As of November 2024, Phonak's "Sphere Infinio" is the top performing hearing aid in background noise. Read on for details of our hands-on testing.
As of November 2024, Phonak's "Sphere Infinio" is the top performing hearing aid in background noise. Read on for details of our hands-on testing.

Hearing aids can have a huge impact on your ability to follow conversations, both in quiet and loud environments. If your current hearing aids leave you struggling with background noise, it might be time to upgrade.

We tested over 80 modern hearing aids in an acoustic lab to provide the first list of top-performing hearing aids for background noise based on hard science.

Best Hearing Aids for Noise: Our Top Picks

After measuring background noise reduction in over 80 products in the HearAdvisor acoustic lab, we've identified the top performers on the market in 2024. Here, we present the top 2 products—a winner and runner-up—from three product categories: 1) prescription hearing aids, 2) OTC hearing aids, and 3) speech-enhancing earbuds.

This is not a comprehensive list by any means, so be sure to check out the full list of winners, which includes devices from ReSound, Starkey, Bose, and more.

A Few Key Differences

Here we compare the key noise-reducing features offered by each device:

Hearing AidTypeMulti MicsDNRANCRemote mics
🥇 Phonak Infinio SphereRxOptional
🥈 Oticon IntentRxOptional
🥇 Sony CRE-E10OTC
🥈 Lucid TalaOTC
🥉 Elehear BeyondOTCRemote Sound Capture App
🥇 Sennheiser CCPEarbud
🥈 AirPods Pro 2EarbudLive Listen

Best hearing aids and earbuds for background noise.

The Best Hearing Aid in Background Noise: Phonak Infinio Sphere

The Phonak Audéo Infinio Sphere is an advanced hearing aid featuring Bluetooth LE Audio, AI-based denoising, and the DEEPSONIC™ neural network processing chip for enhanced speech clarity in noisy environments. These rechargeable devices offer robust connectivity, durability, and customizable comfort, setting a new standard in hearing aid technology.

Best Overall Hearing Aid in Background Noise
Phonak Audéo Infinio Sphere
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According to a perceptual clinical study conducted at the Phonak Audiological Research Center (PARC), real users experienced double the likelihood of understanding speech in noisy environments when using Sphere's AI denoising technology. Additionally, speech understanding improved by up to 36.8% compared to two leading competitor devices.

The HearAdvisor lab has confirmed that Sphere's technology is effective. The lab recently produced this image showing Phonak Sphere is in a class of its own when it comes to removing background noise:

Recent testing from the HearAdvisor lab reveals the top performing hearing aids when it comes to hearing speech in background noise.
Recent testing from the HearAdvisor lab reveals the top performing hearing aids when it comes to hearing speech in background noise.

Grab a pair of headphones (take out your hearing aids first, if you're already wearing a pair) and listen to the new Phonak Infinio Sphere in background noise by visiting the Infinio Sphere product page (you'll need to scroll to the lower part of the page for audio samples).

Infinio Sphere Pros

  • Exceptional sound quality
    Phonak's new APD 3.0 algorithm in its fitting software now uses Harman Curves (a tool typically found in headphones and loudspeakers) for finding the most natural and pleasing sound experience
  • Extra-tough build
    Phonak has essentially extended the robust build of its Life product line; Infinio has the highest possible Ingress Protection (IP) rating for a hearing aid (IP68)
  • Stereo Bluetooth streaming
    Streaming from iPhone, iPad, MacOS, Android, Windows, and any other Bluetooth-enabled audio device. It can pair with up to 8 Bluetooth devices and has 2 active Bluetooth connections.
  • Hands-free calling in stereo
    True hands-free calling from Bluetooth-enabled phones and VOIP services like Skype
  • Enhanced connectivity and greater stability
    The ERA chip can shift between streaming and acoustic input without missing conversations and provides twice the distance for transmitting audio from a smartphone to the aids compared to two other competitors.
  • Tap controls
    You can double-tap the hearing aids to accept/end phone calls, pause/result streaming, and access voice assistants like Siri, Alexa, and Google Assistant
  • Motion sensing
    An ultra-low power accelerometer detects when you move and adjusts the hearing aid microphones and noise cancellation settings
  • Health tracking
    If using the myPhonak app, you’ll be able to track steps, distances walked or run, heart rate, activity levels, and hearing aid wear times
  • RogerDirect
    Users can stream audio from Phonak's portable Roger remote microphone directly to their hearing aids.

