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hear.com Horizon Mini IX vs. JLab Hear OTC

Check out our comparison of the hear.com Horizon Mini IX vs JLab Hear OTC. Listen to audio samples and see how the two hearing aids differ in terms of sound performance, features, accessories, and more.

hear.com Horizon Mini IX 7IX
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hear.com

Horizon Mini IX 7IX

$4,950 per pair
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Score
3.9
JLab Hear OTC
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JLab

Hear OTC

SoundScore 3.6/5
$99.99 per pair
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Horizon Mini IX
$4,950 per pair
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Hear OTC
$99.99 per pair
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Product Overview

Horizon Mini IX
Hear OTC
Form Factor
Form FactorNon-custom device that typically sits completely inside the ear canal. Some of the device may be visible to the naked eye.
Form FactorNon-custom earbud style device.
Expert Rating
N/A
Score
3.9
User Rating
—
3.01 reviews
Hearing Loss LevelHearing Loss LevelThis represents HearingTracker's best guess on suitability. Please consult a licensed audiologist to confirm your own candidacy for this device.
MildModerate
MildModerate
Product Features
Rechargeable
Hands-freeRechargeableiPhoneAndroid

Expert Ratings

Compare comprehensive test results and expert opinions.

Horizon Mini IX
Hear OTC

HearingTracker Score

Horizon Mini IX

Not yet rated by our experts

Hear OTC
3.9ABOVE AVERAGE

The JLab HEAR OTC Hearing Aid offers an affordable and user-friendly solution for those with mild to moderate hearing loss, featuring customizable sound settings and a sleek design. Extensive testing reveals its effective performance in various environments, making it a reliable choice for everyday use.

Read full review

HearAdvisor SoundScore

Horizon Mini IX

Not yet rated by our experts

Hear OTC
3.6AVERAGE

JLab Hear OTC achieved a SoundScore of 3.65/5 and a SoundGrade of B in HearAdvisor lab testing. It ranked #26 of 61 OTC Hearing Aid devices tested. The OTC Hearing Aid category average SoundScore was 3.47/5.

Build Quality

Horizon Mini IX

Not yet rated by our experts

Hear OTC
3.8BELOW AVERAGE

The portable charger is flimsy and HEAR have a lower egress rating of IPX4. However, with some extra care and cleaning they should hold up to regular daily use.

Battery

Horizon Mini IX

Not yet rated by our experts

Hear OTC
3.0BELOW AVERAGE

HEAR do not offer enough power for all-day use with a battery life of 10 hours (less with streaming). The battery life is however respectable for a wireless earbud.

Bluetooth

Horizon Mini IX

Not yet rated by our experts

Hear OTC
5.0EXCELLENT

HEAR offer wireless connectivity for both iOS and Android users. I personally experienced stable streaming and phone calls with my iPhone 12.

App Features

Horizon Mini IX

Not yet rated by our experts

Hear OTC
3.3BELOW AVERAGE

The JLab Hearing Health app offers a nice feature set for personalization. Some elements could be more user friendly, but it makes sense after a little troubleshooting.

Comfort

Horizon Mini IX

Not yet rated by our experts

Hear OTC
4.5EXCELLENT

HEAR are comfortable and had good retention in my ears. They completely seal your ear when worn properly but feel less “plugging” as they are lightweight.

Design

Horizon Mini IX

Not yet rated by our experts

Hear OTC
4.0BELOW AVERAGE

This is highly personalized, but HEAR look like modern earbuds and distance themselves from the negative stigma some attribute to hearing aids.

Value

Horizon Mini IX

Not yet rated by our experts

Hear OTC
5.0EXCELLENT

JLab Hear OTC has a value score of 5.0/5 based on lab performance and public display price.

Handling

Horizon Mini IX

Not yet rated by our experts

Hear OTC
4.0AVERAGE

I ran into a few issues with my initial Bluetooth pairing but HEAR and the touch controls work well otherwise.

Pro Support

Horizon Mini IX

Not yet rated by our experts

Hear OTC
1.0BELOW AVERAGE

JLab falls short on actual hearing care as help is limited to their online Help Center and or standard Customer Support.

Lab Recordings

Listen to direct output recordings from our acoustic test lab.

Horizon Mini IX
Hear OTC
Busy CafeBusy CafeSpeech intelligibility improvement in loud environments
Hear this scene unaided, for comparison
Horizon Mini IX

Lab recordings not yet available

Hear OTC
Quiet OfficeQuiet OfficeSpeech intelligibility improvement in quiet and moderate environments
Hear this scene unaided, for comparison
Horizon Mini IX

Lab recordings not yet available

Hear OTC
Streaming MusicStreaming MusicStreaming music provides a full range of bass and treble
Hear this scene unaided, for comparison
Horizon Mini IX

Lab recordings not yet available

Hear OTC

HearingTracker partners with HearAdvisor to provide recordings and performance data from an acoustic laboratory that follows standard scientific procedures. All hearing aids are fitted and performance-tested for mild sloping to moderate hearing loss. All audio samples cutoff above 10kHz.

