2024 Hearing Aid Guide
With so much new and exciting technology entering the hearing industry, we asked Maria to share with you her independent opinion on what products we like the look of from each of the manufacturers in 2024.
Signia
Product: Pure IX Charge and Go
Website: Click here
Signia distinguishes itself in the realm of hearing aids through its exceptional sound quality, delivering a clear and distinct auditory experience. Groundbreaking technologies, such as Own Voice Processing (OVP), enhance the listening experience by minimizing the intrusion of one's own voice, providing a natural and comfortable adjustment for users. This proves especially beneficial for individuals new to hearing aids, alleviating concerns about the volume and unnaturalness of their own voice during the initial adaptation phase.
The remarkable advancements in Signia's technology are complemented by a user-friendly app, elevating the overall convenience for patients. This intuitive app contributes to an enhanced experience in wearing and managing hearing aids, ultimately improving the overall quality of life for users. Notably, Signia's commitment to addressing background noise through innovative features further demonstrates their dedication to enhancing the listening experience for individuals with hearing aids.
Highlights:
- Crisp, clear sound quality
- High quality prescription hearing aid
- Signia Assistant app feature
- Rechargeable and disposable battery options
- Dexterity-friendly charger
- CROS compatible
- Accessory options (e.g., TV streamer, remote mic, etc.) are easy to use
Product: Silk IX
Website: Click here
If you are on the market for in-the-ear hearing aids and want rechargeable batteries, Signia Silk is in rare company. Some custom-molded devices like Starkey Genesis or Oticon Own are a bit more comfortable for all-day wear. The downside for those devices however is that they require disposable batteries at comparable sizes.
Highlights:
- Full-featured, premium hearing aids
- More affordable than custom-molded devices
- Smallest prescription devices with rechargeable batteries
- It does not require a custom earmold
Starkey
Product: Genesis AI
Website: Click here
Starkey released a brand-new family of hearing aids in January 2024. Starkey Genesis AI replaces Starkey's Evolv AI. Genesis is re-built from the ground up and features input from figures inside the tech industry from Intel and others. Available in both behind the ear and in the ear form factors.
Highlights:
- All-around premium hearing aid with Bluetooth connectivity, strong customization and quality sound.
- Genesis now boasts the longest-lasting batteries on the market.
- New faster processing and increased memory means Starkey can add in extra features like fitness tracking and transcription.
- Available in a full family of products from invisible to receiver in canal. Appropriate for mild to severe hearing loss.
Phonak
Product: Audeo Lumity
Website: Click here
The Audéo Lumity, crafted by Phonak, stands as a product of one of the leading manufacturers globally. Renowned for its remarkable sound processing and connectivity capabilities, the Lumity is widely acknowledged as one of the most extensively connected Bluetooth hearing aids available. It facilitates hands-free phone calls seamlessly on both Android and iPhone devices. Additionally, featuring a motion sensor, it dynamically directs sound for optimal listening whether you're stationary or in motion, offering a comprehensive 360° listening experience.
Highlights:
- Top of the line customization, Bluetooth connection and rechargeable batteries
- Enhanced background noise reduction
- Highly water-resistant option available for active lifestyles
Oticon
Product: Real
Website: Click here
In contrast to Phonak, which tends to minimize background noise and accentuate voices, Oticon embraces a more comprehensive auditory experience. Each approach is different, and this is a great example in my view as to why being independent really helps the client as we can prescribe what works best for your needs and preferences.
Upon reading about this product I have learnt that to effectively navigate this expansive auditory landscape without compromising speech clarity, Oticon meticulously compiled an extensive library of everyday sounds, amassing over 12 million recordings. These recordings were then employed to train the brand's hearing aids, resulting in the development of an embedded deep neural network capable of making intelligent decisions regarding the sounds that should be prioritized - consider me impressed!
For individuals who appreciate an enriched auditory experience encompassing the sounds of birds, nature, and daily life, Oticon is an option I would gladly recommend.
Highlights:
- Very respected product with millions of happy wearers
- More open sound quality than other top brands
- Easy-to-use app
- Better management of loud or intrusive sounds
- Available in both rechargeable and non-rechargeable models
Unitron
Product: Moxi V-R
Website: Click here
The Unitron Moxi V-R is a rechargeable, receiver-in-canal (RIC) style hearing aid designed for individuals with mild to severe hearing loss. It is part of Unitron's Vivante platform and our clients have reported that this product provides excellent sound quality and speech understanding in various listening environments. It also has wireless connectivity options for streaming audio from your smartphone or other devices.
Highlights:
- Impressive rechargeable functionality compared to market leaders
- Easy to use and feature rich app
- Presents good value compared to other manufacturers
- Compact design is maybe one of our more preferred designs
Resound
Product: Nexia
Website: Click here
The Nexia name represents the "next step" in hearing aid wireless connectivity, featuring the latest Bluetooth LE standard with Auracast broadcast audio technology—a first in the hearing industry. ReSound Nexia accomplishes this while retaining all the best features of the company's previous flagship OMNIA hearing aid line. This means these new hearing aids are able to receive the Auracast broadcasts that should become widely available in the next couple of years in theaters, places of worship, airports, arenas, bars, restaurants, and a lot of other venues.
Highlights:
- Great for background noise management
- Auracast compatible
- Small form factor and an optional 3rd microphone in the ear
Widex
Product: Moment Sheer
Website: Click here
The new line of hearing aids keeps things simple in that it is focused less on extra features like fitness tracking or transcription and more on sound quality which for some clients I think they honestly prefer. My past experiences with Widex have indicated that once you get used to the unique kind of sound Widex devices produce, you will likely stay a Widex client for many years. This can be both a good thing and a bad thing.
Highlights:
- Focused on sound quality, delivering clear sound with the lowest delay in the industry
- Includes industry leading tinnitus features
- Widex Moment Sheer hearing aids come with rechargeable batteries and Bluetooth streaming capabilities
- Smallest RIC product on the market
For more information on hearing aids or to have a free 7-day trial of any product in our guide visit our contact page or click here for more information.