Summary:
GN has launched the ReSound Enzo IA, a very small rechargeable Super Power hearing aid, designed to deliver advanced AI-driven sound processing, superior noise management, and all-day battery life to improve speech understanding and quality of life for people with severe to profound hearing loss.
Key Takeaways:
- AI-Enhanced Listening: Uses GN’s new 360 chip and Intelligence Augmented (IA) technology to classify and adapt to different environments in real time, reducing listening effort.
- Superior Noise Performance: Features Clear Focus beamforming, delivering a 2.7 dB SNR improvement and 93% user preference for hearing in noisy situations.
- Power Without Compromise: Offers 28 hours of battery life in a small rechargeable Super Power form factor, with full Bluetooth LE Audio and Auracast support.
GN announced today the launch of ReSound Enzo IA. In addition to being what the company calls the world’s smallest rechargeable Super Power hearing aid, ReSound Enzo IA is intended to provide a huge improvement in sound quality for people with severe to profound hearing loss.
Understanding speech especially in noisy environments, due to lack of power or signal to noise ratio (SNR), is the biggest challenge for Super Power users. According to GN, ReSound Enzo IA, benefiting from GN’s Organic Hearing philosophy, overcomes this challenge without compromising size or battery life.
ReSound Enzo IA allows users with severe to profound hearing loss to access the latest technologies available, including advanced noise management and what GN calls the world’s best feedback management system providing significant added stable gain.
“At GN, we’ve engaged deeply with people facing severe to profound hearing loss to understand what truly makes a difference for them. With ReSound Enzo IA you can have it all—we’re empowering people to access the sounds that matter most, enabling them to participate confidently in conversations and stay connected with loved ones, without having to accept compromises in terms of size or battery life,” says Peter Justesen, president, Hearing division at GN.
Intelligence Augmented and More
ReSound Enzo IA utilizes a specialized 360 chip that processes environmental sounds in real time using machine-learning artificial intelligence, allowing the device to classify and adapt to different acoustic environments for the best all-around listening experience. This approach, which GN calls Intelligence Augmented (IA), works by analyzing surrounding sounds and adjusting settings accordingly, reducing the cognitive effort typically required for people with severe to profound hearing loss to navigate complex listening situations.
In noisy environments, Clear Focus, which GN says is the hearing industry’s most narrow beamformer, spotlights speech in front and eliminates distractions, resulting in a 93% preference for hearing in noise for Super Power users, and a significant 2.7 dB signal-to-noise ratio improvement over legacy devices.
The device offers all-day battery life in a small rechargeable Super Power hearing aid. A single charge provides 28 hours of use, or 20 hours when streaming media half the time, allowing users to enjoy their day without battery anxiety, and experience greater independence especially while traveling.
ReSound Enzo IA supports Bluetooth Low Energy (LE) Audio and Auracast technology, allowing users to access audio broadcasts in public venues through their smartphones using the ReSound Smart 3D app. To hear clearly in every situation, the hearing aid is also compatible with the Multi-Mic+ for improved listening in public spaces through Telecoil, and the TV-Streamer+ for elevated TV listening. Additionally, ReSound Enzo IA can connect to two devices simultaneously and enables direct phone call streaming activated by a simple tap of the hearing aid.
Benefits for HCPs
“ReSound Enzo IA has many benefits for hearing care professionals, as the device is built to withstand everyday life, for consumer satisfaction and to extend in-clinic service offerings,” says Laurel Christensen, PhD, chief audiology officers at GN Hearing.
She offers these examples:
- It features exchangeable mic filters so HCPs can service the hearing aids on the spot
- It is all-weatherproof and includes protective nanocoating on the inside and the outside
- The sealed design of the inductive desktop charger ensures reliable charging and prevents the build-up of debris or moisture
- Fitting experiences are enhanced with the industry’s fastest firmware updates
“Enzo IA is similar in fitting to Enzo Q with options for linear and WDRC signal processing,” Christensen adds. “The DFS III offers more headroom than any other super power device on the market so that gain is not compromised.”
The fact that Enzo IA is designed to make streaming and connectivity easy to set up and use can also benefit HCPs. This is possible because this Super Power hearing aid is made for Bluetooth Low Energy (LE) Audio and Auracast broadcast audio via the Auracast Assistant App.
“The beauty of the Auracast Assistant App is that it makes connectivity and streaming really simple for users. It enables every phone that is compatible with the ReSound Smart 3D app to become an Auracast handler with a single tap,” says Christensen. “This streamlined process simplifies selecting and sharing Auracast streams, even with smartphones and devices that aren’t yet Auracast compatible. In addition, the hearing aid can connect to two devices simultaneously and enables direct phone call streaming by a single tap of the hearing aid.
“All of these features that are enabled by a single tap enhance the user experience, adds Christensen, “and this ultimately saves HCPs time teaching patients how to get the most out of there hearing aid.”
Customer Satisfaction
“These life changing hearing aids have transformed my world; without them, I wouldn’t hear anything,” says Helen Cherry, a ReSound Enzo IA user. “Seemingly small technological advancements represent significant improvements that greatly enhance the daily lives of those of us with severe to profound hearing loss. ReSound Enzo IA has enriched my entire auditory experience in ways I never thought possible.”
ReSound Enzo IA and its Beltone equivalent, Beltone Boost Max S, will launch initially in the U.S. and Germany on August 21, with more markets to follow in the coming months.
For more information, visit the ReSound and Beltone websites.
