Phonak is the flagship hearing aid brand of Sonova, the world’s largest hearing aid manufacturer. The company offers one of the broadest lines of hearing aids in the world, and within those lines you can find almost any feature, style, color, and technology that you can imagine. Phonak has been around for more than 60 years, and have remained at the forefront of hearing aid innovation since their beginning. Phonak continues to push the envelope in an attempt to give everyone with hearing loss a shot at a premium listening experience.
Phonak introduced their Naida power hearing aid back in 2007 as a hearing aid built for people with severe or profound hearing loss. Phonak continues to improve their power hearing aid line and the Naida-B was an important stepping stone. It featured dedicated technology, Bluetooth connectivity, a rechargeable option, more sensitivity to higher pitched sounds including speech, and a host of apps that help make the hearing aid perform even better. There are three distinct models and four technology levels from which to choose. While the Naida M and Naida P have largely replaced this model, the Naida B offers some of the best speech and sound quality in the power hearing aid market. The following is a description and review of the Phonak Naida B hearing aid.
Things to Consider Before Buying
The Phonak Naida B hearing aids use the “Belong” chip platform which, at the time it was created, was the fastest and most powerful Phonak had. The Naida B is a power hearing aid with features that give you great sound quality, the ability to hear speech in noisy environments, a great lineup of accessories, and high end directionality. You do not get the same universal connectivity through Bluetooth that the newer Naida Paradise and Naida Marvel have, but you can connect to other electronic devices in different ways. You can manually control these hearing aids, but they also feature the AutoSense Operating System (OS) that automatically adjust to your environment so that the features and settings give you the best listening experience possible. The Naida B has both rechargeable and disposable options, there are three available models, and each model can be purchased at one of four technology levels.
Pros
- A power hearing aid for people with severe to profound hearing loss.
- A great combination of features and power.
- Binaural VoiceStream technology means your hearing aids can work together to provide enhanced speech clarity and better directionality.
- WhistleBlock and NoiseBlock together help reduce some of the most common noises that can get in the way of hearing.
- Connects to the highly acclaimed Roger Microphones.
- A good lineup of compatible accessories.
- The Phonak name is synonymous with quality and innovation.
- It is one of the best combinations of power and connectivity in a hearing aid.
- An IP68 rating means that it is dust resistant and water resistant.
- Comes in multiple colors.
- Rechargeable and disposable options available.
Cons
- No In-The-Ear (ITE) or invisible options available.
- There are better and less expensive options for people who suffer with mild to moderate hearing loss.
- On the expensive side.
- The newer hearing aid models can connect directly to other Bluetooth-enabled devices.
- Does not connect directly to the myPhonak app.
Features & Benefits
Design/Type of Hearing Aid
The Naida B hearing aid has three different models, two BTE hearing aids and one Receiver-In-the-Canal (RIC) device that is also rechargeable. Every Phonak Naida hearing aid are made for power and developed specifically for people with severe or profound hearing loss, but the Naida B was one of the first with advanced features and Bluetooth connectivity.
Fit and Wearability
Each of the Naida B hearing aids are lightweight and comfortable, but the convenience of and customization of the earpiece in the RIC model makes it fit a little better. The receiver in the ear canal fits snugly and also provides some extra directionality, using the shape and size of your ear to improve your hearing.
Performance
- Battery
The SP and UP models are both BTE hearing aids with disposable batteries. They are slightly more powerful than the B-R RIC model, but the B-R is rechargeable and much more convenient.
- Sound quality
- Directionality
With multiple microphones and “Real Ear Sound” you can pinpoint the direction of speech and other sounds and more clearly hear the things that you need to. The Binaural VoiceStream technology also helps with this.
- Adaptability
When you have severe to profound hearing loss, the adaptability issues are usually not as important as the hearing issues that you are experiencing, but even if hearing aids drastically improve your hearing, they take time getting used to. The B-R model is a little easier to adapt to both because of the custom-fit earpiece that sits in your ear canal and because it is rechargeable so you never have to worry about the battery as long as you charge it each night.
- Low and High Pitch Sounds
SoundRecover2 maintains the sound quality for low pitch noises while making it easier for you to hear high-pitched sounds. The high pitch sounds especially are used in hearing and deciphering speech.
- Noise cancellation
WhistleBlock and WindBlock along with NoiseBlock that is discussed below, cancels the unwanted noise that wind and whistling can cause.
- Adaptive noise reduction
Noise Block Processing is Phonak’s noise reduction technology. It is effective at reducing the environmental noise, especially in louder environments, that may make hearing more difficult or uncomfortable. NoiseBlock recognizes speech and differentiates it from non-speech sounds so that it can remove the unwanted noise and you can focus on speech.
- Automatic sound adjustment based on environment
The AutoSense OS analyzes the sounds around you and uses that information to detect the environment you are in. The hearing aid then changes your settings and features to fit that environment.
- Streaming
With a separate device, you can connect the Naida B to streaming devices such as Roger microphones, the Phonak remote control, the TV Connector, and the Phonak Partner Mic. The Naida P and Naida M both connect directly to smartphones so you get better sound quality and more convenience, but the Naida B can give you the streaming you need just with an extra accessory or device.
