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GN Hearing launches ReSound OMNIA

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GN launches new technology platform to address the No.1 hearing aid challenge: hearing speech in noise

  • ReSound OMNIA is made for hearing in noisy environments with an outstanding 150% improvement in speech understanding

  • Introducing enhanced ‘own voice’ perception, ReSound OMNIA hearing aids sound natural, feel natural and connect people to the world naturally

August 16, 2022 03:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

BALLERUP, Denmark–(BUSINESS WIRE)–GN Hearing, the global leader in hearing aid innovation, today announces the launch of ReSound OMNIA34 – a new hearing aid platform that will set a new standard in hearing technology and improve how people interact with the world around them. ReSound OMNIA provides significantly better hearing in noisy environments than any previous ReSound hearing aid. Coupled with optimal comfort and seamless connection to devices, these advances give people living with hearing loss a solution that will help them hear even the finest details of sound more easily.

Despite advances in hearing aid technology over the last 10 years, hearing speech in noisy environments is still a challenge for people with hearing loss. In fact, 80% of people who wear hearing aids describe hearing in noise as a key challenge.(1) To address this, ReSound OMNIA has been engineered to sound natural while still delivering 150% improvement in speech understanding compared to current hearing aids.(2,*) In a clinical study, 20% of respondents had issues with the sound of their own voice when wearing hearing aids.(3) ReSound OMNIA also addresses this challenge by enhancing the user’s perception of ‘own voice’, so it sounds natural which contributes to higher satisfaction, leading to improved retention of hearing aids.

For additional sound performance and comfort, ReSound introduces Check My Fit, a new, first-of-its-kind feature in the ReSound Smart3D App. It gives users guidance to wear their hearing aids correctly via a quick ear selfie. Wearing hearing aids incorrectly can result in up to 11dB of sound escaping the ear, reducing the ability to hear considerably.(4) Check My Fit also works with other ReSound hearing aids to help people enjoy sound fully without unnecessary trips to the audiologist.

“At GN Hearing, we know that hearing in noise and hearing aid comfort are both critically important to hearing aid users”, says GN Hearing CEO, Gitte Aabo. “The new ReSound OMNIA hearing aids show what we can achieve when we put the needs of each individual user at the center of our design process. We address the difficult challenges such as speech understanding in noise so that they can enjoy every conversational nuance.”

Whether users choose to stream phone calls or music to their ears, they can connect naturally and hear it all with the highest quality through enhanced connectivity of ReSound OMNIA. Users can enjoy hands-free, crystal-clear phone calls at the touch of a button with iPhone and iPad**, and direct streaming from Android smartphones.

The new ReSound OMNIA hearing aids will be rolled out globally starting with the US and Canada on August 25, 2022, along with the equivalent Beltone Achieve line-up, in the popular Receiver-in-Ear () style. The ReSound OMNIA hearing aids are available in eight colors and in both rechargeable and non-rechargeable models. Also available from August 25, 2022, are GN Hearing’s recently launched Custom made by ReSound hearing aids in a Completely-in-Canal (CIC) style6, to address more needs with a truly small fit, crafted for ease of use and all-day comfort.

For more information, visit the ReSound website23.

* The 150% increase represents a 4.36db increase compared to legacy ReSound hearing aids.
** ReSound OMNIA hands-free calls are compatible with iPhone 11 or later, iPad Pro 12.9-inch (5th generation), iPad Pro 11-inch (3rd generation), iPad Air (4th generation), and iPad mini (6th generation) or later, with software updates iOS 15.3 and iPadOS 15.3 or later.

(1) MarkeTrak 10, 2019
(2) Jespersen et al (2022)
(3) Bennett et al (2020)
(4) Yang et al (2022)

About ReSound

ReSound is a recognised pioneer and innovator in hearing aids, which continues to set new standards to make life sound better for more people. Part of the GN Group, ReSound has unique access to cutting-edge competences from the audio world which enriches its medical-grade solutions with a deep understanding of user-centric design and lifestyle needs. By placing people at the center of innovation, ReSound consistently introduces game-changing experiences such as direct audio streaming from iPhone to hearing aids and remote care from hearing professionals via the user’s smartphone app. ReSound is a committed and trusted partner to leading hearing care professionals in over 100 countries around the world helping people hear more, do more and be more than they ever thought possible.

