Nucleus upgrade benefits
Discover the latest Nucleus® hearing technology and sound processor options available for you.
What you'll find on this page
- Learn about the Nucleus® 8 and Kanso® 3 Sound Processors
- Compare your current sound processor with the latest technology
- Are you a Nucleus® 22 Implant recipient? Learn about the Nucleus® 7 Sound Processor
Designed to help you hear your best
In an ever-changing world, staying connected with one another has never been more important. Whether you prefer a sound processor that sits off the ear or behind the ear, you can experience the comfort of the world’s smallest sound processors.1 With the latest hearing performance technology that helps you hear your best in different situations, you can enjoy a world of possibilities.2-5
“The Nucleus upgrade changed my life. I spend less effort trying to understand people. I just hear better.”
- Jack, Nucleus Sound Processor recipient
Choose the sound processor that fits your lifestyle
The same performance features. You choose the wearing option that best suits your lifestyle.
Nucleus® 8 Sound Processor
Kanso® 3 Sound Processor
Ready to upgrade to the latest hearing technology?
Contact your Hearing Healthcare Provider to determine when you are eligible for an upgrade.
Optimize your hearing experience
We understand that hearing in different environments can be challenging. That's why our latest Nucleus® sound processors feature smarter hearing technology designed to make communicating with people easier, particularly in noise.
As you move through the day, the Nucleus 8 and Kanso 3 sound processors sense changes in your listening environment and automatically adjust using enhanced SmartSound® iQ 2 with SCAN 2 to help deliver clearer sound.2-4,7,**
Designed to enhance face-to-face conversations in challenging environments, an improved ForwardFocus^ more powerfully+ reduces unwanted background noise to help you better hear the person in front. Whether you choose to have it fully automated or manually turn it on via the Nucleus Smart App* when needed, ForwardFocus^ helps you to focus on what’s important.8
The Nucleus 8 and Kanso 3 Sound Processors can be paired with Apple, Android™ and True Wireless™ Devices.*
This means that you can make phone calls and stream music, rehabilitation exercises, educational programs and more, directly to your sound processor.
As the first cochlear implant sound processors that are ready for next generation Bluetooth® LE Audio technology, it will be easier for you to bring sounds closer – in more places and from more devices than ever before.6,9-11,¥
No two people have the same life experiences. With the Nucleus Smart App*, you can make sure your hearing experience is just as personal.
Adjust your listening settings to help you hear better in noisy situations, keep track of your hearing information and set daily goals for listening to speech.
You can even save yourself a trip to the clinic by using our Remote Care solutions to do a hearing check or video appointment with your clinician from home.12,#
For added peace of mind, use Find My Processor feature to help find a misplaced processor.6,10
With the choice of either disposable or three different rechargeable battery options, you can choose the best way to power your Nucleus 8 Sound Processor.10 The Y charger can recharge two batteries at the same time, while the USB charger is an optional accessory for recharging one battery when you're on the go.
The Kanso 3 Sound Processor features a powerful, integrated rechargeable battery that you can rely on for all-day hearing.13,§ Charge your Kanso 3 Sound Processor with the All-in-one Home Charger or portable charger.
“With the Nucleus 8, it's definitely a lot easier to have conversations in practically in noisy places. I can focus more on the conversation and less on trying to ignore all the noisy background noise.”
— Bernie - Nucleus Sound Processor recipient
Experience confidence and convenience
With a Nucleus 8 or Kanso 3 Sound Processor, you no longer need to worry about getting caught in the rain.