Accessories
- Roger Microphones
Even with all of the available technology to help boost the performance of hearing aids in noisy environments or over distances, many hearing aid wearers still report challenges with their hearing in these situations. Roger digital wireless technology can boost the performance of your Phonak hearing aids even in the most challenging environments. These high end microphones help to improve your speech understanding in noisy places, enhance your listening experience in groups, and give you access to multiple talkers in meetings or other gatherings. With the Phonak Naida B, you can connect to any Roger microphone. The available Roger Microphones include:
- Roger On
Created for when conversations are held in places with a lot of background noise or over a great distance.
- Roger Select
Designed to help with group conversations like around a table, in a small group setting, or any other time you are conversing with a group of people and want to hear everyone.
- Roger Table Mic
A great device for business meetings where you can set the device on the table and it can use its multiple microphones to pick up everyone’s voice.
- Roger Touchscreen Mic
A classroom-specific microphone that is designed to be placed anywhere in a classroom so that a child can actively participate in the classroom with the teacher, small group, or whole class together.
- Phonak Partner Mic
A very easy-to-use remote microphone when you need a little extra help with a one-on-one conversation. Regardless of the environment and noise level, you will be able to converse with the person you are with clearly and with less effort.
- TV Connector
You can stream audio from any television or stereo directly to your hearing aids with great sound quality. It is a simple plug-and-play device that will give you great streaming capabilities immediately.
- Phonak Remote Control
If you do not want to use the myPhonak app, this Phonak remote control is the best way to control your hearing aids with a handheld device. There are three large buttons that are easy to use without even looking at the device, and the device is so discreet people might not even know you have it.
Unique Perks and Features
Bluetooth connectivity
Unlike some of the newer hearing aids on the market, the Phonak Naida B cannot connect directly with other devices via Bluetooth. You can use Bluetooth with the assistance of other wireless accessories, but the direct connection between your hearing aid and other devices is not there.
Binaural VoiceStream Technology
Allows you to stream full audio bandwidth in real time. This feature enables Phonak hearing aid wearers to focus on a single voice in challenging listening situations as your hearing aids work together both to pinpoint the origin of the sound you hear and to process that sound for each ear correctly.
Tinnitus Relief
The “Tinnitus Balance Noise Generator” generates a broadband sound for use in tinnitus management therapies. You can either mask the effects of tinnitus or add a sound therapy like “Tinnitus Retraining Therapy” to train your ears to fight against it.
Cost
Power hearing aids offer relief to people who struggle with severe and profound hearing loss. Hearing aid manufacturers have begun making power hearing aids with many of the same features and sound quality as you find in more traditional hearing aids, and the Naida B was one of the first to do this. The price of the Naida B can vary greatly depending on where you purchase them, which technology level you choose, and the amount of customization you want with your device. The starting price is just over $1,000 for one hearing aid, but to get one of the more advanced products for both ears you could pay $5,000 or more.
FAQs
- How much does Phonak Naida cost?
The Phonak Naida-B are power hearing aids made for people with moderate to profound hearing loss. The price of these hearing aids starts at just over $1,000, but you can expect to pay at least $3,000 and as much as $5,000 or more depending on which model you purchase and where you purchase your hearing aids. There are multiple models and technology levels from which to choose, and it is equally important to find a local audiologist to help you through the process. The price differs depending on each of these variables.
- Does Phonak Naida have Bluetooth?
Yes. One of the best features of the Naida line of hearing aids is that it is a powerful hearing aid with universal connectivity. You can connect directly to almost any other Bluetooth-enabled device and that includes hands-free calling both with iPhones and Android devices.
- What is the most advanced Phonak hearing aid?
There is a lot of advanced technology in a few different Phonak hearing aids so it is difficult to objectively say which is the most advanced. The Audeo Paradise has the most advanced features in terms of connectivity and automatic sound adjustments based on environment. The Naida B-R, on the other hand, is the most feature-rich rechargeable power hearing aid that Phonak makes.
- What is Phonak Naida?
The Phonak Naida is a powerful hearing aid that offers the same level of connectivity that you can find in other hearing aids. The problem with many power hearing aids is that, while they offer greater levels of amplification, you lose certain features because of the extra power. Usually the primary feature that you lose is connectivity, but not in the Phonak Naida. You get Phonak’s “universal connectivity” in a power model with the Naida device which means wearers can wirelessly stream audio directly into both hearing aids from virtually any Bluetooth-enabled electronic device.
When the Naida B came out, it was definitely one of the most advanced products on the market. A powerful hearing aid with great speech clarity, some connectivity, and a lot of features was a product that many hearing aid wearers wanted…It did not disappoint. The Naida B uses the “Belong” chip platform and the AutoSense OS to give you very fast processing time, automatic adjustments based on your listening environment, and the ability to hear speech even in the loudest of environments. It is important to note that the Phonak Naida Paradise and the Phonak Naida Marvel have more technology and better features than the Naida B. They were both released more recently and feature universal connectivity to other BlueTooth devices. The Naida B is a great hearing aid, so find your local audiologist and try one out if you are experiencing severe or profound hearing loss.
