Home / Best Bluetooth Hearing Aids of 2023 for Android and iOS

Best Bluetooth Hearing Aids of 2023

for Android and iOS
The Top Hearing Aids to Connect You to Your World

By Abram Bailey, AuD

Updated 18 January 2023

Bluetooth hearing aids have opened up a new world of audio for people with
hearing loss. Previously, hearing aids only helped you hear everyday
conversations—now they double as advanced wearables capable of streaming
audio, placing phone calls, and controlling devices in your smart home.

With Bluetooth-enabled hearing aids, it’s now possible to make phone calls
without putting your phone to your ear—and if you wear two hearing aids, you
can hear the conversation in both ears. You can also stream multimedia audio
from your phone, including video chats and popular apps like Spotify and Netflix.
And there are countless other possible applications—from doorbell alerts and
remote microphone accessories to a newly developed type of Bluetooth
technology that will soon broadcast audio into your devices in places like lecture
halls and airports.

Table of Contents
Frequently asked questions

Made-for-iPhone hearing aids

Android compatible hearing aids

Universal Bluetooth streaming

Bluetooth-streaming accessories

The best Bluetooth hearing aids

Bluetooth hearing aid costs

Alternative Bluetooth-enabled hearables and PSAPs

OTC Hearing Aids with Bluetooth streaming

Bluetooth hearing aid FAQ

 How much do Bluetooth hearing aids cost?

Prices range from $1,399 to more than $6,000 per pair, depending on the
specific model. Bluetooth connectivity has quickly become a standard “must-
have” feature, and is now widely available—even in lower-tier models.

Do “Bluetooth hearing aids” really work with all Bluetooth devices?

Are “Made-for-iPhone” (MFi) hearing aids compatible with all

Bluetooth devices?

Which modern hearing aids support direct audio streaming from

Android devices?

What is a “streamer” and why do I need it?

"Made-For-iPhone" (MFi) hearing aids

"Made-for-iPhone" (MFi) hearing aids were first introduced in 2015 by GN
ReSound and launched an entirely new era of connectivity. MFi hearing aids
connect you to the entire Apple universe. With them, you enjoy better hearing
through complete wireless interaction not only with your iPhone, but with your
iPad, Apple computer, and other Apple products—no streamer required. All major
manufacturers now sell at least some MFi-compatible hearing aids.

Historically, one drawback of the MFi protocol is that it did not allow for two-way
communication. That is, the connected device could stream to your hearing aids
but the hearing aids could not send data back to the device. It was a one-way
street. For hearing aid wearers, this meant no hands-free calling as the hearing
aid microphones couldn’t pick up the sound of your voice and transmit back to the
phone.

However, with the recent release of Bluetooth version 5.2, two-way

communication is now available within the MFi protocol. Keep in mind though,
that not all hearing aid manufacturers have incorporated Bluetooth 5.2, so hands-
free calling isn’t an option for every MFi hearing aid.

Android compatible hearing aids

In 2018, Google finally announced a new Android streaming spec for hearing aids
—Audio Streaming for Hearing Aids (ASHA). The announcement from Google
signaled their intention to pair hearing aids with the much larger universe of
Android phones.

Flash forward to 2022, and we now have all major hearing aid manufacturers—
Phonak, Starkey, Oticon, Signia, ReSound and Widex—with Android compatible
hearing aids on the market.

One caveat to ASHA-based Android compatibility: it won’t be a true hands-free

experience. You’ll still need to talk into the phone for the caller to hear your voice.
To achieve hands-free calling with Android you’ll either need to purchase a
Bluetooth streamer or pursue hearing aids that use the Bluetooth Classic Hands-
Free Protocol (HFP), like Phonak Lumity or Unitron Blu.

While Made-for-iPhone is supported by all iOS devices (from recent years),

Android ASHA is only supported on select Android phones. In general, any phone
with Bluetooth 5.0+ and Android 10 (or higher) is capable of providing wireless
streaming via ASHA. However, ASHA must be enabled by each phone
manufacturer and service carrier, so it pays to check with your carrier about
whether your specific Android model can support ASHA connectivity (Samsung,
Google Pixel, and OnePlus offer the best support). Most ASHA compatible aids
also support MFi.

