearing loss or tinnitus as a gamer?

The gaming set-up you have can be a huge contributor to whether or not your ears are in danger of damage. High-quality gaming headphones like the Audeze Maxwell or Logitech G Pro X2 Lightspeed can create an immersive experience, but they come with significant risks to your hearing.

These headphones can reach dangerously high volumes, exceeding 100 dB, which is comparable to the noise level of a rock concert or chainsaw. Exposure to impulse sounds like explosions can even reach 119 dB which is similar to standing next to a jet plane.

Prolonged exposure to such loud sounds can lead to noise-induced hearing loss, according to the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, a staggering 15% of Americans aged between 20 and 69 already suffer from hearing loss due to exposure to loud sounds.

The risk isn’t just about the volume but also the duration of exposure. In the UK, the safe limit is 85 dB for 8 hours, but every 3 dB increase halves the safe exposure time. For example, at 100 dB, your ears can start to sustain damage after just 15 minutes. So, if your gaming headphones hit 100 dB, technically, you can only wear them for 15 minutes before they start to damage your ears.

What damage are you doing to your hearing?

A recent British Medical Journal article did a systematic review of the evidence involving 50,000 people and highlighted a minimum of two life-changing conditions that you can experience with noise-induced hearing loss:

1. Tinnitus

This is often described as a constant ringing, buzzing, or humming sound that appears in either your ears or somewhere inside your head and it isn’t being produced by an external source.

Depending on the volume and the duration of the sound that you’re exposed to, your tinnitus may be temporary and come and go, or it may be permanent. Tinnitus can vary from a low-pitched roar to a high-pitched squeal, and it may be present in one or both ears.

Typically, it’s more noticeable in quiet environments and you’ll usually be more aware of it at night when you’re trying to get to sleep. In the long term, tinnitus sufferers might have difficulty concentrating and sleeping, and it can significantly impact your quality of life – but it’s also 100% avoidable.

If you’re already experiencing tinnitus, Harley Street Hearing’s tinnitus treatment services can help.

2. Noise-induced hearing loss

High volume levels in gaming put you at greater risk of developing noise-induced hearing loss but this can be prevented with suitable hearing protection. This is a key reason why you’ll see workers on a building site wearing hearing protection, as the sound levels they’re being exposed to are similar to those experienced through gaming headphones.

Noise-induced hearing loss can be deceptive, as it primarily affects your ability to hear high frequencies which are crucial for understanding speech clarity. Whilst you may still hear low tones and recognise that someone is speaking, the clarity and detail of speech will be lost, making conversations sound muffled as if talking through a wall. This can make distinguishing words particularly difficult, even though you can still hear voices.

This type of hearing loss results in conversations, especially those in noisy environments, becoming particularly difficult to understand. It’s likely that if you experience noise-induced hearing loss due to gaming you’ll need a hearing aid in the near future – again, this is 100% avoidable.

How to prevent noise-induced hearing loss from gaming

Now, recommending stopping gaming altogether isn’t feasible nor what we would advise. However, there are three key tips that can help protect your hearing while gaming:

1. Apply the 60/60 rule: Keep the volume at 60% of the maximum and limit your exposure to 60 minutes per day, ideally keeping the volume below 85 dB.
2. Take breaks: Every hour, take a 15-20 minute break to give your ears a rest, even if you’re a pro gamer.
3. Invest in noise-cancelling headphones: These will allow you to block out external noise without needing to increase the volume.

Following the above tips means you’ll be able to continue gaming safely, and your ears will thank you in the long run.

GAMERS – WARNING: The Tinnitus Ringing in Your Ears is Permanent Damage

Matthew Allsop is a Partner at Harley Street Hearing and the content creator for Hearing Tracker, where he shares his honest opinions on all things to do with hearing health and hearing aid technology. Hearing Tracker is the world’s first truly independent resource for hearing aid customers. You can watch his video on the dangers of gaming, tinnitus and hearing loss below.

Enjoy this article? You might be interested in some of our others:

• Can an ear infection lead to hearing loss?
• What is tinnitus?
• Hearing health tips

Our event is currently sold out but we’d love to keep you updated in case any spaces become available. Please add your details here to join our waiting list: https://wkf.ms/41pzzsm

We’re excited to announce that the professional hearing loss network Hear Here is set to hold its next event in spring next year.

The London-based networking event encourages working professionals with hearing loss to share their experiences, as part of Harley Street Hearing’s mission to champion equal access in the workplace for the hearing loss community.

Harley Street Hearing’s Hear Here event 2025

If you’re a working professional looking to connect with like-minded peers, sharing tips and tools to thrive in the workplace with a hearing loss, this is the perfect event for you. Find out more about Hear Here 2025 below and secure your free place.

