Phonak Ultra upgrade - how do we feel about it?

Fine group of cars. Always loved the SL’s.

That AMG is fast!

What “Ultra” features are supposed to be missing when the software upgrade is done? So far, I haven’t seen anything to indicate that there’s a hardware change involved - all the new version numbers (Sphere 2.0, AutoSense 7.0) refer to software, while Phonak hasn’t said anything about new chip versions. (And the economics of chip development are such that one would be very reluctant to issue a new hardware version so soon after the last version.) So I’m a bit skeptical about “missing” features.

From what I can read and hear and what I have watched there isn’t any hardware updates.

There are no features missing, other than the new domes. All the hardware is the same. It is only the firmware & the software. This updates the Sphere model to Autosense 7.0 & Sphere 2.0, other changes are made to how much energy is need for the processors, this increases useable battery time. I can tell you emphaticlly that the most noteable changes are in the way AutoSense 7.0 determines enviorment & Spheric Speech 2.0. This upgrade is not just about “software” it is “firmware” which affects how the hardware operates, hence the upgrade.

It took all of 10minutes to complete. I asked if it would require a re-fiting or REM and was told as long as you are satisfied with the current fit, all that would be required after the update was a feedback calibration on the new Phonak Target 11.1 software and that took about a minute and half. I certanly understand the concern of provider, however, you made the original sale & as I said $495 sounds a bit excessive. Most providers provide a “FREE” hearing evaluation for new patients & that takes longer than this update. pehaps in CA OHIP or other provincial health plan pay, but in the states providers charge anywhere from $5k to $6K & most seniors do not have insurance to cover that cost. Wow at 72 hours you must have dispensed a lot of phonak infinio & sphere HA’s

@cvkemp I switched from Oticon More to Phonak Sphere almost a year ago. When I wear my old Mores (seldom) my brain still says, “Ahh, back to normal”. BUT…The Mores, and I suspect the Intents too, do not have anything like the Spheres’ Spheric mode. It makes a huge difference in speech comprehension in noisy environments. I like the more natural sound of Oticon better, but I wouldn’t consider going back to Oticon unless and until they release a new HA that can reduce background noise and bring forward the speech I want to hear like the Spheres can.

I switch to Spheric mode manually pretty much whenever I’m going to be dealing with someone whose voice I am unfamiliar with. I sometimes forget to switch back out of Spheric. When I do forget, it usually takes more than three hours to hear the low battery alert. I’m hoping that will improve even more when i get the new Ultra update.

I asked Phonak a couple of questions - one of them being “what are the ‘Bluetooth improvements’ mentioned in the Ultra announcement?” Here is the reply I just received:

With the launch of Infinio Ultra we have made several improvements in terms of connectivity and can now offer an even better experience to our users. Specifically, we have received market feedback in the areas below where the Infinio Ultra performance upgrade will offer improvements:

Automatic reconnection:

• Improved automatic reconnection when at the limit of the Bluetooth signal-range for an extended period of time

• Fixed certain use cases where connection time-out is wrongly interpreted as manual disconnect and no reconnection triggered

Instant audio when streaming:

• To improve the streaming experience with Infinio we have reverted specifically the pause/resume behaviour to previous platforms

• Particularly to support a broader range of mobile devices and apps, specifically in the use cases of switching between mobile apps when streaming and when using screen readers

Stable phone call quality

• Improved audio quality during phone calls while being simultaneously connected to myPhonak app

• Improved link quality during calls while simultaneously being connected to two devices.

Interesting stuff - although it sounds like these changes are mostly somewhat difficult to verify in day-to-day use.

In my response to their response (since another of my initial questions, regarding which device type to use for the R-Phonak Bluetooth connection, required follow-up and hasn’t yet been answered), I added a new question:

Based on some rather active discussions I’ve been participating in online: Is the Infinio Ultra considered a new product, or is it “only” a software/firmware update of the existing Infinio? In other words, are my Sphere 90s - which were upgraded to Firmware Version 1.1.11.0 last Thursday - now “Sphere Ultras”? Or is there something else in the Ultra that my updated Infinios didn’t get? (Phonak’s announcements have been rather vague, to say the least!)

Let’s see if they can settle our disputes on that subject - or not!

I am now wearing the Oticon INTENT1 aids that are so well adjusted for my needs that I don’t have extra programs just the default general program. I am thinking about either the Phonak Virtio R infinio or the Phonak Spheres. I am concerned that I will have trouble adjusting to the difference in sound as I have been wearing Oticon aids for over 15 years. Can you give some thoughts before my appointment with my audiologist on the 3rd of November. By the way my audiologist has been my audiologist for 7 years.

Somehow I think that the RIC version of the Oticon Intent is much better than the Phonak Virto which is smaller and they had to make some compromises like a smaller battery, 1 microphone or 2 and some more compromises due to the size.
I would rather recommend the Audeo Sphere because of the sphere option of working in noise, which many are delighted with.

If Intent is serving you very well, it might be better to wait until next year when Phonak will introduce a new generation of RICs and hopefully they will bring improvements like
a better battery or a better processor that saves more power while the sphere is on.
That they will finally have the long-awaited Bluetooth LE

Thinks. I am a veteran and my aids are provided by the Veterans Administration. I am learning at this time to just get new ear molds l, I now have skeleton ear molds and have issues with the skeleton part of my ear molds and have requested new molds. Also my backup aids have bad rechargeable batteries and the aids are out of warranty. My audiologist is talking about new aids which will force my INTENT1 aids to backup. He is also talking about sending my INTENT1 aids to Oticon to have the batteries replaced. And my backup aids can’t hold a charge beyond 4 hours.

The VAC+ seems to be a bit more ‘soft-touch’ on the ear. It might not yield the uber-clarity of the Phonak Sphere NAL 2, but it seems to be something people like to listen to.

I wonder if it’s like the vinyl/CD argument: technically the sharper 44.2KHz delivery of the CD is going to prove itself in every ‘clarity’ test you do, but people still aspire to analogue vinyl for more rounded sound and a better listening experience.

Gonna try this again. With the new product, does this mean we finally have behind the ear (BTE) acrylic ear mold versions?

No, not yet. Just a Ric update. Sorry. Maybe February?

My handful of lyric guys can’t get enough of the analogue sound. Oticon used to have that nice floating linear window, but I don’t know what has happened to it in the age of AI.

But I do know that 90% of patients “comparing manufacturers” aren’t gain matched, which makes me quite suspicious about claims of big differences between manufacturers. I was chatting with oticon aud support a while ago and was asking what VAC+ is for if they recommend audiologists do real ear to NL2 and the answer was literally “to sound different from other manufacturers”. Subtle differences, noise management differences, sure.