Universal Bluetooth streaming

Only Sonova, the world’s largest hearing aid manufacturer, offers true, hands-
free universal Bluetooth connectivity. In addition to iPhone and Android
connectivity, Phonak and Unitron (owned by Sonova), offer models that provide
wireless audio streaming from any Bluetooth-audio device. This is accomplished
via Bluetooth Classic’s A2DP and HFP protocols for audio streaming and hands-
free calling, respectively.

Sonova calls their technology “Made For All” or MFA, a tongue in cheek nod to
Apple’s “Made For iPhone”. Phonak Paradise and Unitron Blu are the latest
Sonova products to offer MFA technology, and models from both product families
support two simultaneous Bluetooth connections. Costco's now-discontinued
Kirkland Signature 10.0 hearing aid, also manufactured by Sonova, offered
universal Bluetooth as well.

Shopping for Bluetooth hearing aids

Shopping for a Bluetooth hearing aid can be confusing. Bluetooth- and
smartphone-compatible hearing instruments come in dozens of different flavors.
So knowing the basics about MFi, ASHA, and Sonova’s MFA can help.

Because connectivity is a sought-after feature in hearing aids, this technology is

improving very quickly. The bottom line is you should talk with your hearing
provider about the wireless connectivity features that are important to you prior to
purchasing any devices.

And a word of caution: Some hearing aid manufacturers promote “Bluetooth

compatibility,” but they require an intermediate streamer to receive and retransmit
Bluetooth audio to their hearing aids from all Bluetooth devices. We talk about
these streamers below.

The latest hearing aid streamers make Bluetooth easy

If your hearing aids don’t connect natively to your smartphone (or other Bluetooth
audio device), you’ll likely need a “streamer” from the same manufacturer that
produced your hearing aids. Streamers are typically purchased as an add-on to
hearing aids, but the good news is that today's Bluetooth streamers provide a
relatively painless workaround to achieving universal Bluetooth connectivity
with your hearing aids.
Bluetooth audio may be streamed from a laptop to a pair of Widex MOMENT hearing aids through
COM-DEX, an intermediary streaming device.

A streamer either hangs from your neck or clips to your clothing, and receives
audio from Bluetooth-enabled phones, MP3 music players, computers, tablets and
other electronic devices. Once the streamer has picked up the sound from your
favorite Bluetooth-enabled audio device, it re-transmits the audio to the hearing
aids, typically via a proprietary 2.4GHz radio signal.

Hearing aid makers have started delivering Bluetooth streaming accessories that
are smaller, more feature-rich, and easier to use. They provide wireless
communication with all Bluetooth-enabled devices. And their associated apps
work well with both iPhones and Android smartphones.

The best Bluetooth hearing aid models

Following are Bluetooth solutions from the top hearing aid brands. We don’t just
look at the Phonak, Unitron, and Costco models with universal Bluetooth
connectivity. We also list MFi- and ASHA-enabled hearing aids. And we provide a
guide to the streaming accessories that the top brands use to make their hearing
aids Bluetooth-compatible. The table below only includes the latest models that
offer either MFi or ASHA.
iPhone Android
Model Streaming Streaming Hands-Free

Oticon More MFi ASHA MFi or ConnectClip

Oticon Zircon MFi ASHA MFi or ConnectClip

Oticon Play PX MFi ASHA MFi or ConnectClip

Oticon Xceed MFi - ConnectClip

Philips HearLink 9030 MFi ASHA MFi or AudioClip

(Costco)