Date: Thursday 13th March 2025
Time: 6 pm – 10pm
Location: Ernst & Young, 1 More London Place, London, SE1 2AF
Price: Free

Scan the QR code below to secure your place at next year’s networking event.

More information about Hear Here

Hear Here was established in 2016 by Harley Street Hearing. It has grown into a diverse community of professionals of all ages and from all walks of life. Its main aim is to empower those with hearing loss to find solidarity and support from others who understand their unique experiences in the workplace.

The idea for Hear Here was inspired by a young patient with progressive hearing loss, who felt a sense of isolation and a lack of connection with others who shared her struggles. Hear Here provides a welcoming environment for discussions surrounding the unique challenges and accomplishments tied to hearing loss in work settings.

“Through this platform, we seek to create a more inclusive professional environment, where individuals can come together to share, learn and collectively strive for a workplace environment that embraces diversity and accessibility.

To find out more about the event, get in touch with us on 020 7486 1053

Enjoy this article? You might be interested in some of our others:

• Harley Street Hearing supporting two new London hospitals
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Hearing loss is a debilitating condition that affects more than 1.5 billion people worldwide, but it can also affect much more than just our ability to hear.

When hearing loss occurs, it can set off a chain reaction that may affect other areas of our health. Hearing loss may lead to mental health problems, social isolation, increase the risk of developing dementia and also affects our balance.

If you’re experiencing hearing loss and feel like your balance and coordination aren’t what they used to be, this blog should help to explain the connection between the two and offer insights into potential treatment options available.

The connection between hearing loss and balance disorders

Whilst our sense of hearing and ability to stay upright may seem like two entirely separate functions, they are actually highly connected and many balance problems can begin in the ears.

However, it’s a highly complex process so first, we need to understand how both hearing and balance work as two separate entities.

How our hearing works

Our hearing is more than just what our ears pick up, it’s a complex process which involves various parts of the ear with the inner ear being one of the most important components.

When sound waves enter the ear, they travel through the ear canal into the eardrum. This causes vibrations which are then sent to the tiny bones in the middle ear before they reach the cochlea. The cochlea contains tiny hair cells which convert these vibrations into electrical signals and send them to the brain where they are then interpreted as sound.

How our balance works

The inner ear also has a huge role to play in our ability to balance, as this is where our vestibular system is mainly housed.

Our vestibular system is responsible for providing our brain with information about motion, head position, and spatial orientation to help us maintain our balance. It works together with our eyes and muscles to help keep us steady on our feet.

How the two are connected

So, now we know that the cochlea (responsible for hearing) and the vestibular system (responsible for balance) are both a part of our inner ear. The inner ear is only a very small space so naturally, this means that an issue in any one of them can often impact the other.

For example, if something goes wrong in our inner ear such as damage to the tiny hair cells in our cochlea this can lead to hearing loss. This damage in the cochlea can then have a knock-on effect on the vestibular system since they’re both contained in the same space. This can often result in dizziness, unsteadiness or even vertigo, making you feel like the room is spinning around you.

So, can hearing loss affect balance?

Yes, hearing loss can affect our balance. However, it’s important to note that the two don’t exist together all of the time and just because you have a hearing loss this doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll be unsteady on your feet.

Studies have shown that people with mild hearing loss were almost three times more likely to have a history of falling than those with normal hearing, and for every extra 10 decibels of hearing loss this probability increases by 140%.

So, why do researchers think this is? More research needs to be done, but some theories include:

• Hearing loss reduces our awareness of the environment around us, increasing our risk of tripping over and falling.
• Hearing loss places a greater cognitive load on the brain, meaning that when more mental energy is required to listen and interpret sounds we have less energy available for other tasks like maintaining balance and proper movement.
• As we’ve covered above, hearing loss can directly affect the vestibular system which is responsible for balance and spatial orientation.

Conditions that can affect hearing and balance

There are many conditions that can simultaneously impact both our hearing and balance, and the presence of these conditions can increase the risk of things such as falls, dizziness and hearing loss.

Understanding these conditions is important to recognise and address symptoms early to prevent progression. Some of the most common conditions that can affect both hearing and balance include:

1. Ageing

As we age, it’s common for our senses such as hearing and balance to decline. Age-related hearing loss often comes with gradual damage to the hair cells in the inner ear, which can affect both hearing and balance.

Along with that, our vestibular system can also deteriorate as we grow older which can lead to a greater risk of falls and balance-related issues. We are also more susceptible to developing other health conditions such as high blood pressure, diabetes or neurological diseases that can have an impact on our coordination and balance.

2. Ménière’s Disease

Ménière’s disease is a chronic condition of the inner ear that can cause severe dizziness (vertigo), hearing loss, tinnitus, and a feeling of fullness or pressure in the ear.

