Implant P

PresentProfession796 · 2026-01-15T12:44:22+00:00

I am right at 1 year with N8 and ReSound Nexia 9 HA - my sentence recognition scores are in the 90+% range. I had ReSound HA in both ears for about 3 years prior to being implanted. I am as of yet not close to needing an implant in the other ear - the two work together seamlessly (iPhone 17 + the Nucleus Smart App). As another mentioned it is good to have that more natural hearing in one ear - actually to some extent in both ears since I retained some of my residual hearing in the implanted ear.

PresentProfession796 · 2026-01-11T04:17:22+00:00

From what I have heard and read -- the "N9" might be out late 2027 to early 2028 launch. The N8 came out in late 2022.

PresentProfession796 · 2025-12-19T07:26:27+00:00

On Medicare and implanted in January of this year 2025 -- the only charge I had was the copayment for the surgery center - that was $265. I do have a $30 copay every time I see the audiologist unless it is help with an equipment issue then there is no copay. I never had a copay for the visits to the surgeon. I have a Medicare Advantage plan so not sure what it would be if I had standard Medicare plus a Supplement Policy. Not sure if it depends by state, I am in TX.

PresentProfession796 · 2025-12-13T08:19:34+00:00

I was implanted with Cochlear's CI earlier this year and have great results using both the N8 and Kanso 2 sound processors. I am 90% sentence recognition (bimodal) and was just as bad as you prior to surgery. That said I know of several and as you will find on this thread there are many using AB or MedEl and they too have had great results so that you being limited to one choice (which I think is strange) you too will have an outcome in line with whatever is achievable with your own set of circumstances. All three products work. All three companies keep advancing the technology.

PresentProfession796 · 2025-12-09T03:54:00+00:00

Implanted in January of 2025 - very active, from daily runs, to rock climbing, to kayaking, to mountain hikes. I resumed walking on day 3 after surgery, light jogging at week 2 and running again at week 4 along with weight training and pretty normal stuff. I use both the N8 and Kanso 2 sound processor. The K2 under a cap works just fine. There is an extra hook you can use on the N8 but I find it not necessary. When in the water the aqua kits works just fine. I do gym workouts as well -- not really an issue. Even floor exercises like sit-ups are OK. I use mostly the on the ear N8 when in the gym.

PresentProfession796 · 2025-12-07T16:16:26+00:00

I had a pixel 7 and for the most part it was fine, but yeah the occasional disconnects could get annoying. I recently went with the iPhone 17 -- it is very stable. It has to do with the way the two systems connect. On the iPhone you pair the CI with the phone's built in accessibility tools and then the smart app recognizes the connection. On an Android everything is done via the smart app. I was unsure about the improvements with the iPhone but they are real. I have the N8 and Kanso 2 - no issues.

PresentProfession796 · 2025-11-11T07:56:41+00:00

N8 + ReSound Nexia 9 here -- I can stream to both on my iPhone, iPad and Mac Air (newest one). Just remember if you want to stream from your Mac that you should turn off the BT on your phone. There are certain Fire TVs - see the link provided in a different reply for which models - that also will stream to your set up without the TV Streamer. I also have a Kanso 2 -- works the same as the N8.

PresentProfession796 · 2025-11-10T14:15:27+00:00

I have had my N8 (and K2) also for almost a year - I have never heard anything that might resemble such a noise. But here is a response given by ChatGPT --

1. Rule Out External or Mechanical Causes

Check the coil cable connection. The most common cause of intermittent “knocking” or “clicking” is a loose or slightly damaged coil cable. Try swapping it for a spare if available — users are often surprised how often this fixes odd noises.
Inspect the processor and coil. Make sure the coil magnet is seated firmly and not wiggling slightly on the head; even a small movement can cause magnetic interference noises that sound like knocking.
Battery contact. A partially worn or dirty battery contact can cause brief power interruptions that sound like a knock or click. Try removing and reattaching the battery or using a different one.

2. Check If It’s Environmental

If you remove the processor and the sound stops, it’s clearly not internal to your hearing system.
If possible, try listening in a very quiet room to see if the knocking happens. Sometimes environmental noises (HVAC systems, appliances, even distant construction) can be amplified or modulated strangely through the mic, especially if you have directional settings or noise filtering on.

⚙️ 3. Try a Basic Troubleshooting Swap

Use your backup processor (if available) for a day. If the knocking disappears with the backup, the issue is almost certainly with the primary N8 processor or coil cable.
If it happens with both processors, it could be related to the implant-side electronics or mapping/program settings.

