Bernafon Hearing Aids Review: Products, Features, and Technology

Bernafon is a hearing aid brand serving the US managed care market. It currently offers two Receiver-In-The-Ear (RITE) style products: the premium-level Encanta and the less-expensive Alpha XT. As part of the Denmark-based Demant group—the world’s second-largest hearing aid manufacturer—Bernafon is an established hearing aid brand in Europe and abroad, and its products benefit from Demant's technology, including the group's flagship brand, Oticon.

In this article, we'll tell you everything you need to know about Bernafon, including why Demant has relaunched the brand in the United States, the hearing aids' technologies, benefits, and pros and cons, and why you might choose its Encanta and Alpha XT devices or some other alternative.

Who is Bernafon?

Bernafon was established just after WWII in Bern, Switzerland—giving the firm its name. Originally started as part of a telephone company, it branched into hearing aids largely because its founder had severe hearing loss. Bernafon has since become a well-known global brand, offering a wide range of hearing aids. Among several “firsts,” the company was in front of its competition in offering digitally programmable analog hearing aids.

Today, Bernafon is part of the Denmark-based Demant group, which manufactures several leading brands, including Oticon, Philips, and Sonic hearing aids. Demant also manufactures hearing diagnostic equipment and implantable hearing devices (Oticon Medical’s Ponto and Sentio systems) and is the owner of retail hearing aid centers such as HearingLife.

Bernafon, Oticon, and Managed Care

In the United States, the Bernafon hearing aid brand has recently been relaunched by Demant to “realign” its managed care product portfolio. In February 2024, Bernafon's sister company, Oticon, indicated that they would no longer offer their newest products to managed care health plans including UnitedHealthcare^® Hearing. The reasons behind this decision were outlined in the letter from Oticon President Gary Rosenblum that indicated a company preference for personalized care, freedom of product choice, and concerns about reimbursement for hearing care professionals. Demant is now offering the Bernafon brand, instead of Oticon, to managed care plans. (See Dr. Cliff Olson's video if you'd like more details about this topic.)

This means the only way to purchase a Bernafon hearing aid is through a hearing aid benefit plan. UnitedHealthcare Hearing did not accept this change and, as of this writing, Oticon or Bernafon hearing aids are not listed on their website (Oticon told us there are some specialty products like Oticon Xceed power aids and pediatric Play PX models available in some programs). So, if you are enrolled in a Medicare Advantage Plan from UnitedHealthcare or have another UnitedHealthcare plan, you may find that Bernafon is no longer available as a covered hearing aid option. Interestingly, UnitedHealthcare and Humana make up nearly half (47%) of all Medicare Advantage enrollees in the United States,¹ and HearingTracker estimates that slightly less than one-third of all hearing aids are sold using managed care—so this was a significant business decision for Demant.

As a side note, Bernafon hearing aids were once available at Costco, but they were removed after Demant launched its Philips-branded products in the stores in early 2019.

While the remainder of this article focuses on the specific technologies and benefits found in Bernafon hearing aids, you can learn more about managed care plans and insurance payments for hearing aids in this comprehensive article by Dr. Abram Bailey. HearingTracker also offers a Guide to Paying for Hearing Aids that addresses all the different options for procuring hearing aids.

Bernafon Products and Technology

Bernafon currently offers two different products for its managed care customers: the Encanta and the Alpha XT. Encanta is their highest-level product, while Alpha XT provides a more essential technology option. Both products are only offered in the “Receiver-In-The-Ear” (RITE) style of hearing aid, and custom in-the-ear products are unavailable. As the name implies, RITE aids (also called Receiver-In-Canal or “RIC”) sit behind your ear and have a thin, nearly transparent wire that leads to a receiver (electronic speaker) and ear tip (dome) to generate sound in your ear canal.

The RITE is by far the most popular style, as it is cosmetically discreet while allowing for numerous features to be housed within the hearing aids. For example, both the Encanta and the Alpha XT come standard with directional microphones, push button(s), telecoils, tinnitus support features, and an LED to indicate hearing aid status. They also incorporate wireless functionality and rechargeable lithium-ion batteries.