Splash-proof and dust-proof, with the highest available water-resistance rating in cochlear implant sound processors, you can do more of what you love. Add Aqua+ for extra protection while enjoying your favorite water activities.14,15,~ ,≈
If you want to wear your sound processor upgrade as soon as it arrives and save a trip to the audiologist, choose Ready-to-Wear, a free-of-charge Cochlear service that loads your current programs to your new sound processor before it ships to you.++
Experience convenient quality care without a clinic visit with access to Cochlear Remote Care. Once your clinician enrolls you in Remote Care, you can save yourself a trip to the clinic by doing a hearing check or video appointment with your clinician from home.12,#
Designed to deliver a rich hearing experience, a bimodal solution can help you better locate where sound is coming from, enhance your music appreciation, and enjoy an improved quality of life than with hearing aids alone.16-18
Stream sound simultaneously to both your Nucleus 8 or Kanso 3 Sound Processor and compatible ReSound* hearing aid with a smart bimodal hearing solution that's ready for next-generation Bluetooth® LE Audio technology.6,9-11¥
Compare Nucleus and Kanso devices
Would you like to see how your current device compares to the latest technology? Download a comparison chart to learn about the differences.
Compare Nucleus and Kanso devices
135KB | PDF
Are you a Nucleus 22 (N22) Implant recipient?
Experience the Nucleus Sound Processor 7 difference. If you are a Nucleus 22 (N22) Implant recipient, you have the option to upgrade to the Nucleus 7 Sound Processor, which combines proven hearing performance with smartphone connectivity so you can connect to your world like never before.
Contact your Hearing Healthcare Provider to determine when you are eligible for an upgrade.
More information
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 read the instructions for use. Not all products are available in all countries. Please contact your local Cochlear representative for product information.
Views expressed are those of the individual. Consult your health professional to determine if you are a candidate for Cochlear technology.
For a full list of Cochlear’s trademarks, please visit our Terms of Use page.
Apple, the Apple logo, Made for iPad logo, Made for iPhone logo, Made for iPod logo, iPhone, iPad Pro, iPad Air, iPad mini, iPad and iPod touch are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. App Store is a service mark of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries.
Android is a trademark of Google LLC. Google Play and the Google Play logo are trademarks of Google LLC.
The Bluetooth® word mark and logos are registered trademarks owned by Bluetooth SIG, Inc. and any use of such marks by Cochlear is under license.
*For compatibility information and devices visit:cochlear.com/compatibility and resound.com/compatibility. The Cochlear Nucleus Smart App is available on App Store and Google Play.
**SNR-NR, WNR and SCAN are approved for use with any recipient ages 6 years and older who is able to 1) complete objective speech perception testing in quiet and in noise in order to determine and document performance 2) report a preference for different program settings.
+Compared to Nucleus® 7 Sound Processor with ForwardFocus on.
^ForwardFocus can only be enabled by a hearing implant specialist. It should only be activated for users 12 years and older who are able to reliably provide feedback on sound quality and understand how to use the feature when moving to different or changing environments. It may be possible to have decreased speech understanding when using ForwardFocus in a quiet environment.
¥As Bluetooth LE Audio compatible devices become available, a sound processor firmware update will be required to use certain features.
#Remote Check and Remote Assist for Nucleus sound processors are intended for ages 6 and older. Remote Check and Remote Assist features are only visible and accessible if they are enabled by a clinician. Clinicians should consider the suitability of the feature before enabling Remote Check and Remote Assist. Remote Check does not replace clinical care and does not involve remote programming of the sound processor. Only available at clinics that have enrolled in Remote Care. Your clinician might require payment for a Remote Care session once completed.
§Battery life varies for every user, according to the age of the battery, programs used each day, your implant type, the thickness of skin covering your implant, and the size and type of battery. Typical expected battery life is calculated using default map settings used with a CI1000 or CI600 series implant. All day hearing is defined as 16 hours.
~The Cochlear Nucleus 8 Sound Processor is dust and water resistant to level IP68 of the International Standard IEC60529 when you use a compatible rechargeable battery module. The Nucleus 8 Sound Processor with Aqua+ is dust and water resistant to level of IP68 of the International Standard IEC60529. The Nucleus 8 Sound Processor with Aqua+ can be continuously submerged under water to a depth of up to 3 meters for up to 2 hours. The Aqua+ accessory should be used when participating in prolonged water activities. Refer to the relevant user guide for more information.