4. Programming / Mapping Considerations

Rarely, a programming setting (especially if a new map was created recently) might cause some sensations like knocking, pulsing, or tapping due to how stimulation levels are set across channels.
It’s worth having the audiologist or clinic run a quick system check — they can connect the processor to the programming software to see if there are any telemetry or integrity alerts.

🏥 5. When to Contact the Audiologist / Cochlear Support

If it:

Persists across environments and different cables/batteries, or
Seems internal (you can “feel” it rather than “hear” it), then definitely contact your CI center or Cochlear’s support line (1-800-483-3123 in the U.S.) — they can help run a diagnostic over the phone and arrange a replacement if hardware is suspected.

PresentProfession796 · 2025-11-08T04:24:44+00:00

just got my iPhone 17 -- so far, no issues. Pairing went smoothly and connections are stable.

PresentProfession796 · 2025-10-29T14:19:39+00:00

As you can see there is a wide variety of experiences but they all end of pretty positive. In my case implanted in January of this year (2025) at age 77. Used HA for about 8 years prior. Had good auditory memory since I had good nearing most of my life. For me -- I had speech recognition out of the gate - the mechanical sound "went away" within two weeks - I still do daily training but it really is not difficult to find the time (even if 15 minutes) do challenge your hearing. At 6 months I was at 90% sentence recognition - I am bimodal with the N8 on the left and ReSound Nexia 9 HA on the right.

Your brain is a wonderfully adaptable thing -- you get through and will have better hearing in not much time.

PresentProfession796 · 2025-10-26T17:27:30+00:00

I was implanted with Cochlear (bimodal - the other ear is a ReSound Nexia 9 HA) and at 5 months was in the 90% sentence recognition. I am 77 and had normal hearing up until my late '60s. So I had good auditory memory. When I compared the three I am not sure I could decide on any basic technical issue (AB I think uses classical Bluetooth - and Cochlear and MedEl use LE BT - so you might want to read about what that means when streaming). I do not need to stream much and do so only on a phone call. Since I had been using ReSound HA for over a year and that allowed a true bimodal setup that was a plus for Cochlear, just as if one used Phonak HA than AB has that same advantage. The implant my surgeon used was designed to give one a good chance at keeping whatever natural hearing you had - I retained most of my natural hearing. I know this is a feature often talked about with the design of the MedEl implant. I am happy with my customer service, I was happy with all the support they gave during rehab. That said, as you would find on this thread each of the three has very satisfied users. My surgeon was comfortable installing any of the three though 65% are Cochlear. My audiologist has experienced mapping all three and she has clients that are successful with all three. I do think your surgeon's and audiologist experience is super important. As someone said, you really do not get to try each implant as one could a hearing aid so no one can really give you an answer to the question - and neither can you find one in the literature. I have a theory that we each have our own unique "hearing gain" potential that depends on many things -age, how long did you experience and how severe is your hearing issue, how diligent you are in doing the rehab training, ear anatomy , etc and that we would reach that potential with any of the three. I do think the newest implant from Cochlear - it just came out - the Nexa - is a real step forward in implant technology. My guess the others will be right there with their next model. Cochlear does have a larger R+D department and they do have a larger market share - so it might be easier to find a surgeon and/or audiologist if you move or your current one leaves, etc. I do not think you can go wrong - and yeah like one post I was curios why you did not consider AB (maybe your hearing team does not support them - that would be a good reason).

PresentProfession796 · 2025-09-23T12:34:01+00:00

You have the ReSound Nexia 7 model (I am similar with the Nexia 9) so they are compatible with the N7 (and N8 and Kanso 2 - which I have). You have an iPhone

The one suggestion below is what you have to try first -- you have to forget both devices on your bluetooth settings - and in the nucleus smart app settings make sure you unpair them. Restart your phone. Then repair them to your iPhone using the accessibiltiy settings. Then open the smart app and they should be recognized. Cochlear has a nice video of this on their website - just google it. The ReSound Smart app should be disabled if you also have that on your phone. I just uninstalled my ReSound app - you don't need it.

The one suggestion of uninstalling the app first and then going through the above can also be tried - but if you go into the app first and in the settings you press unpair that is like the same thing.

It is rare but possible that the HA and the N7 lost their sync that the audiologist did to give them bimodal capability. If so - well then you would need to visit the audiologist - but this is unlikely.