Bernafon Encanta mini-RITE

The premium technology option

Encanta is Bernafon’s premier technology offering advanced hearing aid features including Smart Sensor, Smart Directionality, Smart Noise Reduction, Machine Learning 2.0, rechargeability, and connectivity.  HearingTracker was told that Bernafon Encanta, as part of the Demant family of hearing aids, differs from Oticon's premium products like Oticon Intent™ and Real™ in several fundamental aspects even though they do share the same technology platform. In other words, Bernafon hearing aids have similar features to Oticon products but how they are employed may vary somewhat. These differences may be noticeable to some wearers but this will vary depending on your degree and type of hearing loss as well as the type of listening environments in which your use your hearing aids.

For example, Encanta appears to offer at least some of the Deep Neural Network (DNN 2.0) and Smart Sensor technology found in premium Oticon products. So, although all of Oticon's premium technology may not be fully realized in Encanta’s brain, it certainly can be considered a fully featured and high-end product.

Encanta is appropriate for most hearing losses from mild to severe-to-profound degrees of loss. The hearing aids are offered in 3 technology levels—400, 300, and 200—with 400 indicating the highest technology level. As you move down in technology, the price decreases, but so does the level of advanced features. Encanta is available in 8 different color options, and all of the hearing aids include a built-in multi-function button, LED status light, telecoil, and wireless functionality. The hearing aids have an Ingress Protection (IP) protection rating of IP 68—the "gold standard" for hearing aid resistance to moisture, dust, and dirt.

The multi-function button on the Encanta hearing aids can be used to change volume, change up to 4 programs, and mute the hearing aids. However, how you push the button and which hearing aid you use (left or right) will change the functionality. For instance, a short press on the right hearing aid will turn the volume up (louder) and a short press to the left hearing aid will turn the volume down (softer). A longer press changes the program, but will move the program up/down depending on which hearing aid you use (left or right). The button can also be used to mute the hearing aids.

Your hearing care provider can program the button to some extent to simplify the controls, and tones are generated to help you know when a change is made. Spoken indicators can also be used to clarify what changes have been made. Still, the one button may be very difficult to learn and use for some people.

Unfortunately, a very simple (and inexpensive) remote control is not available. To control Bernafon hearing aids, you can use the onboard button(s), the Bernafon app, your smartphone's native app, or the SoundClip-A accessory which can be purchased at an additional cost (see details below).

Smart Sensor

Smart Sensor is technology within Encanta that helps determine the hearing aid wearer’s movement and, in turn, their assumed listening intent. To illustrate how it works let’s look at an example. Imagine you are wearing the Encanta in a noisy party situation but only speaking to one person.  Movement sensors within the hearing aid monitor your head and body movements and know that you are not turning your head/body to engage with multiple people. The brains of the hearing aid then adjust controls to focus the directional microphones and limit much of the noise around you but, at the same time, amplify and enhance speech coming from directly in front of you.

However, if at that same party, you are now talking with several people, turning your head and looking at each of them, the hearing aid again recognizes the situation and lets more sound through to provide “360-degree environmental awareness.” The hearing aids, via input from the motion sensors, adjust different acoustic parameters to try and determine your listening intent and help ensure that you hear what you want to hear. In the second listening situation, where you are focusing on a conversation between several people, the hearing aids will actually decrease noise reduction and minimize the directional microphone response, allowing more sound to come through to you.

The purpose of Smart Sensor is to help ensure that you don’t miss out on any speech or sound you want to hear in your environment while, at the same time, maintaining a comfortable listening experience. However, keep in mind that depending on the level of technology (higher level = higher price), you may not get the full benefit of Smart Sensor. Encanta is offered in 3 technology tiers: the 400, 300, and 200 levels. Smart Sensor is offered in the higher 400 and 300 levels but not in the 200. However, the directionality focus and noise reduction are not as effective in the 300 level compared to 400.

When choosing between technology levels, speak to your hearing care provider about options and consider your lifestyle and listening needs. For example, if you do not spend a lot of time in noisy environments and/or social situations, lower-end technology may work very well for you.

Smart Directionality

Smart Directionality simply means that the microphones on the Encanta hearing aids will work together to determine the best microphone response based on your listening environment. The hearing aid will make these adjustments automatically without you having to change any controls.

Going back to the example of listening in a noisy party situation, if you are listening to one person and not moving your head/body, the hearing aids will highly focus the directional microphone response across 24 different frequency channels. This means they can diminish multiple noise sources at the same time while allowing you to focus on the speech or sound you want to hear. The motion sensors are also utilized to help determine your listening intent.

