Sony Hearing Aids: Features, Pricing, Reviews and Sound Samples

Sony over-the-counter (OTC) hearing aids are the result of a partnership between consumer electronics giant Sony and WS Audiology (WSA), one of the world’s largest hearing aid manufacturers. Their flagship hearing aid, Sony CRE-E10, is a rechargeable self-fitting earbud-type device for $1,000 per pair that continues to top HearAdvisor’s lab test ratings for speech enhancement, feedback reduction, and audio streaming. Sony’s other OTC hearing aid, the CRE-C10, is an in-the-ear type device for $800 that also has excellent technology but isn’t rechargeable and doesn’t offer audio streaming. Like the CRE-E10, it has received excellent scores from the independent HearAdvisor lab.

In this article, we’ll tell you everything you need to know about Sony OTC hearing aids, including their technology, features, who they’re for, and where to purchase them. We'll also provide you with links to more detailed information about each product and its lab test results.

Who makes Sony OTC hearing aids?

WS Audiology (WSA), an international hearing aid conglomerate, manufactures and sells Sony hearing aids. Through a brand-licensing deal, WSA offers Sony-branded OTC versions of their Silk and Active products as Sony CRE-C10 and CRE-E10, respectively.

In late 2022, Sony announced the launch of their OTC hearing aids in the United States in partnership with the WSA Group. WSA is one of the “Big 5” worldwide hearing aid manufacturers, behind prescription brands like Widex, Signia, and Rexton. WSA also owns HearUSA, Hear.com, and TruHearing. The goal of the WSA-Sony partnership is to jointly develop and supply new products and services for new OTC self-fitting hearing aids.

The thinking is that Sony can leverage its brand recognition, audio and production technologies and service infrastructure while relying on WSA’s hearing aid and technology innovation strengths, as well as their mutual distribution channels. While it's clear that WSA is leveraging Sony's brand and distribution channels, Sony's contribution to audio technology remains unclear (given the repurposing of existing WSA prescription models).

The Sony brand licensing places WSA is a far more competitive position to compete with OTC brands like Bose, Jabra Enhance, and Sennheiser, JLab, and JVC.

Sony OTC hearing aid products, technology, and their use

Sony markets two different OTC hearing aids, with two distinct styles: the CRE-C10 Completely-in-Canal (CIC) and the more advanced but larger CRE-E10 Earbud. Both are sold in pairs and come in only one color: black.

Like all OTC hearing aids, they are limited in the amount of amplification they can supply, intended to fit mild to moderate hearing losses. While these hearing aids are not as sophisticated or as feature-rich as prescription hearing aids, they do have some advanced capabilities and excellent sound quality.

For example, both of the OTC hearing aids have technology that will automatically adjust the sound depending on your environment. That is, the hearing aids can minimize wind noise, as well as speech and other environmental noises and automatically adjust volume. The CRE-E10 also incorporates directional microphones to further assist in noisy listening situations. Both Sony devices have been honored with HearAdvisor™ Expert Choice Awards, and interested readers can view HearingTracker’s comparison web page for more information and sound samples.

The CRE-C10 resembles a traditional canal-style hearing aid, while the CRE-E10 is very similar to many earbuds currently on the market. Both are self-fitting via the “Hearing Control App” which is available for both Android™ and Apple^® products. However, only the E10 provides for Bluetooth^® audio streaming for iOS devices (not Android) and hands-free calling for iPhones (v13.0 and higher).

The CRE-C10 utilizes a size 10 standard, disposable hearing aid battery that can provide up to 70 hours of use. The E10 is rechargeable and comes with a charging case. Once fully charged, the E10 battery can provide up to 26 hours of use.

Below you can listen to sound samples in quiet and noise recorded at the HearAdvisor test lab. Grab a set of quality headphones and click the red play buttons to hear what the CRE-C10 and CRE-E10 sound like.

Sony Hearing Control app, device setup, and controls

After connecting the hearing aids to the Hearing Control App, it takes approximately 10 minutes to program the hearing aids for your hearing loss and preferences. The Hearing Control App is intended to be user-friendly and is used for the initial setup and later for adjustments. After the initial fitting, you can control a limited number of settings from within the app, but there are no onboard controls for the hearing aids.

As you can see from the screenshots below, the app provides setup instructions, an in-app hearing test, loudness control, limited sound balance control, and some fine-tuning options. The E10 further provides manual directional microphone adjustment control.

