ReSound Nexia, Next Level Hearing & Connectivity

Auracast^TM is a new Bluetooth® connectivity platform designed to enable any audio transmitter like a smartphone, laptop, television, or public address (PA) system to broadcast audio to an unlimited number of nearby Bluetooth® audio receivers. Audio receivers like hearing aids, earbuds, and any other Auracast^TM -enabled device. It also does so with outstanding audio quality and low battery drain. That may seem a bit underwhelming, but the possibilities to make the lives of hearing aid wearers easier are endless.

Imagine being at the train station or airport, and clearly being able to hear important flight/gate changes or train scheduling other announcements clearly by streaming them into your hearing device. The same could be said for attending the cinema, the theatre, the church or a lecture. Auracast^TM transmitters are designed to signal your smartphone that streaming audio is available. You can then use the Auracast^TM Assistant to simply find and select that sound stream and have it transmitted to your Bluetooth® listening device. It means that you won’t need added equipment to access high-quality audio streaming.

Electronics manufacturers are heavily invested in bringing Auracast^TM systems into the devices. Already Microsoft has announced that Windows 11 will be compatible with Auracast. That means that any Windows 11 laptop with the right Bluetooth® hardware and updates will be able to stream audio directly into your hearing aids without fuss. Samsung is planning to add the system to many of their new TVs and audio equipment and announced a firmware upgrade to their compatible TVs in September. So, this isn’t just something that will help in the future, for some lucky TV and laptop owners, they can access it right now.

The new Nexia platform will initially consist of four new Receiver-in-Ear (RIE) models, including a rechargeable Micro RIE that they say is 25% smaller than the company's standard RIE. That’s small because their smallest RIE to date has been very discreet. The Micro RIE also contains an accelerometer that enables tap controls for hands-free audio streaming with iPhones and iPads. Interestingly, the new Micro RIE will cover mild-to-profound hearing losses. That offers real choice for people with more difficult hearing loss.

A CROS/Bi-CROSS

ReSound have never ventured into the world of CROS, so they decided to change that and a second version of the Micro RIE offers the CROS/BiCROS solution. Again, it offers better choices and huge discretion for people with one-sided hearing loss. The two other RIEs are slightly larger with size 312 and 13 batteries (the RIE 13 model provides a telecoil option). So that’s;

• Nexia Micro RIE: Rechargeable, push-button and tap controls, no telecoil, compatible with Cochlear™ Nucleus® sound processors
• Nexia Micro RIE CROS: Rechargeable, push-button, no telecoil
• Nexia RIE 312: Disposable Size 312 battery, push-button, no telecoil
• Nexia RIE 13: Disposable Size 13 battery, push-button, telecoil

All models can be controlled with push buttons or via the ReSound Smart 3D™ app. Each has 4 possible programs, comes in 8 different colors, and has the highest possible moisture and debris rating (IP68) for hearing aids. As I said, ReSound is also launching its new TV-Steamer+, which is Auracast-ready. It is designed to give people with hearing loss immediate speech clarity at their preferred TV volumes. The streamer can also be connected to any laptop or audio out source, giving you immediate access to streamed audio from pretty much anything that is equipped with a headphone port. The new Nexia hearing aids and TV-Streamer+ are available in the States, but we don’t expect them in the UK until early next year.

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