≈The Kanso 3 Sound Processor is dust and water resistant to level of IP68 of the International Standard IEC60529. The Kanso 3 Sound Processor with Aqua+ is dust and water resistant to level of IP68 of the International Standard IEC60529 and can be continuously submerged under water to a depth of up to 3 meters (9 feet and 9 inches) for up to 2 hours. The Aqua+ accessory should be used when participating in prolonged water activities. Refer to the relevant User Guide for more information.
++Ready-to-Wear is available to recipients age 5 or older. The Ready-to-Wear service is not available for hybrid externals and certain implant types. For bimodal recipients with a compatible ReSound hearing aid to take advantage of smart bimodal streaming, they will need to visit their clinician to have the hearing aid and sound processor re-linked.
References
- Cochlear Limited. D1190805 Processor Size Comparison. 2023.
- Mauger SJ, Warren C, Knight M, Goorevich M, Nel E. Clinical evaluation of the Nucleus 6 cochlear implant system: performance improvements with SmartSound iQ. International Journal Of Audiology. 2014, Aug; 53(8): 564-576. [Sponsored by Cochlear]
- Wolfe J, Neumann S, Marsh M, Schafer E, Lianos L, Gilden J, O'Neill L, Arkis P, Menapace C, Nel E, Jones M. Benefits of Adaptive Signal Processing in a Commercially Available Cochlear Implant Sound Processor. Otol Neurotol. 2015 Aug;36(7):1181-90. [Sponsored by Cochlear]
- Mauger S, Jones M, Nel E, Del Dot J. Clinical outcomes with the Kanso™ off-the-ear cochlear implant sound processor. International Journal Of Audiology. 2017, Jan 9; 1-10. [Sponsored by Cochlear]
- Cochlear Limited. D1864200 SCAN 2 Design Description. 2022, Apr.
- Cochlear Limited. D1930947 – CP1170 and CP1175 Sound Processor Product Specification. 2023.
- Cochlear Limited. D1864200 SCAN-X Design Description. Apr. 2022.
- Cochlear Limited. D1964109 Clinical Investigation Report CLTD5804 – Feb 2022.
- Introducing Bluetooth® LE Audio, Nick Hunn. January 2022 https://www.bluetooth.com/learn-aboutbluetooth/recent-enhancements/le-audio/
- Cochlear Limited. D1631375 Nucleus 8 Sound Processor Product Definition.
- https://www.bluetooth.com/blog/a-technical-overview-of-lc3/ Accessed 28 February 2022
- Cochlear Limited. D1698858. Evaluation of Remote Care App and Nucleus Smart App with CP1000 sound processor. Clinical Investigation Report. 24 Feb, 2020.
- Cochlear Limited. D2143268. Kanso 3 Sound Processor Battery Estimations with CI1000 Implants. 2023.
- Cochlear Limited. D1980144 CP1110 IEC60529 IP68 Certificate & Test Report.
- Cochlear Limited. D2105671. CP1170/CP1175 IEC60529 Ingress Protection Test Report. 2023.
- 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.
- Firszt JB, Reeder RM, Holden LK, Dwyer NY; Asymmetric Hearing Study Team. Results in Adult Cochlear Implant Recipients With Varied Asymmetric Hearing: A Prospective Longitudinal Study of Speech Recognition, Localization, and Participant Report. Ear Hear. 2018 Sep/Oct; 39(5):845-862.
- Potts LG, Skinner MW, Litovsky RA, Strube MJ, Kuk F. Recognition and localization of speech by adult cochlear implant recipients wearing a digital hearing aid in the nonimplanted ear (bimodal hearing). Journal of the American Academy of Audiology. 2009 Jun 1; 20(6):353-73.d1715545.