Mon–Sat: 10:00 AM – 7:00 PM  •  RCI-Certified Audiologists [📞 +91-9811418578](tel:9811418578) [Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/FairfieldClinicDelhi/) [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/fairfieldhearingclinics/) [YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/@FairfieldHearingClinic) [Home](/)  /  [Blog](/blogs)  /  [Types & Technology](/blogs/types-technology) Types & Technology 16 Sep 2026 · 5 min read # Phonak Infinio Sphere: An Honest Two-Year Owner Review Written by [Shahabuddin Khan](/team/shahabuddin-khan), Director · Hearing Care Professional · Medically reviewed by [Dr. Nayeem Ahmad Siddiqui](/team/dr-nayeem-ahmad-siddiqui) · Updated 16 Sep 2026 ## Key takeaways - ● Sphere and non-Sphere are NOT the same hearing aid. Independent lab testing rated the flagship Sphere far above average for speech in noise, while the standard Audeo R Infinio 90 measured only 0.37 points above the category average on the same test [4]. - ● The DEEPSONIC chip is a genuinely separate AI processor. Phonak states it runs 7,700 million operations per second with 4.5 million neural connections trained on over 22 million sound samples [1]. - ● Independent HearAdvisor testing gave Infinio Ultra Sphere a SoundScore of 4.9 out of 5 and an A grade - the second-highest of any prescription hearing aid they had tested [4]. - ● The original flaw was battery life. Running Sphere mode continuously gave only about 5-7 hours [3]. - ● Phonak fixed it with free firmware. The Infinio Ultra update (November 2025) cut power consumption by 30%, taking continuous Sphere mode to 10-11 hours - and it was given free to all existing owners [3][4]. - ● The unresolved complaint is Bluetooth. A forum thread running from August 2025 to August 2026 gathered 154 replies from 58 people; some report repeated dropouts and spontaneous reboots, while other long-term owners call the Bluetooth the most reliable they have used [5]. - ● Fitting quality measurably changes performance. The same device scored 4.8 at manufacturer default settings and 5.2 after professional tuning [4]. - ● In India the Sphere I90 has been listed at roughly Rs 4,55,500 per ear and about Rs 8,75,000 per pair, though Indian prices vary widely and must be confirmed with an authorised clinic [7][8]. *A Long-Term Review Built on Independent Lab Data, 1.5 Million Fittings and What Real Owners Actually Report - Including the Complaints (2026)* **Written by Shahabuddin Khan, Director, Fairfield Hearing Clinics • Medically reviewed by Dr. Nayeem Ahmad Siddiqui** Fairfield Hearing Clinics, New Delhi • Published September 2026 • Reading time ~18 minutes ## 1. Why a two-year review tells you more than a launch review When a hearing aid launches, everybody writes about it. The manufacturer publishes impressive numbers, reviewers spend a fortnight with a demo pair, and the coverage disappears. But the questions that decide whether you are happy three years later are not launch questions. Does the battery still get you to the end of a long Indian wedding? Does the Bluetooth still hold when you take a call in an auto-rickshaw? Does the receiver keep dying because of earwax? Did the company abandon the platform six months later for something newer? Those questions can only be answered with time - hand the Infinio platform has now had two years of it. That makes it one of the few premium hearing aids where a genuine long-term assessment is possible, using **independent laboratory measurements**, **published manufacturer research**, and **the unfiltered reports of people who bought them with their own money**. **How we have handled the sources** Throughout this article we label every figure with where it came from: Phonak's own research, independent laboratory testing, or individual users. These carry very different weight and you deserve to know which is which. We have also deliberately included the complaints, because a review that only reports the good news is an advertisement. ## 2. What Phonak actually launched in 2024 Phonak, a brand of the Swiss group Sonova, announced the Infinio platform from Stäfa, Switzerland on 5 August 2024, with products orderable by hearing care professionals from 7 August [1]. Model What it is **Audéo Sphere Infinio** The flagship receiver-in-canal model. Carries **two** chips - the ERA chip plus the DEEPSONIC AI chip. This is the only model with Spheric Speech Clarity **Audéo R Infinio** Receiver-in-canal with the ERA chip only. Good sound quality and connectivity, but no dedicated AI speech-separation chip **CROS R Infinio** For people with unaidable hearing loss in one ear, worn with an Audéo on the better ear **Virto R Infinio** Phonak's first rechargeable custom in-the-ear hearing aid **Infinio Ultra (Nov 2025)** Not a new device - a firmware upgrade to the whole platform, free to existing owners **The single most important distinction in this article** "Infinio" and "Sphere Infinio" are not interchangeable. Only the Sphere models contain the DEEPSONIC AI chip. If you are being sold "a Phonak Infinio" because of what you read about the AI, ask explicitly whether it is a **Sphere** model - because Section 4 shows the two measure very differently for speech in noise. ## 3. What the two chips actually do ### The ERA chip - the foundation ERA sits in every Infinio hearing aid. It handles the