Dr. Cliff provides a comprehensive review of ReSound Vivia hearing aids, highlighting their AI features, connectivity options, and performance limitations in noisy environments.
The hearing aid world is moving fast these days! Major brands keep dropping new models every year or so, and Resound just jumped into the game with their latest offering—the Resound Vivia. As your hearing care team committed to best practices, we thought you'd appreciate a straight-talking review of what these new devices bring to the table.
The big headline with the Vivia is its artificial intelligence brain—a Deep Neural Network (DNN) that works to pull speech out from background noise. Resound is playing catch-up here, as brands like Phonak, Oticon, and Starkey already have similar tech in their lineup. In fact, Oticon is already on their second generation of this technology, showing just how competitive this space has become.
You can get the Vivia in a few flavors:
These can handle pretty much any hearing loss from mild to severe-to-profound. Depending on your needs, you can pair them with different power receivers. They come in the usual range of colors to match hair and skin tones, plus some fun new options like Navy blue and red.
One important note for those considering disposable battery models: the packaging for these batteries has become increasingly difficult to open due to federal safety regulations. If you have finger dexterity issues, this might be something to consider when choosing between rechargeable and battery options.
Like most hearing aids, the Vivia comes in different technology tiers:
Here's the catch—that fancy DNN feature? It's only available in the top-tier Level 9 AND only in the rechargeable model. Each step down saves you money but cuts some features. Expect to save several hundred dollars per aid as you move down the ladder.
These things are tiny! The microRIC models pack a lot into a small package with a simple push button and indicator light. One nice upgrade is the removable microphone covers—makes cleaning way easier than trying to dig out debris with tiny brushes.
If you wear glasses, you'll be happy to know these sit comfortably alongside spectacles. For folks with more significant hearing loss, we strongly recommend custom earmolds rather than the standard domes—you'll capture much more sound that way.
The build quality of the Vivia represents a significant improvement over older Resound models like the Linx 3D. The Navy blue color option (which Dr. Cliff tested) offers a nice alternative to the standard colors, though you can choose whatever matches your style preference.
The rechargeable Vivia will last:
The charger is pretty slick, with lights showing how much juice you have left in both the aids and the charger's built-in power bank. The premium charger offers some additional charges on the go, which is handy for travel.
One minor drawback: the rubber lining in the premium charger can make it slightly challenging to remove the hearing aids if you don't pull them out at the right angle—something to consider if you have dexterity issues.
Connectivity is where things get interesting:
The LE Audio brings better sound while using less battery power. It also enables something called Auracast, which will eventually let you tune into public venues like theaters and airports directly through your hearing aids.
Apple folks get to control their Vivia aids through their Apple Watch, which Android users can't do yet. This Apple Watch integration can be a real convenience for making quick adjustments on the go.
During testing, Dr. Cliff successfully paired the Vivia with both iPhone and Samsung Galaxy devices, though he noted some limitations with the Auracast feature. While he could detect an Auracast signal from another device, he couldn't successfully stream audio to the Vivia hearing aids—an issue that may be addressed in future updates.
The Resound Smart 3D app puts tons of controls at your fingertips:
For a complete walkthrough of the app's features, check out Dr. Cliff's detailed tutorial on his YouTube channel.
One area where the Vivia falls short compared to competitors is in programming flexibility. Even the premium Level 9 devices only offer 10 equalizer bands for your audiologist to work with—less than half of what other premium hearing aids provide (up to 24 bands).
Dr. Cliff notes that he consistently struggles to match high-frequency prescriptive targets with Resound hearing aids. This limitation could potentially impact how well these hearing aids can be tailored to your specific hearing loss, especially in the higher frequencies which are crucial for speech clarity.
The DNN was trained by listening to over 13.5 million sentences mixed with various background noises like traffic and cafeteria environments. When you switch to "Hear in Noise" mode, it combines the DNN-based "Intelligent Noise Tracker" with a four-microphone binaural beamformer to help you focus on speech.
One important thing to know—it doesn't kick in automatically. You have to manually select the "Hear in Noise" program, and you need to face the person you're trying to hear since the system focuses on sounds coming from in front of you. If speech is coming from your sides or behind you, you won't get the full benefit of the DNN.
How much does it actually help? According to Resound's research, 89% of existing Resound users preferred the new Vivia's "Intelligent Focus" feature compared to their old hearing aids. When compared to another major brand with DNN technology, 64% of test subjects scored better on speech intelligibility tests using the Vivia.
However, independent testing from Hear Advisor presented a different picture. In their standardized tests, the Vivia initially received a B sound grade and a surprisingly low speech-in-noise score of 0.6 out of 5. Even after optimization with Real Ear Measurements, the speech-in-noise score only improved to 1.3 out of 5, ranking it last among the top 10 hearing aids tested in background noise.
Even the fanciest hearing aid won't help much if it's not fitted properly. Sadly, only about 5-30% of hearing professionals consistently follow best practices when fitting devices.
That's why we're so dedicated to Real Ear Measurement at HearingUp. This verification step ensures your hearing aids are actually delivering the right amount of sound to your ears—kind of like making sure your glasses have the right prescription.
If you're already a Resound fan, you'll probably love the upgrade to Vivia, especially if you spring for the top model with all the bells and whistles. The Vivia represents Resound's best effort to date, bringing them into the same playing field as other major manufacturers with DNN technology.
If your biggest struggle is hearing conversation in noisy places, you might want to compare how different brands approach this challenge. Everyone's hearing is unique, and what works for one person might not work best for another. The independent testing suggests that other brands might offer better performance in noisy environments, so it's worth discussing all options with your audiologist.
Curious about whether the Resound Vivia might be your next hearing solution? Drop by for a no-pressure consultation. We'll take the time to understand your specific hearing challenges and lifestyle needs, run a comprehensive hearing evaluation, and help you decide if these devices—or perhaps something else—would work best for you.
As Dr. Cliff always emphasizes, the provider fitting your hearing aids is often more important than the specific brand or model you choose. At HearingUp, we ensure you get the maximum benefit from whatever technology you select by following comprehensive best practices in every fitting.
Find your local HearingUp provider at HearingUp.com and take the first step toward better hearing today!
Find a local hearing healthcare provider that has been personally vetted by Dr. Cliff and verified to use Best Practices in Audiology.
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