I live in western New York, near Rochester ,and also chose Cochlear, because my audiologist was most familiar with that brand, because they are the oldest cochlear implant company (and have had the least number of recalls) and because of the additional devices available. I have the mini mic which is a tremendous help when my husband and I are in the car, and the TV streamer which is also great. I have found Cochlear's support system invaluable. Their Cochlear Copilot app offers information, tips, practice drills for auditory rehab and more. Users can also access one on one help with a knowledgeable support technician. Several people I know through our local HLAA chapter have Cochlear as well and are very pleased with their CIs.
I have heard people say that AB is better for music recognition but still lacks a natural sound.
I hope you are familiar with induction loops for large venues. With the telecoil feature, sound within the loop travels from a microphone directly into the hearing aid and CI with no background noise. What a wonderful invention!
I have one CI which I received in 2021 and a Resound hearing aid in the other ear. The combination works very well for me.

I hope this is helpful to you in making your decision. Good luck!