STÄFA, SWITZERLAND — Phonak has introduced EON, its next-generation hearing aid platform, featuring a newly developed HYPERSONIC™ chip along with updated artificial intelligence-based speech and environmental processing.
The new platform brings together Spheric Speech Clarity 3.0, AutoSense OS™ AI 8.0 and Phonak’s Made-For-All connectivity. Compared with the previous Sphere generation, EON is 25% smaller and 20% lighter and offers up to 38 hours of battery life, according to the company.
“EON sets a new benchmark for intelligent hearing. It brings together the capabilities that matter most in daily life: understanding speech, adapting automatically and staying connected with confidence”
–Josipa Kern, Global Head of Phonak
Third Generation of Real-Time AI
EON combines two complementary AI systems: Spheric Speech Clarity 3.0 and AutoSense OS™ AI 8.0. The systems operate in parallel, with one focused on separating speech from background noise and the other analyzing the broader acoustic environment and determining when different processing features should be engaged.
Spheric Speech Clarity 3.0 uses deep neural network (DNN) processing to separate speech from background noise in real time. Phonak says users are twice as likely to understand every word from any direction when using Spheric Speech Clarity compared with hearing aids using the same settings without the feature.1
The technology builds on the DNN-based speech processing introduced with Phonak’s previous Sphere generation. In 2025, Andrew Bellavia tested the Phonak Infinio Ultra Sphere hearing aids in a range of real-world listening environments, providing an early look at the company’s approach to DNN-based speech-in-noise processing.
With EON, Phonak has also changed how its automatic system decides when speech-in-noise processing should remain active. AutoSense OS AI 8.0 analyzes the listening environment up to 700 times per second and blends features including gain, directional microphones and noise reduction based on the acoustic scene.
A key change from AutoSense OS AI 7.0 is the use of separate thresholds for entering and leaving the Speech in Loud Noise program. This approach, known as hysteresis, means a brief reduction in noise is less likely to cause the hearing aid to leave the program when the overall listening situation remains essentially unchanged.
That distinction may be particularly relevant in places such as restaurants, where the environment can remain broadly similar even as nearby conversations and noise levels fluctuate from moment to moment.
In a Phonak technical comparison using the same approximately 30-minute lunchtime recording, Infinio Ultra running AutoSense OS AI 7.0 periodically exited the Speech in Loud Noise program as sound levels changed, while EON running version 8.0 remained in the program throughout the recording. According to Phonak, this resulted in about 20% greater activation of Speech in Loud Noise processing during that test.
Phonak Target continues to allow clinicians to adjust the activation level for the Speech in Loud Noise program, providing some control over how readily this processing engages for an individual wearer.
WindBlock 2.0 Targets Outdoor Listening
EON also introduces WindBlock 2.0, an updated approach to managing wind-generated noise at the hearing aid microphones.
Earlier versions primarily reduced low-frequency sound when wind was detected. WindBlock 2.0 instead places greater emphasis on whichever microphone is receiving the cleaner signal, with the aim of reducing wind noise while preserving more of the desired sound.
According to Phonak, WindBlock 2.0 can reduce wind noise by up to 50 dB and improve the signal-to-noise ratio by as much as 30 dB compared with having the feature turned off.3
Phonak also evaluated the system in a study involving 19 experienced hearing aid users with mild to moderately severe bilateral sensorineural hearing loss. Participants compared WindBlock 1.0 and 2.0 across different wind speeds, directions and listening conditions. WindBlock 2.0 was preferred across measures including overall sound quality, listening comfort, listening effort, naturalness and speech clarity.
The researchers noted that the strong overall preference for WindBlock 2.0 may also have influenced ratings of individual attributes, such as comfort and naturalness, and suggested that future work could examine those perceptual differences more closely.
New HYPERSONIC Chip and Battery Life
The new HYPERSONIC™ AI chip powers Spheric Speech Clarity 3.0. Phonak says the chip is 37% more power-efficient while running SSC 3.0 than Infinio Ultra running SSC 2.0.
The increased efficiency has allowed Phonak to reduce the size of the Sphere model while continuing to run its real-time AI processing. Audéo EON Sphere is 25% smaller and 20% lighter than the previous generation, while EON is rated for up to 38 hours of battery life on a single charge.
Phonak’s new Audéo EON Sphere features a 25% smaller design compared with the previous Sphere generation, while the new HYPERSONIC™ AI chip powers Spheric Speech Clarity 3.0 with improved processing efficiency.
Actual runtime will vary based on factors including hearing loss, environmental sound classification, streaming use, battery condition and the features being used.
The hearing aids will be offered in eight color options and accompanied by two new charging solutions, including a portable charger with an integrated battery.
“With the HYPERSONIC™ chip, we have engineered a significant step forward in power efficiency without compromising real-time AI performance. This allows EON to deliver advanced speech processing in a smaller, lighter design while supporting the all-day reliability people expect from Phonak”
–Anders Rosengren, Chief R&D Officer, Sonova
Made-For-All Connectivity
Phonak is continuing its Made-For-All connectivity approach with EON, combining Bluetooth Classic, Roger Direct™ and Auracast™ broadcast audio within the same hearing aid.