It isn’t yet known exactly what causes this condition but it’s thought to be related to abnormal fluid buildup in the inner ear, or it may also be caused by genetic factors or environmental triggers.

3. Labyrinthitis

Labyrinthitis is an inner ear disorder which happens when the labyrinth (a structure in the inner ear) is inflamed. This can often be caused by a viral or bacterial infection, or an injury, and can cause symptoms such as vertigo, headaches, tinnitus and hearing loss.

The labyrinth is responsible for balance so inflammation of this structure can disrupt the normal functioning of the vestibular system, leading to difficulties in maintaining balance and coordination.

4. Vestibular Neuronitis

Similar to labyrinthitis, vestibular neuronitis is an inflammation of the vestibular nerve, which carries balance signals from the inner ear to the brain. It usually results from a viral infection such as a cold and primarily affects balance, causing sudden and severe vertigo.

Vestibular neuronitis doesn’t usually cause hearing loss, but the intense dizziness and loss of balance can be profound.

5. Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV)

BPPV is one of the most common causes of vertigo, especially in older adults. It happens when tiny calcium crystals in the inner ear become loose and interfere with the normal fluid movement in the ear canals.

This sends false signals to the brain about the position of your body and can result in brief spells of dizziness and vertigo, triggered by changes in head position. Whilst it doesn’t affect hearing, it can impact our ability to stay steady and balanced.

The main thing to note is that our hearing and balance systems are connected and often work together, so if any of these systems aren’t working properly it can lead to a variety of potential problems which can affect either our hearing, our balance, or both.

Can hearing aids help with balance?

For those with hearing-related balance problems, hearing aids can be a great solution to help maintain balance and alleviate symptoms of vertigo or other balance-related issues.

In the same way that hearing aids can’t cure hearing loss, they also can’t cure balance problems but a 2023 study showed consistent use of hearing aids was associated with a lower risk of falls in older adults.

So, how can hearing aids help with balance problems?

1. Improved spatial awareness

Hearing aids work by amplifying the sounds around us so when we can hear better, we can usually process sounds more accurately. Whether it’s being able to hear the sound of traffic around us or footsteps approaching, this leads to better spatial awareness which allows us to orient ourselves more effectively.

With an improved spatial awareness, we can navigate our environment more easily and safely, naturally reducing the risk of falling or tripping over.

2. Reduced cognitive load

Hearing loss forces the brain to work harder to interpret sounds which causes a greater cognitive load. This can take away from the brain’s ability to focus on other tasks like coordination and balance.

Hearing aids can help to reduce this cognitive load by making sounds clearer and easier to process, freeing up resources that can help to maintain balance and improve overall coordination.

3. Vestibular support

Hearing aids can be especially useful for those with sensorineural hearing loss (resulting from damage to the hair cells within the inner ear) and balance issues because they can help to stabilise the overall function of the ear.

Whilst hearing aids don’t directly correct problems with the vestibular system they help to improve hearing which can promote better balance.

4. Improved confidence and mobility

Hearing loss can often bring with it a lack of confidence, particularly in those who may have experienced an increase in falls due to their balance being off. However, the use of hearing aids can make users feel more confident in their mobility and ability to move around, reducing the fear of falling and leading to more natural and steady movements.

Of course, hearing aids are individual to everyone and whilst they may be beneficial for balance in some cases they may not necessarily be the right cure for you. If you’re experiencing balance issues, it’s important to get an assessment from an audiologist or ENT specialist.

Harley Street Hearing’s highly trained clinical audiologists offer comprehensive balance diagnostic services. We’re highly experienced in working with various balance disorders and can advise on suitable rehabilitation plans. If hearing aids are the right choice for you, we can offer an extensive range from all leading hearing aid manufacturers.

To book an appointment with us, fill in the contact form on this page or call us on 020 7486 1053.

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Last week, Phonak announced their brand new Infinio range of hearing aids. This was a major announcement in the world of hearing technology and Phonak’s biggest release to date.

Whilst these hearing aids won’t be launched until the end of the month, we’ve got everything you need to know in terms of designs, technology and how they can change your listening experience forever.

Phonak Infinio models

There are four models included in the Phonak Infinio family of hearing aids:

Audéo Infinio

Their rechargeable receiver-in-canal style is essentially designed for versatility, being suitable for a range of different hearing losses and is loaded with plenty of new features which we’ll discuss later.

Virto R Infinio

The Virto R Infinio is Phonak’s first-ever rechargeable in-the-ear hearing aid. They support directional microphones and, of all the in-the-ear hearing aids out there, these win the award for the coolest looking.

