Phonak Audéo Infinio Ultra vs. Yeasound RIC800

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.

It's streams to both both iPhone and Android, and scored in the top 5% of all OTC hearing aids tested by the independent HearAdvisor Lab.

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.

Yeasound RIC800 achieved a SoundScore of 4.7/5 and a SoundGrade of A in HearAdvisor lab testing. It ranked #2 of 65 OTC Hearing Aid devices tested. The OTC Hearing Aid category average SoundScore was 3.68/5.

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

Yeasound RIC800 have an ingress protection rating of IPX8. They appear well-built and approach the feel of a prescription hearing aid.

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.

RIC800 last up to 31 hours per charge and take around 3 hours to recharge. You can expect shorter battery life while streaming, although the batteries should still last all day.

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.

RIC800 offer wireless control and streaming with Bluetooth. While we could not test this on Android, functionality was fairly good on iOS with a few noted drawbacks.

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

RIC800 offer fairly good sound customization for a preset-based OTC hearing aid. I liked the addition of a 3-band equalizer and access to controls over noise reduction and microphone settings.

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.

I found RIC800 very comfortable thanks to their small design and lightweight.

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.

Yeasound RIC800 look like modern receiver-in-canal hearing aids and could easily be mistaken for prescription devices.

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

Yeasound RIC800 has a value score of 4.6/5 based on lab performance and public display price.

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.

RIC800 were easy to use and get in my ears, though you may need some practice if you have not worn receiver-in-canal devices before.

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.

Yeasound offers remote assistance from their technical support team. To our knowledge, they are not offering audiologic support from licensed providers at this time.