everyday sound processing and, importantly, the connectivity: hands-free calls and streaming to essentially any Bluetooth device, which Phonak says works across twice the distance of its previous generation [1]. ### The DEEPSONIC chip - the reason Sphere exists DEEPSONIC is a second, dedicated processor that exists only to run a deep neural network in real time, separating speech from noise. Phonak describes it as the world's first real-time AI sound-processing chip in a hearing aid. Its published specifications are genuinely striking [1]: Specification Phonak's published figure **Neural connections** 4.5 million **Training data** Over 22 million sound samples **Processing speed** 7,700 million operations per second **Relative power** 53 times more powerful than existing hearing aid chips **Memory** 21 times more **Efficiency** 4 times more power efficient The important conceptual difference is this. A conventional directional microphone system has to be *pointed* at the person you want to hear. A neural network does not. As Sonova's VP of Audiology and Health Innovation, Stefan Launer, PhD, explained: "Beamformers always had a limitation for spatial perception. With DNNs, you don't have this limitation anymore. You can have access to speech sources from all around" [3]. That is the claim Phonak has staked its flagship on: **clear speech from any direction, not just from in front of you**. Whether it delivers is the subject of the next section. ## 4. What independent laboratory testing found This is where a long-term review earns its keep, because we no longer have to rely on the manufacturer. **HearAdvisor**, an independent laboratory, has measured these hearing aids, and the results were published through HearingTracker by Dr Steve Taddei, an audiologist who co-founded and directs that lab [4]. ### The flagship Sphere Measurement Result **HearAdvisor SoundScore (Infinio Ultra Sphere I90)** 4.9 out of 5, with an **A** SoundGrade **Ranking** Second-highest SoundScore of any prescription hearing aid HearAdvisor had tested - beaten only by Phonak's own newer EON **Speech in noise** **2.6 points above the category average** - described by the lab as a large margin **Original Sphere at launch** Had the top tuned-fit scores for speech in quiet (4.8/5) and speech in noise (4.6/5) of any prescription hearing aid tested at that time **HearingTracker overall verdict** 4.5 out of 5, placing it in the top 15% of all hearing aids they have evaluated ### The non-Sphere Infinio - and why this matters so much Now look at what the same laboratory measured for the standard **Audéo R Infinio 90**, the model without the DEEPSONIC chip [4]: Measurement Score How the lab described it **Speech in noise** 2.5 / 5 Only **0.37 points** above category average - "above category average, but only mixed in absolute terms" **Speech in quiet** 4.4 / 5 1.01 points above category average **Streaming music** 4.0 / 5 1.24 points above category average **Read those two tables together** The Sphere measured **2.6 points** above average for speech in noise. The non-Sphere Infinio measured **0.37 points** above average on the same metric. Both are sold under the Infinio name, both are marketed with the platform's AI language - but for the one thing most buyers care about, the gap between them is enormous. If speech in noise is your reason for upgrading, this is the difference you are paying for, and you should make sure you are actually getting it. ### Fitting changes the result - measurably One more finding deserves attention from every Indian buyer. The same Ultra Sphere scored **4.8 at the manufacturer's default settings and 5.2 after professional tuning**, with speech-in-noise performance improving to 4.51 [4]. That is a large improvement obtained not by buying anything, but by having the device properly adjusted with real-ear measurement. It is the clearest evidence we have seen that **a premium hearing aid fitted casually can perform worse than a mid-range hearing aid fitted properly**. Where you buy matters as much as what you buy. ## 5. An honest moment worth knowing about Something happened during the independent testing that we think reflects well on everyone involved, and that also teaches users something practical. HearingTracker initially published speech-in-noise results believing they had tested the Spheric Speech in Loud Noise programme - the DEEPSONIC-powered AI mode. In fact the hearing aids had been set to the *standard* Speech in Loud Noise programme, which relies on conventional directional processing. The reviewer publicly corrected the error, retested in the correct mode, and reported that Spheric performance was then in line with expectations [4]. **The practical lesson for owners** If an experienced audiologist running a test laboratory can accidentally leave the device in the wrong programme, so can you. The takeaway from the reviewer is reassuring and specific: stay in the **Automatic** programme rather than manually locking the hearing aids into a standard noise programme, and AutoSense OS will move you into Spheric Speech in Loud Noise when the environment genuinely calls for it [4]. ## 6. The flaw everybody hit: battery life in Sphere mode A neural network running continuously consumes a great deal of power. This was the Sphere's one serious weakness, and it was not a minor grumble - it was