Elehear Beyond Pro vs. Sony CRE-E10

Sony’s CRE-E10 is one of the strongest true self-fit OTC options we’ve tested, combining an earbud-like, comfortable in-ear design with excellent speech enhancement, strong feedback control, and genuinely impressive streamed audio quality and battery life, though it’s expensive for OTC, streaming is iPhone-only, and the lack of physical controls means you’re locked into the app for adjustments.

Elehear Beyond Pro achieved a SoundScore of 4.2/5 and a SoundGrade of A in HearAdvisor lab testing. It ranked #11 of 65 OTC Hearing Aid devices tested. The OTC Hearing Aid category average SoundScore was 3.68/5.

Sony CRE-E10 achieved a SoundScore of 4.7/5 and a SoundGrade of A in HearAdvisor lab testing. It ranked #3 of 65 OTC Hearing Aid devices tested. The OTC Hearing Aid category average SoundScore was 3.68/5.

Elehear Beyond Pro hearing aids have an IPx5 rating, meaning you will need to protect them from moisture and dust. However, they appear to be build from quality materials and come with a robust portable charging case.

With an ingress rating of IP68, CRE-E10 offer excellent resistance to moisture and debris. They also feel well-built in hand and come with a sturdy charging case.

Beyond have a reported battery life of up to 20 hours per charge, which is enough to get most people through the day. The case also offers on-the-go power and can recharge Elehear in around 2.5 hours, longer if the portable-charger needs to be simultaneously recharged.

CRE-E10 offer an impressive battery life of up to 26 hours. I also liked the portable charging case which offers you Qi wireless charging.

Beyond are Bluetooth compatible with both iOS and Android devices, allowing for audio streaming and hands-free calling.

While CRE-E10 offers high quality audio streaming and hands-free calling, it only works with iOS devices. You may want to look elsewhere if you use an Android device.

The Elehear app has a user-friendly interface and modern, appealing design. It includes practical features like volume control and a tone balance from Brighter to Deeper. At this time, Beyond are "preset-based", though you can get a more customized fit using their ElePro feature.

Sony's Hearing Control app is not as elaborate as some other OTC hearing aids. However, the on-ear hearing test is a nice addition and it offers you all basic adjustments you will likely need.

I found Beyond Pro fairly comfortable in spite of their larger body size. Be sure to test various ear tips to find optimal comfort and hearing benefit. You may want to try the included tulip domes as the default closed domes plug your ear significantly.

CRE-E10 are comfortable and fit like other earbud-like hearing aids. They were surprisingly lightweight and offered high quality audio without completely plugging my ears.

Beyond have a more modern receiver-in-canal design, although the body size is larger than many other hearing aids. While this should not effect comfort much, it may make them more noticeable based on your ear size and hairstyle.

CRE-E10 have a modern earbud-like look which may be undesirable depending on your preferences. Unlike other hearing aids, CRE-E10 are all black and very visible in your ears.

Elehear Beyond Pro has a value score of 4.5/5 based on lab performance and public display price.

Sony CRE-E10 has a value score of 4.1/5 based on lab performance and public display price.

I did not run into any issues while using Beyond Pro or the Elehear mobile app. First-time users may need some practice to get accustomed to inserting the receiver-in-ear style properly.

I had no issues wearing or adjusting CRE-E10 though it is worth mentioning that they do not have physical buttons, you must use Sony's Hearing Control app for programming changes.

Unlike many OTC devices, remote support from licensed audiologists is available through the ElePro app feature. This offers several benefits, but one we particularly liked was the ability for Elehear providers to recommend program settings based on their app or web based hearing assessment.

Sony does offer consultations with their product experts though this is not the same as hearing care from a licensed provider. You may want to look elsewhere if you would like assistance from a hearing care provider.