Earlens Earlens Hearing MFi - -

System

Beltone Imagine MFi ASHA MFi or Phone Link 2

ReSound Omnia MFi ASHA MFi or Phone Clip+

Kirkland Signature KS10 BT Classic BT Classic BT Classic (HFP) or

(A2DP) (A2DP) accessory

Phonak Audeo Lumity BT Classic BT Classic BT Classic (HFP) or

(A2DP) (A2DP) accessory

Phonak Audeo P BT Classic BT Classic BT Classic (HFP) or

(A2DP) (A2DP) accessory

Phonak Naida P BT Classic BT Classic BT Classic (HFP) or

(A2DP) (A2DP) accessory

Phonak Brio 4 (Costco) BT Classic BT Classic BT Classic (HFP) or

(A2DP) (A2DP) accessory

Unitron Moxi Blu BT Classic BT Classic BT Classic (HFP) or

(A2DP) (A2DP) accessory
 iPhone Android
Model Streaming Streaming Hands-Free

Starkey Evolv AI MFi ASHA MFi or Remote

Microphone+

Signia Insio Charge&Go AX MFi ASHA Mfi or StreamLine Mic

Signia Pure Charge&Go AX MFi ASHA Mfi or StreamLine Mic

Widex Moment MFi ASHA COM-DEX or SoundAssist

*Note: what follows is not a "ranking" of the best Bluetooth hearing aids. Rather,
we provide information about the Bluetooth solutions available from each of the
top hearing aid brands. Collectively, the brands we mention account for more than
80% of the premium hearing aids sold worldwide.

Phonak Bluetooth hearing aids

Phonak's Audéo Marvel established the gold standard in Bluetooth hearing aid
connectivity. Introduced in November 2019, Marvel was the first to stream music
and other audio—in stereo—directly to and from any Bluetooth-enabled device.

Marvel has since been superseded by the newer Audéo Lumity, which offers
improved Bluetooth connectivity—they can pair with up to 8 Bluetooth devices
and have 2 active Bluetooth connections. This makes switching between your two
favorite devices much easier. Marvel only offered one active connection.

Phonak Audéo Lumity

 2 reviews

Listed prices are for a pair of hearing aids in US dollars unless otherwise specified.
Prices may change over time, and may vary by region.

$2,650.00 at YesHearing

$139.00/m at hear.com

$2,498.00 at ZipHearing

To deliver binaural streaming of music and phone calls, Phonak developed the
third generation of its SWORD wireless chip. It integrated all the communication
protocols on a single hearing aid chip, including Bluetooth Low Energy (LE).
Together they lessened power consumption and overcome the battery life
limitations of earlier chipsets. And the newest chip (PRISM), which runs Paradise,
offers the same integration with double the memory.

Closed captions are available on this video. If you are using a mobile phone, please enable captions
clicking on the gear icon.
For its other hearing aids, Phonak has an array of wireless accessories, including
streamers, remote microphones, and a TV audio transmitter (which works for
Marvel too). We also recommend reading up on Roger, Phonak’s suite of wireless
remote microphones for those who need extra help hearing in background noise.

Unitron Bluetooth hearing aids

Unitron, another Sonova brand, offers universal Bluetooth connectivity in a
number of product families, including Discover, Discover Next, and Moxi Blu. Moxi
Blu runs on the PRISM chip and offers two active Bluetooth connections with
pairing up to eight different devices—and includes the same tap controls as
Phonak Paradise devices.

Costco Bluetooth hearing aids

Costco, the big box retailer, has hearing centers that offer hearing tests,
professional services, and affordable prices. Costco doesn't manufacture its own
hearing aids but resells products and technology from top manufacturers. Costco
created a stir with the Kirkland Signature 10.0 (now discontinued), which utilized
Sonova's universal Bluetooth PRISM-chip technology. The Kirkland 10.0 model
worked with all Bluetooth devices and has an associated app to manage them.
Like the Phonak and Unitron Bluetooth hearing aids, the KS10 could pair with up
to eight Bluetooth devices.

Costco has consistently provided hearing aids at very competitive price points and
they have continued to do so by lowering the price of their Kirkland brand by $100
vs the KS9. The Kirkland 10.0 hearing aids were offered at $1399.99, including
charger, and we expect the KS 11 to be introduced sometime around the first
quarter of 2023.

For its other hearing aid models, Costco offers Bluetooth-streaming accessories
including a remote control device, a TV audio streamer, a streamer for your
Bluetooth-enabled smartphone, and a remote microphone.