Audéo Infinio CROS

Finally, Phonak have a new Audeo Infinio CROS, specifically designed for those with unilateral hearing loss who need a CROS or BiCROS setup. With this new CROS system, Phonak’s attention has been on battery life with a 30% improvement, overcoming all the issues they’ve had with their previous CROS and BiCROS systems.

Audéo Infinio Sphere

The Audéo Infinio Sphere is a whole new level of hearing aid, bringing game-changing technology to the Infinio family that we’ve never seen before. That’s not just in terms of hearing but also speech understanding, especially in the presence of background noise which we’ll cover in-depth later in this blog.

Phonak Infinio designs

Let’s take a look at the new designs of the Infinio family, and how they compare to some of Phonak’s other hearing aids.

Audéo Infinio, Audéo Infinio Sphere & CROS

These hearing aids look pretty similar to Phonak’s previous model, the Audéo Lumity, specifically the Lumity Life. However, they are a little bit shorter.

You’ll notice the microphones have dual ports for both the front and rear-facing microphones, and there’s been a slight modification to the positioning of the rocker switch, sitting a little lower than its predecessor. This rocker switch can be used for changing your programs, volume, and answering phone calls.

Finally, they are fitted with a receiver wire which feeds energy and information to the speaker which sits inside your ear.

Virto R Infinio design

The brand new design of the Virto R Infinio sits inside the ear and houses a push button, twin microphones for directionality, charging contacts, and an LED in the centre.

It has all of the same features of the receiver-in-canal Infinio, meaning that there is no compromise on rechargeability, hearing in noise, tap control features, accelerometers, etc, as there often are with in-the-ear models of hearing aids.

If you’re interested in having the custom model made, firstly, an impression needs to be taken of your ear and sent across to Phonak headquarters to be made – this process normally takes around 2 weeks.

Customisation

As with previous Phonak receiver-in-canal hearing aids, the Infinios can also be customised to your ears and hearing loss by changing the tip on the end, and Phonak have a selection of medical-grade silicon tips to choose from, ranging from open, closed, or power domes.

Not only that, but one thing that’s often overlooked by audiologists is having a custom tip made for the end of your hearing aid. This can affect the clarity and sharpness coming from your hearing aid, it can affect how full and rich it sounds, how good it sounds when streaming from your phone, a Roger On system, or your TV, and most importantly how well your hearing aids will cope when you’re in background noise.

So the misconception that hearing aid tips are just about comfort is not true at all; it affects way more than the comfort of your hearing aids.

New features of Phonak Infinio hearing aids

Biometric calibration

Phonak boasts that these new hearing aids are custom-built using biometric calibration which minimises sound leakage and maximises sound quality, and it’s pretty awesome how they do it.

This biometric calibration process uses advanced imaging technology to create a detailed map of your ear, scanning the whole impression and predicting how sound bounces around before it hits the hearing aid microphone. This technically means that two people with identical hearing test results could have completely differently built hearing aids dictated by the shapes of their outer ears.

ERA Chip

Phonak have introduced a brand new ERA chip integrated into each of these hearing aids, and this brings with it four key developments.

APD 3.0

Firstly, we’re seeing the introduction of APD 3.0 which is a brand new audiological fitting model replacing APD 2.0, and it uses up-to-date research on providing the most appropriate amount of sound needed to compensate for your specific hearing loss per frequency – without it sounding unnatural or overwhelming in any way.

Phonak research states that 93% of those who have tried this hearing aid already in their research phase prefer it to the sound of other leading competitors.

Autosense 6.0

AutoSense uses sophisticated algorithms that continually analyse the acoustic environment around you and make real-time adjustments to optimise sound clarity and comfort.

Phonak have developed this even further in their Infinio by moving on to AutoSense 6.0 which enhances speech understanding by 16% and reduces listening effort by up to 45%, dynamically reducing background noise and making it easier for you to understand conversations without straining.

This means that you can rely more on your ears and far less on focusing on visual clues and contextual information, which means that you should ultimately be more relaxed and less tired when you’re listening. This should make the sound more natural, sharper and clearer, especially in noisy environments.

Phonak Auracast Bluetooth updates

Phonak is the only manufacturer that uses classic Bluetooth, allowing you to connect to any Bluetooth device and not just smartphones. Yet they’ve found a way to make themselves even more unique with four different developments.

Firstly, Infinio Universal compatibility means it connects with all Bluetooth-enabled devices, including smartphones, tablets, and computers. This integration supports a wide range of audio codecs ensuring high-quality streaming regardless of the source and supports dual streaming too, allowing you to connect to multiple devices simultaneously which isn’t possible from any other manufacturer.

