Connections come from not just your face-to-face conversations, but also from being able to access the sounds and information that are part of everyday life. For hearing aid users, this increasingly includes phones, computers, streamed media and public audio systems.

From a clinical perspective, connectivity is therefore not simply about adding more wireless options. What matters is whether those options make it easier for clients to communicate and participate in the situations that are important to them.

This is the approach taken with Phonak Audéo EON. Its connectivity options are designed around different listening needs, from personal devices to situations where distance or public access can make listening more difficult.

Personal device connectivity that fits real life

Audéo EON continues to build on Bluetooth Classic, one of the most widely supported wireless audio standards across devices such as smartphones, basic phones, PCs and tablets. For clinicians, this broad compatibility can be particularly useful because clients do not necessarily own the newest phone or computer, nor should they need to replace existing technology simply to connect their hearing aids.

Broad compatibility can also make counselling and set-up more straightforward. Clients may want to move between a work computer and a personal phone during the same day, so connectivity needs to work reliably across the devices they already use.

The experience is also designed to feel smoother. Multi-point connection lets clients move between two active Bluetooth Classic connections with minimal disruption, while left-right diversity is designed to use the hearing aid with the stronger connection to support wireless stability. One-step pairing through myPhonak further simplifies set-up by allowing a single pairing process for app use, phone calls and media streaming.

The clinical relevance for Bluetooth Classic is practical. Fewer connection steps and more reliable access can reduce barriers to everyday use. As audiologists, we know that even relatively small difficulties with pairing or maintaining a connection can influence whether clients continue using a feature once they leave the clinic.

Roger support for distance, noise and reverberation

Hearing aids can provide substantial benefit in many listening situations, but distance and background noise can remain challenging for some clients. This is where remote microphone technology can become particularly relevant.

Roger technology remains an important option for far-field listening. It is designed to improve access to a speaker’s voice by transmitting it directly to the hearing aids, reducing some of the effects of distance and environmental noise. Its use is supported by a broad body of peer-reviewed research examining remote microphone benefit in challenging listening environments.^.1-5

Recent studies continue to show that Phonak Audéo Infinio with Roger On provides significantly better far-field speech intelligibility in noise than without, as well as better performance compared to two other remote microphone and hearing aid combinations.⁶ Although these findings were obtained with Audéo Infinio rather than EON, they reinforce the clinical role of Roger when hearing aids alone do not provide sufficient access to speech at a distance.

For counselling, the important question is whether a client continues to struggle in specific listening situations despite well-fitted hearing aids. When distance is part of the problem, Roger may provide an additional option to improve access to speech.

Auracast for the next generation of public access

Audéo EON also introduces Auracast™ broadcast audio, a Bluetooth LE Audio feature that allows one transmitter to broadcast an audio signal to multiple receivers at the same time. Auracast adoption is still developing, but it has the potential to change how people with hearing aids access audio in public environments.

Potential applications include houses of worship and theatres, as well as guided tours and other venues where a broadcast audio signal is available. In these settings, Auracast could allow a client to connect their hearing aids directly to the broadcast rather than relying entirely on the acoustic signal in the room.

Where a native Auracast assistant is available, clients can search for and connect to a broadcast using this method. The myPhonak/myPhonak Junior app also offers a QR code scanner to access a broadcast, so phones without a native assistant can still access Auracast broadcast audio. Once connected, clients can personalise the balance between streamed and acoustic sound in myPhonak, while HCPs can adjust Auracast-related settings through the fitting software.

Range and compatibility are also relevant considerations as Auracast begins to appear in more environments. In testing, Audéo EON received an Auracast audio signal at distances of up to 211 m and demonstrated greater range than three other hearing aids included in the comparison.⁷ Furthermore, Audéo EON supports the High Quality (HQ) bitrate as well as the Standard Quality (SQ) bitrate for Auracast broadcast audio, which broadens compatibility with different Auracast transmitters.

For clinicians, Auracast may initially require some explanation. Many clients will not yet encounter it regularly in everyday life, so part of our role will be helping them understand where they may find it and how to connect when the opportunity arises.

One platform for different listening needs

Bluetooth Classic, Roger and Auracast address different listening situations. Behind these connectivity experiences is the proprietary ERA chip, which supports all of these technologies within Audéo EON.

What makes this clinically relevant is not simply having multiple connectivity options in one hearing aid. It is being able to choose the technology that best matches the client’s listening situation. Bluetooth Classic supports connection to personal devices, while Roger can help when distance remains a barrier. Auracast adds another option as public broadcast audio becomes more widely available.

Our lives are built around connection and communication now extends well beyond face-to-face conversation. Clients move between conversations, phones and public environments throughout the day, and their hearing technology needs to support those changes in context.

For HCPs, the takeaway is straightforward: connectivity should be part of the clinical conversation, not an afterthought. Understanding where a client communicates, which devices they use and where they still experience difficulty can help us recommend connectivity options based on their needs rather than simply on the technologies available.

Learn more about the connectivity options available with Phonak Audéo EON and how they can support your clients across different listening situations.

We invite you to learn more about Phonak EON, by visiting our product pages.

References

1. Thibodeau L. (2014). Comparison of speech recognition with adaptive digital and FM remote microphone hearing assistance technology by listeners who use hearing aids. American Journal of Audiology, 23(2), 201–210.
   
2. Wolfe, J., Morais, M., Schafer, E., Agrawal, S., & Koch, D. (2015). Evaluation of speech recognition of cochlear implant recipients using adaptive, digital remote microphone technology and a speech enhancement sound processing algorithm. Journal of the American Academy of Audiology, 26(5), 502–508.
   
3. Thibodeau, L. M. (2020). Benefits in speech recognition in noise with remote wireless microphones in group settings. Journal of the American Academy of Audiology, 31(06), 404-411.
   
4. Miller, S., Wolfe, J., Neumann, S., Schafer, E. C., Galster, J., & Agrawal, S. (2022). Remote microphone systems for cochlear implant recipients in small group settings. Journal of the American Academy of Audiology, 33(3), 142–148.
   
5. Zanin, J., Vaisberg, J., Swann, S., & Rance, G. (2025). Evaluating benefits of remote microphone technology. for adults with hearing loss using behavioural and predictive metrics. International Journal of Audiology, 64(4), 327–335.
   
6. Stewart, E., Keller, M., Roh, M., & Galster, J. (2026). Clinical benchmarking of remote microphone performance in adults with hearing loss. Phonak Field Study News. Retrieved from www.phonak.com/evidence.
   
7. Please email claims@sonova.com for more information.