the thing that made people question whether they could rely on the device. Sonova's Stefan Launer has since been candid about the original figures: with the first version, continuous Spheric use gave **5 to 7 hours** [3]. For context, that is a hearing aid marketed specifically for difficult, noisy environments running out of power partway through a day spent in difficult, noisy environments. ### What owners said about it A review posted on HearingTracker in September 2026 by an owner of the Sphere I90 captures the frustration precisely. Travelling in a very noisy city, spending time in busy streets, stations and restaurants, this user found the batteries drained far faster than expected - to the point of **carrying their old hearing aids as backups** [6]. Their central point is a fair one and worth repeating to anyone selling these devices: "these are premium hearing aids specifically designed and marketed for difficult listening environments. Those are exactly the situations where I need them most. If using the advanced speech-in-noise processing has such a major effect on battery life, I believe this should be made much clearer before purchase" [6]. We agree with that principle entirely, which is why it appears in this article. ## 7. The unusual thing Phonak did next In November 2025, Phonak gathered around 300 hearing care professionals at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston to launch Infinio Ultra. The setting was theatrical. What was announced, however, was genuinely unusual [3]. Ultra is **not a new hearing aid**. It is a firmware upgrade to the existing platform - the same hardware, the same housing - and Phonak made it available free to every existing Infinio and Sphere owner. ### What the update actually changed Change Detail **Power consumption** Reduced by **30%**. Continuous Sphere mode went from 5–7 hours to **10–11 hours**. Battery life exceeds 50 hours when Sphere and streaming are not in use **AutoSense OS 7.0** Stated to be **24% more precise** at classifying difficult environments, having been trained on 18 times more data **Spheric Speech Clarity 2.0** The neural network was completely retrained using real-world data from more than a million fittings **One-step connectivity** Near-instant Bluetooth pairing, faster handshakes between devices and stronger reconnection logic **EasyGuard domes** A redesigned wax-protection dome system, designed using thousands of 3D ear impressions with AI and finite-element modelling ### How they achieved the battery improvement The explanation is unexpectedly human. Launer said the engineering team could only optimise properly once they physically had the finished chip: "We could measure all the functions, and we could optimize the DNN with the real hardware, not just the model. That let us scale the power consumption down by 30%" [3]. Sonova's VP of Clinical Research Strategy, Jason Galster, put the significance plainly: "Being able to provide somebody with a 30% improvement in power consumption simply through a firmware upgrade - I think that's a first" [3]. Major battery improvements normally require a new chip, new battery chemistry or a new housing. ### Did the upgrade actually help in daily life? HearingTracker contributor Digby Cook, a long-time wearer with severe-to-profound hearing loss who depends heavily on his hearing aids, reported that the most obvious change was battery life. He described the original Sphere's Spheric mode as impressive but power-hungry; after Ultra, his "battery anxiety" eased. On one day ending near midnight he still had **28–32% remaining**, and he noted the right hearing aid tends to work harder because it handles Bluetooth duties [4]. **Why this matters beyond Phonak** Most manufacturers launch new hearing aids every one to two years, which means a buyer can feel obsolete within months. Here, people who bought in 2024 received the 2025 improvements at no cost. Whether or not you choose this brand, it is a practice worth asking every manufacturer about: *what will my hearing aid gain after I buy it, and what will it cost me?* ## 8. The complaint that has not gone away: Bluetooth This is the part of the long-term story that no launch review could have told you, and we are going to report it in full - including the evidence on both sides, because the evidence genuinely is on both sides. In August 2025 a user opened a thread on the HearingTracker forum titled "Phonak Sphere Infinio Bluetooth Connectivity Failures – Who Else Is Affected?". By August 2026 it had run to **154 replies from 58 participants and roughly 8,900 views** [5]. ### What the complainants report The thread's author describes himself as a medical device engineer with over 25 years in the industry and a Phonak user of more than five years. His reported symptoms include dropouts on Bluetooth Classic streaming, failures of the app's Bluetooth LE connection, and the proprietary link between the two hearing aids dropping with an audible chime. He states he has replaced the hearing aids once under warranty, worked through every troubleshooting step Phonak suggested, filed a report with the US Food and Drug Administration's MedWatch system, and written to Sonova's board [5]. His central argument is a comparative one: none of these steps were necessary with his previous Phonak Marvel or Lumity hearing aids, on the