Infinio Sphere Cons

  • Size
    The hearing aids are larger compared to previous models, particularly at the bottom. This may be an issue for new hearing aid users or those with limited space behind their ears.
  • Charger Design
    The charger well is too small to accommodate custom earmolds, particularly for users with canal locks or skeleton locks. This can be frustrating for individuals who rely on custom ear molds for their hearing aids.
  • Battery Life
    While the standard battery life is up to 16 hours, using the high-performance "Spheric Speech in Loud Noise" program significantly reduces battery life to around 7 hours, which may necessitate midday charging.
  • Lack of MEMS Speaker Technology
    The new receivers do not have MEMS solid-state silicon speaker technology, limiting the gain above 8,000 Hz.
  • No Telecoil
    None of the receiver-in-canal models in this series come with a telecoil, which may be a limitation for those who rely on telecoil technology for assistive listening.
  • Bluetooth
    The device does not yet support LE Audio, meaning it’s limited to Bluetooth Classic. This may be disappointing for users who want the enhanced features and reduced battery drain of LE Audio, even though a future firmware update could enable this.
  • Limited Compatibility with CROS
    The Sphere Infinio hearing aids are not compatible with the CROS Infinio R device, meaning users with single-sided deafness cannot use this model with CROS technology.
  • Power Drain of High-Performance Program
    The advanced Spheric Speech program is highly power-hungry, meaning frequent use will deplete the battery quickly.

HearingTracker Audiologist Matthew Allsop provides an overview of the Phonak Audéo Sphere Infinio hearing aid in this video. Closed captions are available on this video. If you are using a mobile phone, please enable captions clicking on the gear icon.

Best OTC for Noise: Sony CRE-E10

The Sony CRE-E10 is an over-the-counter self-fitting hearing aid with the look and feel of a typical earbud. Designed for everyday use, it can automatically adjust to your environment for comfort and speech enhancement. The HearAdvisor™ lab found that it offers greater speech-in-noise benefits than any other self-fitted OTC device tested to-date.

Best OTC Hearing Aid
Sony CRE-E10
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The Sony CRE-E10 offers wireless control with the Hearing Control app, rechargeability, noise reduction, directional microphones, and audio streaming (currently only available for iOS). With the app, you can finetune the Sony's in difficult listening situations.

If you're looking for a more discreet alternative, consider the Sony CRE-C20. While it's performance in background noise is no match for the CRE-E10, it's one of the smallest OTC hearing aids with up to 28 hours of battery life.

Sony CRE-E10 Pros

  • Comfortable
    I liked how light and comfortable CRE-E10 was in my ears. The wireless connection and overall use of my iOS mobile device were also straightforward.
  • Top Performer at HearAdvisor
    Sony CRE-E10 is currently the top performer among all devices tested by HearAdvisor™.
  • Self-Fitting Hearing Aid
    Some may like that CRE-E10 is self-fit and does not require you to visit a doctor's office. However, hearing care providers can still perform real-ear verifications using the app settings to further fine-tune it to your hearing.
  • All-Day Battery Life
    Sony states that CRE-E10 will last up to 26 hours of general use, 23 with 2 hours of streaming, before needing to be recharged.
  • Bluetooth™ Audio Streaming
    Sony CRE-E10 offers excellent quality Bluetooth audio streaming and hands-free calling (iOS only).

Sony CRE-E10 Cons

  • Your Ears May Feel Plugged
    Some may not like the “plugged” feel of an in-the-ear style device. The non-custom fit may also lead to poor retention for some people.
  • Expensive
    CRE-E10 is expensive, being priced similarly to some prescription hearing aids. While these devices are impressive, for the same price it’s fair to say some people will do better seeing a “best-practices” audiologist to be fit with traditional devices.
  • No Wireless Accessories
    A common downside to OTC devices like CRE-E10 is that they lack a family of accessories, such as a remote microphone, to pair with. If you are interested in specific accessories, a prescription device will provide more options here.
  • No Physical Buttons
    I was shocked to find that the CRE-E10 does not have any physical buttons or touch controls. While they adjust automatically per environment, changes can only be made within the Hearing Control app.
  • No Android Support
    Sony does not currently support Bluetooth or hands-free calling for Android.