ReSound Bluetooth hearing aids

GN ReSound was the first brand to introduce Made-for-iPhone hearing aids and
more recently ReSound has been a pioneer on direct Android streaming. They
now offer a number of Apple and Android compatible hearing aids including
Omnia, One, Key, LiNX Quattro, and ENZO Q. Streaming from Android is
accomplished using the new Audio Streaming for Hearing Aid (ASHA) protocol.

ReSound OMNIA
2 reviews

Listed prices are for a pair of hearing aids in US dollars unless otherwise specified.
Prices may change over time, and may vary by region.

$3,199.00 at ZipHearing

For other Bluetooth devices, ReSound also offers a variety of accessories that
connect its hearing aids with high-quality audio. The ReSound Phone Clip+
streams calls or audio from your Bluetooth-enabled phone. ReSound Mics can be
placed on a podium, on a speaker's lapel, or on a conference table to pick up
voices and stream them to your hearing aids. And the ReSound Bluetooth TV
streamer attached to the back of your TV delivers audio directly to your hearing
aids without having to go through your streamer. Additionally, the ReSound
Remote Control 2 makes it easy to adjust the volume, change programs, or switch
between streaming accessories.
Dr Cliff's review of ReSound's latest MFi and ASHA compatible hearing aid, ReSound One. Closed
captions are available on this video. If you are using a mobile phone, please enable captions clicking
on the gear icon.

Oticon Bluetooth hearing aids

More is the latest Bluetooth compatible hearing aid from Danish hearing aid
manufacturer Oticon. More is seen by many as an iterative improvement over
Opn, with improved speech processing capabilities, and improved wireless
connectivity. Like Opn, More is MFi compatible, but Oticon has added support for
Android ASHA wireless streaming, and made more future proof for LE Audio,
making More one of the best Bluetooth hearing aids out there.
 Oticon More
23 reviews

Listed prices are for a pair of hearing aids in US dollars unless otherwise specified.
Prices may change over time, and may vary by region.

$139.00/m at hear.com

$3,198.00 at ZipHearing

$1,972.00 at YesHearing

For those who need to connect to other Bluetooth devices (like laptops), or need
hands-free calling, Oticon's ConnectClip streamer delivers a solution. Oticon
offers a TV Adapter that connects to most TVs and other audio devices using
standard cables. With the TV Adapter, stereo sound can stream directly into your
hearing aids from a range of up to 45 feet. The Oticon ON app is designed to
make it easy to manage Bluetooth connections.
Closed captions are available on this video. If you are using a mobile phone, please enable captions
clicking on the gear icon.
Oticon Opn and OpnS hearing aids are Oticon’s previous generations of MFi
hearing aids. With a variety of streamers, Opn and OpnS hearing aids—and most
others from Oticon—provide Bluetooth connectivity with good sound quality.

Starkey Bluetooth hearing aids

Starkey Hearing Technologies was the second brand to introduce a Made-for-
iPhone hearing. The U.S. manufacturer quickly expanded its line of Bluetooth
compatible hearing aids which include both iOS and Android compatibility.
Starkey is the second manufacturer to allow for hands-free calling via their Evolv
AI product. Starkey Bluetooth compatible hearing aids now include several lines
such as Evolv AI, Livio Edge AI, Livio AI, and Livio.

Starkey Evolv AI
9 reviews

Listed prices are for a pair of hearing aids in US dollars unless otherwise specified.
Prices may change over time, and may vary by region.

$139.00/m at hear.com

$2,798.00 at ZipHearing
Starkey's streaming accessories provide Bluetooth connections for its legacy
products or when needed for non-compatible devices. The Starkey SurfLink
streaming accessories provide hands-free phone calls from iPhones and Android
smartphones, and audio streaming from multiple Bluetooth sources. They also
feature remote microphones. And the Starkey TV accessory supports analog and
digital input sources to stream audio from your TV or other audio source directly
to Evolv and Livio hearing aids.

Closed captions are available on this video. If you are using a mobile phone, please enable captions
clicking on the gear icon.

Widex Bluetooth hearing aids

Widex MOMENT Made-for-iPhone hearing aids offer wireless connectivity with
both iOS and Anroid devices. Widex says its signal processing chip set features
independent channel separation with minimal-delay filters to offer clean sound
even while streaming. The Widex MOMENT app lets you set up and manage your
Bluetooth connections.
 Widex MOMENT
9 reviews

Listed prices are for a pair of hearing aids in US dollars unless otherwise specified.
Prices may change over time, and may vary by region.

