ReSound OMNIA: Full Review and Newer Options

OMNIA™ is a high-tech hearing aid family from Danish brand ReSound. The successor to ReSound One, OMNIA was released in August 2022 and is available from $4,500-6,700 per pair. The product line was expanded in February 2023 so it now offers all the major hearing aid styles, including four Receiver-In-Ear (RIE) models, two Behind-the-Ear (BTE) models, and three custom in-ear hearing aids: Completely-in-Canal (CIC), rechargeable In-the-Canal (ITC), and half-shell and full-shell In-the-Ear (ITE) models.

In September 2023, the company launched its ReSound Nexia product line which, among other advances, is the world's first hearing aid to incorporate the latest Bluetooth LE standard with Auracast. But you shouldn't be led to believe that OMNIA isn't a premium product: it is still a world-class hearing aid that offers much— including a wide range of BTE and custom ITE styles not currently available in Nexia.

All of the OMNIA hearing aids are designed for better hearing in noise. In particular, the RIEs and BTEs—which are worn behind the ear and are the most popular styles of hearing aids—incorporate improved directional microphones for better hearing in noise. Additionally, the RIEs have the option for Resound's unique M&RIE speaker that places a third microphone inside your ear canal for more natural sound pickup.

Except the CIC, all OMNIA hearing aids utilize ReSound’s Smart3D App and feature Bluetooth streaming of audio and phone calls, with hands-free calling for compatible Apple iOS devices. These same models are available in three technology levels (9, 7, and 5), are rechargeable or have an option for recharegability, and have an IP68 rating (the highest rating for water/dust/dirt protection).

While the styling of OMNIA is very similar to the previous ReSound One products, the line has now also been updated with a brand-new chipset platform that promises considerable advantages for audio streaming and when listening in noisy environments. It should also be pointed out the company introduced the Customs by ReSound line—which uses the ReSound One chip set—only in June 2022, so it was a little bit of a surprise they followed up with these new OMNIA CIC, ITC, and ITE models so quickly.

ReSound notes that OMNIA is “made for hearing in noise” and, like its competitor, Phonak Lumity, is focused on better speech understanding in noisy environments. In fact, ReSound makes the bold claim of “an incredible 150% improvement in speech understanding” compared to legacy ReSound hearing aids.

Key features and differentiators

• 360 All-Around Directionality – A new improved directional microphone system.
• M&RIE Technology – A unique microphone design utilizing a microphone in the receiver in addition to the standard two microphones on the hearing aid.
• Check My Fit Feature – A new smart app-based tool that helps wearers know if their hearing aids are placed properly in/on the ear.

Who makes OMNIA hearing aids?

ReSound, one of the top-5 hearing aid brands in the world, is manufactured by the GN Group (GN Store Nord), headquartered in Ballerup, Denmark. GN manufactures ReSound, Jabra, Beltone™, Lively, Interton, and Danavox hearing aids. GN also manufactures and sells wireless headsets and earbuds, keyboards, speaker phones, and video solutions under the brand names of Jabra, Blueparrott, and Altia, and it also owns the e-gaming company SteelSeries.

Full product line in three tech tiers

OMNIA comes in both lithium-ion rechargeable and zinc-air non-rechargeable versions in three technology levels. Both the RIE-61 rechargeable and new miniRIE rechargeable models provide a full day of battery life. The RIE-61 uses a size 312 disposable battery, and the slightly larger RIE-62 uses a size 13 disposable battery with a multifunction control button and telecoil—with both designed to last about a week before having to change the battery. The new rechargeable miniRIE, added in February, is slightly smaller than the RIE-61 rechargeable and has a smoother and sleeker design.

The rechargeable OMNIA RIEs come with a Standard Charger or a Desktop Charger. An optional Premium charger holds 3 full charges for two hearing aids—so if you’re going on a camping trip or need a portable recharging solution, you have an on-the-go solution.

