Bimodal hearing 

What is it?  

A hearing aid in one ear and a hearing implant in the other ear.  The result is a richer and more natural sound experience. 

Bimodal hearing combines two types of hearing technology. 

Hearing aids provide you with acoustic hearing and work by amplifying sound, so what you hear is louder. A hearing aid is designed to enhance your remaining natural hearing.

Cochlear implants bypass damaged parts of the inner ear and provide you with hearing through electrical stimulation of the hearing nerve. 

By optimising the hearing in both ears, bimodal hearing solutions are designed to improve overall sound quality and enhance your hearing in many situations.

Who are Cochlear?

CochlearTM are the global leader in implantable hearing devices, and provide the most reliable cochlear implants available. They developed the Cochlear™ Nucleus® implant system, which consists of a high-tech internal implant and a small, discrete external sound processor, which can either sit behind (Nucleus® 8 or Nucleus 7) or off (Kanso® 2) your ear. Danalogic have partnered with CochlearTM to deliver a bimodal solution.

Enhanced hearing experience with danalogic Ambio Smart hearing aid

Having a cochlear implant fitted is a life changing step, but did you know that wearing a hearing aid can make life sound even better?

If you have a Kanso® 2, Nucleus® 8 or Nucleus 7 sound processor, you can benefit from the latest hearing aid technology provided via the NHS to allow for bimodal streaming from smart devices.

How will a hearing aid help me?

If you have one cochlear implant, wearing a hearing aid in your other ear can improve your hearing ability – even if hearing aids haven’t helped much in the past. This happens as supporting both ears helps to mimic normal hearing processes in the brain. You may hear this referred to as ‘bimodal’ hearing, which just means ‘two types’ of hearing (i.e., through both the cochlear implant and the hearing aid).

Supporting your cochlear implant with a hearing aid provides the following benefits:

  • Makes speech easier to understand, in both quiet and noisy environments, so whether you’re at home, work, or in a noisy restaurant you can hear what’s being said
  • Improves sound quality, to bring back the enjoyment of listening to music, watching TV or taking a phone call
  • Provides more natural sound, by filling in everyday background noises like birds chirping
  • Reduces listening effort, so you feel less tired, even if you’ve been out and about socialising all day
  • Protects hearing in your non-implanted ear, by stimulating the inner ear and keeping the connections between your ear and to the brain active

Ask your NHS Audiologist for information on how to get a danalogic Ambio Smart hearing aid.

What types of hearing aids are available, and are they smartphone compatible?

If you have a Nucleus® 8, Nucleus 7 or Kanso® 2 sound processor, danalogic Ambio Smart is the only compatible hearing aid available via the NHS to allow for bimodal streaming from smart devices. Depending on your hearing loss, these can be fitted with either a customised ear mould, thin tube and dome (umbrella shaped) attachment or a receiver in the ear:

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danalogic Ambio Smart hearing aids are Bluetooth-enabled digital hearing aids, so they integrate seamlessly into your digital world.

You can even simultaneously stream audio from a smartphone or tablet to your danalogic Ambio Smart hearing aid and CochlearTM device, this is known as ‘bimodal streaming’.

In addition to being conveniently wireless, bimodal streaming can improve speech perception, especially during phone calls.

Ambio Smart and bimodal streaming FAQs

Is my smartphone compatible with an Ambio Smart hearing aid and my cochlear implant?

Most Apple and Android Bluetooth-enabled devices will be compatible with your CochlearTM sound processor and danalogic Ambio Smart. If you are unsure, check compatibility with danalogic Ambio Smart compatibility or vice versa with CochlearTM sound processor.

How do I pair with an Apple device?

You can quickly and easily pair your Ambio Smart hearing aid and CochlearTM device (Kanso® 2 or Nucleus® 8 or Nucleus 7 Sound Processor) to an Apple product, such as an iPhone or iPad, using the instructions below. This is called bimodal pairing.

Your Audiologist must link your Ambio Smart and CochlearTM device together before you follow these steps for bimodal pairing.

Apple bimodal pairing instructions:

  1. Turn off your Ambio Smart and CochlearTM device
  2. Turn on Bluetooth on your Apple product by going to the ‘Settings’ menu. The slider turns green when you activate Bluetooth
  3. Go back to the main ‘Settings’ menu and tap on ‘Accessibility’
  4. Scroll down to ‘Hearing Devices’
  5. Turn on your Ambio Smart then your CochlearTM device (now your Apple product will be able to detect them)
  6. Once your Apple product has detected the hearing devices they will appear in the ‘Devices’ section as your name followed by ‘Hearing Devices’. Tap on your name
  7. A pop-up will appear giving you the option to cancel or pair – select ‘Pair’
  8. The pairing pop-up will appear for a second time (as you’re connecting to both the Ambio Smart and CochlearTM device) – select ‘Pair’ again.
  9. You may notice your CochlearTM device flashes blue for 4 seconds, followed by 6 beeps. Once this sequence has finished pairing is complete and you can start streaming from your Apple product to both the Ambio Smart and CochlearTM device simultaneously

For more support pairing your hearing devices with Apple products please refer to the relevant pairing guide for your Kanso® 2, Nucleus® 8 or Nucleus 7 sound processor.

