Phonak Infinio I90R

(non-Sphere version)

“Phonak say this about their Infinio hearing aids:

“Infuse every moment with exceptional sound quality and comfort from the first use with Audéo Infinio. Featuring technology that transcends the limits of hearing care like never before, Phonak Infinio helps you hear the world with ease and confidence. Embrace life’s meaningful moments.”

Really?

What are they like to wear?

I90Rs are relatively small hearing aids. They taper towards the top, so they sit comfortably behind my ears leaving space for the arms of my spectacles without rubbing.

They have a new type of receiver. The wires closely follow the contours of my ears and head, so that they are almost invisible from the front.

They are discrete and very comfortable to wear.

What is the charger like?

The standard RIC 1 charger is compact, with a USB C socket and a lid. It does not have an internal battery. The USB socket emits a green light when it is powered, which I find to be a nuisance at night on my bedside table.

The charger with an internal battery, The ChargerGo RIC 1, is an expensive extra. It can charge the aids without a light showing.

Inserting and removing the aids is easy enough. The aids flash when they are charging, but the lid conceals the lights,

Are they easy to use?

Full control of the aids is possible using the MyPhonak app on a smartphone. It is easy to use and has a comprehensive set of functions, including program and volume change, a graphic equaliser, mute, speech focus and battery level. There is a Health feature that I haven’t used.

Volume and program changes can be made using the buttons on the aids. They are of the up/down rocker type.  

Notification of changes is made by a series of beeps. The volume change beeps make a different sound to indicate the central position.

Program identification is made by remembering how many beeps are associated with each program, which can be confusing unless you are using the app.

What different programs are available?

The Automatic program worked well. I used it most of the time. I also used the Music program. Other programs are available including Speech in Noise, Lecture and Comfort.

What do they sound like?

The I90s are natural sounding hearing aids. As good as any aids that I have worn. Sounds such as birds singing are bright and clear. Most of the time I leave them on their Automatic program and forget about them.

The aids suppress background noise and enhance speech in most environments. The engine noise in a car is reduced, but they are less effective at reducing the volume of continuous mid-frequency sounds such as a kitchen fan.     

What are they like for listening to music?

The only time that I change program on the I90s is when I am listening to music (not streaming). The sound of music with the aids set to Automatic is good, but the Music program sounds better. The Music program with the Whistle Block turned off sounds better still. Feedback might be an issue with the Whistle Block turned off if your audiological prescription requires a lot of gain.

What are the aids like for streaming?

Phonak hearing aids will pair with, and stream from, most Bluetooth enabled devices.

Phone calls

Hands-free phone calls are possible, with the aids acting as both microphone and speaker. Calls can be answered and ended by a double tap on your ear. The tap function takes a bit of practice to get used to it, but it works well.

The range of the Bluetooth function is very good. I can leave my phone in my bedroom and listen to streamed music and answer phone calls in adjacent rooms.

Music streaming

I listened to several high-resolution tracks. The sound of streamed music was good. Undemanding tracks such as The Ink Spots Whispering Grass sounded excellent.

Listening to more demanding stuff such as piano music or Led Zeppelin isn’t the same experience a listening to Hi-Fi speakers, but it’s not bad. Deep bass lacks body, though.

Music streaming can be stopped and started by a double tap on the left ear. Stopping Music works well but starting it again can be a bit hit-and-miss.

Windows PC

Phonak aids can be used as both an output and input on Bluetooth equipped Windows PCs. They act as both the speakers and a microphone. They can be used for VoIP phone calls using a softphone app or a paired mobile, and for Zoom calls and Teams meetings.

TV

The I90s paired to our TV without the need for an intermediate device. The sound quality was good.

I tried listening in two ways, firstly with the TV speakers off and then with them on.

With the TV speakers off the sound and video synchronisation was good. It would be a useful feature if you wanted to watch TV by yourself without disturbing others.

With the TV speakers on, the two sound sources were out of sync. There was an echo effect that I couldn’t eliminate.

Phonak sell an intermediate device for connecting the aids to TVs which might eliminate the echo effect.

Conclusion

The Infinio I90Rs are excellent hearing aids. Clarity of speech in noise is very good. Other sounds such as birdsong, cutlery on a plate or paper rustling are as natural as any aids that I have worn. I consider that their performance is marginally better than my Lumities.

The Infinio Spheres have been the Phonak aids getting all the attention, but I prefer the non-Sphere Infinios. Their performance is the same except for the Spheric function. The key issues for me are that the standard Infinios are compact, discrete and more comfortable.  

If I didn’t own my Lumities, I would consider buying a pair of I90Rs. I would want a ChargerGo as well.

Pros:

• Superb sound quality
• Easy to control using buttons or app
• Good quality streamed sound
• Compact and comfortable to wear
• Universal Bluetooth connectivity

Cons:

• Charger emits light when is use

• Standard charger has no internal battery for charging away from power point
• No LE Audio

FHJ, Jan. 2025