Secondly, the Infinio also offers hands-free calling, with the new chip ensuring instant connectivity so your hearing aids are ready to use immediately after start-up. Phonak states that this is the lowest latency they’ve ever been able to provide, meaning that there’s no noticeable delay when switching between different audio sources.

Thirdly, this new chip also allows for six times the transmission power of previous models, providing a far more stable, robust, and faster connection. This increased power ensures consistent audio quality and connectivity over longer distances so that you can enjoy uninterrupted streaming and phone calls even with the device in your bag, jacket, or just not on your person.

Finally, Infinio is also Auracast-ready. Phonak have joined the likes of ReSound, Signia, and Oticon by including the latest version of LE audio into their new technology which is going to change your listening experience forever.

You’ll see an improvement in the Bluetooth capabilities with your phone when it comes to sound quality and battery consumption, and that’s whether you’re listening to phone calls, music, the radio, or podcasts all whilst keeping your phone in your pocket, which will give you a truly hands-free experience.

Where this technology will really take off is in any public venue that has a built-in Auracast transmitter. This new form of transmitter is specifically designed to work with newer LE audio technology and will send any signal to your hearing aids such as if you walk into a football stadium and want to hear the commentary, or when you walk into a train station and want to hear the train announcements, or even if you head to a museum tour and you want to hear the tour guide with perfect clarity and distinction.

Something worth noting, however, is that whilst this is built into the Infinio, it hasn’t yet been activated and that’s the same with any hearing aid manufacturer. It will be done in the future with a simple and free firmware update.

Build Quality Updates

Phonak have made what was their previous Life model their minimum standard now when it comes to robustness and water protection, which at the moment is only rivalled by Starkey with their Starkey Genesis AI hearing aids.

They have done this by adding microphone protection, sealing the seams with silicone, and coating the components with a Parylene coating. Then, they brutally tested this technology in the lab to ensure it does exactly what they’ve promised.

Everything you need to know about Audéo Infinio Sphere

As we mentioned earlier, the Audéo Infinio Sphere is undoubtedly the highlight of this announcement, so it’s worthy of its own section. This is the exciting bit, so let’s dive into what makes Audéo Infinio Sphere a game-changing hearing aid.

Phonak’s new AI

Phonak has had an offline form of AI built into their hearing aids in the form of machine learning. This has essentially been used to help the hearing aids understand the type of acoustic environment that you’re in and then adjust themselves accordingly.

However, they’ve now followed the likes of Oticon and Starkey and introduced a deep neural network, but they’ve taken it one step further. The Infinio Sphere is the world’s first hearing aid to be powered by a dedicated real-time AI chip for speech-from-noise separation, with the main focus of these hearing aids being a better understanding of speech in the presence of background noise.

Deep Neural Network

So, what does this deep neural network mean? Phonak boasts there are 4.5 million neural connections, and they’re trained with over 22 million sound samples so this Deep Sonic chip achieves an unparalleled improvement in signal-to-noise ratio by up to 10 dB.

Now, whilst 10 dB doesn’t sound like a huge number in relative terms, it is gigantic and essentially means that you’re three times more likely to be able to understand speech when you’re in noise compared to any other hearing aid manufacturer that’s out there.

Phonak’s Audiological Research Centre conducted comprehensive studies highlighting their effectiveness on speech clarity and in complex listening situations such as background noise. They reproduced a 36.8% increase in speech understanding and a significant reduction in listening effort.

On top of that, their clinical trials have also shown that users with moderate to severe hearing loss experienced 21% less fatigue and a 45% reduction in listening effort, and those that have also used a Roger On, these benefits are pronounced even further, enhancing speech understanding by 61%.

Of course, these are all brand-new releases so we’ll await feedback from our patients here at Harley Street Hearing before being able to provide an in-depth review.

If you’re interested in learning more about the new Phonak Infinio range, get in touch with us.

Reviewing Phonak’s Audéo Infinio, Virto Infinio R & Phonak Audéo Infino CROS Features

Matthew Allsop is a Partner at Harley Street Hearing and the content creator for Hearing Tracker, where he shares his honest opinions on all things to do with hearing health and hearing aid technology. Hearing Tracker is the world’s first truly independent resource for hearing aid customers. You can watch his video on the Phonak Infinio range of hearing aids below.

Phonak Audéo Sphere Infinio Feature Review: The Best Hearing Aid of 2024!

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Hearing aid manufacturer, Phonak, has today (6th August 2024) released details of a brand new family of hearing aids – Phonak Infinio.

This marks Phonak’s biggest release to date, including a family of three hearing aids on their new Infinio platform and their new groundbreaking Artificial Intelligence hearing aid, Phonak Audéo Sphere™ Infinio.

What is Phonak’s Infinio platform?

Before taking a look at the hearing aids themselves, let’s take a look at the power behind this world-class technology.