same phone and the same operating system [5]. Other reported experiences in the thread include: - Audio stuttering while streaming from a PC, and intermittent disconnection on an Android phone, from a user who had not experienced either with Phonak P90s. - Spontaneous restarts - sound cutting out, then the start-up chime - which one technically-minded user identified as the classic signature of a software watchdog reset. - A reboot triggered reproducibly by switching the audio profile between 'headphone' and 'headset' on a laptop. - Random disconnect and reconnect chimes a couple of times a day, and the app no longer syncing automatically when the aids are taken off the charger, from a user who moved Marvel to Lumity to Infinio on the same Samsung phone. ### The other side - and it is substantial The very first reply came from a user in Toronto who says he has owned the Spheres longer than anyone else on the forum and has deliberately stress-tested them for a year. His assessment is the opposite: "Bluetooth Classic on the Sphere's is rock solid and far more reliable than any other hearing aid I have tested from Phonak or GN Resound." He adds that when he moved from Lumity to Sphere, his Bluetooth problems actually *decreased* [5]. He attributes most reported dropouts to radio interference, noting that domestic environments now contain dozens of Wi-Fi and Bluetooth devices - and that his own security cameras drop off the network at a similar rate. Another user with the non-Sphere Infinio, and a third who has worn Spheres for close to a year, agreed with him [5]. **Two practical tips from that thread that may save you a clinic visit** - You can pair up to eight devices but **only two can be active at once**. If your iPad, laptop or TV has Bluetooth switched on somewhere in the house, it may quietly hold one of your two slots - and the device you actually want will fail to connect. Switch Bluetooth off on devices you are not using. - The myPhonak app **does not stay connected** unless you enable that setting, which uses battery. If the app seems not to find your hearing aids, opening the app and immediately tapping the 'Devices' tab forces a connection. ### What an honest reading of this looks like We are not in a position to adjudicate, and we will not pretend otherwise. What can be said fairly is this. A substantial number of users report real, repeatable connectivity problems, some of them severe enough to affect a person's working life. An equally credible group of long-term users reports excellent stability. Both groups cannot be wrong about their own experience, which suggests the truth involves some combination of individual device faults, specific phone and operating-system pairings, radio environment, and firmware maturity. What this means for you is simple and practical: **test streaming and call quality thoroughly during your trial period, with your own phone, in the places you actually use it** - and make sure you know in writing what happens if it does not work. ## 9. The smaller things long-term owners mention These rarely appear in launch coverage, but they shape daily life with a hearing aid. Issue What is reported **Size** The Sphere is noticeably larger than most modern receiver-in-canal hearing aids because it houses two chips and a bigger battery. Reviewers note smaller ears, especially with spectacles, may find it a challenge [4] **Sound character in Sphere mode** HearingTracker's editor reports voices can become somewhat "tinny" when the device switches into Spheric mode, likely from processing that accentuates higher frequencies [4] **Locking onto the wrong talker** The same reviewer notes the directional system can momentarily focus on a louder or adjacent speaker - for example another table in a restaurant [4] **No telecoil** The Infinio range does not include a telecoil, which matters where loop systems are installed [4] **Auracast still pending** The hearing aids are described as Auracast-ready, but the feature was not fully enabled at the time of writing - two years after launch [4] **Only helps in genuinely loud places** The advanced denoising activates at around 72 dBA. If your life is mostly quiet, you may never hear what you paid for [4] **Buttons and hats** One long-term user reports the push buttons being pressed accidentally every time he wears a hat, and disabled them [5] **Open fittings limit the benefit** A user with open domes reported not getting the Spheric benefit he had hoped for - a reminder that the earpiece coupling affects what any processing can achieve [5] ### And the things that quietly go right - **IP68 rating** - the highest ingress protection rating available for hearing aids, against moisture and dust. In Delhi summers and monsoon humidity this is not a marketing line; moisture is one of the commonest reasons hearing aids come to our clinic for repair [4]. - **EasyGuard wax protection** - unglamorous but genuinely useful. Wax blockage is one of the most common causes of hearing aid failure and of unnecessary clinic visits. The system is also designed to show visually when wax is building up, so you can act at home [3]. - **The Roger ecosystem** - Phonak's remote microphones remain among the most effective tools available for hearing in very difficult situations, and often outperform what any hearing aid can do alone [4]. - **Two active Bluetooth connections and up to eight paired devices**, plus TV Connector and PartnerMic accessories [4]. ## 10. Real innovation, or repackaging with flowery words? You have asked us this question about every product we have reviewed, and it deserves a careful answer here because the Infinio story contains strong evidence in both directions. ### The case that the innovation is real - **An independent laboratory confirmed the headline claim.