$2,798.00 at ZipHearing

Widex offers connectivity for non-smartphone Bluetooth devices via its range
of streaming accessories. The COM-DEX streamer hangs from the neck and
streams high-quality sound from any Bluetooth device to your hearing aid. It
offers up to 8 hours of streaming time and comes with an optional remote mic.
Other accessories for the phone, TV, and other Bluetooth devices include
SoundAssist, FM+DEX, TV PLAY, and TV-DEX. The COM-DEX iPhone and Android
smartphone app helps manage the Bluetooth connections.

The company's latest product, the Moment Sheer (SRIC R D) was introduced in
September 2022 with a new housing design that is intended to by discreet and
modern.
Closed captions are available on this video. If you are using a mobile phone, please enable captions
clicking on the gear icon.

Signia Bluetooth hearing aids

Signia Pure Charge&Go AX hearing aids offer both iOS (Apple) and Android
direct wireless connectivity with compatible devices. Signia is one of the few
companies to offer custom in-the-ear (ITE) Bluetooth devices; their new Insio
Charge&Go AX ITEs offer direct audio streaming from iOS devices with the MFi
hearing aid standard, as well as certain Android devices using the newer ASHA
standard.

Signia Insio AX and Pure AX hearing aids offer direct Android streaming via the
ASHA protocol, and hands-free calling on iPhones.
 Signia Pure AX
5 reviews

Listed prices are for a pair of hearing aids in US dollars unless otherwise specified.
Prices may change over time, and may vary by region.

$139.00/m at hear.com

$3,198.00 at ZipHearing

The older Xperience (X) platform also offers direct connectivity but only with
compatible iOS devices. These and other Signia hearing aids stream wireless
audio from Android phones and other Bluetooth devices, including TVs, via
Signia's StreamLine Mic and StreamLine TV accessories. A StreamLine Mic is
also required if you want to connect your hearing aids directly to an Android
phone that does not support ASHA (or other generic Bluetooth devices). A Signia
myControl remote control app manages Bluetooth applications with both iPhones
and Android smartphones.

Bluetooth hearing aid costs

Premium Bluetooth hearing aids aren't inexpensive. A pair can cost anywhere
from $1,399 (at Costco) to $6,000 (or more) for top-end hearing aids.

Streaming accessories cost extra, and prices vary from clinic to clinic; fortunately,
to achieve wireless Bluetooth connectivity, these accessories are needed less and
less. However, when needed, a clip-on streamer can easily add $500 to the cost
of hearing aids. And TV streamers and remote mics can cost even more,
depending on their capabilities. Some local providers do provide discounts
through our hearing aid discounts program.

Alternative Bluetooth-enabled hearables and PSAPs

Several direct-to-consumer hearing aids available online offer Bluetooth
compatibility. In addition, with the recent FDA ruling regarding over-the-counter
(OTC) hearing aids, we’ll likely see a lot more devices become available through
retailers and online sellers.

And of course there is a whole world of Bluetooth-enabled earpieces, hearables,

and PSAPs (personal sound amplification products) to explore. Many of them
integrate high-end hearing aid technology. Often they are less expensive than
Bluetooth hearing aids. Sennheiser's Conversation Clear Plus and Apple's AirPods
Pro 2 are two great examples.

HearingTracker Audiologist Matthew Allsop provides information on how to set up Apple AirPods Pro
earbuds as hearing aids.
OTC hearing aids with Bluetooth streaming
There is quite a lot of confusion about over-the-counter (OTC) hearing aids, and
HearingTracker has recently published an updated list of FDA-registered OTC
hearing aids. In a subsequent article, we've picked what we think are the Top-10
best OTC hearing aids, three of which feature Bluetooth streaming:

Jabra Enhance Plus

Jabra Enhance Plus is a medical-grade self-fitting OTC hearing aid from GN
Hearing, a major global hearing aid manufacturer that makes ReSound and
Beltone hearing aids. At $799 per pair, the Jabra hearing aids look like modern
wireless earbuds but have features more often associated with traditional hearing
aids, including streaming audio and hands-free calling via Bluetooth (iPhones
only).