As with any directional microphone system, the purpose of the technology is to maximize your speech clarity while turning down the background noise. While automatic directional microphones have been around for decades, Encanta's Smart Directionality allows for very precise tuning of the microphone response.

Again, the level of technology you choose will determine the overall effectiveness of the Smart Directionality feature. For example, the percentage of effectiveness decreases from 100% at the 400 level to 80% at the 300 level and 60% at the 200 level.

Smart Noise Reduction

As with most modern hearing aids, Encanta employs noise reduction beyond just the directional microphone system. Smart Noise Reduction is used to help improve overall listening comfort in noisy situations by minimizing the background noise by up to 12 dB—a 2 dB increase over older products.

These systems are best at minimizing steady-state noise, such as engine noise, fan noise, etc. Smart Noise Reduction relies on Machine Learning 2.0, a type of hearing aid artificial intelligence (AI) that effectively recognizes the difference between speech and noise—and even music. Essentially, the hearing aid is “trained” on millions of sound samples to recognize the difference between sounds you want to hear and ones you might not want to hear. This means that some sounds, like music, that you want to hear, likely won’t be confused as “noise” and altered by the hearing aid processing.

Smart Noise Reduction works together with the hearing aid amplification system, the directional microphone system, and other noise reduction features, such as wind-noise reduction, to help improve your listening ease.

Rechargeability

Encanta provides a faster and more efficient charging process compared to previous Bernafon products. Improvements include reducing the overall charging time and the efficiency of the lithium-ion battery.

Full charging time is now just 2 hours as opposed to 3 hours. In addition, with just 30 minutes of charging, the hearing aids can provide up to 8 hours of wearing time. With a 100% charge, Encanta can give the wearer up to 24 hours of use. Please keep in mind that the actual wearing time you get from a full charge will vary by the hearing aid settings, how much time you spend streaming, as well as other factors. Regardless, expect to get a full day’s use or more with one full charge of the battery.

Unfortunately, Encanta only offers one charger, a desktop charger and a smaller, portable charger is not available—making all the great charging features above seem a little diminished. However, the Encanta charger has been redesigned to help improve ease of use with colored charging ports for left/right hearing aids and magnets to guide the placement of the hearing aids into the charger.

Connectivity

Encanta offers exceptional connectivity, allowing for audio streaming to a wide array of devices and hands-free calling for both Apple and Android-compatible phones. It incorporates new Bluetooth Low Energy (LE) technology, which provides benefits over older Bluetooth technology, such as improved battery efficiency and sound quality. Hands-free means you don't need to take your phone out of your pocket or purse for phone conversations; the hearing aids send the callers voice to your hearing aids, while the hearing aid microphones transfer your voice to your smartphone.

With Encanta, Apple iPhone 11 or newer and Android phones that use the new Bluetooth LE Audio protocol will offer full connectivity, including hands-free phone calls. At this time, Android hands-free functionality is more limited and mainly includes Google Pixel 7 or newer products. For those Android phones without hands-free functionality, you'll still be able to hear the call through your hearing aids, but you'll need to talk into the phone as you normally would for the other person to hear you.

Even if your phone does not allow hands-free calling, it will likely still allow you to stream audio (music, podcasts, movies, videos, online meetings, etc.) to your hearing aids from your phone and other devices such as your laptop, tablet, etc. However, be sure to check the Bernafon compatibility website to verify it does support audio streaming. If it doesn't, one workaround may be the SoundClip-A (see below), which uses classic Bluetooth protocols.

Tap Controls

Another smart feature of the Encanta is that it allows you to accept and end phone calls with its “double tap” control. That is, a quick double tap of your hearing aid will allow you to manage your phone calls from a connected phone. The built-in movement sensors allow “tap control” to work. While you can accept/end phone calls with the tap control, it won’t allow you to reject a call. Here you’ll need to press and hold the push button on the hearing aid or simply reject the call from your phone.

While the tap feature can be convenient, we've found that it can be difficult to learn for some people and may take time to master (this applies to all hearing aid brands featuring tap controls).

Bernafon Alpha XT mini-RITE T R

A lower-cost but high quality hearing aid

The Alpha XT hearing aid is Bernafon’s second product offering and provides a lower-cost option compared to Encanta. Like Encanta, Alpha XT is appropriate for a wide range of hearing losses, from mild to severe-to-profound. It offers a standard T-coil, LED status light, a rechargeable lithium-ion battery, and tinnitus features.