** This is the crucial point. HearAdvisor is not paid by Phonak, and it measured the Sphere at 2.6 points above category average for speech in noise, with an A grade and a SoundScore of 4.9 out of 5 [4]. Marketing claims that survive independent measurement are not flowery words. - **The hardware genuinely is different.** A second, dedicated neural-processing chip is a real architectural decision with real costs - it made the device physically larger and initially hurt battery life. Companies do not accept those penalties for a marketing story. - **The battery fix was verifiable and free.** A 30% reduction in power consumption delivered by firmware, given to existing owners at no charge, is the opposite of manufactured obsolescence [3]. - **The mechanism is explained coherently.** Extracting speech using a neural network rather than pointing a beamformer is a genuinely different engineering approach, and Sonova's researchers describe it consistently and specifically [3]. - **Measured user outcomes exist.** In a spatial listening test, participants identified **44% more words correctly** with Spheric Speech Clarity than with conventional StereoZoom beamforming, with a **37% reduction in listening effort** validated by behavioural ratings and EEG [3]. ### The case for scepticism - **Most of the headline numbers are Phonak's own.** The 10 dB SNR improvement, the 93% preference, the 45% reduction in listening effort and the 21% less fatigue are all referenced to *Phonak Field Study News* - the company's own publication series, not independent peer-reviewed journals [1]. - **One impressive figure is not about the hearing aid at all.** The "61% improvement in speech understanding" is cited to a study of remote wireless microphones in group settings, and applies when the hearing aid is used **with a Roger ON microphone** - an additional accessory you buy separately [1]. - **The AI benefit is confined to one model.** The non-Sphere Infinio, sold under the same platform branding, measured only 0.37 points above category average for speech in noise [4]. A buyer who hears the AI story and is sold a non-Sphere model has not received what was described. - **AI is not new here.** Sonova's own Stefan Launer reminded the audience that Phonak shipped hearing aids with AI-based algorithms about **25 years ago** in the Phonak Claro [3]. The word is doing heavy promotional work across the whole industry. - **The flaw was real and shipped anyway.** A device sold for noisy environments launched with 5–7 hours of battery in its noisy-environment mode. That it was later fixed is creditable; that it was sold that way for over a year is also a fact [3][6]. - **Auracast remains unfulfilled.** Promised at launch as a capability, still not enabled two years later [4]. **Holding both at once** Both columns are true, and they do not cancel each other out. The engineering appears to be genuinely new and independent testing supports the central performance claim - which is more than can be said for many products carrying the word AI. At the same time, the promotional numbers lean heavily on the company's own research, one headline figure depends on buying an extra accessory, and the benefit belongs to one specific model in the range. **So we offer no verdict. We offer a method: judge this hearing aid by how it performs on your own ears, in your own noisy rooms, during a properly supervised trial - and make sure the model in front of you is the one the evidence actually refers to.** ## 11. What this means for the Indian buyer ### Prices we could verify Indian hearing aid pricing is notoriously inconsistent, and we would rather show you the spread honestly than pretend there is one number. Listing Price quoted **Indian clinic listing, Audéo Sphere Infinio** Approximately **₹4,55,500** [7] **Indian trade listing, Audéo Sphere Infinio 90** Approximately **₹8,75,000 per pair** [8] **For international context, United States** Roughly USD 3,498 to 4,598 per pair for the I90, depending on how much clinical service is included; full-service packages can approach USD 5,000 [4] **Lower technology levels (US listings)** I70 around USD 3,298; I50 around USD 3,198; I30 around USD 2,498 per pair [4] Those two Indian figures are consistent with each other if the first is per ear and the second per pair. Treat them as **indicative only** and confirm the current figure with an authorised clinic, because listed prices, offers and service inclusions vary a great deal across Indian sellers. ### Points that matter particularly in India - **The I90 versus I70 question is a real one.** Sphere is offered at two technology levels. Ask specifically what is removed at I70 and whether it affects the features you are buying the device for. - **Ask whether the Ultra firmware has been applied.