Best Speech-Enhancing Earbud for Noise: Sennheiser Conversation Clear Plus

Sennheiser’s Conversation Clear Plus (CCP) are advanced earbuds designed to improve speech understanding in noisy environments. They offer many useful features such as automatic adjustments, speech enhancement, beamforming microphones, wireless app control, and Bluetooth™ streaming for most devices. They are also offer Active Noise Cancellation (ANC).

Best Hearing Earbuds
Sennheiser Conversation Clear Plus
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Since the Conversation Clear Plus (CCP) is technically a hearable and not an FDA-registered OTC hearing aid, Sennheiser needs to be very careful about the claims it makes about the product. This means Sennheiser can't legally call the CCP a hearing aid or say anything about the product helping with hearing loss. However, the speech enhancement features are clearly intended to help people with hearing loss, and it's fair to assume that many people with hearing loss are using the CCP to accommodate for those lost decibels.

CCP is our top-pick in the earbud category as we found it to offer impressive noise reduction capabilities. It is the highest-scoring personal sound amplification product (PSAP) to date at HearAdvisor and even outperformed other prescription and OTC devices in loud, noisy environments when programmed for a common age-related hearing loss. It also offers Active Noise Cancellation (ANC), which can further reduce the annoyance of lower-tone noises. While not related to noise performance, it is worth noting that CCP also offered excellent streamed audio quality. Listen here.

Conversation Clear Plus Pros

  • Impressive Speech Clarity
    This device offers effective speech benefits in noise (we tested it).
  • Customizable Settings
    The Conversation Clear App provides many adjustments for customizing sound quality. These can also be used by a hearing professional to objectively fine-tune settings for your hearing.
  • Advanced Noise Reduction Features
    Conversation Clear Plus offers Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) and Active Occlusion Cancellation (AOC), which can reduce the “plugged” sensation and or boomy voice sound quality when speaking.
  • Bluetooth™ Audio Streaming
    Conversation Clear Plus offers top-quality Bluetooth audio streaming.

Conversation Clear Plus Cons

  • Less Discrete
    Clear Plus are larger in size, and therefore more visible, than some other earbuds.
  • Advanced Earbuds, Not Hearing Aids
    Conversation Clear Plus are not hearing aids meaning there is no remote-assistance, on-ear hearing assessment, or ability to upload audiogram data. While they can be used to improve speech clarity, they will not work for those with significant hearing loss.
  • Poor Waterproofing
    Conversation Clear Plus have a lower IP rating (X4) meaning they will be more susceptible to moisture and debris complications.

Best Budget Hearing Aid: Elehear Beyond

Elehear Beyond is an affordable OTC hearing aid and HearingTracker's highest-rated product under $400.

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Beyond outperforms the AirPods Pro 2 in background noise when using a self-directed fitting. However, expert fine-tuning using an audiogram puts the AirPods in the lead, as the Beyond doesn't offer on-ear testing or programming based on a hearing test. Nevertheless, its more comfortable receiver-in-canal style and longer battery life of up to 18 hours make the Beyond more suitable as a hearing aid.

Best Budget Hearing Aid (Under $400)
Elehear Beyond
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Elehear Beyond Pros

  • Value
    Beyond is HearingTracker's best-rated OTC hearing aid under $400.
  • Comfort
    The receiver-in-canal design is more comfortable than most earbud-style hearing aids.
  • Automatic Sound Adjustments
    Beyond's Auto Enhance automatically adjusts to your environment.
  • Battery life
    Up to 18 hours per charge, plus up to four full charges with the portable charging case.
  • Wireless Streaming to iOS and Android
    Stream audio via Bluetooth from your phone to your hearing aids and use hands-free calling.

Elehear Beyond Cons

  • Limited Customization
    Beyond's self-fitting relies on presets and cannot be programmed based on a hearing test.
  • Size
    The Elehear Beyond will be more visible than other receiver-in-canal hearing aids, as its body, which sits behind the ear, is slightly larger.
  • Limited Support
    You'll receive technical assistance via phone or email only. This is standard for OTC products.
  • Unknown IP rating
    The build quality makes a good impression, but it's unknown how well the Beyond can withstand moisture and dust.