About GN Group

GN Group facilitates communication between people through its intelligent hearing, audio, video, and gaming technology. Inspired by people and driven by our innovation leadership, we leverage technological synergies to deliver unique and increasingly individualized user experiences in our products and solutions.

150 years ago, GN was founded with a truly innovative and global mindset. Today, we honor that legacy with world-leading expertise in the human ear, audio, video and speech, wireless technologies, miniaturization, and collaborations with leading technology partners. GN’s solutions are marketed by the brands ReSound, SteelSeries, Jabra, Beltone, Interton, BlueParrott, Danavox and FalCom in around 100 countries. Founded in 1869, the GN Group employs 7,000 people and is listed on Nasdaq Copenhagen.

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22 people in this conversation31 min readJump to latest
Edited

Hmmm. Nothing about nor any mention if they’re carrying M& forward as a receiver option. The dome design in the picture Rasmus posted shows two “vent holes” on the foreground receiver dome glowing red. Perhaps that’s just artistic license!

Edit Update: Looking at other depictions of the Omnia receivers, the red color in the vent holes of the domes presumably comes from the color coding on the receiver bodies. The receiver for the right ear is color-coded red, the left ear blue. The “glowing” red vent holes are in front of a right receiver body in the picture Rasmus posted and the left ear receiver, further in the background, would only have a dark blue visible through the vent holes.

Well at least they keep the disposal battery models as an option for those of us who prefer them, instead of going rechargeable only!

Business Wire seems to have a bit “fuller” copy of the Omnia Press Release. The very end of the press release mentions a teleconference today August 16th where presumably more details will be revealed:

Teleconference:

GN will host a teleconference at 15:30 (3.30 pm) CEST, August 16, 2022. Please visit www.gn.com/investor8 to access the teleconference. Presentation material will be available on the website approximately one hour prior to the teleconference.

Source: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220816005068/en/9

No, me either. Especially as the are fugly and bulky over the ‘specs area’.

Also, if the ‘wearing component’ (receiver) ends up costing the client more than £100 per ear/change, you’ve just given the customer another 100 reasons not to buy it.

The body looks like it should come with shoulder straps.

WH

In reply to @jim_lewis

Looked at slides available in pdf file from presentation you linked to. M& receivers are still available. This is definitely not as mentions handsfree calls with iPhone 11 and up. Makes me wonder about Resound One getting the ability to BT LE Audio. Maybe they just need more time, or maybe it’s harder than we thought.

I was interested in this new aid also. With the passing of the regulations, we’ve been told that hearing aids will be “self-diagnose, self-fit”, said Barbara Kelley, executive director of the Hearing Loss Association of America.

I’ve researched the best aids for hearing in locations where there is too much background noise for a few months, and still looking. This new aid may fit the bill. I understand that Dr. Cliff is going to have a video in the next day or so — looking forward to that. That’s good because, 80% of people who wear hearing aids describe [hearing in noise] ( https://www.hearingtracker.com/press-releases/resound-omnia-launched-by-gn-audio-to-address-speech-in-noise?utm_source=ht_share4) as the no 1 problem.

Edited

In reply to @MDB

@MDB said:

This is definitely not BT LE Audio as mentions handsfree calls with iPhone 11 and up

I’m not sure how backwards compatibility rules out 5.3 in the latest iPhones (the 14’s) and BT . Just with iOS overall itself, Apple has offered the ability to install the latest version of iOS on older hardware but not all the features of the latest OS are available on the oldest compatible hardware.