The combination allows EON to connect with a broad range of Bluetooth-enabled devices while retaining direct compatibility with Phonak’s Roger wireless microphone ecosystem. Auracast support provides access to compatible public audio broadcasts as the technology becomes available in venues such as museums, theaters, airports and other public spaces.
Other updates include APD 4.0, Phonak’s latest proprietary fitting formula, which the company says is designed to provide higher fidelity in changing environments.
EON Tested During Arctic Expedition
Phonak also provided a pre-release EON device to Dr. Amanda Klekowski von Koppenfels, a scholar, researcher and educator living with hearing loss, who became the first person outside Phonak to wear and test EON during an Arctic expedition.
The setting provided an opportunity to use EON and WindBlock 2.0 in demanding outdoor conditions involving wind, snow, cold-weather clothing and conversation.
“Hearing aids aren’t limiting, they are empowering. In unforgiving Arctic conditions, I was able to hear a crack in the packed snow beneath us and follow conversations clearly over the sound of crunching snow. EON’s WindBlock performed remarkably well, even as the wind whipped around us and made the tents flap. Despite wearing as many as four layers of hats and cold-weather gear, I could hear so clearly that, at times, other members of the expedition without hearing loss were asking me to repeat what had been said, rather than the other way around.”
The Phonak EON Portfolio
The initial EON portfolio includes:
- Phonak Audéo EON Sphere — for mild to profound hearing loss
- Phonak Audéo EON R — for mild to profound hearing loss
- Phonak CROS EON R — for unilateral hearing loss
- ChargerGo RIC I E — portable charger with integrated battery
- Charger RIC E — desktop charging solution
- Enhancements to Phonak Target fitting software
- Updates to the myPhonak and myPhonak Junior apps
Availability
Phonak EON will be available to order through licensed hearing care professionals in the United States beginning August 24, 2026. Additional markets, including Germany, France, the United Kingdom, Australia and others, are expected to follow in September.
For additional information about the EON platform, visit Phonak.
References
1. With hearing aids using SSC compared to hearing aids using the same settings without SSC. Wright, A., Kuehnel, V., Keller, M., Seitz-Paquette, K., Latzel, M. (2024). Spheric Speech Clarity applies DNN signal processing to significantly improve speech understanding from any direction and reduce the listening effort. Phonak Field Study News. Retrieved from www.phonak.com/evidence.
2. In speech-in-noise situations, compared to the previous generation. Preuss, M. & Müller, S. (2026). AutoSense OS™ AI 8.0 provides a more natural listening experience for speech in loud noise. Phonak Insight. Retrieved from www.phonak.com/evidence.
3. Compared to WindBlock 2.0 off. Lindeman, A. & Brunner, J. (2026). Enhancing outdoor communication: WindBlock 2.0 reduces wind noise by up to 50 dB. Phonak Insight. Retrieved from www.phonak.com/evidence.
4. Vaisberg, J. M., Brunner, J., & Ulloa Sanchez, D. (2026). Hearing confidently in wind: WindBlock 2.0 delivers comfort, natural sound quality and clearer speech. Phonak Field Study News. Retrieved from www.phonak.com/evidence.
* The maximum battery runtime is determined by battery condition, hearing loss, environmental sound classification, streaming usage and activated feature set.
About Phonak
At Phonak, we see technology as an enabler of life, not the focus of it. Since 1947, we have advanced hearing technology to help people stay connected to what matters most: the people, moments and experiences that shape our lives.
Today, we bring together Swiss-engineered performance, a seamless connected hearing experience and purposeful design to create hearing solutions built for where life happens.
Our commitment goes beyond products. We work to change the conversation around hearing health by reducing stigma, supporting confidence and showing how hearing is connected to the broader context of healthy living. So people can stay confident, connected and fully in it.
For more information, please visit www.phonak.com.
Life is on. Phonak is made for it.
About Sonova
Sonova is the global leader in innovative hearing care solutions, combining technology leadership, audiological expertise and a strong local presence to serve a growing number of people with hearing loss in more than 100 countries. The Group was founded in 1947 and is headquartered in Stäfa, Switzerland. As a vertically integrated company across its wholesale, retail and cochlear implants businesses, Sonova operates through the brands Phonak, Unitron, AudioNova and Advanced Bionics as well as recognised regional brands.
In the 2025/26 financial year, the Group generated sales of CHF 3.6 billion, with a net profit of CHF 546 million. More than 18,000 employees are working to achieve Sonova’s vision of a world where everyone enjoys the delight of hearing.
Sonova has a long-standing commitment to innovation and was ranked no. 12 among the most innovative companies in Europe in 2025 by Fortune magazine, selected from 300 companies across 21 countries and 16 industries.
For more information, please visit www.sonova.com.
