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ReSound announced today the addition of rechargeable Behind-the-Ear (BTE) and in-ear custom options to its successful flagship Nexia hearing aid line while highlighting new facets of these industry-first products that feature Bluetooth Low-Energy (LE) with Auracast audio broadcast technology.
Launched in September 2023, Nexia caught the eye of the industry when ReSound announced it included Auracast. Importantly, Nexia is also geared for hearing in noise: relying on ReSound’s signature combination of 4-microphone binaural beamforming and omnidirectional listening system, the hearing aids are designed for better speech understanding in background noise, with a balance of environmental sound and speech clarity.1,2,3 Clinical observations, including those of the second author (MA), underscore the significant improvement reported by patients fitted with Nexia in noisy listening environments.
ReSound is adding two BTEs to the Nexia product family while also updating its custom rechargeable line to employ the Nexia chip platform that delivers advanced speech-in-noise abilities and Bluetooth LE technology. This means Nexia has now been widened to suit almost all hearing losses in all hearing aid styles.
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Both of the new BTE models are rechargeable. The BTE 77 can be configured with a transparent, nearly invisible thin-tube and can also use a standard ear hook or open fitting for a more natural sound quality experience. The BTE 88 is the most powerful aid in the line and can be fitted with a standard or metal ear hook. Both have a telecoil for listening to induction loop systems in addition to their Auracast wireless technologies and audio streaming for MFi and Android. They come in 8 color choices and use a desktop charger.
Nexia is also now available in custom in-the-ear (ITE) and in-the-canal (ITC) rechargeable hearing aid styles with Bluetooth LE and Auracast technology. They come in 6 colors and use a custom charger. Additionally, a Completely-in-Canal (CIC) model is available, but it does not offer Bluetooth audio streaming and uses a size 10A disposable battery that will need changing roughly every 3-5 days.
“We’ve substantially expanded the entire choice of styles and fitting ranges that Nexia covers,” says GN Chief Audiologist Laurel Christensen, PhD. “Even our Nexia custom in-ear rechargeables can be fit with an ultra-power receiver, so we’re talking about a very broad fitting range with most styles, as well as the possibility for open fittings or sealed earmolds, or even metal ear hooks that can supply a lot of power for more severe hearing losses.”
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Nexia already has four Receiver-in-Ear (RIE) models. As its name implies, the Micro RIE is smaller and features an accelerometer for tap-based hands-free phone calls and audio streaming compatibility with iPhones and iPads. There are two other RIE models with different battery options (sizes 312 and 13) and a CROS / BiCROS version for people with unilateral (one-sided) hearing loss. The size 13 RIE comes with a telecoil.
All Nexia rechargeable aids are expected to supply 24 hours of use on a full charge or up to 20 hours when streaming audio half the time.
The extended ReSound Nexia portfolio will be rolled out globally, starting with the US, Canada, Germany, and Austria on February 22nd, 2024, along with the equivalent Beltone Serene lineup.
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As the flagship hearing aid in parent group GN's premiere brand, ReSound Nexia represents an industry trailblazer with its use of Auracast—an exciting technology that may open a new world of audio for all hearing-related devices, from hearing aids and cochlear implants to hearables, earbuds, and headphones.
“Auracast promises to change the way all of us, not just those with hearing aids, connect with audio in public spaces,” said GN Hearing Division President Scott Davis in a press statement. “It's being adopted at an even faster pace than we could have imagined and is rapidly being embraced as the Bluetooth standard of choice. We believe this will be a huge leap in accessibility for people with hearing loss, especially in public spaces, and we are delighted to be the first to offer this. Hearing aids are a multi-year investment, and with ReSound Nexia, you can be confident that you are already connected to the future.”
Auracast offers a straightforward, accessible enhancement to existing technologies like telecoil and FM systems. Bluetooth LE Audio prioritizes audio quality, delivering better sound quality while minimizing latency and conserving battery life for uninterrupted daily streaming. The Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG) predicts that Auracast will connect with 3 billion devices in 2.5 million locations by 2030.4
“One special thing about this is that the hearing industry and people with hearing impairment are getting this technology first,” says GN Principal Engineer Thomas Olsgaard, one of the original industry engineers who worked with Bluetooth SIG to establish the standard. “The Bluetooth LE and Auracast technologies are literally driven by the needs of people with hearing loss. So, do I like this as a hearing aid engineer? Yes, indeed!
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“Hearing care professionals are pretty surprised when they see how simple [Auracast] technology is when in use,” continues Olsgaard. “And, of course, that was the mantra for the standard when we started out.”
GN has more recently partnered with Microsoft and its Windows 11 operating system, laying the groundwork for ReSound Nexia to be seamlessly compatible with new Windows PCs supporting Bluetooth LE Audio. This integration empowers individuals to enjoy the audio quality of ReSound Nexia on their compatible Windows devices. In other words, you can stream audio directly to your hearing aid whenever you use Teams or Windows-compatible conference calls or simply for streaming audio from the PC.
ReSound also announced its new Auracast-enabled TV-Streamer+ with the launch of Nexia last September. This accessory reportedly provides a 56% speech recognition improvement when listening to the TV via the TV-Streamer+ compared to listening via the TV speakers, helping to optimize people’s viewing experience.5
ReSound has included in this update some software improvements that allow audiologists and hearing aid specialists to generate clinician reports more easily. There have also traditionally been long, legal-looking consent forms that patients must fill out to take advantage of remote fittings, and these have now been moved to the app—which should save everyone some time.
The launch of ReSound Nexia’s line extension coincides with GN's sustainability goals and will be packaged in new sustainable FSC-certified paper with 47% reduced CO2 emissions.6 By 2025, the GN Group aims to reduce the size of all its packaging and ensure it is both FSC-certified and fully recyclable. The hearing industry in general has been moving toward greater sustainability and a lower carbon footprint.
For more information, please visit the ReSound Nexia webpage.
Karl Strom ist der Chefredakteur von HearingTracker. Er war Gründungsredakteur von The Hearing Review und berichtet seit über 30 Jahren über die Hörhilfenindustrie.
Matthew Allsop ist Video Content Manager bei HearingTracker. Er verfügt über fast zwei Jahrzehnte Erfahrung in der Audiologie und hat sowohl im NHS als auch im privaten Sektor tätig gewesen. Er nimmt neue Patienten bei Harley Street Hearing in London an.