This technology is powered by the new ultra-responsive Phonak ERA™ chip which revolutionises the standards for sound quality, power management, and connectivity to enhance listening experience.

The technology includes:

• Sound quality improvements due to the AI in AutoSense OS™ 6.0 automatic operating system and a newly optimised fitting algorithm. Phonak claims the following:
  • 93% user preference from the first fit compared to leading competitors
  • 45% reduction in listening effort
  • 21% reduction in fatigue
  • 61% improvement in speech understanding
• Industry-leading Bluetooth connectivity supports all Bluetooth-compatible devices, enabling uninterrupted hands-free calls and streaming across twice the distance.
• Enhanced durability: Built to withstand everyday challenges

Phonak Infinio hearing aid range

This exciting new technology from Phonak can be found in four of their brand-new releases.

Audéo R Infinio

Rechargeable Receiver-in-Canal (RIC) style hearing aid, designed for versatility and a range of different hearing losses.

Virto R Infinio

Phonak’s first-ever rechargeable In-the-Ear (ITE) hearing aid, designed to support directional microphones to deliver exceptional sound quality and industry-leading connectivity.

Audéo Infinio CROS R

Designed for those with unilateral hearing loss who need a CROS or BiCROS setup, the Audéo Infinio CROS R has a much-improved battery life and works in combination with the Phonak Audéo.

Audéo Sphere Infinio

Undoubtedly the most exciting part of Phonak’s new releases is the announcement of their brand new Audéo Sphere Infinio hearing aid.

This is a Receiver-in-Canal (RIC) hearing aid with a unique dual-chip technology, ERA and DEEPSONIC, the world’s first hearing aid to be powered by a dedicated real-time AI chip for speech separation. The main focus of this is for a better understanding of speech in background noise, using machine learning to clearly separate the two and help users understand speech in noisy environments.

Find out more about the Audéo Sphere Infinio hearing aid below.

Phonak Audéo Sphere Infinio Feature Review: The Best Hearing Aid of 2024!

Matthew Allsop is a Partner at Harley Street Hearing and the content creator for Hearing Tracker, where he shares his honest opinions on all things to do with hearing health and hearing aid technology. Hearing Tracker is the world’s first truly independent resource for hearing aid customers. You can watch his video on the Audéo Sphere Infinio below.

Where to get Phonak Infinio hearing aids

Phonak’s latest releases will be available at Harley Street Hearing soon. Get in touch with us to find out more or book an appointment.

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The Oticon Intent is the newest hearing aid release from Oticon, and there are some solid reasons why you should buy it, but there are also an equal number of reasons why you shouldn’t.

It’s been three months since the release of the Oticon Intent, so not only do I have plenty of feedback from the patients that I’ve fitted with these hearing aids, but I’ve also been tirelessly scrolling through online forums such as Reddit, Hearing Tracker, and Facebook to bring together all of your experiences in one place.

In this blog, we’ll discuss the pros, the cons, and the unanswered questions, along with whether I feel they’re actually an improvement over and above the Oticon Real (Oticon’s previous hearing aid).

Sound quality

Overall, there is no question that Oticon’s achievement with this hearing aid is excellent. The clarity is the best that we’ve seen from Oticon to date, with up to 24 fitting bands to ensure flexibility for your audiologist when programming your hearing aids during real ear measurements. Oticon has also introduced an entirely new chip in this line of hearing aids called Sirius, with Oticon claiming that this means a 12 dB noise suppression, resulting in 35% more access to speech cues compared to the Oticon Real, up to 10% better sound quality, 13% more nuance, and 10% higher listening comfort.

We can put these improvements down to the introduction of their MoreSound Intelligence 3.0, which is a cluster of features aimed at sound quality. For example, their DNN 2.0, which is how Oticon has used offline artificial intelligence to train their hearing aids to adjust themselves to your specific environment. The Oticon Real had DNN version one, which was trained using 12 million different sound scenes, and the Intents use version two, which has had an uplift in the number of sound scenes that they’ve used to train this system, although the number hasn’t been specified.

Working with the DNN 2.0 is Oticon’s brand-new 4D sensor technology. Whilst Oticon are claiming that the Intents are the world’s first hearing aids with this feature, in reality, the likes of Phonak, Signia, Starkey, and now ReSound have all had motion sensors in their hearing aids, some of them being in there for a couple of generations.

The purpose of motion sensors in hearing aids is to measure your body and your head movement and direct the microphones accordingly, and patients are reporting that it works well. On the other hand, some are saying that to feel the benefit, it does take a little bit of exaggeration of head movements for those microphones to shift in the right direction.