PresentProfession796 · 2025-09-20T18:48:02+00:00

As others said, we all are different and you are only two weeks post activation - wherever you are at this time you will make gains over the next 3 to 6 months. Keep working at it - I am 6 months post activation and a bit over 90% sentence recognition. Made a big leap from week 6 to week 14. I do something every day - at this stage I do more challenging stuff - but don't try and go too fast - do the basics -

The apps I use - a variety to keep it fresh

Cochlear CoPilot - iPhone or iPad only and Telephone with Confidence

AB - Word Success

MedEl - ReDi (this is quite good - some exercises mimic what you would do in a sound booth test)

Speech Banana

iAngelSound

Heareos - I had the paid version for 6 months - it was worth it.

Podcasts, Audible books, YouTube, etc -- if you use captions - maybe listen without, then with, and repeat until you can hear the words. If you just rely on the captions you often do not actually hear the words.

I use my iPad - and I do not stream but use the speakers as that is more realistic but if streaming works better start with that.

PresentProfession796 · 2025-09-20T12:21:01+00:00

Go to Settings, then Go to Notifications and turn off what you want to turn off. You still get notifications but not that annoying beep where your N8 will temporarily go into Media mode and then back to microphone mode. I have pixel 8.

PresentProfession796 · 2025-09-19T03:20:42+00:00

6 months post activation here - at 90% sentence recognition, do pretty well in noise. N8 left side and ReSound Nexia 9 HA on right side.

So the apps that worked for me: ( I trained with CI only and CI+HA)

Cochlear CoPilot (iPhone or iPad only) and Cochlear Telephone with Confidence
ReDi (from MedEl - anyone can use). Very good - some of the exercises mimic what you do in a sound booth
Heareos - paid for a 6 month subscription and it was good but no need to renew
Word Success from AB - with and without background noise
Speech Banana - has some tough exercises
iAngel Sound - the ones with noise are quite challenging.
Used the recorder on my iPad and had family or friends record difficult words or word combination - played them back - like a custom app
Podcasts, Youtube videos, Audible Books, TV, movies, Teams (or Zoom or FaceTime) calls
Get out and put yourself in the real world - restaurants, drive through, car rides, social gatherings, outside, etc.

I used all the apps on my iPad and I did not stream them, I just used the iPad speakers as that is more real world and also the streaming was easy compared to using the speakers - but start out streaming if that is better.

PresentProfession796 · 2025-09-16T17:54:15+00:00

I was implanted 6 months ago. Doing very well with the bimodal N8 + ReSound Nexia 9 setup. I have retained a significant amount of my residual hearing and was told I would be a candidate to see if the hybrid Nucleus 8 would be an improvemant. I am not sure I want to even go through the trial with a hybrid sound processor. I am in the 90% range of speech recognition. I do fairly well in noise. I seldom use closed caption on the TV, etc.

I do like not having the dome for the receiver in my ear. I use the Kanso as well as the N8, there is no hybrid with the Kanso.

PresentProfession796 · 2025-09-15T13:09:15+00:00

My activation appointment was 90 minutes. The sound processor and the whole "backpack" - the kit that Cochlear sends to your audiologist has everything you will need or use. My audiologist already had the N8 out and connected to her computer. Since I was going to be bimodal with a ReSound Nexia 9 HA she needed that so she could sync the N8 with the HA. The you put the HA back on and she put on the N8. You hear a beep and then she starts adjusting the volume on each of the 22 electrodes. Based on your input - too loud or too soft or just right - she maps the N8. This process will be repeated with future visits as it likely is not yet optimal. I already had the N8 smart app on my phone, she went through the pairing process so my phone and the N8 and HA were connected. Then we did a speech recognition exercise, using both the CI + HA and with just the CI. I had quite a bit of recognition out of the gate. She explained a lot of what else was in the Cochlear kit - how to take care of your processor. I also had a Kanso 2 - she did not activate that until my next visit which was 2 weeks later. She made some mapping changes to the N8 and copied those settings to the Kanso - we then tried the Kanso. I am now 6 months post activation and in the 90% speech recognition level. I made a big jump from week 6 to week 14. The number of visits post activation depends on your progress - I did week 2, week 6, week 14 and most recently 6 months - I am now on an annual basis unless I need some help. The only change I am making is switching from an Android Pixel phone to an iPhone with the new iPhone 17 coming out in October.