The new rechargeable Behind-the-Ear (BTE) hearing aids come in two different power levels, with one offering the option for a slim-tube which makes it more cosmetically discreet. Their four-microphone (in a binaural fitting) beamformers with the OMNIA technology are designed for better hearing in noise while having a wide fitting range.

The ITC and ITE models come with four receiver options, meaning they cover a fairly wide range of hearing losses. They feature rechargeability and all-day battery life. The much smaller CIC has three receiver options and uses a size 10A disposable zinc-air battery.

All OMNIA hearing aids are available in 3 different technology tiers: 9, 7, and 5, with 9 being the highest level of technology. The technology tiers provide you with a choice of level of technology and offer lower cost options in the lower tiers. However, keep in mind that the lower tiers will not have all features enabled. Which tier you chose will depend on several factors, including how much you are willing or capable of paying, your lifestyle and listening needs, and your degree and type of hearing loss—especially your ability to hear in noise. The RIEs are available in 8 different color options to match skin and hair colors, while the custom in-ear models have 6 color options.

Your Hearing Care Provider (HCP) can help guide you to the appropriate technology.  Be sure to discuss all your options and particular needs (e.g., lifestyle, sports, hobbies, workplace, events, etc) with your HCP.

Who should use OMNIA?

OMNIA can accommodate hearing losses ranging from mild to profound and your HCP has a choice of 5 different receivers (speakers), including the M&RIE to accommodate your hearing loss needs.

You might be interested in OMNIA if you’re looking for:

• Improved hearing in noise. OMNIA hearing aids were designed with better speech in noise in mind. While many people with hearing loss struggle understanding speech in challenging listening environments and most well-fit hearing aids can help improve audibility in numerous situations, some like the OMNIA, may further improve hearing and comfort in noise.
• Connectivity. OMNIA provides connectivity for both Android™ and Apple^® compatible products and hands-free calling with newer Apple devices.
• Easy to use Smart 3D App. OMNIA is compatible with the ReSound Smart 3D™ app and is among the best rated hearing aid app by both Android and Apple users.
• Wide choice of accessories. OMNIA has numerous accessories to choose from depending on your listening needs, including a TV Streamer, multiple remotes, and remote microphones. These accessories are usually at an additional cost to the hearing aids.

Three key stand-out technology features of ReSound OMNIA

OMNIA features some of the hearing industry’s most advanced technology. In this section, we’ll delve deeper into the specific features and highlight some clinical findings that make OMNIA a unique product.

#1 - 360 All-Around Directionality

With the highest level of OMNIA (level 9), ReSound notes they have improved their directional microphone strategy with three different improvements:

1. A new steering system with faster processing;
2. Frequency-specific and more narrow directional response, and
3. An improved ear-to-ear streaming system that helps to ensure audibility and awareness of sounds all around the listener.

There’s also a new wearer selectable program called “Front Focus” which is intended to provide an additional narrowing of the directional response. Keep in mind that directional microphones work by minimizing sounds from certain directions around you (usually to the side and rear) and focus on sounds in front of you. Omnidirectional simply means that the microphone picks up sound from all around the listener.

Clinical studies for OMNIA's 360 All-Around Directionality

In this section, we'll detail two separate experiments that were conducted to determine the directional benefit and preservation of sounds in the environment even when OMNIA is in its highly-directional program. If you're not interested in the clinical data related to OMNIA, we suggest you move ahead to the next section.

In the first internal study, 360 All-Around Directionality was compared to the previous directional system available in the ONE product.

First, directional benefit was tested in the 360 All Around program with Front Focus engaged. Speech-shaped noise was presented to the side of the listener and the target speech (sentences) were presented directly in front of the listener. This testing was conducted in a sound isolating booth and the subjects were wearing closed domes. In other words, the ears were completely closed off (no venting) as this type of fitting provides the best possible directional benefit. Results indicated a 4.3 dB directional benefit compared to the ReSound One directional technology. This number was rounded up (to 4.5) and interpolated into a 150% improvement in speech recognition by the authors.