It should be noted that the hearing aids will follow preset hearing profiles based upon your hearing test. That is, the C10 will be fit to one of 4 different hearing profiles, while the E10 has 6 different hearing profiles that can be initially programmed. It should also be mentioned that the C10 provides very little low-frequency (low-pitch) amplification. This means if you have a hearing loss across the pitches, including in the low frequencies, this product may not be ideal for you. For those with a “flatter” hearing loss (i.e., your audiogram resembles a straight line), the E10 would be a better option. However, if you have a sloping, high-frequency hearing loss (i.e., audiogram is relatively flat until it reaches the higher frequencies) with good hearing in the low pitches, then the C10 may work very well for you.

To their credit, Sony has included safety features and warnings within the app to ensure that the products are appropriate for your hearing loss. That is, if your hearing loss is too great, the app will warn you that the products are not ideal for your hearing loss. In addition, if an asymmetrical hearing loss (i.e., very different hearing in each ear) is detected, the app will suggest that you seek medical intervention.

It's worth noting that the Hearing Control App, while a useful tool, has received mixed reviews. It currently has a score of 3.3 (out of 5) for Android and only 2.7 for Apple products. In general, a lot of hearing aid apps have lower approval ratings, with the primary complaints revolving around pairing and connection issues; this also appears to be the case with the Sony app. However, once paired and connected, users have praised the app for its ease of setup.

As to be expected with any OTC product, the physical fit of the hearing aids in your ear is not customized. However, four different sizes of vented, soft sleeves are available. While these choices will likely fit and be comfortable for the majority of users, some people may experience physical discomfort with long hours of use. Even though the sleeves are vented, depending on the fit, some people may experience “occlusion effect.” This means that the sound of your own voice can be loud and annoying, and you may feel as though your ears are “plugged.”

Where can you buy Sony OTC hearing aids and how much do they cost?

Sony’s OTC products are available online from the Sony website, in retail stores such as Walmart, Best Buy, and pharmacy chains, and from some hearing care providers. For example, HearUSA stores carry Sony OTC hearing aids, and you may also find them in some of your local hearing care offices. They come with a standard 45-day trial period and a 1-year repair warranty. Sony notes that within 90 days of the purchase, an extended warranty can also be purchased from Sony.com.

At the time of this writing (May 2023) both products were on sale at the Sony webpage and from Best Buy. Typically, the C10 is priced at $999 but is on sale for $799 for the pair. While the E10 is typically priced at $1299, those aids are on sale for $999. One of the drawbacks that have been mentioned regarding the Sony OTC hearing aids is their elevated price; however, this sale puts them at a very competitive price point for a quality hearing solution.

Accessories

As is typical with many OTC hearing aids, the Sony products are not available with any accessories like those seen with prescription hearing aids. For example, remote microphones, TV streamers, and remote controls are not available for these hearing aids. This is a bit unfortunate as both Sony products do not have any onboard controls and a remote control might be exceptionally useful for some people. Again, the hearing aids will make automatic sound adjustments based on your listening environment, but the only way to control the hearing aids is via the Hearing Control App.

In addition, while streaming audio is available, it is only possible with iOS^® (Apple) products, meaning the Android devices consumers may own will not be compatible for streaming. Having an accessory that could bridge that gap would be ideal, but unfortunately it is not available at this time.

Examples of OTC hearing aid manufacturers that offer accessories include Jabra Enhance Select, Lexie, and Nuheara/HP.

Customer support

With any product, it is comforting to know that a company will provide support after the purchase. We are happy to report that Sony offers multi-tiered customer support for their OTC hearing aids. In fact, they note that they provide “best in class” support and state a Net Promotor Score (NPS) rating of 85. If you are new to the term “NPS”, it is simply a measure of customer experience and tells a company how likely a customer would recommend a given business (Qualtrics.com). The scores can range from -100 to +100, meaning a score of 85 is an excellent rating. Sony contributes this, at least in part, to their 3-tier customer support.

A consumer’s journey for help with their Sony OTC products begins with online product support where setup instructions, frequently asked questions and instructional videos are available along with downloadable user guides. If help is needed beyond online support, you can contact Sony to speak with a customer support representative or live chat. If your questions go beyond the expertise of that team, a third tier of support is available with WSA support audiologists who are familiar with the products, what changes can be made, and who have the benefit of formal training in audiology.

Bottom line

Both of the Sony OTC hearing aids offer excellent sound quality in lightweight, discreet, cosmetically appealing forms. For those with typical mild-to-moderate hearing loss, these hearing aids are an affordable and easily accessible choice. While there are some limitations, particularly the lack of streaming with Android devices and no controls on the devices themselves, we think these hearing aids represent one of the best options in the OTC category.