ReSound Enzo IA: Why Super Power Hearing Aids Still Matter

When I first started in audiology I worked in a mining town where so many people had damaged hearing. These were not gentle age-related shifts. They were deep, long-standing losses created by years of underground work and heavy machinery. That early experience is one of the reasons I take super power hearing aids seriously and why the ReSound Enzo IA stands out so clearly for me now.

Those miners often needed big behind-the-ear devices with serious power. When I was new to the field, I saw those aids as bulky and a bit old fashioned. That view disappeared fairly quickly though.

Because in that clinic one thing became obvious: if a super power hearing aid did not work well, nothing else in that person’s life worked properly either. It was the anchor that kept them connected to family, friends, work and the wider world. If the device was unstable, uncomfortable or underpowered, everything downstream suffered.

That experience has shaped the way I look at severe and profound hearing loss ever since.

What super power hearing aids are really for

Most hearing care focuses on the mild to moderate end of the scale. That is where you see the sleek, tiny devices in lifestyle adverts.

Severe or profound loss is different.

For these listeners, speech is not just a bit softer or less sharp. Large chunks of sound are missing or heavily distorted. To make speech usable again, you need far more power, delivered in a very controlled way.

This is where true super power hearing aids come in. They are not simply “stronger versions” of everyday devices. They are built for people who:

• Struggle even in one-to-one conversations
• Find group situations almost impossible to follow
• Have already tried standard devices and still feel they are straining all day
• Sit at the severe or profound end of the audiogram

When a super power hearing aid is fitted well, you see the difference in very practical ways. People stop pretending. They start joining in again instead of sitting back. Family members notice that conversations take less effort and less repetition.

Why smaller RIC hearing aids often struggle with severe losses

Over the years I have seen many people with severe or profound loss trying to “make do” with smaller receiver-in-canal (RIC) devices.

On paper the datasheet can look convincing. With the strongest receivers, the graphs (or data sheets) say the device can reach the right output and cover the audiogram.

In real life it is rarely that straightforward, and can make life awkward.

To reach prescription targets with a severe loss on a small RIC, you often have to push the gain close to the limits. When that happens, a few things tend to follow:

• Feedback starts. Whistling appears when the person moves, hugs someone or uses the phone.
• You back the gain off to control the feedback and suddenly speech clarity drops.
• In background noise, the device struggles to keep sound stable, so everything feels messy and tiring.
• The fitting looks fine on screen, but the person wearing the aids still feels they are “nearly hearing” rather than hearing.

The result is a device that technically covers the loss but does not truly support the person.

This is why proper super power behind-the-ear devices still matter. They give you more headroom. You can fit closer to prescription without constantly worrying about instability, so you do not have to choose between clarity and comfort to the same extent.

Why a new super power release is a big deal

We see new RIC releases from manufacturers year after year. Fresh chips, smaller cases, a new app, a new marketing story.

Super power devices move more slowly. Way more slowly.

There are a few reasons:

• Fewer people need this level of power, so it is a smaller market
• Building a really good super power aid is harder and more expensive
• The stakes are higher, because if it underperforms, the user often has no “backup option”

So when a new super power platform does arrive, it tends to matter. Incremental improvements add up. Better stability, more usable battery life, stronger feedback control, cleaner processing. For someone living at the edge of what hearing technology can deliver, these are not small tweaks. They influence every day.

That is the context in which the ReSound Enzo IA sits.

What is different about the ReSound Enzo IA

The ReSound Enzo IA is still a proper behind-the-ear super power hearing aid. It has to be. You cannot squeeze this level of power into a tiny shell without compromise.

The difference is in how it behaves.

A rechargeable battery that actually lasts

Enzo IA is rechargeable and, crucially, the battery life holds up under real use. In everyday conditions you are looking at up to around twenty eight hours on a charge, a bit less if you stream heavily during the day.

For someone with a severe loss this matters a lot:

• No constant worry about whether the aid will get through the day
• Less fiddling with batteries for hands that may already be dealing with arthritis or reduced dexterity
• More confidence in travel, social events and long days out

You move from “rationing” power to trusting that the device will simply be ready when you are.