A few comments about these results: While statistically significant and clearly an improvement over the previous technology, the 150% estimated improvement of speech recognition is only relevant to this testing environment. Consider that you may not have a closed fit and venting will reduce your directional benefit and you aren’t usually listening in a sound booth. Also, in the experiment, noise was only presented from one direction, and most real-world environments have noise coming from many different directions. Finally, while you may very well have your hearing aids in the 360 All Around program and have engaged the Front Focus, this likely won’t be the case in all noisy environments you encounter.

So, what does all this mean? First, don’t expect to put on the ReSound OMNIA hearing aids and have perfect hearing in noisy environments and, to be fair, ReSound certainly isn’t claiming this. No hearing aid can make that promise. By design, experiments must control variables and, as such, aren’t always directly comparable to real-world environments. Also, your degree of hearing loss, the listening environment, your individual fitting (including venting or what type of dome/earmold you have), and your ability to hear in noise will all play a part in how well you understand speech in noisy rooms.

What the experiment does prove, however, is that the new OMNIA achieved what it was designed to do: improve speech understanding in noise compared to the older product. The hearing aid, without a doubt, has a highly sophisticated and responsive directional microphone system. This means, when fit properly, you very may well see improved hearing in noise compared to an older device and your overall listening comfort may also improve.

The second study investigated if 360 All-Around preserved environmental sound awareness. In this experiment the target speech was presented not from in front but from behind and to the side. This was done in the presence of noise with additional competing speech from in front. The results showed a small improvement (1.1 dB) in audibility for sounds not coming from in front of the listener compared to the older ONE product. While not statistically significant, the experiment did demonstrate that speech from around the listener was still audible while in directional mode.

This is in line with ReSound’s philosophy of “Organic Hearing” which adheres to the philosophy that hearing aids should mimic how the ear (and the brain) naturally process sound. Organic Hearing also promotes the idea that the brain processes sound differently depending on the listener’s hearing goals. In other words, while directional microphones should provide better listening in noise—especially for speech coming from in front of the listener—it shouldn’t be at the total expense of other sounds in the environment as you may wish to hear, or at least be aware of, sounds around you as well.

#2 - M&RIE Technology

A unique feature found in both OMNIA and ReSound One RIE models is the Microphone & Receiver-in-Ear (M&RIE) receiver option which combines the two traditional hearing aid microphones with an extra third microphone that sits in the ear to collect sounds. M&RIE is consistent with ReSound’s “Organic Hearing” philosophy for providing natural sound by placing an additional microphone at the entry-point of the ear canal.

M&RIE was introduced to overcome some of the limitations of microphone placement on RIC and Behind-The-Ear (BTE) hearing aids. With the natural ear, sound is collected by the outer ear (pinna and canal), and naturally boosted slightly. For the average adult with a healthy ear, this means a boost of loudness in the high pitches (2000-4000 Hz range). The outer ear also provides some additional benefit with localizing sound—that is, giving your brain cues about where the sound comes from in our environment. Finally, the outer ear also, to some extent, minimizes wind noise.

However, with RIC and BTE hearing aids that are placed on top and behind the ear, the microphones pick-up sound in an unnatural location. This means the natural boost we get from our ears isn’t there for these types of hearing aids. In addition, sound localization may not be as good, and the microphones may be more prone to wind noise.

In contrast to RICs and BTEs, custom in-the-ear (ITE) hearing instruments, especially those that fit deeper into the ear canal, have microphones that pick-up sound in a more natural location. However, they represent only a small part of the overall U.S. hearing aid market with RICs accounting for about 80% of hearing aids sold. RICs have become popular for numerous reasons including off-the-shelf fitting, longer battery life, and durability. Also, as they are larger than custom products, they can accommodate more features and improve connectivity as a larger antenna can be fit into the device.