** If you are being offered stock that has been sitting in a distributor's inventory, the Ultra update is the difference between 5–7 hours and 10–11 hours of Sphere mode. It is free. It should be done before the device is handed to you. - **Humidity and wax are our two biggest repair causes.** The IP68 rating and the EasyGuard dome system are more relevant here than in a dry European climate. Ask whether EasyGuard domes are included. - **The absence of a telecoil** is worth considering if you regularly attend venues with loop systems, though loop infrastructure remains limited in India. - **Auracast should not influence your purchase today.** It is not enabled, and Indian venues with Auracast transmitters are very rare. Treat it as a possible future benefit, not a reason to buy. - **Budget for the fitting, not just the device.** The laboratory data showed a measurable performance gain from professional tuning. A cheaper price with no real-ear verification is not a saving. If you would like to hear what these hearing aids actually do on your own hearing loss, rather than reading about somebody else's, we are happy to arrange that. A full diagnostic evaluation first, then a supervised trial in the places you find difficult. [Book a Free Hearing Test & Phonak Trial  →](https://fairfieldhearing.in/book-hearing-test) Full diagnostic evaluation  ·  Real-ear verification  ·  No obligation to buy ## 12. Questions to ask before you commit Ask this Why it matters **Is this a Sphere model or a standard Infinio?** This is the single biggest question. Only Sphere has the DEEPSONIC AI chip, and the lab gap for speech in noise between them is very large Which technology level - I90 or I70? Feature sets differ. Get the specific list of what is removed **Has the Infinio Ultra firmware been installed?** It is free and roughly doubles battery life in Sphere mode. Confirm it has been applied Can I trial it with my own phone, streaming and taking calls? Connectivity experiences vary widely between users. Test yours before you buy, not after How many hours will I get on a typical day of mine? Ask your audiologist to estimate based on how much time you spend in noise and streaming Will you verify the fitting with real-ear measurement? Independent testing showed professional tuning measurably improves performance Will the device fit comfortably behind my ear with my spectacles? The Sphere is physically larger than most rivals What is the written return, exchange and repair policy? Never rely on a verbal assurance, particularly at this price ## 13. The bottom line Two years is long enough for the truth about a hearing aid to surface, and the truth here is more interesting than either the marketing or the criticism alone. The Sphere did something most AI claims in this industry have not: it survived independent measurement. A laboratory with no commercial stake put it near the top of everything it had tested for hearing in noise. That is a real achievement and it should be said plainly. It also shipped with a genuine flaw, sold for more than a year in that condition, and then had that flaw corrected by a free firmware update that existing owners received without paying anything — a practice this industry needs more of, not less. And it carries an unresolved argument about Bluetooth reliability in which credible users contradict each other, which no amount of reading will settle for your particular ears and your particular phone. What none of that tells us is whether it is right for you. That depends on your audiogram, your ear anatomy, how much of your life is spent in noise, whether a larger device sits comfortably behind your ear, and what you can reasonably spend. **Our job is to give you the verified information and be honest about its limits. The decision belongs to you, made with your audiologist, on your own ears.** ### Talk to us before you decide At Fairfield Hearing Clinics in New Delhi we fit hearing aids from all the major manufacturers, and we do not push a brand. Come in for a full diagnostic hearing evaluation, tell us where you actually struggle, and let us verify any device on your own ears with real-ear measurement before you spend a rupee. **Fairfield Hearing Clinics • New Delhi • fairfieldhearing.in** [Book a Free Hearing Test & Phonak Trial  →](https://fairfieldhearing.in/book-hearing-test) Try it in the rooms where you actually struggle  ·  No obligation to buy ## Important disclaimer **Please read this carefully.** - This article has been written for general education and public awareness only. It is not a medical prescription, a diagnosis, a treatment plan, or a recommendation to purchase any particular hearing aid, brand or model. - Hearing loss differs from person to person. The right device for you depends on your audiogram, the shape and health of your ear canals, your medical history, your listening needs and your budget. None of that can be assessed through an article. Please consult a qualified audiologist or an ENT physician for a proper evaluation and personalised guidance. - Every technical detail in this article has been taken from publicly available manufacturer material, independent laboratory testing and publicly posted user reports, and each source is credited in the References. Specifications, features, availability and pricing are set by the manufacturers and sellers and may change at any time without notice. Always confirm current details with an authorised representative