Summary: 

Phonak introduces the Audéo Sphere Infinio, a hearing aid with a real-time AI chip designed to enhance speech clarity in noisy environments, as part of its new Infinio portfolio.

Key Takeaways:

  1. AI-Enhanced Speech Clarity: The Audéo Sphere Infinio utilizes the DEEPSONIC chip to provide real-time AI processing, significantly improving speech understanding in noisy environments.
  2. Innovative Infinio Platform: The Infinio platform is designed to offer exceptional sound quality, reduced listening effort, and enhanced connectivity across all Bluetooth-enabled devices.
  3. Enhanced Performance: With 53 times more processing power than existing chips, the Audéo Sphere Infinio achieves 10dB improvement in Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR), making it highly effective for users with hearing loss.

Phonak, a Sonova brand, is launching a new family of hearing aids based on its innovative Infinio platform, including the Audéo Sphere Infinio. The company says it is the world’s first hearing aid powered by a dedicated real-time AI chip for speech-from-noise separation. Speech understanding in background noise remains the biggest challenge for people with hearing loss. This technology provides enhanced speech clarity from any direction, with a significant improvement in SNR (Signal-to-Noise Ratio) in noise of 10dB.1

The Infinio Platform Powered by the ERA Chip

The Infinio platform is designed to offer remarkable improvements in:

  • Exceptional Sound Quality from the first moment: According to Phonak, Infinio achieves
    • 93% user preference from the first fit compared to leading competitors2
    • 45% reduction in listening effort*3
    • 21% less fatigue**4
    • 61% improvement in speech understanding (when combined with Roger ON) ***5,
  • Connectivity: Enables uninterrupted hands-free calls and streaming across twice the distance, compatible with all Bluetooth-enabled devices.
  • Durability: Swiss-engineered to withstand everyday challenges

Audéo Sphere Infinio: AI enabling clear speech in noise

Clear speech from any direction 

Building on the Infinio platform, the Audéo Sphere Infinio addresses the number one challenge of speech understanding in noise with a new approach. With 53 times more processing power versus existing industry chips, it overcomes the current constraints of processing power to unleash the full potential of artificial intelligence (AI). In addition to the ERA chip, the Audéo Sphere Infinio is powered by a dedicated, proprietary chip called DEEPSONIC; a world-first, real-time AI sound processing chip. 

Further Reading: Phonak Taps Olympian as Global Brand Ambassador

Key features include:

  • Spheric Speech Clarity: Clear speech from any direction instantly.
  • Speech from Noise Separation: Advanced AI separates speech from unwanted noise.
  • Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR) Improvement:
    • Achieves an unparalleled SNR improvement of 10dB for better speech understanding in noisy environments, superior to competitor devices by up to 3.7dB.1 
    • Users are two to three times more likely to understand speech from any direction compared to the two leading competitors.6
New Phonak Infinio portfolio includes the Audéo Sphere Infinio, Audéo R Infinio, and Virto R Infinio hearing aids.
New Phonak Infinio portfolio includes the Audéo Sphere Infinio, Audéo R Infinio, and Virto R Infinio hearing aids. Photo: Phonak

Real-Time AI sound processing with DEEPSONIC chip

Phonak says its proprietary DEEPSONIC chip is the first of its kind, providing real-time AI processing to instantly separate speech from background noise. Unlike existing technologies, DEEPSONIC is designed to offer dynamic, real-time adjustments, allowing users to engage in conversations from any direction. 

The chip’s AI architecture includes:

  • Deep Neural Network (DNN): 4.5 million neural connections trained with over 22 million sound samples.
  • Novel Processing Power: with 21 times more memory and 4 times more power efficiency, this chip is said to be 53 times more powerful than existing chips and capable of performing 7,700 million operations per second.

“We are incredibly excited to bring the Audéo Sphere Infinio to our users. This is more than just a hearing aid; it’s a game-changer for anyone struggling with hearing in noisy environments,” says Robert Woolley, group vice president Hearing Instruments at Sonova. “With our proprietary ERA and DEEPSONIC AI chips, we’ve achieved a new level of speech clarity that we’re proud to share. This innovation highlights our dedication to providing the best possible sound quality and user experience.”

Comprehensive Infinio Portfolio

Phonak also introduces a comprehensive portfolio of hearing aids, available to order by hearing care professionals starting August 7. These devices are based on the Next-Gen Infinio platform, featuring:

  • Audéo Sphere Infinio: Receiver-In-the-Canal (RIC), unique dual chip technology inside, ERA and DEEPSONIC, the world’s first hearing aid with a dedicated AI chip for enhanced speech clarity in noise. 
  • Audéo R Infinio: RIC form factor with ultra-responsive ERA chip inside to deliver exceptional sound quality and industry-leading connectivity.
  • CROS R Infinio: For unaidable hearing loss in one ear, CROS R is used in combination with Phonak Audéo, offering exceptional sound quality and industry-leading connectivity as well as increased battery runtime.
  • Virto R Infinio: Phonak’s first rechargeable custom hearing aid (In-The-Ear/ITE) made to offer exceptional sound quality and connectivity.