As with Encanta, Alpha XT has the highest IP rating available for hearing aids (IP68), making it a robust hearing aid. It is available in two different technology levels, 7 and 5, with 7 providing the highest level of sophistication. Alpha XT comes in 3 solid colors and 7 two-tone combinations, for a total of 10 color options.

Disadvantages of Alpha XT compared to Encanta

While Alpha XT also has smart features such as automatic and adaptive directionality, noise reduction, and connectivity, it does not offer Bernafon’s latest technology. Here are the major differences:

Connectivity and sound quality. Alpha XT incorporates 2.4 GHz Bluetooth and uses the Made For iPhone (MFi) protocol for Apple and the ASHA protocol for Android. Hands-free calls are possible with compatible iPhones, but not with most Android phones. As with Encanta, make sure your phone will work with the app and streaming functions by checking the Bernafon compatibility page.

Lacks motion sensors and tap controls. Alpha XT does not have built-in motion sensors, which reduces the sophistication of the automatic directionality and noise reduction. In addition, this means the tap feature to answer/end phone calls is not available.

Less noise reduction. There’s also a difference in the degree of noise reduction. While Bernafon reports that Encanta can provide up to 12 dB of reduction, Alpha XT will, at best, provide up to a 10 dB reduction.

Slower recharging. The recharging case in the Alpha XT uses inductive charging instead of the contact charging found in Encanta. You get a full charge in just 2 hours with Encanta while those in Alpha XT will take between 3-4 hours to fully charge. However, the expected run life is the same with up to 24 hours of use before there’s a need to recharge. The newer Bluetooth LE Audio technology found in Encanta is thought to be more efficient and reduces battery drain, but Demant told us they've seen no evidence that Alpha XT experiences a faster battery drain than Encanta.

Advantages of Alpha XT compared to Encanta

Alpha XT does offer a few advantages over Encanta other than the lower cost. Again, while the sound processing will not be as sophisticated and some very attractive features like hands-free calling with Android phones is not available, there are a few advantages to consider.

Two push buttons for controls. As you can see from the image above, Alpha XT offers 2 distinct push buttons, which may be easier and more intuitive to use compared to the one, multi-function button of the Encanta. For example, the top button can increase volume (make louder) while the bottom button will decrease it. Simple and easy to understand.

The push buttons can also act as a program change and, again, the buttons make sense with the top button moving you up to the next program slot—for example, from listening program 1 to 2. The bottom button, of course, would move you from 2 to 1. Like Encanta, up to 4 listening programs can be saved into the hearing aid by your hearing provider, and the button functionality is programmable.

Two charger options. Alpha XT offers both a standard desktop charger and a portable charger. For those who travel, enjoy trekking in remote areas, or just worry about power interruptions, the portable charger—what Bernafon calls Charger Plus—can be quite handy and provide you with peace of mind. The Charger Plus has a built-in power bank that is fully charged in 4 hours and holds 3 extra charging cycles for the hearing aids. A standard desktop charger is also available and will fully charge the hearing aids in about 3 hours.

More color options. While Encanta is available in 8 colors, Alpha XT offers 10, including duo-color combinations.

Bernafon App

Encanta and Alpha XT both have the Bernafon App, which is free to download for Android and Apple devices. Even if you're not the most tech-savvy person or aren't fond of apps, it's definitely worth your while to download this app, register and connect the hearing aids, and have it available for use.

The app provides another way to control your hearing aids and offers additional features beyond what the button on the hearing aids can do. It can be used to change the hearing aids' volume and listening program, check battery status, and adjust a sound equalizer (treble/mid/bass) to further personalize your audio settings.

The app can also be used to find lost hearing aids, provide additional information and help for your hearing aids, and connect with your hearing provider for live video calls (check with your clinician to see if this service is provided; some do not offer it). If you and your provider wish to set listening goals, the app can track those goals, as well.

As Encanta only has one multi-function button, the Bernafon App may be the preferred way to control those hearing aids. Please note that the Bernafon App’s capabilities will depend on your hearing aid model and how your provider has programmed the hearing aids.