before purchase. - Where figures originate with the manufacturer rather than with independent testing, we have said so in the text so that readers can weigh them appropriately. - User experiences quoted in this article are the individual opinions and reported experiences of members of the public posting in an open forum. They have not been independently verified by us, they may not be representative, and they should not be taken as evidence of a fault in any particular device. They are included because a balanced long-term review must reflect what owners report, both positive and negative. - Prices quoted are from publicly accessible listings at the time of writing and are indicative only. They are not quotations, not offers, and may differ substantially from the price available to you. - This is not a paid, sponsored or incentivised review. Fairfield Hearing Clinics received no payment, product or consideration of any kind from Phonak, Sonova, HearingTracker, HearAdvisor or any other party in connection with this article. - All brand names, product names, logos and trademarks mentioned — including Phonak, Audéo, Infinio, Sphere, DEEPSONIC, ERA, AutoSense OS, Spheric Speech Clarity, StereoZoom, EasyGuard, Roger, Marvel, Lumity, Virto, Sonova, Oticon, HearingTracker, HearAdvisor, Bluetooth, Auracast, Apple, iPhone, iPad, Android and Samsung — are the property of their respective owners. They are used here only for factual identification, description and comparison. No affiliation, sponsorship or endorsement is claimed or implied. - If you experience sudden hearing loss, ear pain, discharge, persistent ringing in the ears or dizziness, please see a doctor promptly. These can indicate conditions that need medical attention, and a hearing aid is not the appropriate first response. ## References and credits *We gratefully acknowledge the following sources. Where information originates with a manufacturer, we have said so in the text so that readers can weigh it appropriately.* **[1]** Phonak (Sonova). "Phonak Elevates Sound Quality With New Infinio Portfolio, Introducing a Paradigm Shift With Real-Time AI for Speech Clarity in Noise in Audéo Sphere Infinio." Press release, 5 August 2024. [https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240805493976/en/](https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240805493976/en/) **[2]** Phonak Field Study News evidence library, referenced in [1] - including Raufer S et al (2024) on Spheric Speech Clarity; Wright A, Kuehnel V, Keller M, Seitz-Paquette K, Latzel M (2024); Habicht J & Schuepbach-Wolf M (2024); Latzel M, Heeren J, Lesimple C (2024). [https://www.phonak.com/evidence](https://www.phonak.com/evidence) **[3]** Strom K. "Phonak's Infinio Ultra Hearing Platform Lifts Off at NASA." HearingTracker, 19 November 2025. [https://www.hearingtracker.com/news/phonak-s-infinio-ultra-hearing-platform-lifts-off-at-nasa](https://www.hearingtracker.com/news/phonak-s-infinio-ultra-hearing-platform-lifts-off-at-nasa) **[4]** Taddei S (reviewed by Bailey A, AuD), with independent testing by HearAdvisor Lab. "Phonak Infinio Ultra Sphere Review: Lab Performance and Pricing." HearingTracker, updated 8 September 2026. [https://www.hearingtracker.com/hearing-aids/phonak-audeo-infinio](https://www.hearingtracker.com/hearing-aids/phonak-audeo-infinio) **[5]** HearingTracker Forum discussion thread, "Phonak Sphere Infinio Bluetooth Connectivity Failures – Who Else Is Affected?", August 2025 to August 2026. [https://forum.hearingtracker.com/t/phonak-sphere-infinio-bluetooth-connectivity-failures-who-else-is-affected/106629](https://forum.hearingtracker.com/t/phonak-sphere-infinio-bluetooth-connectivity-failures-who-else-is-affected/106629) **[6]** User reviews published on the HearingTracker Phonak Audéo Infinio Ultra product page, September 2026. [https://www.hearingtracker.com/hearing-aids/phonak-audeo-infinio](https://www.hearingtracker.com/hearing-aids/phonak-audeo-infinio) **[7]** ASH Clinic (India) - published Phonak hearing aid price listing. [https://ashclinic.com/hearing-aids-and-accessories/phonak-hearing-aids/](https://ashclinic.com/hearing-aids-and-accessories/phonak-hearing-aids/) **[8]** IndiaMART trade listing, Phonak Audeo Sphere Infinio 90 (Navi Mumbai seller). [https://www.indiamart.com/proddetail/phonak-audeo-sphere-infinio-90-2855176334091.html](https://www.indiamart.com/proddetail/phonak-audeo-sphere-infinio-90-2855176334091.html) **[9]** Thibodeau LM (2020). "Benefits in Speech Recognition in Noise with Remote Wireless Microphones in Group Settings." Journal of the American Academy of Audiology, 31(6), 404–411. [https://doi.org/10.3766/jaaa.19060](https://doi.org/10.3766/jaaa.19060) *Quotations attributed to Sonova and Phonak personnel (Stefan Launer PhD, Christine Jones AuD, Jimena Garcia, Jason Galster, Kevin Seitz-Paquette AuD, Brandy Pouliot, Nicholai Dessypris and Robert Woolley) are reproduced from the sources listed above and credited to those publications. Laboratory measurements are the work of HearAdvisor. Forum posts remain the property and opinion of their individual authors. All original reporting remains the property of its publisher.