As far as adaptability goes, Oticon are known for their seamless transition between quiet and noisy settings underneath their general setting, which is Oticon’s automatic program. This does require you to sit with your audiologist and have them tailored to you based on your specific needs. They don’t work like this out of the box, and a good audiologist will ask you the right questions to be able to program them to you the most effectively. What I will add to this though is that some would argue that the Phonak Lumity 90 allows for a greater degree of fine-tuning, and they’re in a similar price bracket, but I don’t personally think that this should be a dealbreaker if you’re looking into the Oticon Intents.

As far as clarity goes, in most cases, the feedback that I’m receiving from patients is an improvement in clarity, that’s both in quiet and noisy environments, but this isn’t with everybody, and some are reporting that there isn’t a significant enough of a change to warrant the extra expenditure.

Enhanced connectivity

For those who have had Oticon hearing aids in the past, you’ll know that their Bluetooth connectivity hasn’t been a strength. In fact, it’s safe to say that it’s been one of their biggest weaknesses.

So, the big question with regard to their Intents is what have they done to fix this? Low Energy Audio, i.e. or aka LE Audio. LE Audio is a low-energy form of Bluetooth designed specifically for streaming sound, and in summary, should technically result in less battery consumption and a higher quality of streaming from your phone. It isn’t just limited to phone streaming though, and when this tech is finally rolled out, transmitters will be installed in concert halls, at conferences, train stations, and lecture theatres, and the sound of the speaker will be sent directly to both of your hearing aids.

Oticon aren’t alone with this development, ReSound, Signia, and Jabra are all LE-ready, and over the next few years, we should see Auracast broadcasted audio replace the century-old loop systems built into public venues, which will allow for multiple streaming to hearing aid users who can simultaneously connect to audio in these public spaces. So, what’s the user feedback on Oticon’s new connectivity setup? Well, it’s mixed, so I’ll cover connectivity under both the pros and cons.

The pros

As far as the pros go, there is no question that there are fewer people having issues with their connectivity. Fewer people, but not all.

Patients are reporting that the Bluetooth range is greater than with their previous tech, but bear this in mind: you won’t all benefit from LE Audio just yet, as unless your phone is either the Google Pixel 7 or 8, the Samsung Galaxy S23, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4, or Galaxy Z Flip 4, you won’t get the full audio benefit.

The cons

The Bluetooth connection on the Intents still isn’t as stable as it should be, and my big question to Oticon is, if other hearing aid manufacturers can get it right, why can’t you?

Building on that, it is pretty key for us to all have multiple tech devices in our lives nowadays, such as using a laptop, an iPad, or a smartphone. This is something else that Oticon still haven’t quite got right, the seamless connection between different devices.

At the moment, it’s all too clunky, and it doesn’t work well, and the only way that I’ve found to make it work seamlessly between devices is to turn the Bluetooth off on one, and then turn it on on the other, and vice versa when you want to switch over. Now, of course, this isn’t particularly convenient.

New controls

Oticon have developed their controls, which is another first for Oticon. So, one of the positive byproducts of having motion sensors built into hearing aids is that they can also be used to control your hearing aids. Instead of having to fiddle around and press the button on the back of them or to get your phone out, you can now utilise a tap control feature and pick up phone calls by simply double-tapping your ear, and you can do the same to hang up too.

The only slightly disappointing thing about this new feature is that Oticon have dipped their toe in the water, and I would have loved to have seen them fully submerged. If I compare the tap control feature to the likes of the Phonak Lumity family of hearing aids, theirs allows you to do a lot more. You can both start or stop phone calls, you can start or stop music too, and you can activate Siri or Google Assistant as well.

Extended battery life

Oticon’s new lithium-ion batteries require a 2-hour charge rather than the 3-hour charge from the Oticon Reals, and for that, you’ll get 20 hours of life from them, so ultimately they should last you for a full waking day. If, however, you need a boost for some reason, a 30-minute turbo charge will give you 8 hours of life.

However, the likes of Signia and Starkey will now run for 30-plus hours per charge, and this is mainly because just like with all lithium-ion batteries over some time the health of them begins to decline. So, to combat this, some hearing aid manufacturers are building in this extra capacity as a buffer so that in a year’s time when this battery life starts to deplete, they should still last you for a full waking day.

Oticon have thought about this in a slightly different way, and they’re hoping or claiming that with their improvement in battery technology, it should last for 20 hours now and continue to do so for more than 4 to 5 years. Of course, this isn’t something that I’ve been able to test, however, I’ve had no reports of any battery-related issues for those that I’ve fitted with the Oticon Intents so far.

Adaptability and comfort

The final positive before we come into the negatives is how versatile the Oticon Intents are when it comes to their suitability. They could be adapted to fit mild, moderate, severe, or profound hearing loss, and this can be done in three different ways. Firstly, by changing the power of the receiver – the fitting ranges for each receiver include a 60, 85, 100, or 105 dB power level. So, if your hearing loss falls within the shaded area, then the speaker is technically the most appropriate for your degree of hearing loss.