A quick overview of Jabra Enhance Plus hearing aids by HearingTracker Audiologist Matthew Allsop.
Closed captions are available on this video. If you are using a mobile phone, please enable captions
clicking on the gear icon.
HP Hearing PRO
The HP Hearing PRO is a self-fitting OTC hearing aid branded by Hewlett-
Packard and developed and manufactured by Australian audio device maker
Nuheara. At $699 per pair, the HP Hearing PRO bears a strong resemblance to
one of HearingTracker’s favorite hearables, the Nuheara IQbuds2 MAX—a smart,
rechargeable, Apple and Android compatible earbud that comes with a great self-
fitting app.

HearingTracker Audiologist Matthew Allsop provides an overview of the HP HearingPRO OTC hearing
aid.

Lucid Engage Rechargeable

Lucid is the manufacturer of Liberty hearing aids for Sam’s Club and the owner
of Etymotic Research, which makes high-quality earplugs and headphones. Lucid
Engage Rechargeable—which is essentially the same as the premium Liberty aid
—is a self-fit Receiver-In-canal (RIC) hearing aid that offers Bluetooth streaming
and app-based controls. The OTC hearing aids go for $1000 per pair.
Lucid Engage Rechargeable.

Sound World Solutions HD75R

Sound World Solutions is based in Chicago and started out by offering quality
personal sound amplification products (PSAPs) that were used in several studies,
ultimately proving self-fitting devices can be helpful to people with hearing loss.
The HD75R OTC Behind-the-Ear (BTE) self-fitting hearing aid is rechargeable and
can stream music and phone calls directly to ASHA Android compatible devices
but are not “hands-free (i.e., you can hear conversation via hearing aids but need
to speak into the phone for the caller to hear you). They are offered at $500 per
pair.
Sound World Solutions HD75R BTE hearing aid.

Bluetooth LE Audio: The future of Bluetooth hearing aids

A new Bluetooth specification, Bluetooth 5.2, will provide higher quality audio
with less latency (delay) in wireless streaming and multichannel connectivity with
multiple Bluetooth accessories. All of this will be accomplished with Bluetooth LE
Audio, the “next generation of Bluetooth audio”, available with Bluetooth 5.2.
ReSound One and Oticon More are expected to eventually receive support for LE
Audio.
Closed captions are available on this video. If you are using a mobile phone, please enable captions
clicking on the gear icon.

Auracast to Make Bluetooth More Versatile and

Accessible
In June 2022, the Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG) announced the release of
its new Auracast™ broadcast audio system which uses LE Audio. Auracast is
designed to link Bluetooth hearing devices (including hearing aids, implants,
earbuds, etc) to a public address system or other Auracast-enabled transmitter
through your Bluetooth-compatible smartphone, tablet, or computer. So, if you’re
attending a lecture or a play, an Auracast transmitter might notify your
smartphone that streaming audio is available. Then you’d use the Auracast
Assistant on your phone to simply find and select that sound stream and have it
paired with your Bluetooth hearing device.

Although Auracast is a brand new technology that may take some time for
widespread implementation and use, it promises to expand Bluetooth’s usefulness
to a much wider range of settings and situations, like airports, ticket booths, tours,
personal song/audio sharing, and more.
The bottom line
As much as we love Bluetooth technology at Hearing Tracker, it is only one of
many variables to consider when purchasing hearing devices. Remember, hearing
aids need to function as hearing aids first and foremost, and a local hearing
health professional can provide guidance on what hearing aid options may be
appropriate for you (given your unique hearing needs).
HearingTracker independently reviews products and services. When you buy through our links or
using our discount codes, we may earn a commission.

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Abram Bailey, AuD

Founder and President

Dr. Bailey is a leading expert on consumer technology in the audiology industry.