Engineers have been aware of the microphone location issues for a long time and have devised features to help minimize the effects. For example, most modern digital hearing aids have a wind noise algorithm that will reduce the annoyance of wind. Also, there are built-in microphone location corrections to help mimic the natural response of the ear. But none of these improvements can completely imitate the natural response of the human ear and can’t be fine-tuned for individual-specific anatomy.

This is where the M&RIE can be helpful, as one of the microphones sits in a more natural position. ReSound reports via an internal study that M&RIE improved front-to-back localization by 10% and overall localization by 9% compared to an omnidirectional condition. These improvements were seen for individuals with a mild hearing loss. Whether or not those improvements exist for those with more significant hearing loss is not known.

It should be noted that adding a microphone to a receiver will naturally increase its size and, because the microphone is close to where sound is delivered to the ear, the M&RIE system may be more prone to feedback—that annoying squeal or squelch sometimes heard with amplified systems. As such, if you have small or narrow ear canals, your ear may not be able to accommodate the M&RIE receiver. Your degree of hearing loss may also limit its use. ReSound notes a fitting range of up to 80 dB through 3000 Hz, which can still allow for a wide range of hearing losses, but your fitting and hearing aid programming will play a role. Your HCP can help you determine if this technology is a good fit for you or not.

#3 - “Check My Fit” Feature

A new feature available within the Smart 3D app is the “Check My Fit” feature. This handy tool is available to help ensure that your hearing aids are properly placed on and in the ear. Placing hearing aids on the ear can be difficult for some people, especially new wearers. It can be even more difficult for those with reduced sense of touch in the fingers or for those that experience a tremor. Having the hearing aid only partially seated in the ear can lead to reduced audibility, discomfort, increased feedback, and may even cause you to lose the hearing aid. The Check My Fit tool allows you to ensure your hearing aids are seated properly in the ear by comparing photos you take of each ear and comparing them to pictures taken by your HCP. It’s much like taking a selfie with your smart phone.

An internal study by ReSound found that Check My Fit was easy to learn and use, and that 70% of participants had better hearing aid insertions than those who didn’t use the tool. Of course, not everyone will have a smartphone or choose to download the app, but those who do choose to use the feature may find that it very helpful. It may be especially beneficial for those who are new to hearing aids.

The Check My Fit feature has also been extended to the ITE and ITC models.

Additional Technology in ReSound OMNIA

OMNIA also features some exceptional technology that, while not necessarily unique to the product, can be extremely important in your purchase considerations.

Connectivity with Apple and Android devices

OMNIA hearing aids (except the CIC) are compatible with both Apple and Android devices, allowing you to stream audio directly to your hearing aids from your phone, laptop, or other compatible device. For compatible Apple devices you can also use your hearing aids as a hands-free headset. That is, your hearing aids will act as both a microphone and a receiver. In this way, there’s no need to speak into your phone, and the person on the other line will still hear you and you’ll hear their voice in your hearing aids. The hands-free protocol requires iPhone^® 11 or later. You can see if your device(s) are compatible by using the ReSound compatibility webpage.

At this time, OMNIA is compatible with Android devices and can stream calls directly to the hearing aids, but do not offer hands-free calling—you’ll just have to speak into the phone like you normally would for the other person to hear you. Should you need hands-free with your Android device, you can use an accessory called the Phone Clip+. This additional accessory can be paired to your hearing aids and then clipped to your lapel. This may be especially helpful, for example, when driving.

OMNIA and other wireless hearing aids from ReSound, including ReSound One, allow for only one connection to be active at a time, but allow for up to 8 pairings. This can be a disadvantage compared to some of their competitors, like Phonak, which has products that allow for up to two active connections. Having two active connections is advantageous, for example, when you have both a work phone and a personal phone; with two active connections, there’s no need to continually disconnect one to use the other.

The highly rated ReSound Smart 3D App

The free Smart 3D app can be downloaded to your phone and used not only as a simple remote to change programs and volume, but it can also be used to control your hearing aids’ directional response (e.g., Front Focus for high-end level 9 product), change tone such as bass and treble, monitor battery status, and more. There’s also a handy “Find My Hearing Aids” feature which, as the name suggests, can help you locate your hearing aids should you misplace them. This app works all OMNIA models except the CIC.

