Jabra Enhance Select 700 vs. JLab Hear OTC

Jabra’s flagship Enhance Select 700 offers premium sound, LE Audio, Auracast, and top-tier remote audiology care in a tiny, discreet design.

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.

Jabra Enhance Select 700 achieved a SoundScore of 3.91/5 and a SoundGrade of B in HearAdvisor lab testing. It ranked #16 of 61 OTC Hearing Aid devices tested. The OTC Hearing Aid category average SoundScore was 3.47/5.

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.

Jabra hearing aids share technology from GN Resound and generally have fantastic build quality. Select 700 is no exception with an ingress rating of IP68 and the standard robust portable charging case.

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 700 offer full-day 24 hour battery life. 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. This is what I've come to expect with Jabra hearing aids.

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 prescription 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.

Jabra Enhance 700 are 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 700 shares the same shockingly discrete size as the previous Select 500 model.

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

Jabra Enhance Select 700 has a value score of 3.7/5 based on lab performance and public display price.

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

I found Enhance 700 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. They provide 3 years of telehealth audiologic services including remote programming and video appointments. While I'd prefer in-person appointments, Jabra continues to bridge the gap given the limitations of remote care.

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