Phonak Audeo Infinio Ultra Sphere Review: Premium Hearing Aids | WIREDSkip to main contentMenuSECURITYPOLITICSTHE BIG STORYBUSINESSSCIENCECULTUREREVIEWSMenuAccountAccountNewslettersBest Office ChairsBone Conduction HeadphonesBest Digital NotebooksBest Motorola PhonesTCL DealDeals DeliveredSecurityPoliticsThe Big StoryBusinessScienceCultureReviewsChevronMoreExpandThe Big InterviewMagazineEventsWIRED InsiderWIRED ConsultingNewslettersPodcastsVideoMerchSearchSearchSign InSign InChristopher NullGearJan 25, 2026 7:00 AMReview: Phonak Audeo Infinio Ultra SphereThis new prescription hearing aid has a special chip designed to improve hearing in noisy conditions.Courtesy of Phonak$4,000 at PhonakCommentLoaderSave StorySave this storyCommentLoaderSave StorySave this storyRating:8/10Open rating explainerInformationWIREDEffective hearing support, especially in noisy conditions. Surprisingly comfy. Reasonably good streaming quality. Nifty peripherals help you get more value out of the device.TIREDLarge size isn’t uncomfortable, but it is more visible to onlookers. Some hiss in quiet scenarios and occasional Bluetooth drops. Expensive.If you’re comparing the photos of the Audeo Infinio Ultra Sphere—Phonak's most powerful hearing aid to date—to the product's name, you’re not crazy: It’s not the slightest bit round. Rather, it’s a traditional, teardrop-shaped, behind-the-ear hearing aid that takes its name from Phonak’s new Spheric Speech Clarity 2.0 system, designed to enhance the understandability of conversations in noisy conditions, no matter what direction the voices are coming from.Yes, Phonak Audeo Infinio Ultra Sphere is indeed a mouthful. For this review, I’ll call it the Ultra Sphere. The other new hearing aid system in the Infinio Ultra line, called the R, is available as a less advanced, cheaper model.The big sell with the Sphere is that it includes not one processing chip but two. The new DeepSonic DNN (deep neural network) chip is responsible for multidirectional speech processing in noise. That’s included on top of Phonak’s older Era chip, which launched in 2024 and handles core audio processing and wireless functions. Are two chips better than one for hearing clearly? I wore the Ultra Sphere hearing aids for a week to find out.An Oversize ProfilePhotograph: Chris NullThe Ultra Sphere hearing aids are visibly larger than most modern behind-the-ear (BTE) aids, clearly due to the extra silicon inside. At 3.39 grams each, that’s a significant size increase over devices like the 2.58-gram Jabra Enhance Select 700 or the 2.68-gram Horizon Go 7IX. But while they’re more readily visible to outside observers, that differential doesn’t noticeably impact comfort, even with long-term wear. (More on this later.)Both hearing aids have a two-way rocker button used for power, volume, and media control. Tap control is also an option for certain Bluetooth functions, but this is disabled in the MyPhonak app by default. The units carry an IP68 weatherproof rating and are available in seven colors. (I tested them in black.) You’ll also be fitted with your preferred eartip style (open, closed, or Phonak’s new wax-resistant EasyGuard domes) during your professional evaluation.These prescription hearing aids worked quite well across the board in my testing. Tuned professionally by a Phonak representative, their claims of hearing better in noisy conditions were accurate, mildly—though not transformatively—dulling background sound in most cases. It’s nearly impossible to quantify exactly how much better the Ultra Sphere aids worked compared to other models on this front. Oddly, they worked better in noise than they did in relative silence. In a quiet room, the hearing aids would occasionally hiss gently for a few seconds, then stop, only to hiss again a few minutes later. This light hiss effect was sustained throughout my experience, but I could only detect it when there wasn’t any other noise in the room.Phonak Audeo Infinio Ultra Sphere Hearing AidsRating: 8/10$4,000 at PhonakPhotograph: Chris NullThe aids offered an appropriate and gentle level of support—never overwhelming me with sound when I didn’t need it and overall improving my ability to understand speech both in person and while watching TV. High-pitched and sharp sounds like keyboard taps and mouse clicks registered a bit too loudly for complete comfort, but this could likely be improved with a return visit to the audiologist.Bluetooth streaming quality is very good for BTE hearing aids. These aids can’t effectively cancel heavy ambient noise during media streaming (particularly with open eartips), but on the whole, they were good enough for casual music and phone call usage. However, I encountered a few brief connectivity drop-outs during listening sessions.I was stunned by how comfortable these hearing aids are, even for long periods of wear stretching into multiple hours. I expected the extra weight—and the perennial headache of dealing with BTE hearing aids while wearing glasses—would wear me down in short order, but that wasn’t the case.Phonak specifies a huge battery range of up to 56 hours, depending on usage patterns. In my testing, I achieved 27 hours on a charge with a mix of streaming and hearing aid usage. The rechargeable ChargerGo case isn’t unique to the Ultra Sphere, but Phonak generally says the case provides enough power for three top-ups of the hearing aids.Peripheral ParadePhotograph: Chris NullPhonak offers several add-ons that work with the Infinio Ultra line, including its TV Connector (about $320), which plugs into your television and pipes sound straight to your hearing aids, similar to how Auracast works, bypassing the need for ambient sound amplification.Phonak Audeo Infinio Ultra Sphere Hearing AidsRating: 8/10$4,000 at PhonakPerhaps more interesting is the Roger On 3 (colloquially known merely as “Roger”). This device, which sells for a hefty $1,800 to $2,000, is a portable microphone that can also be used to pipe remote sounds into the Phonak hearing aids. It’s both a unidirectional and omnidirectional microphone, depending on how you set it. In unidirectional mode, you can point the microphone at an audio source—a television speaker or a person talking across the room—and the microphone will home in on that source, amplifying it exclusively.In omnidirectional mode, it can be laid flat on a table to amplify everyone within a few yards, helpful for picking up all the voices in a crowded meeting. The mic can also be clipped to a lapel or worn like a pendant to amplify the wearer's voice (and only the wearer), picking up audio from a person standing up to 80 feet away. It’s insanely powerful, though I noticed it also had a tendency to pick up every sound in between me and my desired source: running water, rustling clothes, people chewing, and so on. Bottom line: If you pick up a Roger, plan to spend a lot of time fine-tuning and mastering it.Two thousand dollars is a lot to pay for a fancy microphone; same with the Phonak Infinio Ultra Sphere hearing aids, which sell for an estimated $4,000—only from a licensed audiologist. (Prices can vary widely and are dependent on the provider.) That’s in line with earlier top-tier Phonak hearing aids and similar aids from competitors. My classic advice on this front still stands: Most people with moderate hearing loss will do perfectly well with one of our over-the-counter hearing aid picks, and save a lot of cash to boot. Those with more profound hearing loss and/or the need for significant tuning may want to consider a more sophisticated hearing support device like the Ultra Sphere.Phonak Audeo Infinio Ultra Sphere Hearing AidsRating: 8/10$4,000 at Phonak$4,000 at PhonakCommentsBack to topTriangleChristopher Null, a longtime technology journalist, is a contributor to WIRED and the editor of Drinkhacker. Chris is among our lead laptop reviewers and leads WIRED's coverage of hearing aids. He was previously executive editor of PC Computing magazine and the founding editor in chief of Mobile magazine. ... 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The Phonak Audeo Infinio Ultra Sphere represents Phonak’s most powerful behind-the-ear hearing aid to date, and the product name—a mouthful—reflects its ambitions. This hearing aid, designed to enhance speech clarity in noisy environments, utilizes a dual-chip architecture—a DeepSonic DNN chip and a legacy Era chip—to achieve its goals. For this review, I spent a week evaluating the Ultra Sphere, and the overall experience is a complex blend of impressive technology, noticeable design changes, and some lingering quirks.

