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I Need Advice from Users of Single Infinio Sphere without CROS with SSD

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For those who don’t know and haven’t seen my : I have 100 and below hearing loss in my left ear (please don’t ask and don’t try to, I am not getting a Cochlear Implant and I am not able to use a hearing aid in my left ear), with 60 dB and above ski slope hearing loss in my right ear. Hearing loss has been stable for my 43 years on this earth since I got the hearing loss at three years old.

Anyway. I am about to purchase new Infinio hearing aids. So, I asked. And my audiologist continues to maintain that a single Infinio Sphere won’t work for me because the Sphere requires two hearing aids with two mics on both sides for the Spheric mode to work. And is insisting that the only ones that will work for me are the standard Infinio plus .

But I see several folks on these very forums with single Infinio Sphere hearing aids for without CROS taking advantage of Spheric mode. Can you please chime in so I can show these responses to my audiologist? Thank you.

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Edited

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Advice Needed: Phonak Infinio Sphere (AI, no CROS) vs. Phonak Infinio (with CROS) for SSD?
Hi everyone, I’m hoping to get some opinions from the community as I’m facing a dilemma with my next hearing aid purchase. My hearing situation is as follows: I have Single-Sided Deafness (SSD). My right ear has profound/total hearing loss (I hear nothing), and my left ear has a moderate-to-severe hearing loss (it needs amplification). I’m looking at two Phonak models, and I’m torn: Phonak Infinio Sphere: This is the latest model with the new chip and advanced AI features for better unders…

Thank you, @firenzel!! Will keep an eye on that thread. There was another one that I made some time back that I, for the life of me, can’t find where I had multiple responders who said that my audi is 100% wrong and that it works really well.

@codergeek2015 It is always a bit delicate to give advice because often hearing care professionals have good reasons for their advice, but from a pure technical aspect, the sound cleaning mode of a Sphere also works with one device. Maybe a confusion with StereoZoom, which is another technology of the previous platform which indeed needed both devices in order to work.

The sphere program works fine unilaterally. Maybe ask your audiologist to call Phonak and confirm. If you’re used to a , you’ll lose that access to your bad side and that may or may not be a problem for you. In loud noise, the sphere is better. But noise always sucks way more with single sided deafness or asymmetries than with symmetrical losses; you may still want an accessory microphone.

Edited

@Neville - I am but Phonak is extremely slow slow SLOW to come out with any kind of version this time around. With no sign of a BTE version or Naida in sight. So, I am planning on making the switch to w/CShell with UP receiver. My audiologist thinks there could still be some significant benefit for me in that regard.

My Oticon aids are also on their last legs and I need a hearing aid. Soon. Not when Phonak decides they’re gonna come out with a BTE version 5 years from now. For me, this is the only option. And I am never using Oticon again that’s for sure.

Fair enough. Good luck! The UP receiver should be reasonable, the biggest issue in transition from to is the fit of the custom tip in your ear. Silicone molds are often a very nice, non-leaky fit. If the RIC custom acrylic tip leaks more you’ll usually notice a loss of highs (because of feedback limiting, resulting in less clarity) and/or a loss of lows (less richness, more difficulty with soft spoken people). But if you have a good canal for it and a nice, deep fit, the amplification can be quite similar. I hope it works really well for you.

Thank you, @Neville!! Appreciate all your help and feedback. I am actually going to go with a titanium cshell ear mold this time for my right ear, and the usual anchor tip for the unit in my left ear. I’ll keep you updated on how things are going.

In reply to @Neville

@Neville - Also, I have a 5 day trial before I have to purchase them. I am going to likely switch to Infinio/coming RICS & titanium cshell molds permanently if all Phonak is doing is going to pool all their resources into their primary line. I shouldn’t be forced into a sub-standard line because Phonak has made the choice to ignore all of those users. Because of my work schedule, too, I don’t have the first appointment with my audiologist until 11/25. So that’s the first ear mold impression. So probably 1 week to 2 weeks after that I am going to finally have the new devices.

@codergeek2015 said:

Phonak has made the choice to ignore all of those users.

I mean, demonstrably not the case. That negative framing doesn’t seem like something that will serve you. However, I understand that when you are in the minority group of users it can feel frustrating that companies release and custom lines first.

I also suppose companies shoot themselves in the foot with marketing convincing people that if they don’t have the most recently released device they are missing out.

@Neville - In the AMA a few weeks back on these forums, one of the VPs from Phonak stated that they saw no need to expand the Infinio line to the Naida and other product lines at that time because the Audeo covers those losses and because of how great the results they were getting with the new Audeo are.

Also my audiologist said there are no new Infinios (including Naida) being developed on the horizon either.

@codergeek2015 said:

one of the VPs from Phonak stated that they saw no need to expand the Infinio line to the Naida and other product lines at that time because the Audeo covers those losses and because of how great the results they were getting with the new Audeo are.

Nah, I don’t believe that. He doesn’t know what he’s talking about. Phonak has a huge pediatric line for which they have actively been pursuing classroom market share for Roger, and pediatrics don’t use . They will continue to release . I could absolutely see them skipping a cycle and releasing BTEs every other cycle, but they aren’t stopping BTE development altogether. Now that said, the next BTEs may not have the sphere chip if they haven’t figured out how to support it in a different form factor, just as the new customs don’t have the sphere chip. But the sphere chip isn’t the be-all-end-all, these forums just make it look like that sometimes.

Hi @WhiteHat - Thank you for your correction. I stand corrected:

They stated no support going to for the Sphere (although there is an Infinio CROS which I am planning on trying considering all of the great feedback).

Others chimed in on that thread saying that it is likely there is no NAIDA being planned in the Infinio line.

And it is my audiologist who is saying that there is no current Infinio NAIDA being developed that is on the horizon.

I need to make that distinction and lumped in some things where I shouldn’t have.

I have Meniers with on the left. Suffered the debilitating vertigo and loss of hearing years ago. Was told amplification would not help me back then. In Sept 2025 saw a new and started the process of looking for improved hearing in social environs, especially with noise. Father passes from Alzheimer’s and I was told hearing loss causes isolation and increased risked of the same. My hearing is 80% good right and 12% good left. I have tried Signia Bicros, Phonak Infineo Bicros, Phonak Sphere (right) with a Rodger On, and now two phonak spheres ENT calibrated the left side sphere volume and tone for my particular loss and hearing capability. While the left sphere isn’t the best clearest sound I can hear on both sides now
I will continue to trial this arrangement for the next month but so far it is the best arrangement that I have experienced I hope that this is helpful for others

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