Elehear Delight vs. Phonak Audéo Infinio Ultra

The ELEHEAR Delight is an affordable OTC hearing aid designed to look and feel more like a modern earbud than a traditional hearing aid. While HearingTracker has not yet completed a full hands-on review, independent lab testing from HearAdvisor suggests the Delight delivers strong overall value for the price, with especially good performance for everyday conversations in quieter settings and better-than-expected music streaming. Its main trade-offs are more modest performance in noisy environments and slightly weaker feedback handling, but for budget-conscious shoppers who want a comfortable, app-connected, earbud-style hearing aid, the Delight is a promising option.

Phonak’s Infinio Sphere delivers genuinely standout speech clarity in loud, noisy places thanks to its DEEPSONIC “Sphere mode,” but you’ll trade some discretion and may wrestle with fit or Bluetooth pairing to get that top-tier performance.

Elehear Delight achieved a SoundScore of 4.3/5 and a SoundGrade of A in HearAdvisor lab testing. It ranked #9 of 65 OTC Hearing Aid devices tested. The OTC Hearing Aid category average SoundScore was 3.68/5.

Phonak Sphere Infinio Ultra achieved a SoundScore of 4.9/5 and a SoundGrade of A in HearAdvisor lab testing. It ranked #3 of 39 Prescription Hearing Aid devices tested. The Prescription Hearing Aid category average SoundScore was 4.19/5.

Elehear Delight have an IP67 rating, meaning they offer good protection against moisture and dust. They appear built from quality materials, with a unique rubber flange pull-tab, and come with a sleek robust portable charging case.

Phonak Audéo Sphere Ultra have an excellent build quality with a robust, portable charging case and a high ingress rating of IP68.

Delight have a reported battery life of up to 13.5 hours per charge, which is on the lower end. The case offers up to 2 full additional charges which you can expect to take around 1.5 hours from a fully depleted battery.

Ultra is designed to deliver all-day use, with battery-life figures of up to 56 hours under ideal conditions (i.e., in quiet with no streaming) and about 10-11 hours when Sphere mode is continuously engaged. They take 3 to 4 hours to recharge, and a 30-minute quick charge can provide an additional 6 hours of use.

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

Phonak Infinio Ultra are compatible with both iOS and Android, offering wireless audio streaming and hands-free calls. Pairing is now easier directly from your phone's Bluetooth menu.

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, Delight are "preset-based", though you can get a more customized fit using their ElePro feature and their "Audiologist Plan" program.

I found the MyPhonak Hearing Aid app easy to use with many useful features, including health and fitness tracking.

I found Delight fairly comfortable with good ear retention. Be sure to test various ear tips to find optimal comfort and hearing benefit.

Phonak Audéo Sphere Infinio Ultra were extremely comfortable and lightweight in my ears. In general, hearing care providers can make numerous physical changes to prescription hearing aids to improve comfort.

Unlike other Elehear hearing aids, Delight offer a more modern earbud-like design. Their smaller size also means they are relatively discrete. One potential downside is that Delight are currently only available in a light-tan color.

Phonak's new Audéo Sphere Infinio Ultra model shares the same notably larger size as the original Phonak Infinio Sphere. This is needed for its increased AI processing. While the larger size may be more noticeable, Sphere Ultra remains comfortable, and your provider should have no trouble adjusting the fit to your preference.

Elehear Delight has a value score of 5.0/5 based on lab performance and public display price.

Phonak Sphere Infinio Ultra has a value score of 3.5/5 based on lab performance and public display price.

I did not run into any issues while using Delight and overall found the app, and Bluetooth connection, very stable. Delight hearing aids are ear specific, so be sure to get them oriented properly.

Infinio Ultra are easy to use and adjust using either the large multi-function button or MyPhonak app. I had no issues making adjustments with either.

Unlike many OTC devices, remote support from licensed audiologists is available through the ElePro app feature and follow-up email correspondence. It is not the same as direct in-person care, though it is a nice inclusion from Elehear.

Prescription hearing aids like Infinio Sphere Ultra are fit by hearing care providers so you should receive quality care. The MyPhonak app also opens the possibility for remote programming and virtual follow-up appointments.