There’s also the option to adjust your tinnitus sounds, if your HCP has engaged these for you. You can adjust the tone of the tinnitus noise and choose from several nature sounds as well as adjust the volume. Several manufacturers only allow for adjustment of overall volume for the tinnitus sounds; however, for those who have tinnitus that varies throughout the day, having the ability to adjust beyond simple volume changes may be helpful.

There is also the ability within the app to request remote care from your HCP. This can be helpful if you live a long way from the clinic or just prefer to have small adjustments made from the comfort of your home. Most hearing aid manufacturers have similar remote care capability, as it quickly became a necessity during the Covid-19 pandemic. This option remains quite useful for simple adjustments and even firmware updates to your hearing aids.

Unlike some of their competitors like Starkey and Phonak, there are no health or fitness-tracking features within the app or in OMNIA hearing aids. With some hearing aids, you can track your steps, or even check your heart rate and set fitness goals. This is not possible, at least currently, with the OMNIA product.

The Smart 3D app is highly rated in both Apple App Store and Google Play™ store with ratings of 4.7 and 4.2, respectively. For a hearing aid app, this is excellent as many hover in the 2-3 range (on a 5 point scale). Users report that the app is easy to use and generally works well. There are recent reported issues with Apple iOS 15.4 with both connectivity and battery life. However, these were supposed to be resolved with 15.4.1, so be sure to run the most current version your phone’s operating system which, as of September 2022 is iOS 16.  In addition, there has been a recent update to the Smart 3D app (August 2022, v 1.25.0) which include improvements to stability and connectivity.

OMNIA's water and dust resistance

All three of the RICs come with an IP rating of 68, which has become the “standard” in the hearing aid industry. IP68 means that the hearing aids are more resistant to dust and dirt and are resistant to moisture, allowing for submersion in water up to a maximum depth of 1.5 meters (about 5 feet) for up to 30 minutes. Note that this doesn’t mean that the hearing aids are “waterproof,” and we don’t recommend going swimming with them; rather, they are more robust in terms of resistance to water compared to hearing aids with no IP rating or a lower rating. In practical terms, this means the hearing aids should be less likely to need repair in the long run.

Rechargeability option and choice of chargers

For recharging the RIE hearing aids, you have your choice of three different chargers including a desktop charger, a standard charger, or the premium charger—all of which use an USB power supply and inductive charging. For the BTEs use the desktop charger.

As their names suggest, the desktop charger is intended to be stationary while the premium charger is portable and acts as a battery pack, allowing for up to 3 charges without connecting to an outlet. To charge the internal battery within the premium charger takes about 3 hours. The standard charger may be more portable than the desktop charger but doesn’t act as a battery pack.

Like the Customs by ReSound line, the OMNIA in-ear ITC and ITE models use a charger with inserts that mimic the custom shape of the hearing aid shell. This ensures optimal electrical contact for recharging every time you place the aids in the charger. These aids are expected to get up to 24 hours of battery life on a single charge. The CIC with its size 10A disposable battery

The ReSound OMNIA RIEs and BTEs can get 24-30 hours on a single charge depending on the model and your hearing aid programming, how you use the hearing aid, and how much time you spend streaming. Keep in mind that streaming results in additional battery drain. Regardless, you should easily get a full day’s use with your rechargeable hearing aids (12+ hours).

How long does OMNIA last?

The published expected service life for OMNIA (including the rechargeable models' built-in battery) is 5 years. Most modern hearing aids last 3-7 years; similar to cell phones, rechargeable hearing aids generally have a shorter practical lifespan of 3-5 years because the battery power gets shorter as the years pass.