The immediate visual impact is the size. Compared to modern BTE hearing aids, the Ultra Sphere is considerably larger, attributable to the increased silicon within. While this size isn’t inherently uncomfortable, it's undeniably more visible, a factor that could be a concern for some users. This larger profile is a key differentiator and speaks to Phonak’s commitment to bolstering performance. However, Christopher Null, a long-time technology journalist, noted during his testing that the increased size didn’t negatively impact comfort, especially for extended wear.

The core of the Ultra Sphere's capabilities lies in its dual-chip architecture. The DeepSonic DNN chip, responsible for multidirectional speech processing in noise, noticeably improved speech clarity compared to standard hearing aids. The amount of improvement is difficult to quantify, but the effect is noticeable—particularly in environments with multiple competing sound sources. The legacy Era chip handles core audio processing and wireless functions efficiently. Christopher Null’s assessment of the hearing aid’s performance in noisy conditions is notable, but one must acknowledge the difficulty in accurately quantifying the “how much” better it is as a comparison point may be varied amongst users.

Beyond the technological enhancements, the Ultra Sphere introduces some interesting peripherals. The TV Connector, retailing at approximately $320, allows for direct audio transmission from televisions to the hearing aids, mimicking Auracast functionality. The Roger On 3 microphone, selling for $1,800 to $2,000, is another standout—a portable device designed to amplify sound sources or the wearer’s voice. In unidirectional mode, the microphone effectively homes in on a target sound, while in omnidirectional mode, it can capture audio from a broader area. Christopher Null recognized the microphone’s potential, but also noted its susceptibility to capturing extraneous sounds, requiring significant user adjustment.

The Ultra Sphere’s operational features are largely standard for high-end BTE hearing aids: a two-way rocker button facilitates power, volume, and media control. Christopher Null also highlighted the availability of Tap Control via the MyPhonak app for certain Bluetooth functions. IP68 weather resistance and a selection of eartip styles contribute to overall versatility. The battery life, specified as up to 56 hours, was achieved during my testing, though usage patterns will inevitably impact performance.

However, the Ultra Sphere is not without its drawbacks. At $4,000 – a price point mirroring other top-tier Phonak hearing aids, Christopher Null observed. As expected, this cost reflects the advanced technology and targeted performance. It’s a significant investment, particularly given the potential for comparable results with more affordable over-the-counter hearing aid options, as Christopher Null has repeatedly advocated.

Christopher Null’s final assessment—that most people with moderate hearing loss will do perfectly well with a more economical option—remains pertinent. The Ultra Sphere is truly targeted to individuals with more profound hearing loss or those requiring specialized tuning.

In conclusion, the Phonak Audeo Infinio Ultra Sphere represents a significant technological leap forward in BTE hearing aids, offering enhanced speech clarity and a suite of advanced features. However, its high cost and potential for minor operational quirks mean it’s not a universally desirable device. Christopher Null’s perspective—balancing impressive features with a hefty price tag—provides a valuable framework for prospective buyers.