Lexie Lumen vs. Sony CRE-C20

The Sony CRE-C20 is a discreet, over-the-counter hearing aid designed for individuals with mild to moderate hearing loss, featuring a compact size and rechargeable battery for up to 28 hours of use. While it offers a user-friendly setup and an Auto Sound Analyzer for enhanced speech clarity, it lacks Bluetooth streaming capabilities, which may be a consideration for users seeking more advanced connectivity options.

Lexie Lumen achieved a SoundScore of 3.73/5 and a SoundGrade of B in HearAdvisor lab testing. It ranked #22 of 61 OTC Hearing Aid devices tested. The OTC Hearing Aid category average SoundScore was 3.47/5.

The Sony CRE-C20 achieved a SoundGrade of B and ranked #21 out of 56 devices in the OTC Hearing Aid category, placing it in the top 36% of OTC devices tested by HearAdvisor. This positions it as an above-average performer within a competitive category.

Lexie Lumen hearing aids boast a good IP67 ingress rating, with a build that's better than other OTC products but not as robust as newer prescription models. The buttons are reliable, though the slimtube design feels a bit outdated.

Sony CRE-C20 has an excellent IP rating of 68, which aligns with our hands-on experience as we observed an improved build quality compared to CRE-C10.

You may be disappointed that Lumen are not rechargeable and require a disposable 312 battery. However, the batteries should last you several days, and can offer greater convenience at times, though this makes them more susceptible to water damage.

CRE-C20 offer an impressive battery life of up to 28 hours. I also liked the portable charging case which offers you Qi wireless charging.

The Lexie app provides good features without being too complicated. Personalizing Lumen with the in-app hearing test is also a nice touch and highly recommended.

Sony's Hearing Control app includes good features and allows your to further personalize CRE-C20 with their on-ear hearing assessment. One downside though is that the hearing aids and app communicate with sound cues from your phone. I find this method of wireless communication less reliable that Bluetooth, and it overall makes the pairing process more complicated.

I found Lexie comfortable though the slimtubes are more noticeable than the newer earwire receivers. The body is also larger than many new hearing aids though this did not drastically effect comfort.

CRE-C20 are good comfortable once you find the best tip for your ears. They are not overly plugging though it can take some time to get used to having a hearing aid so deep in your ear canal.

The design is slightly older, featuring slimtubes and disposable batteries. Despite this, the hearing aids, multi-function buttons, and app function well together.

CRE-C20 are surprisingly small and sit mostly invisible in your ears. The style works well and was originally designed as an "instant-fit" prescription hearing aid from Signia.

Lexie Lumen has a value score of 4.2/5 based on lab performance and public display price.

The Sony CRE-C20 offers moderate value relative to its $999 price point, with several higher-scoring alternatives available at similar or lower prices.

Behind-the-ear hearing aids like the Lumen can be tricky to handle at first, but most people can use them without issue with practice. Some users might find changing disposable batteries inconvenient compared to rechargeable options.

CRE-C20's smaller size and method of wireless communication make it more difficult to manage than many other hearing aids. However, Sony has improved upon the design as CRE-C20 now uses internal rechargeable batteries, as opposed to disposable ones. It is a unique offering with many pros but be sure to consider this against your needs and abilities.

Like most OTC products, Lumen do not include in-person care. However, Lexie does offer remote support from their hearing experts along with a unique incentivizing reward system.

Sony does not offer great support with their hearing aids. You are limited to phone and email based technical assistance which is a downside to many OTC products.