The line in the news release blurb that Rasmus posted about “crystal-clear handsfree calling” is only claimed for iOS devices, not Android, and makes me speculate that with the latest and greatest from Apple, there is improved BT communication, i.e., in BT LE Audio. Or what else (except PR) makes calling on iOS devices better than ever (supposedly). We won’t have long to wait to find out!

Edit_Update: The PDF brochure “Introducing ReSound Audio,” available through the teleconference link in my above post does say that for the “crystal-clear” calling with iOS devices that iOS 15.3 or later is required, implying that some technology/software inserted into iOS within ~the past year is required for the supposedly exceptional audio. Really going out on a limb here, but since Apple and ReSound are both amongst the principal members of the special BT LE Audio SIG group that designed the LE Audio spec and the roadmap was announced to the world in 2020, maybe for some years now the hardware ability to process the intended LE Audio spec, at least as far as /device communication, has come built into recent vintage iOS devices?

Edited

The spec sheet for various Omnia configurations, straight from ReSound. No description of anywhere in the spec sheet ( is mentioned) but spec sheet says that the ’s use 2.4 GHz and 333 kHz frequencies.

13512_135114003 (webdamdb.com)

The spec sheet link came from the bottom of the following ReSound Pro site:

Hearing aids ReSound - ReSound OMNIA - Hearing Aids17

The full ReSound Support Materials are available at the following link, including the user guides and spec data sheets (no mention of BT ):

Hearing aids ReSound - ReSound OMNIA support7

BTW, as a ReSound user, naturally a new line of ReSound aids intrigues me but I’m waiting for the other shoe to drop with Phonak before rushing out to buy anything!

Nice find! I didn’t scroll down far enough. The 2.4 GHz and 333 kHz frequencies are for communication between hearing aids and charger. (I wonder what they talk about? :wink: )

Not impressed. Sounds like every other new hearing aid release. Promises, promises. If GN can’t even tackle , I have zero confidence in anything they claim.

The white paper details on how the Omnia “Front Focus” supposedly provides 150% better hearing of speech in 70 noise as compared to the ReSound One “Ultrafocus” mode are found at the following link:

13512_136155017 (webdamdb.com)

This link is also available under the ReSound Support Materials for the Omnia by clicking on the + sign next to White Papers. It’s the middle one of the white papers at the following ReSound support page:

Hearing aids ReSound - ReSound OMNIA support7

@mr.smithster said:

If GN can’t even tackle ASHA,

P.S. I think problems belong in Google’s camp (or Android phone OEMs), not in ReSound’s. At least according to ReSound,

See the following ReSound Tech Tip:

Letter (webdamdb.com)

which can be found on the following ReSound Android compatibility page at the bottom:

Compatibility | ReSound US3

Maybe Google will have better luck with Android 13, which has just come out.

Edited

Oops! Links and FCC ID corrected now:

Here is the FCC Test Report on the ReSound Omnia.

OET List Exhibits Report16

OET Active Accrediting Bodies List

Although internal and external pictures of the device have apparently been struck from the report based on confidentiality, one can tell that this is the FCC review of the Omnia by the assigned FCC ID: X26CARR1, for the rechargeable device.

On page 66 of the rechargeable Omnia User Guide down at the bottom under TYPE DESIGNATIONS, it says the following:

image
(see previous post by me in this thread for link to ReSound’s Omnia support materials)

The discouraging thing is that in the various test reports on the FCC page, the Bluetooth version described is always 5.0. ???

In reply to @MDB

@MDB said:

The 2.4 GHz and 333 kHz frequencies are for communication between hearing aids and charger.

In the FCC report in the link of my post just above, it says that the 333 kHz frequency is used for wireless (inductive) charging.

Interesting when one uses the Search tool, ReSound One shows up as 5.2 as you say, Oticon More as BT 5.1, and Sonova’s Phonak Audeo only shows up as BT 4.2. But there are a bunch of Sonova Sennheiser products released August 2022 that have BT 5.2, so here’s hoping for any upcoming Phonak ’s.

Launch Studio - Listing Search (bluetooth.com)4

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