Introducing SONNET 3

SONNET 3 is officially here, and the new innovations that come along with them reflect MED-EL’s guiding philosophy: cochlear implants should adapt to your patients—no matter the size of their cochlea or their everyday hearing needs.

The introduction of SONNET 3 to the market will help you provide each of your patients a closest to natural hearing experience that is seamlessly integrated into their everyday lives. So without further ado, here are our most anticipated features that we know your patients are excited to experience.

2. SONNET 3’s Flexible Earhook Provides Extra Security & Wearing Comfort

You and your patients can shape SONNET 3’s new, optional ergonomic earhook to maximize wearing comfort and ensure a more secure fit on each of your patients’ ears. That’s great news for your patients who enjoy being physically active, have had audio processor retention issues, or have experienced some discomfort.

3. SONNET 3 Has a Convenient Touch Key

Based on your patients’ needs and preferences, you can customize SONNET 3’s touch key to activate and deactivate standby mode, switch programs, or be disabled entirely.

The convenient touch key will save users time since they will no longer need to use a FineTuner Echo remote control or the AudioKey 3 remote control app on their smartphone. The touch key can also be disabled entirely for younger children who may unintentionally tap it or play with it.

4. SONNET 3 Is Waterproof

Our most waterproof BTE audio processor, SONNET 3 has an IP68 rating and can survive rain, sweat, spills, or even brief immersion in water without an accessory. There are, however, a few important caveats to keep in mind. WaterWear for SONNET 3 is still recommended for use when swimming and showering, and SONNET 3 EAS with the acoustic earhook attached has an IP54 rating, meaning it is water resistant, not waterproof.

5. SONNET 3 Is Smaller & Lighter

SONNET 3 is compact to provide users with maximum everyday wearing comfort. In fact, it is 2.0 grams lighter and more than 18% shorter than SONNET 2 with AudioStream. The SONNET 3 with two zinc air batteries weighs only 9.5 g, making it lighter than Cochlear’s Nucleus 8 Sound Processor with two zinc air batteries.Cochlear Limited. (2022). Cochlear™ Nucleus® 8 Sound Processor [Technical Specifications]. https://assets.cochlear.com/api/public/content/FUN4812-Nucleus-8-Tech-Specs-Sheet.pdf[1]MED-EL. (2024).SONNET 3 Audio Processor Technical Data. https://www.medel.pro/products/sonnet3#Technical[2]

6. SONNET 3 Is Perfect for Pediatric Patients

SONNET 3’s small, compact design and enhanced safety features make it the perfect audio processor for young pediatric patients.

• Parents and guardians can use AudioKey 3* on their smartphone to monitor their child’s hearing. MED-EL can provide extra peace of mind with guardian roles.
• The audio processor and coil are fully lockable, so batteries are stowed away safely from children.
• The link-check indicator light allows clinicians and parents to quickly see if a child’s audio processor is properly attached to the coil.
• With SONNET 3 BabyWear or SONNET ActiveWear, SONNET 3 can easily be secured to a child’s clothing for extra assurance.
• SONNET 3 can be made even lighter and smaller for a child’s little ears with the Rechargeable Battery Micro.

7. SONNET 3 Provides Closest to Natural Hearing

When combined with MED-EL’s long, flexible electrode arrays, ASM 3.0, and FineHearing sound coding, SONNET 3 offers superior sound quality designed to provide closest to natural hearing.

Only MED-EL cochlear implants use sound coding that mimics the natural time coding for low frequencies, providing users place-pitch matching throughout the cochlea. By mimicking natural sound coding, FineHearing provides more natural sound quality.

Even in challenging listening environments, SONNET 3 users can experience exceptional hearing performance. Thanks to Automatic Sound Management 3.0, SONNET 3 seamlessly adapts to any listening environment, providing your patients optimal hearing and hands-free control. ASM 3.0 enables a clearer, more comfortable hearing experience, even in busy offices or noisy restaurants.

8. SONNET 3 Fits With Any Hearing Aid

MED-EL cochlear implants are designed to provide a closer to natural match with any hearing aid. There are three main components that should match between the cochlear implant system and a hearing aid: pitch perception, loudness growth, and timing. By optimizing these three elements, SONNET 3 offers an ideal solution for bimodal listening with any hearing aid.

With Bimodal Synchronization, you can easily match the processing delay timing between SONNET 3 and nearly any hearing aid—without needing to refit the hearing aid. This more natural timing match can help support better sound localization with SONNET 3 and a hearing aid.Zirn, S., Arndt, S., Aschendorff, A., & Wesarg, T. (2015). Interaural stimulation timing in single sided deaf cochlear implant users. Hearing Research, 328, 148–156. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heares.2015.08.010[3]Zirn, S., Angermeier, J., Arndt, S., Aschendorff, A., & Wesarg, T. (2019). Reducing the device delay mismatch can improve sound localization in bimodal cochlear Implant/Hearing-Aid users. Trends in Hearing, 23. https://doi.org/10.1177/2331216519843876[4]

Introduce SONNET 3 to Your Patients

If your patient is a cochlear implant candidate or has a MED-EL cochlear implant and is eligible for an audio processor upgrade, we’ve created the video above to introduce them to SONNET 3. Alternatively, they can check out our SONNET 3 page for candidates and recipients. Feel free to save this link and share the video above with them.

More Details on SONNET 3

SONNET 3 for Professionals

SONNET 3 for Cochlear Implant Candidates and Recipients