Runner Up Prescription: Oticon Intent

After testing over 60 modern hearing aids in the HearAdvisor acoustic lab, Oticon Intent emerged as the top performing prescription device in background noise. Danish manufacturer Oticon claims to use Deep Neural Network (DNN) technology to help users "access the sounds" most important to them, and based on our testing, the technology seems to be working.

Oticon Intent miniRITE R
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Intent pairs with the Oticon On App, which provides the user with numerous ways to adjust the audio and noise handling. For example, you can adjust the "Soft Speech Booster" to bring up soft speech sounds, and there's even a 3-band EQ for adjusting the tone of streaming Bluetooth audio.

Intent can also pair with Oticon's ConnectClip remote microphone, allowing you to transmit audio directly to your ears from up to 20 meters (22 yards) away. Remote mics like ConnectClip can drastically improve the signal-to-noise ratio, making speech much easier to understand.

The Oticon ConnectClip
The Oticon ConnectClip brings voices closer to you, elevating them over background noise.

In the HearAdvisor test lab, Intent was a top performer for speech in quiet, moderate, and loud noise when programmed for a common age-related hearing loss. When paired with the app and other wireless technologies, it offers some of the greatest speech audibility available on the market today.

As it is a prescription hearing aid, a hearing professional is involved in the fitting process to guide you through any programming and or physical adjustments needed.

Oticon Intent Pros

  • Wireless Control and Streaming
    Oticon Intent hearing aids offer wireless streaming and hands-free calling for both iOS and Android devices.
  • Remote Assistance
    Oticon also offers the Companion app which provides remote care features with your hearing care provider.
  • Rechargeable only
    Intent is available in a single rechargeable form factor for the time being.
  • Open-Ear Comfort
    Most people can wear Intent with open ear tips, leaving your ears canals open. This means no blocked-up feeling, and your voice will sound more natural to you.
  • Accessories
    Intent hearing aids can be paired with Oticon accessories, such as the ConnectClip, improving audibility from far distances and or in noise.

Oticon Intent Cons

  • Expensive
    Oticon Intent carry the price of a typical prescription device at an average retail cost of $3,613 per hearing aid. While this price generally includes various professional services from a hearing professional, depending on your budget, you may need/want to pursue a lower-cost hearing solution.
  • Professional Assistance Required
    While not entirely negative, Intent are traditional hearing aids and must be fit by a hearing professional. There is no self-fit option and some may prefer this approach.

Runner-Up OTC: Lucid Tala

Lucid Tala is another OTC hearing aid that offers speech benefits in noisy environments on a level similar to the Sennheiser Conversation Clear Plus (CCP) above. Like the CCP, streaming is available for both iPhone and Android (you need to specify which OS you want during purchase). Lucid Tala comes with lifetime remote support from licensed professionals, which is rare among OTC hearing aids and may justify its steeper price.

Lucid Hearing Tala
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Lucid Tala Pros

  • Speech Clarity
    Tala performed particularly well for speech in quiet, but also scored well for speech in noise.
  • Lifetime Product Support
    On top of its 1-year warranty, Tala comes with lifetime remote support from Lucid representatives.
  • Wireless Streaming to iOS and Android
    Whether you own an iPhone or Android, there's a Tala version that supports Bluetooth™ audio streaming to your device.
  • Battery Life
    Tala can run for up to 16 hours with 2 hours of streaming.
  • App With Comprehensive Features
    The app includes multiple programs and a volume control. With LucidShape, a 7-band equalizer, you can personalize your listening experience.

Lucid Tala Cons

  • Expensive
    Tala is pricey for an OTC hearing aid.
  • Limited Self-Fitting
    Tala doesn't offer an on-ear assessment, and you can't customize it based on a hearing test.
  • No Physical Buttons
    You'll need to use the app to make adjustments.
  • Bluetooth™ Streaming Quality
    We frequently experienced audio artifacts when using the audio streaming feature.
  • No Accessories
    No remote microphones or other accessories you can pair with Tala.
  • Low IP Rating
    With an IP22 rating, Tala is not well-protected against moisture or dust and thus requires extra care.

Runner-Up Earbud: Apple AirPods Pro 2

Those interested in an alternative to Clear Plus should consider Apple Airpods Pro 2. They offer a similar feature set and excellent streamed audio quality. They also allow you to take an on-ear hearing assessment or upload hearing data directly through the Apple Health app. We did not find them to provide the same noise benefits, but they are available for around $200, making them much more accessible. AirPods also pair better with iOS devices, unlocking other desirable health tracking and hearing features.

