A hearing system comprising: an implantable device configured to be implanted under the skin of a wearer and the implantable device including two electrode devices (14, 16) each configured to stimulate a respective cochlea of the wearer, the implantable device configured to receiving a wireless signal and convert the wireless signal to a stimulation signal to be applied via the electrodes (14, 16) to a respective cochlea, an external device (18, 22) configured to be positioned at an ear of the wearer, the external device (18, 22) comprising: a microphone system for receiving acoustic signals and converting the acoustic signals to an electrical signal representing the acoustic signals, a processor including an encoder to encode the electrical signal to an encoded signal, where the encoder is configured to divide the electrical signal into a plurality of frequency bands and determine an energy level for each band, the external device (18, 22) further comprising a transmit system configured to generate the wireless signal based on the encoded signal and configured for transmitting the wireless signal to the implantable device, a second external device, different from the external device and comprising a microphone system for receiving acoustic signals and converting the acoustic signals to a second electrical signal representing the acoustic signal, the second external device (22, 22') configured to transmit the second electrical signal to the external device (18, 22), and the external device (18, 22) generating the wireless signal based on the electrical signal and the second electrical signal. an implantable device configured to be implanted under the skin of a wearer and the implantable device including two electrode devices (14, 16) each configured to stimulate a respective cochlea of the wearer, the implantable device configured to receiving a wireless signal and convert the wireless signal to a stimulation signal to be applied via the electrodes (14, 16) to a respective cochlea, an external device (18, 22) configured to be positioned at an ear of the wearer, the external device (18, 22) comprising: a microphone system for receiving acoustic signals and converting the acoustic signals to an electrical signal representing the acoustic signals, a processor including an encoder to encode the electrical signal to an encoded signal, where the encoder is configured to divide the electrical signal into a plurality of frequency bands and determine an energy level for each band, the external device (18, 22) further comprising a transmit system configured to generate the wireless signal based on the encoded signal and configured for transmitting the wireless signal to the implantable device, a second external device, different from the external device and comprising a microphone system for receiving acoustic signals and converting the acoustic signals to a second electrical signal representing the acoustic signal, the second external device (22, 22') configured to transmit the second electrical signal to the external device (18, 22), and the external device (18, 22) generating the wireless signal based on the electrical signal and the second electrical signal.