Hearing with both ears
To support your hearing, speech and everyday communication, you may want to consider a hearing solution designed to provide hearing with both ears.
The importance of hearing with both ears
Your ears are a team and your brain needs both working together to best understand speech and locate sounds.1 Hearing with both ears, also known as binaural hearing, plays an important role in speech understanding, language development and everyday communication. This is especially important for children, as binaural hearing supports learning and social development.2.
If you can only hear in one ear, you may experience:
- Difficulty in understanding speech in noisy environments.1
- Challenges in locating where sound is coming from (sound localisation).3
- Difficulty hearing sounds that come from your 'bad side.'1
- Less enjoyment listening to music.4
Bimodal hearing (hearing aid and hearing implant)
Bimodal hearing is a hearing solution that combines a cochlear implant in one ear with a hearing aid in the other ear. For some people, this combination can provide improved overall hearing compared to using a hearing aid or cochlear implant alone.
Bimodal hearing may provide a more natural listening experience5 and can offer:
- Improved speech understanding in both quiet and noisy environments.6-8
- Greater awareness of where sounds are coming from.9
- Improved perception and enjoyment of music.10
- Higher satisfaction overall compared to using two hearing aids.11
Cochlear's implantable hearing solutions work alongside any compatible hearing aids, helping you enjoy the benefits of bimodal hearing.*
Take the online hearing quiz
How well are you hearing today? Take our short quiz designed for anyone exploring hearing solutions or already living with a cochlear implant.^
Bilateral implants (two hearing implants)
If you are already using a hearing implant in one ear but still find it difficult to understand speech, especially in noise, a second implant (bilateral hearing) may help.
Studies show that children with bilateral cochlear implants often reach hearing performance goals earlier than those with one implant.12
Adults who receive a second cochlear implant may also:
- Enjoy a better quality of life.13
- Follow conversations more easily in both quiet and noisy environments.13
- Experience richer, fuller, stereo-like sound.14
- Feel less listening fatigue at the end of the day.15
Your hearing health professional can advise you on bimodal or bilateral hearing treatment options for you, your child or a loved one.
"I can communicate better with my grandkids... one cochlear implant was very good, but two is fantastic!"
- Geoff, bilateral Nucleus® System recipient
Still struggling with one implant or hearing aid?
You may benefit from a hearing solution that lets you hear with both ears.
Do you have a cochlear implant or bone conduction device?
If you already use a cochlear implant or bone conduction device in one ear and still struggle with your hearing, an implant in your opposite ear could be your next step.
If you can answer yes to one or more of the questions below, it may be worth discussing your bilateral hearing options with your hearing health professional.
- Was your poorer-hearing ear implanted first?
- Do you wear a hearing aid in your non-implanted ear?
- Do you have to position people on your implant side to hear better?
- Do you have significant problems hearing in noise?
Have more questions?
Get in touch with the Cochlear Engagement Team. We provide a free information service to help you understand your options and feel confident about your next steps.
Contact us
Disclaimer
Please seek advice from your health professional about treatments for hearing loss. Outcomes may vary, and your health professional will advise you about the factors which could affect your outcome. Always follow the directions for use. Not all products are available in all countries. Please contact your local Cochlear representative for product information.
For a full list of Cochlear’s trademarks, please visit our Terms of Use page.
Views expressed are those of the individual. Consult your health professional to determine if you are a candidate for Cochlear technology.
In Australia, Cochlear™ Nucleus® implant systems are intended for the treatment of moderately severe to profound hearing loss.
In Australia, Baha® bone conduction implant systems are intended for the treatment of moderate to profound hearing loss.
In Australia, the Cochlear™ Osia® System is indicated for patients with conductive, mixed hearing loss and single-sided sensorineural deafness (SSD) aged 5 years and above with up to 55 decibels sensorineural hearing loss. Patients should have sufficient bone quality and quantity to support successful implant placement. Surgery is required to use this product. Any surgical procedure carries risk.
For Cochlear™ Nucleus®, Osia® and Baha® systems: This product is not available for purchase by the general public. For information on funding and reimbursement please contact your health care professional.
Any testimonial featured on this website is intended for an Australian audience only.
* For compatibility information and devices visit cochlear.com/compatibility and resound.com/compatibility.
^ The Cochlear Hearing Quiz is not a diagnostic evaluation and is not intended to replace medical advice. For a complete test or evaluation of your hearing, please consult a hearing healthcare professional. They will be best placed to diagnose and/or treat a hearing loss condition.
References
- Weaver, J. "Single-Sided Deafness: Causes, and Solutions, Take Many Forms." Hearing Journal 68.3 (2015): 20-24. Web. 28 Apr. 2017.
- Ching TY, Psarros C, Hill M, Dillon H, Incerti P. Should children who use cochlear implants wear hearing aids in the opposite ear?. Ear and hearing. 2001 Oct 1;22(5):365-80.
- Hearing Aids | What is a Binaural Hearing Aid [Internet]. Betterhearing.org. 2018 [cited 12 September 2018].
- Meehan S, Hough E, Crundwell G, Knappett R, Smith M, Baguley D. The Impact of Single-Sided Deafness upon Music Appreciation. Journal of the American Academy of Audiology. 2017;28(5):444-462.
- Farinetti A, Roman S, Mancini J, et al. Quality of life in bimodal hearing users (unilateral cochlear implants and contralateral hearing aids). Eur Arch Otorhinolaryngol (2015 Nov); 272, 3209–3215.
- Ching TY, Incerti P, Hill M. Binaural benefits for adults who use hearing aids and cochlear implants in opposite ears. Ear Hear (2004 Feb); 25, 9–21.
- Morera C, Cavalle L, Manrique M, et al. Contralateral hearing aid use in cochlear implanted patients: Multicenter study of bimodal benefit. Acta Otolaryngol (2012 Jun); 132, 1084–1094.
- Gifford RH, Dorman MF, McKarns SA, Spahr AJ. Combined electric and contralateral acoustic hearing: Word and sentence recognition with bimodal hearing. Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research. (2007 Aug) 1;50(4):835-43.
- Wolfe J, Morais M, Schafer Erin. Speech recognition of bimodal cochlear implant recipients using a wireless audio streaming accessory for the telephone. Otol Neurotol. 2016 Feb;37(2):e20-5.
- Sucher CM, McDermott HJ. Bimodal stimulation: benefits for music perception and sound quality. Cochlear Implants International. (2009 Jan); 1;10(S1):96-9.
- Preliminary data on file: Clinical evaluation of the Cochlear Nucleus® CI532 cochlear implant in adults (CLTD5685). 2019, Jan. [Sponsored by Cochlear]
- Escorihuela García V, et al. (2016). Comparative study between unilateral and bilateral cochlear implantation in children of one and two years of age.
- Bance M, Costales Marcos M, Guignard J, Huinck W, Killian M, Lionikaite V, Quadri H, Rand K, Sivonen V. The benefit of bilateral cochlear implants in adults with bilateral sensorineural hearing loss: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Audiol Res. 2025;15(1):5. doi:10.1080/14670100.2025. 2516932.
- Dorman MF, Gifford RH. Bimodal hearing or bilateral cochlear implants? Ask the patient. Ear Hear. 2019;40(3):501–516. doi:10.1097/AUD.0000000000000657.
- Lewis J, Castellanos I, Moberly AC. Bilateral cochlear implants or bimodal hearing: A comparison of quality of life. J Acoust Soc Am. 2022;152(4_Supplement):A197. doi:10.1121/10.0016014.