Apple AirPods Pro 2
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AirPods Pro 2 Pros

  • Affordable
    The lowest-priced OTC hearing aid on this list.
  • Includes a Hearing Test
    The test is done individually for each ear.
  • Supports Audiograms
    You can upload your professional hearing test data through the Apple Health app.
  • Sound Personalization
    The Hearing Assistance menu within iOS lets you fine-tune the amplification, balance, tone, ambient noise reduction, and boost conversations.
  • Wireless Streaming to iOS and Android
    Excellent Bluetooth streaming quality and hands-free calling.

AirPods Pro 2 Cons

  • Short Battery Life
    Depending on your usage and settings, you can expect around six hours per charge and up to 30 hours with the charging case.
  • Short Lifespan
    The Lithium-ion batteries will likely start failing after two to three years. Unfortunately, AirPods are not designed to be repaired.
  • Tech Support Only
    Since these aren't hearing aids, support will be limited to technical concerns.

Why Background Noise Is Hard

We've all been there—out at a loud restaurant asking the server to repeat themselves. The combination of music, chatter, and poor acoustics can create the perfect storm for poor communication. Add hearing loss to the mix, and you're pretty much hopeless.

Understanding what others are saying can be difficult when loud sounds in the background drown out or obscure the words we're trying to hear. Our brains have to work hard to "fill in the blanks," often relying on a combination of context clues, facial cues, and lipreading.

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This extra effort can lead to listening fatigue and physical exhaustion, and you may find yourself retreating from demanding social gatherings altogether to avoid the effort and potential embarrassment.

The inability to clearly hear speech in background noise, sometimes referred to as the "cocktail party problem," is well known—and a common focus of hearing technology manufacturers. Hearing aids and other assistive devices offer various means of improving speech clarity and listening comfort in noise.

When you can't focus on the voice of interest in a crowd—often referred to as the cocktail party problem.
When you can't focus on the voice of interest in a crowd—often referred to as the cocktail party problem.

How Do Hearing Aids Help in Noise?

Hearing aids and assistive listening devices employ various technologies, like directional microphones, to improve your ability to hear in background noise. The key to any such technology is to improve the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), i.e., how much louder is the speech you want to hear versus the noise you don't want to hear. Here are some examples of how hearing aids improve performance in noise:

Directional Microphones

Hearing aids generally have multiple microphones located either above the ear or down near the ear canal. These microphones provide slight differences in audio input and can be configured in different ways to boost all sounds or those from one direction. More advanced hearing aids even have the power to analyze different microphone combinations in real-time and use the one(s) most appropriate for your environment. One example of this is SpeechSensor in Phonak's Infinio Sphere.

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Directional microphones can be found in most high-quality prescription and OTC hearing aids that are large enough to accommodate them—and even advanced earbuds like AirPods Pro and Sennheiser Conversation Clear Plus. The quality of directional microphones can vary between products, and the SNR benefits can depend on factors such as individual hearing loss, the environment, noise levels, distance, and more. Most people can likely expect 3 to 6 dB SNR improvement in real-world situations.7,9 However, individual benefits will vary based on many factors.

An illustration of directional microphones in action on the AirPods Pro 2 with Conversation Boost. Source: Apple
An illustration of directional microphones in action on the AirPods Pro 2 with Conversation Boost. Source: Apple

Hearing aid manufacturers do not actually make directional microphones. These crucial components are developed and manufactured by large, specialized electronic suppliers (e.g., Knowles) and then employed in the aids by the manufacturers. So, their relative effectiveness compared to competing products relies less on the microphones themselves than on how and when they're used within the entire hearing aid system.

Digital Noise Reduction (DNR)

Noise reduction is another common type of signal processing offered in hearing aids. These algorithms work by splitting sound into different channels and providing less volume to those with greater noise. In doing so, the relative volume between speech and noise can be improved.

Steady-state noise, such as the constant hum of an air conditioner, fan, or car engine, is generally easier for the noise reduction algorithms in hearing aids to manage because its acoustic characteristics are stable over time. Therefore, a hearing aid should be more successful at reducing these types of noise compared to transient or fluctuating noise sources, which change rapidly over time.