 

You can bimodally pair with up to five compatible Apple products, but can only control your hearing devices with one Apple product at a time. To change between Apple products that you’ve previously paired to (e.g. switching from your iPhone to iPad) you simply turn off Bluetooth on the currently connected product (iPhone) and turn on Bluetooth on the product you want to link to (iPad). Your Ambio Smart and CochlearTM device will ‘remember’ the second Apple product and automatically reconnect to it.

How do I pair with an Android device?

You can quickly and easily pair your Ambio Smart hearing aid and CochlearTM device (Kanso® 2, Nucleus® 8 or Nucleus 7 Sound Processor) to an Android product using the BeMore and Nucleus Smart apps. This is called bimodal pairing.

Your Audiologist must link your Ambio Smart and CochlearTM device together to enable bimodal pairing.

To pair your Ambio Smart hearing aid to an Android product please follow these instructions:

  1. Go to the Google Play Store, search for the BeMore app and download it
  2. Once downloaded, open the app and tap ‘Yes Connect Now’
  3. Review the Terms and Conditions, and click ‘agree’ if you are happy to proceed
  4. Enable the location services by selecting ‘enable’
  5. Select your location preferences from the pop-up options presented
  6. On the next screen, select the type of hearing aid (Ambio Smart) then restart your hearing aid
  7. Once your Android product has detected your Ambio Smart a pop-up will appear, click ‘Yes’
  8. Restart your Ambio Smart again, when it switches back on you are ready to go!

For help pairing your CochlearTM device to an Android product, please click here then select your Sound Processor to watch tailored ‘how-to’ videos.

For more support pairing your hearing devices with Android product please download the relevant pairing guide by clicking on your CochlearTM sound processor: Kanso® 2, Nucleus® 8 or Nucleus 7

What if my smartphone isn’t compatible?

If your smartphone or tablet is not compatible but is Bluetooth-enabled, you can still stream wirelessly from it to your danalogic Ambio Smart hearing aid using a Phone Clip+. This small electronic device enables your device and hearing aid to communicate.

In addition to steaming audio, the Phone Clip+ can be used as a remote control. So you can adjust the volume or scroll between programs on your hearing aid without even touching them!

Your audiologist may refer to the Phone Clip+ as a wireless accessory. It’s part of a whole family of wireless devices that can help you to get the best out of your danalogic Ambio Smart hearing aid, including the danalogic TV streamer, multi mic, micro mic and remote controls. You may have received a wireless accessory with your sound processor - this accessory will also work with your danalogic hearing aid.

For instructions pairing your hearing devices with wireless accessories, please download the relevant pairing guide by clicking on your CochlearTM sound processor: Kanso® 2, Nucleus® 8 or Nucleus 7

Can I bimodally stream to my TV?

Yes – using the danalogic TV Streamer 2 you can simultaneously stream audio from your TV to your Ambio Smart hearing aid and cochlear implant. This means you can listen to the TV at the volume you like, without impacting others. Thanks to the wireless design, you’re free to move around with the sound following you through your hearing devices, so you never miss the action.

Follow these simple steps to connect your Ambio Smart and cochlear implant to a danalogic TV Streamer 2:

  1. Turn off your Ambio Smart and cochlear implant
  2. Plug in the TV Streamer 2’s power and audio cables, then turn on the TV Streamer 2
  3. Press the TV Streamer 2’s pairing button (you should see an orange light flash on and off for 20 seconds)
  4. Turn on your Ambio Smart then your cochlear implant. The orange light should change to blue to confirm you are ready to go!

What can I control using a smartphone app?

Using the free BeMore app you can also control your danalogic Ambio Smart hearing aid from your smartphone or tablet:

  • Turn the volume up or down, or mute
  • Make advanced sound setting adjustments
  • Switch between programmes set by your Audiologist, e.g. turn on the Tinnitus Manager program and add your own favourite settings
  • Communicate with your Audiologist, e.g. request help remotely*
  • Find a misplaced hearing aid

*Check with your Audiologist if they offer remote care.

I have a CochlearTM Bone-Anchored Hearing Aid (Baha), can I still use bimodal streaming?

Unfortunately, although danalogic Ambio Smart hearing aids are compatible for bimodal streaming with CochlearTM Kanso® 2, Nucleus® 8 or Nucleus 7 devices , direct bimodal streaming is not currently available with Baha devices. However, if you have a CochlearTM Baha and a wireless accessory such as a Multi Mic, this can be paired to your sound processor and a danalogic Ambio Smart hearing aid. Your multi mic can then be used binaurally – streaming audio simultaneously to your hearing aid and Baha. This can be used to help you hear a loved one, teacher or colleague with crystal-clear sound, even if you’re 25 meters (80 feet) away!

A danalogic phone clip can also provide binaural connectivity by linking your phone simultaneously to your danalogic hearing aid and CochlearTM Baha.

Binaural use of wireless accessories with danalogic Ambio/Ambio Smart hearing aids and CochlearTM Bahas is possible with the following models:

  • Baha® 5
  • Baha® 5 power
  • Baha® superpower
  • Baha® 6 max

Are you an NHS Audiologist?

If you would like more information about danalogic NHS hearing aids, wireless accessories and apps, or to book a demonstration please get in touch. You can also explore our Professional Portal to access useful support materials.

Contact us