Hearing Aid Comparison
If you are wearing Phonak Infinio or Infinio Ultra, this is the question you came here with, so here is the answer before the detail: for most people the honest recommendation is to stay where you are.
That is not a reflexively conservative answer. It follows from what Phonak itself is and is not claiming. EON is smaller, lighter and far more efficient than the platform it replaces, and it brings the neural network down to a technology level where more people can afford it. What Phonak is not claiming — and this is unusual for a Phonak launch — is that EON understands speech in noise better than Infinio Ultra does. In the one area where the company has spent two years building a lead, the launch material is notably careful.
So the upgrade case for an existing Infinio wearer is a case about the device rather than about the sound: physical size, weight, battery behaviour and Auracast. Those are real, and for some people they will be decisive. For others they will not be worth several thousand dollars. Below is what actually changed, what Infinio still does better, and how we would think about it if you were sitting across the desk.
We fit and verify both platforms at our San Mateo and San Carlos offices, and we have no reason to prefer one outcome over the other. If your Infinio hearing aids were never verified with real-ear measurement, that is a far more likely explanation for any disappointment than the generation of the chip inside them.
At a glance
- Phonak is not claiming EON understands speech in noise better than Infinio Ultra. The gains it does claim are size, weight, efficiency, Auracast, and the neural network reaching a third technology level.
- The headline claim that wearers are twice as likely to understand every word is footnoted to a 2024 study comparing Spheric Speech Clarity against itself switched off — a benefit an Infinio Sphere wearer already has.
- Infinio still covers custom, titanium and power styles that EON does not, and it has an independent HearAdvisor score of 4.9 out of 5 that EON will not have for months.
- Phonak has not discontinued Infinio. It still sells Infinio Ultra R, Infinio Ultra Sphere, Virto R Infinio and CROS Infinio alongside EON.
- The Infinio Ultra speech-in-noise score went from 3.1 out of 5 at the manufacturer's initial fit to 5.0 once tuned. Verification is worth more than the upgrade.
What actually changed
The processor. Infinio Sphere used a two-chip arrangement, with a dedicated DEEPSONIC coprocessor handling the neural network alongside the main chip. EON replaces both with a single processor Phonak calls HYPERSONIC. The version of the neural network it runs is Spheric Speech Clarity 3.0, up from 2.0 on Infinio Ultra. Around it, AutoSense OS AI 8.0 replaces version 7.0 as the automatic program system, and WindBlock 2.0 is added to handle wind across the microphones. The physical consequence of the new chip is the part you can see and feel: Phonak states EON is 25% smaller and 20% lighter than the previous Sphere generation, and uses 37% less power while running the neural network. Both figures are footnoted as comparisons against Infinio Ultra rather than as study results, which is the appropriate way to state them — they are engineering specifications, and engineering specifications are the kind of claim a manufacturer is actually in a position to make. On the connectivity side, EON adds Auracast broadcast audio, joined by scanning a QR code in the myPhonak app, and it works from launch day rather than being promised in a later update. RogerDirect, Bluetooth Classic and LE Audio carry over.
The numbers, and what stands behind them
Phonak's headline claim for EON is that wearers are twice as likely to understand every word from any direction. If you are considering this as an upgrade, you should know what that number is measuring. Its footnote cites a 2024 Phonak Field Study News by Wright and colleagues, and defines the comparison as hearing aids using Spheric Speech Clarity against the same hearing aids with Spheric Speech Clarity switched off. Your Infinio Sphere already has Spheric Speech Clarity switched on. That claim describes a benefit you already have. The claim that the Audéo EON Sphere outperforms four other hearing aids for clear speech in loud noise comes from a 2026 Phonak Insight by Ulloa Sanchez and colleagues — Phonak's own in-house publication series — and the four competitors are never identified. Nothing in either document is a comparison of EON against Infinio Ultra. The battery figures are worth reading carefully too. Phonak quotes up to 56 hours for Infinio Ultra Sphere and up to 38 hours for EON, which looks like a step backwards until you read the footnote, which is identical on both: the maximum depends on your hearing loss, how noisy your environment is, how much you stream and which features are actually switched on. Running the neural network was the single largest drain on the previous platform, and reducing that cost is the entire purpose of the new chip. The two headline numbers are not describing the same thing, and comparing them directly will mislead you in both directions.
What Infinio still does better
Three things, and they are not small. First, styles. EON is receiver-in-canal only, in three models. Infinio covers the custom in-the-ear range — including the rechargeable Virto R Infinio and the titanium in-the-canal shells — and Phonak's power behind-the-ear and pediatric fittings sit on the Infinio, Lumity and Paradise platforms. If a custom device suits your dexterity or your ear anatomy, or if your loss needs a power behind-the-ear instrument, there is no EON that can do it and there will not be for some time. Second, independent measurement. HearAdvisor has measured the Phonak Sphere Infinio Ultra and given it an A grade with a SoundScore of 4.9 out of 5, placing it second in its category among the 36 prescription hearing aids the laboratory has tested. Nobody has measured EON, and nobody will for months. If evidence matters to you, the older platform is currently the one with evidence. Third, price. Outgoing flagships get cheaper as stock clears, and a well-measured device at a falling price is a serious recommendation rather than a consolation prize. That combination — proven measurement, wider style range, better price — is a genuinely strong position, and it belongs to the platform you may already own.