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By reducing steady-state sounds, hearing aids can enhance the contrast between speech and background noise. However, the actual improvement in speech recognition will depend on several factors, including the user's degree of hearing loss, the characteristics of the noise, the quality and sophistication of the noise reduction algorithm, and the individual's ability to adapt to and benefit from the technology.

It's important to note that while noise reduction can help with speech recognition, it's not a perfect solution. Noise reduction algorithms can sometimes inadvertently reduce some aspects of speech, which can make it harder for the listener to understand. Also, there are limitations in reducing non-steady state noises like those coming from multiple talkers in a crowded room. DNR can also negatively affect music listening.

Given the limited benefits in noisy situations like restaurants, DNR should not be considered a viable solution to the cocktail party problem. However, DNR can greatly improve listening comfort by reducing the annoyance of noise, including background chatter.1, 3, 8

Active Noise Cancellation

Active noise cancellation (ANC) can be found in some advanced earbuds, such as Apple AirPods Pro 2 and Sennheiser Conversation Clear Plus. This newer form of noise abatement can effectively reduce constant lower-frequency noises such as hums and whirring.

When ANC is enabled, the sounds around you are "cancelled" through an acoustical technique called phase inversion. Basically, the earbud's speaker plays the same sounds that the microphone hears, but they are completely flipped or inverted. When the outside sound and inverted processed sounds are combined, they interfere, canceling the unwanted sounds around you.

The quality of ANC varies between companies. It works best with more occluding devices, such as earbuds and over-the-ear headphones. We do not currently see ANC in traditional hearing aids.

Remote Microphones

Remote microphones are highly effective accessories that can wirelessly pair with hearing devices to significantly improve speech understanding. By placing a remote microphone near a person or clipping it to your spouse's collar, you're effectively bringing their voices closer to your ears. This is much easier than trying to hear someone from across a noisy table. It also minimizes the effect a reverberant room has on what you hear.

Closed captions are available on this video. If you are using a mobile phone, please enable captions clicking on the gear icon.

Hearing aids are most effective at processing sounds within roughly 3 to 6 feet. As noted previously, the best directional microphone systems can provide about a 3-6 dB SNR improvement in optimal situations. In contrast, remote microphones can extend the useful range of hearing devices and have been found to offer SNR improvements of 15 dB or more!5, 6 This makes them the most effective speech-in-noise remedy available, and it's why most prescription hearing aid manufacturers offer remote microphones as an accessory.

Artificial Intelligence

Several companies are now using artificial intelligence (AI) in hearing aids, including machine learning and Deep Neural Networks (DNN), to improve the accuracy and effectiveness of their noise reduction systems. Starkey Genesis AI and Oticon Intent are two good examples, and while the benefits of these systems are not fully understood, we expect AI will continue to push the boundaries of hearing aid speech-in-noise performance.

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Case in point: the more recent introduction of Phonak's dual-chip hearing aid, Audéo Sphere Infinio, which has one powerful chip dedicated solely to real-time AI-driven speech processing and denoising. This new hearing aid claims to provide a signal-to-noise (SNR) improvement of 10 dB—which has not been previously achievable except with the use of a remote microphone. It's also the top-performing hearing aid in the lab when it comes to background noise.

Given what we've seen, the opportunity to use AI for separating speech from noise—or, in the future, even recognizing your companions' voices in a din of competing speech sounds—is extremely promising in the decades-old quest for better hearing in noise.

Benefits of Fine-Tuning with a Hearing Care Provider

Hearing devices are marvels of modern science and they work best when programmed specifically for an individual's hearing needs. Real-ear measurements, or REMs, are the gold standard for doing this and it involves a hearing professional using prob microphones to analyze hearing aid output within the ear. REMs ultimately optimize speech audibility by verifying that your devices provide appropriate amplification for your hearing loss.

Hearing aid performance can be measured on the ear using a process called Real Ear Measurements, or REMs.
Hearing aid performance can be measured on the ear using a process called Real Ear Measurements, or REMs.

While REMs are not embraced by all providers4, it remains the best means of optimizing hearing aid performance and has been shown to improve speech understanding over other manufacturer instant-fit methods2. This is one reason why HearingTracker always recommends you visit a hearing provider who adheres to best practices.

Over-the-counter (OTC) hearing aids are also available, for those with a perceived mild-to-moderate hearing loss, and promise to offer similar benefits without the need to visit a doctor's office. HearAdvisor™, an independent hearing devices test lab, is working to verify such claims. While performance varies greatly between companies, it is clear that OTC hearing aids can benefit from similar fine-tuning as traditional devices.

