Signia Active Mini IX vs. Signia Silk Charge&Go IX

Signia Active Mini IX earned a 4.2/5 score and an A SoundGrade in our lab testing. See how the compact earbud-style prescription hearing aid performed.

The Signia Silk Charge&Go IX is a groundbreaking, rechargeable completely-in-canal (CIC) hearing aid designed for people with mild to moderate hearing loss. It offers up to 28 hours of battery life, instant fit with soft silicone ear tips, and wireless control via the Signia app, but lacks Bluetooth streaming and can be challenging to handle due to its small size.

Signia Active Mini IX achieved a SoundScore of 4.5/5 and a SoundGrade of A in HearAdvisor lab testing. It ranked #14 of 39 Prescription Hearing Aid devices tested. The Prescription Hearing Aid category average SoundScore was 4.19/5.

Signia Silk Charge&Go IX achieved a SoundScore of 3.7/5 and a SoundGrade of B in HearAdvisor lab testing. It ranked #32 of 39 Prescription Hearing Aid devices tested. The Prescription Hearing Aid category average SoundScore was 4.19/5.

Active Mini IX has an IP rating of 68, meaning it has excellent protection against dust and moisture. This is consistent with my hands-on testing which suggested it is built well and will hold-up to daily use.

Signia Silk C&G IX have an impressive build quality, featuring a top-of-the-line IP68 ingress rating, which is crucial for nearly invisible hearing aids. They also come with a durable portable charging case.

Active Mini IX have a reported battery life of 21 per charge. While this is less than Active Pro IX, it should be enough to get most people through their day without needing to recharge.

Silk IX provide up to 20 hours of use per charge which is exceptional given their extremely small size. Recharging takes up to 4 hours, which is longer than some other models, but this isn't a significant drawback given their all-day battery life.

Signia Active Mini hearing aids are Bluetooth compatible with both iOS and Android devices, allowing for audio streaming and hands-free calling (iOS and LE Audio). The audio streaming quality could be better, especially during phone calls where I noted frequent artifacts and drop outs.

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Signia's hearing aid app stands out with its user-friendly interface and modern, appealing design. It includes practical features like the ability to control the focus of your hearing aids and a mask mode to enhance speech clarity. Additionally, the app offers wellness features, utilizing hearing aid motion sensors for activity tracking.

While Silk IX hearing aids are not Bluetooth compatible, they still work with Signia's app using high-frequency coded signals. This is a valuable addition, although the communication is less stable than Bluetooth and the app offers fewer features compared to other Signia models.

I found the instant-fit comfort and retention of Active Mini good. Your hearing care provider can demo various ear tips to find the best fit for your ears and hearing needs.

I found Silk IX very comfortable for an instant-fit nearly invisible hearing aid. Your hearing care provider should ensure they are fitted for optimal comfort and hearing benefit.

Active Mini take the aesthetic of Active Pro a step further with an even smaller earbud design. This can be highly desirable if you are looking for an instant fit hearing aid and Signia gives you several color options to choose from.

Silk IX is another unique offering from Signia, featuring an instant fit design with silicone ear tips that is nearly invisible. Its extremely small and discreet design may, however, pose challenges for those with limited dexterity and or vision.

Signia Active Mini IX has a value score of 3.2/5 based on lab performance and public display price.

Signia Silk Charge&Go IX has a value score of 2.8/5 based on lab performance and public display price.

Active Mini IX worked great in my testing with the only real issue involving occasional difficulty placing them properly into the charging case (the magnetic pins could be stronger). Additionally, I wish Active Mini and Pro IX offered tap controls to accompany their streaming capabilities.

I did not run into any issues while using Silk IX hearing aids. They are very easy to use once setup by your hearing care provider. Silk also have large color indicators making it easy to distinguish the left from the right hearing aids.

You should receive quality hearing care and support from your provider. The Signia App should enhance your experience with AI assistance and user-friendly virtual appointments, given your provider offers telehealth services.

You should receive quality hearing care and support from your provider. The Signia App should further enhance your experience with AI help and remote assistance should your provider offer telehealth services.