Jabra Enhance Select 500 vs. JLab Hear OTC

The Jabra Enhance Select 500 earned a SoundGrade of A and ranked in the top 5% of devices tested by HearAdvisor. With GN Resound technology, it has an IP68 rating, 30-hour battery life, and reliable Bluetooth. While streaming audio quality was not high-fidelity, the Jabra Enhance App offers good audio personalization. The device includes telehealth and remote programming, though support response times were slower than expected. Lightweight and compact, with larger buttons for ease of use, the receiver-in-canal design may take some adjustment.

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.

The Jabra Enhance Select 500 achieved a SoundGrade of A and ranked #9 in the OTC Hearing Aid category, placing it in the top 14% of the 56 OTC devices tested by HearAdvisor.

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.

Quality is fantastic when it comes to Jabra hearing aids as they share technology from GN Resound. Select 500 have a solid ingress rating of IP68 and the portable charging case will have no problems handling daily use.

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.

Jabra have stepped up their game with a 30 hour battery life, ensuring you get through the day even with streaming. The case also holds enough power for 3 addition charges which is plenty for a weekend excursion.

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 was straightforward and reliable, working seamlessly without any issues. While the streamed audio quality has improved, it needs work before I'd consider it hi-fidelity.

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

The Jabra Enhance App mirrors the useful features available in Resounds medical hearing aid app. I found it to offer plenty of options to personalize audio quality beyond the custom programming.

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.

I found 500 very comfortable given their shockingly small and lightweight design. The button are also larger than many OTC products making setting changes easier.

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.

Jabra has done a nice job redesigning prescription technology for the direct-to-consumer market. Select 500 is sleek, with a range of stylish colors, and sat discretely behind my ear.

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

The Jabra Enhance Select 500 offers above-average sound performance, though similar results are available at lower price points in the OTC category.

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

500 are easy to use, though receiver-in-canal devices might take a bit of practice. Pro support can assist, and the easy charging case makes on-the-go charging a breeze.

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

Jabra has arguably the best pro support offering among OTC devices, providing telehealth with hearing care providers, remote programming, and tech support. However, the support I received while trying Select 500 was slower than expected.

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