Comparing Infinio Ultra Sphere with Infinio Ultra: Which one is right for you?

If you’ve been comparing the Phonak Infinio Ultra Sphere and the Phonak Infinio Ultra recently, you may have noticed the latest Infinio range has been simplified. The original Infinio and Infinio Sphere have both been discontinued, and the current range now centres on two new models: the Infinio Ultra and the Infinio Ultra Sphere.

Both are genuinely excellent hearing aids and are built on the same advanced platform. The question is which one is right for your hearing loss and your lifestyle. Let’s find out…

What happened to the original Infinio range?

The original Phonak Infinio and Infinio Sphere are simply no longer available. They’ve been replaced by the Infinio Ultra and Infinio Ultra Sphere, and it’s worth saying upfront that these aren’t just cosmetic updates.

The improvements to software intelligence, Bluetooth reliability, and day-to-day maintenance are meaningful enough that anyone comparing the older Infinio will notice the difference fairly quickly.

What the two models have in common

Before getting into what separates them, it’s worth understanding how much they share, because the answer is quite a lot.

Both models run AutoSense OS 7.0, Phonak’s latest environment detection system. This has been trained on 18 times more sound environments than previous versions, which translates to noticeably smoother, more automatic adaptation as you move through your day.

For instance, stepping from a quiet room into a busy cafe, or switching from a conversation to a phone call, is easier. These hearing aids handle these transitions without you needing to press a button or open an app.

Bluetooth has also had a proper overhaul across both models. Pairing is simpler, it’s only one step rather than the fiddlier process of older Phonak aids, and you can have up to eight devices paired with two active simultaneously.

The connection range has doubled compared to the previous generation, and in practice, this means the wireless experience is reliable enough to actually enjoy rather than tolerate.

EasyGuard domes reduce how often wax makes its way into the receiver, which means less fiddling with filters day to day. The myPhonak app works with both, giving you straightforward control over your settings, and both models are compatible with Roger accessories if you use them.

Whichever model you choose, you’re starting from a very strong foundation.

The Infinio Ultra: Excellent for everyday life

The standard Infinio Ultra covers the full range of everyday listening situations. At its core is the ERA processing chip and Spheric Speech Clarity technology, which works to separate speech from background noise in most real-world listening environments.

Combined with AutoSense OS 7.0, the Ultra adapts automatically and continuously; you don’t need to fiddle with programmes or settings as your day moves between different situations.

Battery life is strong, and you’ll comfortably get through a full day on a single charge; the rechargeable system means a simple overnight charge is all that’s needed.

For quiet home life, conversations with family, typical work environments, social outings, shopping trips, and phone calls, the Ultra handles all of it confidently.

The Infinio Ultra Sphere: Best for more challenging listening situations

The Ultra Sphere takes everything the standard Ultra does and adds dedicated hardware specifically designed for the most demanding listening environments you’re likely to come across.

The key addition is a DEEPSONIC AI chip, which is a separate processor dedicated entirely to one job: separating speech from noise coming from multiple directions at the same time.

This isn’t a software tweak running on the same hardware as the standard Ultra. It’s additional processing power built specifically for situations where noise is coming at you from all around.

In practical terms, Phonak reports a 10.2 dB improvement in speech clarity in noise and a 35% reduction in listening effort compared to its predecessor. That second figure is worth something.

If you’ve ever come home from a busy dinner, a family gathering, or a noisy work event feeling genuinely exhausted, that fatigue is often less about volume and more about the sustained effort your brain is putting in to follow speech in difficult conditions. The Sphere is designed to reduce that effort.

The environments where the Sphere really supports you are the ones where noise isn’t coming from one direction but from everywhere: a busy restaurant with hard floors and high ceilings, a crowded family gathering with several conversations happening at once, an open-plan office with constant background chatter, or a networking event where you’re trying to follow multiple people.

A note on battery life

In standard use, the Ultra Sphere achieves up to 56 hours of battery life, considerably more than the standard Ultra. However, when the DEEPSONIC AI processing is working at full stretch in noisy environments, battery life drops to around 10 hours with continuous AI use.

Most people’s real-world experience will sit somewhere between these two figures, depending on how much time they spend in genuinely demanding situations.

If you anticipate heavy daily use of the Sphere’s processing capability, it’s worth bearing this in mind and keeping the charger accessible during the day.

Which model is right for you?

Infinio Ultra Sphere vs Infinio Ultra

The Infinio Ultra Sphere is likely worth the investment if you:

• Regularly spend time in noisy, busy environments, such as restaurants, pubs, large gatherings, open-plan offices, and conferences
• Find yourself exhausted after social situations, even when wearing hearing aids
• Have tried previous premium hearing aids that worked well at home, but struggled when things got noisy
• Want the most capable speech-in-noise technology Phonak currently offers

The Infinio Ultra is likely the right choice if you:

• Spend most of your time in everyday environments, such as home, quieter workplaces, and typical social outings
• Want excellent, reliable amplification with improved Bluetooth and less daily maintenance
• Have generally found that previous premium hearing aids worked well for you
• Would rather not pay for processing power you’re unlikely to regularly need

Whichever model you choose, our 60-day free returns policy means you can try your hearing aids at home and send them back without any quibble if they are not quite right for you.

Infinio Ultra Sphere vs Infinio Ultra Conclusion

The Sphere’s additional capability is measurable, but it’s most valuable in situations that are demanding. If those situations are a regular part of your week, the Sphere could make a noticeable difference to how much you enjoy them. If they’re occasional, the standard Ultra will serve you very well indeed.

The best approach is always to think honestly about the listening situations you find most difficult, and match the technology to those, rather than simply choosing the most powerful option available.

Get in touch

If you’re not sure which model fits your lifestyle, our qualified UK audiologists are happy to talk it through with you. Whichever hearing aid you choose, it will be programmed remotely to your personal hearing test results by one of our in-house audiologists, with no clinic visit needed.

And if you find the aids are not quite right for you once you’ve had a chance to wear them, our 60-day free returns policy means you can send them back without any quibble.

Contact us free, at The Hearing Shop, on 0808 208 5154 to help support and advise you on the right fit. Alternatively, you can fill in our quick form here and select the best time and day to be contacted.

Click on the links below to view all the Infinio Ultra hearing aids:

• Phonak Infinio Ultra Sphere i90 hearing aids
• Phonak Infinio Ultra i90-R hearing aids

✒️Written and updated by Beverley Carter, HCPC-Registered RHAD (HAD01644)