Hardware

Horizon Mini IX
Hear OTC
Bluetooth® AudioBluetooth® AudioThis hearing aid is capable of streaming Bluetooth® audio certain phones and/or devices.
No
  • Bluetooth® (A2DP)
  • SBC
  • AAC
Hands-Free CallingHands-Free CallingIt is possible to have a hands-free phone call with this hearing aid. You are not required to hold the phone up to your mouth.
No
  • Bluetooth® (HFP)
IP Rating
No
IPx4
Rechargeable BatteriesRechargeable BatteriesCharge your batteries overnight in a docking station and get a full day's use (in most cases) of battery life the following day.
Lithium-ion
Lithium-ion
Tap ControlsTap ControlsThe hearing aid may be controlled by physically tapping it with your fingers.
No
  • Change program
  • Accept/end calls

Software Features

Horizon Mini IX
Hear OTC
Active Noise Cancellation (ANC)Active Noise Cancellation (ANC)ANC is different than typical hearing aid noise reduction in that it reduces both steady state and dynamic background noise using sound wave inversion.
No
Yes
Adjustment BandsAdjustment BandsThese are frequency-divided sections that can be adjusted in a hearing aid in order to amplify sounds. Although there are rarely more than 10 frequencies measured in a hearing assessment, having more bands that can be adjusted may allow for improved speech understanding and user comfort.
20
No
Adjustment SynchronizationAdjustment SynchronizationThis feature allows for a more pleasant listening experience by ensuring that both hearing aids process sound the same way. If one hearing aid changes its processing in response to noise or speech, it will send a wireless signal to the other hearing aid so both process sound in the same way.
e2e wireless 4.0e2e wireless 4.0Control coupling, synchronization, binaural directionality, Spatial Speech Focus, CROS/ BiCROS.
No
DirectionalityDirectionalityDepending on the types and number of microphones a hearing aid has, the hearing aid may be able to boost sounds from specific directions (by reducing sounds from other directions). This can be helpful to focus on a speaker directly in front of the hearing aid user, as well as to give the user information about where different sounds are coming from.
Binaural OneMic directionalityBinaural OneMic directionalityEach CIC receives the sound and information not only from its own microphone but also from the microphone of the other hearing aid. This creates a virtual four-microphone network, allowing the pair of hearing aids to create a directional beam. In addition, the natural pinnae effect of the outer ear supports this directionality and makes the listening experience even more natural.
Yes
Echo ReductionEcho ReductionThis feature improves speech audibility by reducing the “blurring” of speech sounds that can occur in the presence of echoes.
Auto EchoShieldAuto EchoShieldAutomatically creates a more comfortable hearing experience in high-reverb environments leading to increased speech clarity and natural room perceptions.
No
Extended bandwidthExtended bandwidthHearing aid provides amplification at frequencies (pitches) higher than the typical hearing aid.
12kHz
No
Extended Dynamic RangeExtended Dynamic RangeExtended dynamic range typically makes louder sound clearer. This may help with the reproduction of loud music or loud speech in a very noisy environment.
Yes
No
Feedback SuppressionFeedback SuppressionIf any sound amplified by the hearing aid escapes the ear canal, it may reach the hearing aid’s own microphone and cause a harsh whistling noise. Some hearing aids are able to recognize when this feedback occurs and reduce or eliminate it.
Feedback cancellationFeedback cancellationHigh-speed monitoring and control of feedback risk in individual processing channels.
Yes
Listening ProgramsListening ProgramsNumber of manually accessible listening programs (using push button, remote, app, or other switching method)
6
No
Noise ReductionNoise ReductionThis feature uses modern hearing aids’ processing power to examine the incoming sound signal, determine if noise is present and reduce the volume of the troublesome sound to increase comfort.
SoundSmoothing™: 3SoundSmoothing™Reduces the sound of clattering cutlery and rustling newspaper, etc.
No
Processing ChannelsProcessing ChannelsThese are all the frequency-divided sections the hearing aid is able to examine at a single time. The hearing aid uses this information to determine whether the contents of each section are noise, speech, or something else and amplify the sound in each section accordingly.
48
No
Tinnitus ReliefTinnitus ReliefTinnitus, or ringing in the ears, can be addressed by hearing aids in several different ways, such as introducing a soft therapeutic signal or targeted notched noise.
Yes
No
Unique Amplification StrategyUnique Amplification StrategyHearing aids all process sounds a little bit differently. Sometimes it varies even within one model.
Advanced Focus Streams: 3
No
Wind Noise ReductionWind Noise ReductionAs wind blows against the microphones of hearing aids, unpleasant noise may be generated. Some hearing aids have the ability to recognize this wind noise and reduce its level. Such reductions may also affect the audibility of desired sounds, like speech.
eWindScreen binauraleWindScreen binauralBinaural processing of the audio signal (using Ultra HD e2e) delivers superb performance in asymmetrical wind environments.
No