Resound Vivia Pro vs Resound Nexia: What’s the difference and is the upgrade worth it?

If you’ve been researching Resound hearing aids recently, you’ll have noticed the range has moved on. The Resound Nexia was Resound’s flagship model for a couple of years and earned a strong reputation, particularly for its Bluetooth connectivity.

In early 2025, Resound launched the Vivia Pro to replace it as the top of the range, introducing a dedicated AI chip for the first time in the brand’s history.

Both are premium hearing aids built on Resound’s well-regarded platform. The question is which one suits your hearing loss needs, or whether it’s worth the upgrade. This guide will help you decide.

What happened to the Resound Nexia?

The Nexia hasn’t vanished; it’s still current, but it is now the previous generation. It remains a capable and well-regarded hearing aid, and for the right customer, it remains a solid choice.

The Vivia Pro builds on everything the Nexia does well and adds meaningful new capability, most notably a dedicated AI processing chip that the Nexia simply doesn’t have.

What the two models have in common

Before getting into the differences, it’s worth noting how much these two models share, because the common ground is substantial.

Both run on Resound’s successful sound processing platform, both are available in the discreet Receiver-in-Canal (RIC) style (meaning the speaker sits inside the ear canal rather than behind the ear), and both are IP68-rated for protection against water and dust, so everyday life, rain, and perspiration aren’t a concern.

Both models support Bluetooth streaming direct to iPhone and Android devices, and both work with the Resound Smart 3D app, which gives you control over your settings and allows your audiologist to make remote adjustments when needed.

Auracast-ready connectivity features on both models, too. Auracast is an emerging Bluetooth standard that will eventually allow hearing aids to connect directly to public sound systems in venues like cinemas, airports, and theatres.

Resound was the first manufacturer to offer this technology, and it’s present across both the Vivia Pro and the Nexia.

Both are available in three technology tiers: Premium (level 9), Advanced (level 7), and Standard (level 5). The rechargeable microRIC models on both offer up to 30 hours of battery life on a full charge.

It’s also worth noting that both models are priced the same at The Hearing Shop. That’s a significant point, because it means customers choosing between the two aren’t being asked to pay more for the Vivia Pro’s additional AI capability.

For many people, that makes the Vivia Pro the natural first consideration, particularly for those who regularly spend time in noisier environments and want the most advanced technology available at no extra cost.

The Resound Nexia: Excellent all-round performance

The Nexia was Resound’s most capable hearing aid when it launched, and it remains a very good one. Its 360 All-Around Processing is designed to give you awareness of your full sound environment rather than just what’s directly in front of you, which matters in group conversations and social settings.

FrontFocus and Ultra Focus directional features (available on the higher technology tiers) allow you to narrow your focus when you need to concentrate on a single voice in a noisy setting, such as a busy café or a meeting with several people talking.

The Nexia’s Bluetooth performance was genuinely ahead of its time when it was launched, and it remains reliable.

The microRIC model includes tap controls for answering calls without reaching for your phone, and the M&RIE (Microphone and Receiver in Ear) option, which places an additional microphone in the ear canal itself, can improve how natural your own voice sounds and enhance sound localisation.

For home life, quieter workplaces, one-to-one conversations, phone calls, and TV streaming, the Nexia handles all of this confidently and without fuss.

The Resound Vivia Pro: Resound’s most capable hearing aid to date

The Vivia Pro takes everything the Nexia offers and adds something the Nexia doesn’t have: a dedicated Deep Neural Network (DNN) AI chip, trained on more than 13 million spoken sentences and real-world sound samples.

This isn’t a software update running on existing hardware. It’s a second, separate processor whose sole purpose is to identify speech, separate it from background noise, and deliver a cleaner signal to your ears.

Resound calls this “Intelligence Augmented,” reflecting the idea that AI is working in tandem with your brain’s own natural hearing abilities rather than trying to override them.

In practical terms, the Vivia Pro’s Intelligent Focus works by identifying who you’re facing and bringing their voice forward, even in busy, multi-directional noise. According to Resound’s own research, 64% of users demonstrated improved speech understanding in noisy environments when compared to other AI-equipped hearing aids.

It’s worth being clear about one important detail: the dedicated DNN chip and the Intelligent Focus feature are only available in the top-tier Level 9 rechargeable model. If you’re choosing a lower technology tier or a non-rechargeable style, both models share more similarities than differences.