* ### Not sure which hearing aid is right for you? Get a free hearing test and an honest, expert recommendation — with a no-obligation trial. [Book Your Free Test](/book-a-test) Frequently asked questions What is the difference between Phonak Infinio and Phonak Infinio Sphere? + Both are built on Phonak's Infinio platform and both contain the ERA chip. Only the Sphere models contain a second, dedicated chip called DEEPSONIC, which runs a deep neural network in real time to separate speech from noise. This is what powers Spheric Speech Clarity. The difference is not cosmetic: independent HearAdvisor testing measured the Sphere at 2.6 points above the category average for speech in noise, while the standard Audeo R Infinio 90 measured only 0.37 points above average on the same metric. Is the Phonak Infinio Sphere good for hearing in noisy places? + Independent laboratory testing supports this as its strongest area. HearAdvisor gave the Infinio Ultra Sphere a SoundScore of 4.9 out of 5 with an A grade, and at the time of testing it held the second-highest SoundScore of any prescription hearing aid the lab had measured, beaten only by Phonak's own newer EON model. Its speech-in-noise result was 2.6 points above the category average. Note that the advanced denoising only activates in genuinely loud environments, at around 72 dBA. What is Infinio Ultra, and do I have to buy a new hearing aid to get it? + Infinio Ultra, launched in November 2025, is a firmware upgrade rather than a new device, and Phonak made it available free to all existing Infinio and Sphere owners. It reduced power consumption by 30%, taking continuous Sphere mode from 5-7 hours to 10-11 hours, and added AutoSense OS 7.0, a retrained Spheric Speech Clarity 2.0, faster one-step Bluetooth connectivity and the EasyGuard wax-protection dome system. What is the battery life of the Phonak Infinio Sphere? + It depends heavily on how much you use the AI mode. Following the Infinio Ultra update, Phonak states continuous Sphere mode gives about 10-11 hours, compared with 5-7 hours before the update. When Sphere mode and streaming are not being used, battery life exceeds 50 hours. The standard non-Sphere Audeo Infinio Ultra R is rated up to 31 hours. Some owners in very noisy environments have still reported battery life falling short of their needs. Are there known problems with Phonak Infinio Sphere? + The most widely discussed issue is Bluetooth connectivity. A forum thread running from August 2025 to August 2026 collected 154 replies from 58 participants, with reports of streaming dropouts, app connection failures, the link between the two hearing aids dropping, and occasional spontaneous restarts. However, several long-term owners in the same thread report excellent Bluetooth stability, with one describing it as the most reliable he has used. Other commonly mentioned points are the device's larger physical size, a somewhat tinny sound character in Spheric mode, the absence of a telecoil, and Auracast not yet being enabled. Does the fitting really make a difference to performance? + Yes, and it is measurable. Independent testing of the same Infinio Ultra Sphere showed a normalised fit score of 4.8 at the manufacturer's default settings, rising to 5.2 after professional tuning, with speech-in-noise performance improving as well. A premium hearing aid fitted casually can perform worse than a mid-range hearing aid fitted properly with real-ear measurement. Is the AI in the Phonak Sphere real innovation or just marketing? + We do not offer a verdict. The evidence points in both directions and readers can weigh it themselves. Supporting the innovation: an independent laboratory confirmed the speech-in-noise advantage, the second dedicated chip is a real architectural change with real costs, and a 30% power improvement was delivered free by firmware. Supporting scepticism: most headline figures come from Phonak's own Field Study News rather than independent peer-reviewed journals, the widely quoted 61% speech improvement actually requires a separately purchased Roger microphone, and the AI benefit applies only to the Sphere models rather than the whole Infinio range. What is the price of the Phonak Infinio Sphere in India? + Indian pricing varies considerably between sellers. Published Indian listings we could locate quoted approximately Rs 4,55,500 for the Audeo Sphere Infinio and approximately Rs 8,75,000 per pair for the Sphere Infinio 90, figures that are consistent if the first is per ear. These should be treated as indicative only and confirmed with an authorised clinic, as offers, technology level and included services vary widely. #### Shahabuddin Khan Director · Hearing Care Professional [View profile →](/team/shahabuddin-khan) Related articles Types & Technology ### [Bernafon Revita: The AI Hearing Aid That Listens to the Whole Table](/blogs/types-technology/bernafon-revita-ai-hearing-aid-explained) In August 2026, ReSound launched a flagship hearing aid built on one idea: point a microphone beam at the person you are... 10 Sep 2026 · 5 min read Types & Technology ### [ReSound Sensia: The AI Hearing Aid That Listens Where You Look](/blogs/types-technology/resound-sensia-ai-hearing-aid-explained) Summary Modern hearing aids have become very good at removing noise. What they have never been good at is knowing whose... 03 Sep 2026 · 5 min read ## Have a hearing question? Book a free, no-obligation hearing test with our RCI-certified audiologists. 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