Accessories

As with most ReSound hearing aids, you have a choice of several different accessories with most OMNIA models.  These include the TV streamer 2, Multi Mic, Micro Mic, Phone Clip+, Remote Control, and Remote Control 2. Accessories are typically at an additional cost to your hearing aids, but be sure to discuss all your options and listening needs with your HCP. There are not any changes to the accessories with the release of Omnia, so if previously had ReSound hearing aids and accessories, there’s a good chance they’ll work with the new Omnia, as well. Here is a summary of each accessory’s functionality:

TV Streamer 2

As the name suggests, the TV Streamer can be paired to your hearing aids to allow for streaming of stereo audio directly from the TV (or other devices) to your hearing aids. This provides a clear and amplified audio signal to both ears which is likely to improve your speech understanding while watching TV. You’ll need a clear line of site between the TV Streamer and your hearing aids to get optimal connectivity but you can be at a distance of up to 7 meters (approximately 23 feet).

Phone Clip+

This remote microphone can be used to allow streaming between most Bluetooth enabled phones directly to your hearing aids and, as it can be clipped to your lapel, and it allows for hands-free phone conversations. The Phone Clip+ can be used with Android phones as OMNIA doesn’t have the hands-free option for those devices. It can also be used with non-compatible, but Bluetooth enabled phones to allow for streaming of the conversation directly to your hearing aids. This can make hearing conversation much easier than by simply holding the phone to your hearing aid as you’ll hear the conversation in both ears.

The Phone Clip+ also doubles as a basic remote control allowing for volume and program changes of your hearing aids.  You can also mute your hearing aid microphones during a phone conversation to minimize environmental noise—again making it easier to hear the conversation.

Multi Mic

This remote microphone can help further improve your speech understanding in noisy environments or when you are trying to listen to a speaker at a distance, such as in a lecture hall.  The remote microphone is clipped to the speaker’s lapel and picks up their voice before transmitting it directly to your hearing aids.  This improves the overall signal (speech) level over background noise allowing for clearer sound.  It can also be used as a table mic which may be helpful in meetings or similar situations.  Further capabilities include volume and muting control, an audio input jack and a built-in T-coil which could be used in looped rooms. Once paired with your hearing aids, the Multi Mic can work at up to 25 meters (approximately 80 feet) but, again, requires a clear line of site.

Micro Mic

This remote microphone is slightly smaller than the Multi Mic but has fewer capabilities. It’s intended to be a discreet remote microphone that is again clipped to the lapel and transmits the speaker’s voice directly to your hearing aids. It allows for volume control and muting and works at up to 80 feet with a clear line of site.

Remote Control

This simple and small remote can be used in lieu of the buttons on the hearing aid and/or the Smart 3D app to change volume and program. The buttons are large and provide good tactile feedback. This remote might be useful for those that have sense of touch deficits in their fingers and/or dexterity issues that make using a smart phone app or the controls on the hearing aid difficult. Or, you may simply prefer the uncomplicated remote and it allows for making changes discreetly.

Remote Control 2

This is another simple remote control option from ReSound that again allows you to control volume and program without the need to use the button on the hearing aid or a smart app. It works similarly to the Remote Control option but includes a LCD display that indicates current battery status, program number and volume setting.

Pros and Cons of OMNIA

Our recommendation

The OMNIA line of hearing aids are the latest flagship product offered by ReSound. They have some improvements over the previous generation of OMNIA products especially in how well the directional microphones manage noise. However, these improvements are based upon the same chipset as the previous ReSound One product. The claim of 150% improvement in speech recognition is based upon a very specific listening situation, and it remains to be seen how much the new hearing aids will improve hearing in real-life noisy situations.

Still, OMNIA is a very well-designed and sophisticated hearing aid, and the multiple technology levels make it available at different price points. ReSound also offers a wide array of accessories that provide additional functionality and the possibility of further improving hearing in noisy situations. For those who struggle to hear speech in noise and are in variable and challenging listening environments, this product should be a good fit for you. However, as always, here at HearingTracker we highly recommend you discuss all your options with your HCP as multiple manufacturers have similar technology.