The Vivia Pro also packs this dual-chip processing into the same compact shell as the Nexia, which is a notable feat of miniaturisation and worth mentioning to anyone who values a discreet fit.

What about battery life?

Both the Nexia and the Vivia Pro offer up to 30 hours of battery life in standard use on a single charge. In practice, typical daily use comes in around 24 hours, or approximately 20 hours if you’re streaming audio for around half the day.

On the Vivia Pro, running the Intelligent Focus AI feature continuously will drain more battery. Real-world use will sit somewhere between the standard and full-AI figures, depending on how much time you spend in genuinely demanding listening situations.

Both models come with a portable charger, and overnight charging is all that’s needed to stay powered throughout the day.

Which model is right for you?

Resound Vivia Pro vs Resound Nexia

The Resound Vivia pro is likely worth the investment if you:

• Regularly find yourself in noisy, demanding environments such as restaurants, busy gatherings, open-plan offices, or social events
• Are choosing the Level 9 rechargeable model, where the DNN chip is available
• Want the most advanced AI-powered speech processing Resound currently offers
• Experience fatigue after social situations, even when wearing hearing aids
• Have tried hearing aids before, but still struggle to follow conversations when noise is coming from all around you
• Want a more advanced product for the same price

The Nexia is likely the right choice if you:

• Spend most of your time in everyday listening situations, such as at home, in quieter workplaces, and on typical social outings
• Want dependable Bluetooth connectivity, reliable Auracast-ready technology, and strong all-around performance
• Are choosing a lower technology tier (Level 7 or 5), where both models share a broadly similar feature set
• Have generally found that previous-generation premium hearing aids worked well for you

Our 60-day free returns policy means you can try either model at home and return them without any quibble if they aren’t quite right for you.

Is the Resound Vivia Pro worth the upgrade?

This is probably the most honest question to ask, and the answer depends almost entirely on where you’re starting from.

If you currently wear Resound Nexia hearing aids

The Nexia is only two years old, and the honest answer is that most Nexia wearers are unlikely to feel an urgent need to upgrade. The core platform is shared, the Bluetooth experience is very similar, and the day-to-day performance in everyday listening environments is broadly comparable.

The Vivia Pro’s DNN chip does add a genuine capability that the Nexia doesn’t have, particularly in demanding, multi-directional noise. But if your Nexia aids are working well for you in most situations, the difference may not be significant enough to justify replacing a relatively recent pair.

Our recommendation for existing Nexia customers

If you’re finding noisy environments increasingly challenging, even with your current aids, it’s worth a conversation with our audiologists about whether the Vivia Pro’s Intelligent Focus processing would make a practical difference to your daily life. If your Nexia aids are serving you well, there’s no pressing reason to switch.

If you’re upgrading from an older Resound model

For anyone wearing Resound hearing aids from two or more generations back, such as the Omnia, One, or Linx 3D, the Vivia Pro represents a much more compelling step forward.

The improvements to Bluetooth reliability, battery life, background noise processing, and the addition of a dedicated AI chip are all areas where you’re likely to notice a meaningful difference from day one.

Older Resound models predate Bluetooth LE Audio and Auracast entirely, so the connectivity upgrade alone is significant for anyone who streams regularly or values future-proofed technology.

If you’re new to Resound altogether

If you’re coming from a different brand or buying Resound for the first time, the Vivia Pro is the natural starting point if budget allows and your lifestyle regularly involves noisy environments.

The Nexia remains a strong alternative if you spend most of your time in quieter settings or are working within a tighter budget.

Resound Vivia Pro vs Nexia Conclusion

The Vivia Pro’s AI capability is a genuine step forward, particularly for anyone who spends regular time in noisy, complex listening environments. If busy restaurants, large gatherings, or open-plan workplaces are a regular part of your week, the Vivia Pro’s Intelligent Focus processing is worth considering.

If your life is quieter, or if you’re choosing below the Level 9 tier, the Nexia remains an excellent and well-proven hearing aid that handles everyday listening situations with ease.

The most useful starting point is always to think honestly about the situations you find most difficult, and match the technology to those, rather than defaulting to the newest option.

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:

• Resound Vivia Pro 9 hearing aids
• Resound Nexia 9 hearing aids

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