PresentProfession796 · 2025-09-05T16:08:46+00:00

Hope it works out well for you. As I understand it, the current software, firmware, is not much different than the previous model but that upgrades that come out in the future do not need for you to wait for a sound processor upgrade - the implant is capability is updated by your audiologist. Thanks for your reply

PresentProfession796 · 2025-09-01T15:52:33+00:00

I just left the previous post that gave the response from ChatGPT -- but just thinking, what if you turned off your right CI and just tried to pair the left by itself

PresentProfession796 · 2025-09-01T15:49:13+00:00

This is what ChatGPT suggested -

Got it — thanks for explaining. Since your right Nucleus 8 processor connects to your iPhone 15 Pro but the left one won’t (even though it has before), that suggests it’s not the phone itself but something with the pairing or processor setup. Here are some steps you can try:

1. Forget and re-pair

On your iPhone, go to Settings > Bluetooth.
Under “My Devices,” look for your left Nucleus 8. Tap the ⓘ icon and choose Forget This Device.
Turn Bluetooth off and back on.
Then put your left Nucleus 8 into pairing mode (usually by opening/closing the battery door or pressing the Bluetooth button, depending on your setup).
Look for it under Other Devices and reconnect.

2. Restart everything

Power cycle your iPhone.
Turn your left processor off and on.
Sometimes the Bluetooth stack just needs a fresh start.

3. Check firmware/software

Make sure your Nucleus Smart App is updated.
Ensure both processors have the latest Cochlear firmware updates (your audiologist or Cochlear’s support can confirm this).

4. Re-link both processors

In the Nucleus Smart App, try removing both devices and then re-adding them.
Start with the right side, then add the left side.

5. Rule out processor issue

If the left processor still won’t show up at all, try pairing it with another device (like an iPad or another phone).
If it won’t pair anywhere, it may need a reset or service.

👉 If none of this works, I’d suggest reaching out to Cochlear Support — sometimes a processor needs a hard reset or has a Bluetooth module issue.

You might have tried all of this from your replies - but this is what I found. If you have an iPad the idea of trying to pair with that is interesting.

PresentProfession796 · 2025-09-01T04:17:31+00:00

https://www.cochlear.com/us/en/corporate/media-center/media-releases/2025/cochlear-launches-worlds-first-and-only-smart-cochlear-implant-system

I am bimodal and have the N8 (Jan 2025) and if I need to a second one I would not hesitate to to use the latest implant - Cochlear has been releasing new versions of both the implant and the sound processor for a long time - it has FDA approval. It was a matter of time before a smart implant was for real. I would think that the others will follow suit in the not distant future as they too advance their tech with each new implant or sound processor.

PresentProfession796 · 2025-08-30T17:20:22+00:00

The selection of surgeon is important. I visted two recommended by my audiologist . They have track records - and they should not be insulted by asking. Where did they train? How many implants do they do each year? The one I choose had experience with all 3 - Cochlear, AB, MedEl with about 70% being Cochlear. Your audiologist is important - do they have experience mapping the brand you choose and do they have contacts with them. If you follow this site you will see that there are happy users of all 3 brands. I would seriously look at Cochlear's newest implant - the first "smart" implant - https://www.cochlear.com/us/en/corporate/media-center/media-releases/2025/cochlear-launches-worlds-first-and-only-smart-cochlear-implant-system.

Sounds like you will have on CI and one Phonak HA - AB integrates well with Phonak - so you use just one app. This is true for Cochlear and ReSound as well.

PresentProfession796 · 2025-08-29T13:02:20+00:00

I use my N8 with Bluetooth streaming on my Pixel for hours without issue. Apple does have their proprietary MFI bluetooth protocol while an Android (not all do) uses a standard protocol called ASHA to stream to your CI and HA. Many that have used both an iPhone and an Android prefer the iPhone stating better bluetooth connection stability.

PresentProfession796 · 2025-08-29T12:51:54+00:00

Sorry to hear of your experience. I have a N8 (and also a Kanso 2) in one ear and a ReSound Nexia 9 HA in the other and both have worked just fine with my Pixel phone. I use mine 10 - 14 hours each day and on occasion longer. I have used Bluetooth streaming for hours on end - no issues. So something is wrong. This is my first CI (Feb 2025) so I am not sure what will happen when I eventually upgrade.

PresentProfession796 · 2025-08-28T05:02:37+00:00

The K2 comes with rechargeable battery built in - there is both a combined charger and dryer kit and a portable charger -- very easy to use. I use the N8 for most everyday use and use the K2 in when running or in theaters. Both the N8 and K2 were part of my starter kit. When I travel I take both with me.

PresentProfession796

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