Infinio is not being discontinued
Being replaced at the top of the range gets heard as being about to disappear, and that is not what has happened. Phonak still catalogues Infinio Ultra R, Infinio Ultra Sphere, Virto R Infinio, the titanium Virto models and CROS Infinio alongside EON on its own US site. Firmware, repairs, accessories and fitting support all continue, and Roger microphones work across both platforms. There is no service cliff coming. If your Infinio hearing aids are two years old, they have most of their working life ahead of them, and the sensible plan is to look after them — annual checks, receiver and wax filter changes, and a re-verification if anything about your hearing has shifted. Our hearing aid repair and service page covers what we do in-house.
Who should upgrade
A few groups genuinely benefit. If Auracast matters to you specifically — you attend a venue that has already installed it, or you travel through airports and transit systems adopting it — EON has it working now and Infinio Ultra does not. If size and weight are what stop you wearing your hearing aids consistently, a quarter smaller and a fifth lighter is a meaningful difference on the ear, and consistency of wear predicts outcome better than almost anything else we can measure. If your current hearing aids are Lumity, Paradise or older, this is a different question entirely and a move to a current platform will make a real difference — though that argues equally for Infinio Ultra at a clearing price. And if you were previously quoted for a mid-range device and turned it down because the neural network was out of reach, that has changed: Spheric Speech Clarity 3.0 now runs at the Standard 50 level as well as Advanced 70 and Premium 90, and WindBlock 2.0 is available across the range. That is the most consequential change in the whole launch for the people we actually see.
Who should not
If you are wearing verified, well-fitted Infinio Sphere and it is working, we would not move you, and we will tell you that in the appointment rather than let you find out afterwards. Phonak is not claiming EON hears better than what you already own. If you need a custom in-the-ear device or a power behind-the-ear fitting, EON cannot do it and the question does not arise yet. If a telecoil is how you hear at your church, your theatre or your community centre, note that no EON has one — and neither does Infinio, so this is a reason to look at a different manufacturer rather than a reason to stay, and we will happily show you what Signia or Oticon do about it. And if you are simply dissatisfied with how your Infinio hearing aids sound, please come in and let us measure them before you spend money. Which brings us to the next section, which is the one that matters.
The thing that matters more than either platform
Buried in HearAdvisor's Infinio Ultra report is the most useful number we have seen this year. Measured at the manufacturer's own initial-fit settings, the device scored 3.1 out of 5 for speech in noise. Measured again after being properly tuned, it scored 5.0. For context, the average speech-in-noise score across all 36 prescription hearing aids the lab has tested is 1.96. The gap between an out-of-the-box Phonak and an adjusted one was larger than the gap between an average hearing aid and a good one. This is the same device, on the same test bench, on the same day. The only variable was whether somebody had done the work. That is what real-ear measurement is for: a probe microphone in your ear canal measuring what the hearing aid is actually delivering at your eardrum, compared against your prescription, adjusted until they match. If your Infinio hearing aids were fitted without it, you are very likely sitting somewhere near that 3.1 with a device capable of 5.0, and no new platform will fix that. We would rather verify what you own than sell you a replacement for it.
Try them side by side
The whole argument resolves in about thirty minutes, and it costs nothing. Bring the hearing aids you are wearing now and we will measure them first, so you know what you actually have. Then we will set EON up next to them in a noisy environment rather than a quiet booth, because a quiet booth flatters everything. You will hear a difference or you will not, and either answer is worth knowing before you spend anything. Call 650-342-9449 or request an appointment, at San Mateo or San Carlos, whichever is easier. If someone else has quoted you for EON already, bring the quote — our second opinion on a hearing aid quote is free and carries no obligation to buy anything from us.
Frequently asked questions
A few questions worth asking
Is Phonak Infinio discontinued now that EON has launched?
No. Phonak still catalogues Infinio Ultra R, Infinio Ultra Sphere, Virto R Infinio, the titanium Virto models and CROS Infinio on its own site alongside EON. Repairs, firmware, accessories and Roger compatibility all continue, and there is no service cliff coming.
Is EON's battery worse than Infinio Ultra's?
The headline numbers say 38 hours for EON and 56 for Infinio Ultra Sphere, but they are not measuring the same thing. Both carry the identical Phonak footnote saying the maximum depends on your hearing loss, your environment, how much you stream and which features are switched on. Running the neural network was the largest drain on the previous platform and reducing that cost is the whole point of the new chip. In practice, expect EON to hold up better on a day when the AI is working hard, which for most people is every day.
Will my Roger microphone still work with EON?
Yes. RogerDirect carries over to EON, so an existing Roger microphone, table mic or pen will pair with the new hearing aids. Bring yours to the appointment and we will confirm it on the day rather than have you find out at home.
Can I get EON as a custom in-the-ear hearing aid?
Not yet. Every EON model is receiver-in-canal — Audéo EON Sphere, Audéo EON R and CROS EON. Phonak's custom devices, including the rechargeable Virto R Infinio and the titanium in-the-canal shells, remain on the Infinio platform, and the power behind-the-ear and pediatric instruments sit on Infinio, Lumity and Paradise. If a custom device is right for you, the older platform is not a compromise.
I bought Infinio last year. Did I buy at the wrong time?
No. Phonak is not claiming EON hears better than Infinio Ultra, and Infinio Ultra is the platform with an independent laboratory score — an A grade and 4.9 out of 5 from HearAdvisor. What we would suggest instead is bringing them in for verification if that was never done. The measured difference between an unverified and a verified fitting on that exact device was larger than the difference between an average hearing aid and a good one.
How much will upgrading cost?
Phonak has not published pricing for EON at any technology level, and we will not invent a figure. What we can tell you is what drives the number and what our fee includes — see what Phonak EON costs. We will quote you something real once we can stand behind it.