How We Tested

A key part of HearAdvisor's hearing aid evaluation process involves testing devices in realistic spatial sound fields. These are generated using widely-favored ambisonic recordings and the statistical properties of an extensive variety of authentic spaces. This allows us to replicate the sound environments that users will encounter in their daily lives.

KEMAR manikin and hearing aid in test lab
The KEMAR acoustic manikin wearing Lucid's Engage OTC hearing aids.

In order to offer a more thorough analysis, we perform tests across multiple talkers from a variety of spatial locations. This helps us understand how a hearing device might perform in a number of real-world environments.

For testing, all hearing aids were setup for a mild to moderate hearing loss. So all test results are strictly limited to mild to moderate hearing loss. We have not evaluated any device's performance for more severe hearing loss levels, yet. And remember, the OTC hearing aids and earbuds that we tested are not intended for those with greater than mild to moderate loss, so we'd expect them to score poorly for severe hearing loss.

Please note that HearAdvisor has tested many more hearing aids since this video was published. This article has been updated to reflect the latest tests, including replacing Oticon Real with Oticon Intent, Real's successor. Phonak Infinio has also replaced the Lumity. Closed captions are available on this video. If you are using a mobile phone, please enable captions clicking on the gear icon.

We used the Hearing Aid Speech Perception Index v2 (HASPIv2) to quantify the expected improvement in speech intelligibility for each hearing aid. We chose this metric because it models the impaired auditory system and predicts intelligibility for a wide range of acoustic environments. For those looking to dive deeper, please check out our vetting process and HearAdvisor's whitepaper.

All "Hearing Aids" Not Created Equal

Hearing aids continue to advance and offer better tools for solving the noise problem. However, it is not always clear which device is most appropriate for your individual hearing needs. There are many choices available and companies offer similar marketing claims. But beware—not all hearing aids are created equal.

To that second point, our experience shows that some of these claims are either unfounded or completely false. Take for example our deep dive on Amazon’s Top 4 Hearing Aids or this critical review of 24 Walmart hearing aids. All devices offered some claim of speech clarity yet we observed little to no speech intelligibility improvements—one device even made speech worse than normal listening.

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There are fortunately numerous technologies that can improve hearing in background noise and hopefully this list offers some viable solutions for you. Speak with a hearing care provider for more specialized care, practice good communication strategies, and do not overlook the benefits of remote microphones if available for your hearing technology.

References

  1. Lakshmi, M. S. K., Rout, A., & O’Donoghue, C. R. (2021). A systematic review and meta-analysis of digital noise reduction hearing aids in adults. Disability and Rehabilitation: Assistive Technology, 16(2), 120-129.
  2. Amlani, A. M., Pumford, J. O. H. N., & Gessling, E. (2017). Real-ear measurement and its impact on aided audibility and patient loyalty. Hearing Review, 24(10), 12-21.
  3. Bentler, R., Wu, Y. H., Kettel, J., & Hurtig, R. (2008). Digital noise reduction: Outcomes from laboratory and field studies. International journal of audiology, 47(8), 447-460.
  4. Kirkwood, D.H. (2006). Survey: Dispensers fitted more hearing aids in 2005 at higher prices. The Hearing Journal, 59, 40.
  5. Boothroyd, A. (2004). Hearing aid accessories for adults: The remote FM microphone. Ear and Hearing, 25(1), 22-33.
  6. Lewis, M. S., Crandell, C. C., Valente, M., & Horn, J. E. (2004). Speech perception in noise: Directional microphones versus frequency modulation (FM) systems. Journal of the American Academy of Audiology, 15(06), 426-439.
  7. Ricketts, T. A. (2001). Directional hearing aids. Trends in Amplification, 5(4), 139-176.
  8. Boymans M, Dreschler WA. (2000) Field trials using Journal of the American Academy of Audiology/Volume 16, Number 7, 2005 482 a digital hearing aid with active noise reduction and dual-microphone directionality. Audiology 39:260–268.
  9. Hawkins, D. B., & Yacullo, W. S. (1984). Signal-to-noise ratio advantage of binaural hearing aids and directional microphones under different levels of reverberation. Journal of Speech and Hearing Disorders, 49(3), 278-286.