Processing built for real environments

ReSound talks about Enzo IA as “Intelligence Augmented”. The label is less important than the behaviour.

In practice, what stands out is how quickly the device adapts to changing situations. Move from a relatively quiet living room to a busy café and speech remains surprisingly steady. The background noise settles rather than taking over, so you are not constantly dragged away from the person in front of you.

For high power users, this kind of stability is vital. The listening system is already working hard. Anything that reduces unnecessary effort buys back energy for the things that matter.

More headroom, stronger feedback control

In earlier generations of super power aids, including some from ReSound and other major brands, you could hit a practical ceiling. The fitting software showed there was room to add gain, but in the real ear you would bump into feedback or sharpness that felt harsh and tiring.

Enzo IA gives you more usable headroom. In many cases you can:

• Fit closer to target
• Maintain clarity without courting feedback
• Keep sound comfortable across longer days

For someone with a severe loss, that difference can be the line between “I can just about cope” and “I can actually follow what is going on”.

Who should consider the ReSound Enzo IA

Enzo IA is not designed for everyone who wears hearing aids. It is built for a more specific group.

You may be a good candidate if:

• You know your hearing loss is in the severe or profound range
• You have tried smaller aids and never felt they gave you enough clarity
• You still find yourself reading lips and guessing, even with “top of the range” devices
• You struggle particularly in noise, even when your audiogram says you are “within the fitting range” of your current aids
• Your current super power aids feel like they are “running out of headroom”

Yes, Enzo IA is larger than the tiny RICs shown in lifestyle imagery. It has to do a different job. For people who need this level of power, size usually stops mattering as soon as clarity improves and conversations feel less exhausting.

The users who tend to benefit most are often the ones who say things like:

• “I can hear something, but I still cannot follow the words.”
• “I can manage at home, but as soon as there is any background sound I am lost.”
• “By the evening I am completely worn out from trying to listen.”

For those people, moving up to a more capable super power platform can be a genuine turning point.

Why I still have a soft spot for super power hearing aids

People living with high power losses are often the most engaged patients we see. They know the difference between almost hearing and actually hearing. A few decibels either way can be the difference between joining a conversation and sitting it out.

Because of that, upgrades in this space are rarely academic. When you give someone:

• More stable power
• Better control of feedback
• Sound that is strong enough to reach prescription targets without constant compromise

you usually feel the impact very quickly. Day to day life becomes less tiring. Conversations become more possible. The person stops having to choose between being sociable and being exhausted.

That is why I pay attention when a new super power platform arrives that genuinely moves things on.

So, what’s the verdict on the ReSound Enzo IA?

I do not see Enzo IA as something magical. Nothing in audiology works like that.

What I do see is one of the strongest super power options we have had in years. It focuses on the core job, which is delivering powerful, stable amplification, and combines that with the kind of intelligent processing and reliable rechargeability that modern users expect.

If you are living with severe or profound hearing loss and your current aids feel as if they are running out of room to help you, the ReSound Enzo IA is a device I would look at seriously.

For the right person it is more than a routine upgrade. It can mark a shift from always straining to hear towards a way of listening that feels more sustainable.

ReSound Enzo IA: frequently asked questions

This FAQ covers common questions about ReSound Enzo IA for people living with severe or profound hearing loss.

Thinking about your own hearing

If any of this sounds familiar, the next sensible step is a thorough hearing assessment and a conversation focused specifically on high power options, not just smaller cosmetic devices.

Things to cover in that discussion:

• Your current audiogram and how close your existing aids are to prescription
• Where you struggle most, and when in the day you feel most fatigued
• Whether a super power BTE like Enzo IA could give you more headroom and stability
• What a realistic improvement would look like for you and your family

For some people, the answer will be that their current devices are already doing everything possible. For others, particularly at the severe and profound end of the scale, stepping up to a true super power platform such as the ReSound Enzo IA can open up more of everyday life again.