BALLERUP, DENMARK – GN today announces the expansion of its ReSound Nexia family, giving more options for people with hearing loss to benefit from advanced hearing technology while joining the “next era” of Bluetooth connectivity. The ReSound Nexia portfolio is top-rated for hearing in noise,1 delivering exceptional speech understanding in noisy environments,2 while also providing industry-leading access to and awareness of surrounding sounds.3
ReSound Nexia is leading the way as the first hearing aid to take advantage of Bluetooth® Low Energy (LE) Audio, the next generation of Bluetooth LE. It is an improved and more power-efficient way of wirelessly transmitting audio from one device (like a smartphone) to another (ear buds, headsets, hearing aids). Bluetooth LE Audio is built with audio in mind, offering crystal clear sound and reducing latency and battery consumption for all-day streaming.
Through an exciting collaboration with Microsoft, GN is paving the way for ReSound Nexia to become the first hearing aid natively compatible with new Windows PCs that support Bluetooth LE Audio, allowing people to seamlessly experience the exceptional quality of ReSound Nexia on their compatible Windows devices.
This powerful new platform also makes the highly anticipated Auracast broadcast audio a possibility – a technology that is sure to revolutionize accessibility to audio in public spaces. This latest leap in Bluetooth technology has allowed GN to take ReSound Nexia to the next era of hearing, improving the streaming experience while using less battery power, and ready to support Auracast, which is expected to connect 3 billion devices and 2.5 million places by 2030, according to Bluetooth SIG.4
Auracast offers a simple, accessible addition to existing technologies such as the telecoil and FM systems.
“Auracast promises to change the way all of us, not just those with hearing aids, connect with audio in public spaces. It’s being adopted at an even faster pace than we could have imagined and is rapidly being embraced as the Bluetooth standard of choice. We believe this will be a huge leap in accessibility for people with hearing loss, especially in public spaces and we are delighted to be the first to offer this. Hearing aids are a multi-year investment and with ReSound Nexia you can be confident that you are already connected to the future.”
–Scott Davis, Hearing Division President at GN
People can take advantage of Auracast today in their own home, as ReSound Nexia connects to the new ReSound TV-Streamer+, improving their at-home TV viewing, while also allowing others to connect with Auracast enabled devices.
This feature provides an improvement of 56% in speech recognition when listening to the TV via the TV-Streamer+ compared to listening via the TV speakers, helping to optimize people’s viewing experience.5
New Nexia BTE and Custom Hearing Aid Models
In addition to the Receiver-In-Ear (RIE) and micro RIE styles launched in October 2023, the ReSound Nexia family now offers Behind-the-Ear (BTE) and custom-made styles, including rechargeable models, to support different hearing needs and preferences, giving more people with hearing loss access to GN’s most advanced technology, and better equipping them for the future of Bluetooth connectivity.
The launch of ReSound Nexia’s line extension coincides with GN’s sustainability goals and will be packaged in new sustainable FSC-certified paper with 47% reduced CO2 emissions.6 By 2025, the GN Group aims to reduce the size of all its packaging and ensure its both FSC-certified and fully recyclable.
The extended ReSound Nexia portfolio will be rolled out globally starting with the US, Canada, Germany and Austria on February 22nd, 2024, along with the equivalent Beltone Serene line-up.
For more information, visit the ReSound and Beltone websites. For specific information on Bluetooth LE Audio and Auracast, visit the Bluetooth website. For information about Bluetooth LE Audio compatibility with Windows PCs, visit the Microsoft Support website.
**In video below, Thomas Olsgaard, Principal Engineer at GN discusses the integration of Auracast™ in the ReSound Nexia hearing aids and enabling direct streaming from a Windows PC equipped with Bluetooth® LE Audio.
*The new ReSound Nexia CIC is non-wireless.
© 2024 GN Hearing A/S. All rights reserved. ReSound is a trademark of GN Hearing A/S. The Bluetooth word mark and logos are registered trademarks owned by Bluetooth SIG, Inc. The Auracast™ word mark and logos are trademarks owned by Bluetooth SIG, Inc. Microsoft and Windows are trademarks of the Microsoft group of companies.
1. End-user NPS rating, GN Proprietary data on file
2. Jespersen & Groth (2022)
3. Groth et al (2023)
4. Bluetooth SIG. Market Research Note. LE Audio: The Future of Bluetooth® Audio
5. Jespersen et al (2024)
6. Compared to previous hearing aid packaging from GN, CO2 reduction verified by Bureau Veritas
About ReSound
ReSound is a recognized pioneer and innovator in hearing aids, which continues to set new standards to make life sound better for more people. Part of the GN Group, ReSound has unique access to cutting-edge competences from the audio world which enriches its medical-grade solutions with a deep understanding of user-centric design and lifestyle needs. By placing people at the center of innovation, ReSound consistently introduces game-changing experiences such as direct audio streaming from iPhone to hearing aids and remote care from hearing professionals via the user’s smartphone app. ReSound is a committed and trusted partner to leading hearing care professionals in over 100 countries around the world helping people hear more, do more and be more than they ever thought possible.
About GN Group
GN Group facilitates communication between people through its intelligent hearing, audio, video, and gaming technology. Inspired by people and driven by our innovation leadership, we leverage technological synergies to deliver unique and increasingly individualized user experiences in our products and solutions. 150 years ago, GN was founded with a truly innovative and global mindset. Today, we honor that legacy with world-leading expertise in the human ear, audio, video and speech, wireless technologies, miniaturization, and collaborations with leading technology partners. GN’s solutions are marketed by the brands ReSound, SteelSeries, Jabra, Beltone, Interton, BlueParrott, Danavox and FalCom in around 100 countries. Founded in 1869, the GN Group employs 7,000 people and is listed on Nasdaq Copenhagen (GN.CO).
Source: GN Hearing
