Sonova Holding AG on Monday introduced the Phonak Audéo EON receiver-in-canal hearing-aid portfolio, reinforcing its leadership in hearing technology with a third-generation real-time AI platform.
The lineup includes EON Sphere, EON R and CROS EON R for single-sided hearing loss. The new devices incorporate Sonova’s proprietary HYPERSONIC chip and a deeper-trained neural network, delivering a 37% improvement in energy efficiency. This enables a 25% reduction in size and a 20% drop in weight compared with the prior generation. EON Sphere also expands AI-powered real-time processing across additional performance tiers.
The portfolio delivers Spheric Speech Clarity 3.0, Sonova’s latest AI algorithm for direct extraction of speech from ambient noise. Company studies indicate users are twice as likely to understand every word from any direction and experience up to 37% less listening effort when the feature is active. AutoSense OS AI 8.0 automatically detects listening environments and activates the optimal function set, while APD 4.0 adjusts amplification for more natural sound quality from first fit.
Outdoor performance improves with WindBlock 2.0, which reduces wind noise by up to 50 decibels and can improve signal-to-noise ratios by as much as 30 dB. Battery life reaches up to 38 hours, and the platform supports two active Bluetooth connections to smartphones, tablets and Auracast broadcast streams via a QR code in the myPhonak app. Compatibility with Phonak’s wireless Roger microphone technology broadens access to conversations and shared listening scenarios.
"With EON, we take the next step in intelligent hearing care by introducing a major new Phonak portfolio built on two prior generations of our proprietary real-time AI," said Eric Bernard, Sonova’s chief executive officer. "The advances in speech understanding, wearability and connectivity reinforce our innovation leadership in hearing solutions and support our strong business momentum."
The EON portfolio launches in the U.S. on Aug. 24 for licensed hearing care professionals, with additional markets including Germany, France, the U.K. and Australia following in September.