Two useful Bernafon Encanta and Alpha XT accessories

While hearing aids do a terrific job at amplifying sound in most situations, they can fall short in noisy environments or when you're seated some distance away from the speaker, as well as when trying to catch every word on TV. These are common situations where hearing aid accessories can become very helpful. Bernafon has two accessories that can increase your satisfaction with Encanta and Alpha XT hearing aids:

SoundClip-A combination remote-mic and controller

If your Bernafon hearing aids don't support hands-free calling for your phone, like needed when driving a car, a wireless accessory can make this happen. The SoundClip-A is available at an additional cost and allows for not only hands-free phone conversations but you can also use it as a remote microphone, which is especially useful in very noisy situations or when attending lectures or worship services. It also works as a remote control allowing for volume control changes and a control to accept/end/reject phone calls. Finally, SoundClip-A can be used to mute the microphones on your hearing aids and is compatible with both Encanta and Alpha XT. Check with your hearing provider regarding cost, but expect to pay in the range of $150-200.

TV Adaptor

Nearly every hearing aid manufacturer sells a TV adaptor and Bernafon is no exception. TV adaptors are very popular because they allow for a clean and personalized sound experience. While you can certainly watch/listen to TV with just your hearing aids, remember that the hearing aid microphones will pick up many sounds in the room, not just the TV. In comparison, the TV Adaptor (TV-A) will stream the TV audio directly to your hearing aids. In addition, you may prefer the TV to be at a louder volume than others watching, and the TV-A allows you to adjust the volume to your preference. The Bernafon TV-A is sold as an additional accessory for those who want or need the added convenience and improved sound quality for TV listening. It connects to most TVs via four common cables: TOSLINK (PCM/Dolby Digital), RCA audio output (L+R), Mini-jack output, or SCART audio output (L+R). Expect to pay approximately $150-200 for the TV Adaptor.

How to buy Bernafon hearing aids

As mentioned above, Bernafon hearing aids, at least in the United States, are only available through a managed care healthcare plan. We recommend that you check with your health insurance provider to see if you have a hearing aid benefit. Most Medicare Advantage plans do include this benefit, while Medicare does not. If you do have a hearing aid benefit, either through your Medicare Advantage Plan or through other healthcare insurance, the plan will direct you to a participating hearing care professional.

Please note that not every provider will participate in your managed care plan, so if you are looking for a professional who follows best practices, and has a high rating, they may or may not participate in the managed care program. This is not to say that the provider recommended to you by the insurance company won’t be professional or do an excellent job, but they will likely be limited by the managed care plan on the amount of care they can provide you. For example, your policy may require pre-authorization, only allow for 3 follow-up visits, and may have very restricted product offerings that might not suit your particular hearing loss and listening needs.

If you prefer to pay out of pocket for your hearing aids, you are not restricted to any hearing aid manufacturer, product type, or provider; however, this means forgoing your hearing aid insurance benefits. Unfortunately, hearing aids can be very expensive and the insurance benefit may save you money even if your options are more limited.

Keep in mind that there are many ways to buy hearing aids, through audiologist's and hearing aid specialist's offices and ENT medical offices. Further options include purchasing through big-box stores like Costco, Sam's Club, or even online over-the-counter (OTC) hearing aids available at websites like Amazon or in-store at Best Buy and Walmart. If you are a veteran, you may qualify for free hearing aids through the Veteran’s Administration. How and where you seek out hearing healthcare and what product or professional is best for you largely depends on your hearing loss, lifestyle needs and health status, budget, and available time.

Here at HearingTracker.com we highly recommend that you seek out a thorough hearing test from a licensed hearing provider and discuss your options in detail. If you have other health concerns like diabetes, cancer, etc., it’s best to seek care from an audiologist or ENT physician. If you believe you have a more typical age-related hearing loss, then a hearing aid dispenser or a big-box hearing aid retailer may work well for you. If you know that you have a typical, non-complicated hearing loss that is mild to moderate in degree, then there are numerous OTC products that may work well for you.

Regardless, be sure to understand your insurance coverage and its possible limitations and make an informed decision. Also, keep in mind that if you choose not to utilize a healthcare plan’s hearing aid benefit, many hearing providers can help you with financing options.

If you do decide to use your managed healthcare benefit (other than UnitedHealthcare), the Bernafon products provide excellent options. They offer advanced technology and quality products backed by a global leader in hearing aid manufacturing.