The second physical adjustment comes down to the tip on the end of your receiver. The way that a hearing aid is coupled to your ear can completely transform the way that that hearing aid will sound, and it could change that in a few different ways – from how much clarity it can provide, to how well you cope with background noise, and even how decent the streaming of music or phone call sounds when they’re coming from your phone. Oticon, similar to other hearing aid manufacturers, give you the choice between open domes, closed-vented domes, power domes, and custom moulds, so you have to make sure that you ask your audiologist which is the most appropriate for you.

Another development relates to the receivers themselves, which are a new self-calibrating design which Oticon are boasting has an accuracy of plus one or minus one dB, and this should result in 57% more accurate gain.

The new design of these wires is a lot better than their previous design. They have a different kink to those from the Oticon Reals, which means that they sit better in the valley over the tragus for some hearing aid users, and this can result in a far neater fit. The same goes for their 105 dB flex mould update, which used to sit quite proudly from the ear canal, and now they’re far neater and on par with the cosmetics that we see from other hearing aid manufacturers.

The negatives

This wouldn’t be a fair review if I didn’t also discuss the key areas that I think let the Oticon Intent down, so let’s take a look at some of the not-so-good features.

Batteries

In my opinion, there are two weaknesses around batteries that patients have been complaining about, and the same kind of complaints seem to have come up online as well.

Oticon have made the same mistake that Phonak did with their Lumity family of hearing aids a couple of years back and solely released it as a rechargeable hearing aid. Phonak realised the error of their ways and followed up with a disposable battery version, and I’m sure Oticon will do the same at some point in the near future. But for now, if you want an Oticon Intent, you don’t have the option of a disposable battery.

The other backward step in these hearing aids is that with the Oticon Real, it was possible to open up the battery door and switch out those lithium-ion batteries if there was an issue, rather than having to send the whole hearing aid back to Oticon. Now, with a turnaround time of up to two weeks for a repair, that’s a long time to be without your hearing aid, and previously Oticon was the only manufacturer that gave us the ability to be able to change those batteries on-site, and sadly, they’ve now taken it away.

Controls

This new tap control feature is a great addition, and although it isn’t as versatile as other hearing aid manufacturers, Oticon have caught up with the competition. The downside is that this has come at a cost, and the Oticon Reals had a rocker switch in the past, which were essentially two buttons on the back of each of your hearing aids, which were super easy to find and could be programmed with multiple different functions, such as volume control, a program button, or a mute function, etc.

Oticon have gone back to their old design from a few generations ago with the Open family of hearing aids that had a single push button. In my opinion, there are far more hearing aid users using program buttons than tap control features, and I think it’s a bit of an error to have dropped that rocker switch.

Streaming quality

As I’ve previously mentioned with LE Audio, we’re supposed to see a significant improvement in the sound quality of streaming if you’ve got one of those phones that I listed earlier. The thing is, I haven’t had anybody report an improvement, with or without any of those new phones.
Another thing to note is that the sound quality of streaming has been addressed with other hearing aid manufacturers, with the hearing aid fitting software allowing audiologists to go in and fine-tune the equaliser based on your individual feedback.

Oticon don’t have this option, and I would have thought that an update in their technology from a Bluetooth point of view would have been the perfect opportunity to do so. Instead, it’s possible to make the sound louder or softer and fuller or brighter.

Smart charger

It took about three years from when Oticon released their rechargeable hearing aids to when they brought out their original smart charger, which is a hearing aid charger that stores three days’ worth of battery life so that you can go away for a long weekend and not have to worry about having access to power.

Because Oticon don’t have a disposable battery version, I thought they would have ensured that this new release would cater to as many people as possible, especially those that travel a lot and may not want rechargeable hearing aids anyway. So if you’re keen on charging on the go, for now, you’re better sticking with older versions of Oticon technology or looking to one of the other hearing aid manufacturers that have all the tech to fulfil your needs.

It’s unclear as to whether Oticon intends to release a smart charger or a battery version of the Oticon Intent anytime soon, but I’m sure with your feedback and that of any audiologists out there, they’ll look at doing so, and I hope it’s in the near future.

Oticon Intent Hearing Aid Review: 5 Reasons to Buy it and 5 Reasons to Not!

Matthew Allsop is a Partner at Harley Street Hearing and the content creator for Hearing Tracker, where he shares his honest opinions on all things to do with hearing health and hearing aid technology. Hearing Tracker is the world’s first truly independent resource for hearing aid customers. You can watch his video on the Oticon Intent below.

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