He is a staunch advocate for patient-centered hearing care and audiological best
practices, and welcomes any technological innovation that improves access to
quality hearing outcomes. Dr. Bailey holds an Au.D. from Vanderbilt University
Medical Center.
Connect →
Discussion
Stephen Pâté
04 September 2019

None of the hearing aids, and I can stand corrected, will stream audio to
the Apple Watch or Android versions. This is a big problem for people who
have the Watch and MFI hearing Aids. Apple is silent on a fix.

reply

Fred B
05 November 2019

I think you mean streaming from the Apple Watch to “made for iPhone”
hearing aids, and you are quite correct. However, you can use the watch
to control the music or podcast streaming from your iPhone to your mfi
hearing aids (I use KS8s), which is handy, but not as slick as eliminating
the need for carrying the phone. That only works with Apple's AirPods,
and perhaps Apple wants to keep it that way. If so, it's I’ll-advised, for few
of us are likely to be pulling out our mfi hearing aids to use AirPods, I
suspect.

reply

Member
23 May 2021

In your article you say " Oticon has added support for Android ASHA wire-
less streaming, and made more future proof for LE Audio, making More
one of the best Bluetooth hearing aids out there"

By "future proof" for BT 5.2, do you mean that the Oticon More has the
firmware needed to upgrade the More to 5.2 by just a software
implementation?
I'm trying to decide between the More and the Phonak Paradise. It sounds
like the Paradise (and the Marvel) have the Classic Bluetooth, which is the
best use of BT currently in the market, but More is set up to be BT 5.2 with
just a software upgrade.

reply

Abram Bailey, AuD

23 May 2021

It is my understanding that More will be upgradeable through a

firmware (software) upgrade, but I don't know if this means it will
deliver hands-free calling, etc. I will try reaching out to Oticon to
see if I can learn more.

reply

Member
25 May 2021

Thank you!

reply

Member
23 June 2021

Thanks for a nice article on the huge minefield of very different methods of
streaming to hearing aids.
I've only recently started to research this and found that manufacturers
heavily cloud their streaming methods with generalisations, often provide
the 2.4GHz label to their wireless abilities but don't give any further de-
tails, or shortcomings. I guess they know that a lot of people equate
2.4GHz with Bluetooth and don't realise it covers other transmission
methods as well, so imply theirs is BT. This creates massive confusion
when comparing models and your article has helped me wade through it.
The fact that the manufacturers don't use dates on any of their web pages
only further adds to the confusion. And their pages and pages of superla-
tives . . (ugh!)
I did however notice that, even though this page was updated on 28
January 2021, some parts are years out of date! e.g. under Unitron you
mention their latest HAs use 'Discover'. I've read elsewhere this was intro-
duced in 2019 and has been since superseded by 'Discover Next' in 2020
and more recently by 'Blu'.

An update would be appreciated.

reply

Abram Bailey, AuD

24 June 2021

Thanks for the note! Yes, admittedly, I am behind on Unitron, but

as a rule of thumb, you can assume very similar functionality be-
tween Blu and Phonak Paradise. Sonova, the parent company of
both, typically releases similar functionality across both brands si-
multaneously. Phonak is the flagship brand with a much larger
market share, so I tend to dedicate more time to Phonak and occa-
sionally get behind on Unitron as a result. As you noted, there are
a lot of models to add to my database!

reply

Member
19 July 2022

What a tremendous article this is!

I have been trying to educate myself on Bluetooth connections for hearing

aids for ages and then I stumble across this Champion of Clarity and all
my questions are answered.

Thank you so much.

 Bizarrely enough I have found lot of information and speculation about the
impact of the new LE Audio and Bluetooth 5.2 on sites dealing with Hi Fi
equipment.

One article mentioned that LE audio in hearing aids will require a different
type of Bluetooth chip from those currently used as the transmitting radio
is made differently from those for MFI, MFA or ASHA.

The conclusion was that to take full advantage of the new technology,
new hearing aids would be needed as the old transmitter radio chips
aren't upgradeable.

Can you clarify if this is the case?

reply

Member
04 August 2022

I would be interested in the answer to this question as I don’t know

whether to buy my hearing aids now or wait

thanks

reply

Leave a comment

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My audiologist recommended AGX hearing aids, but when I look at all the
information on the internet they are barely referenced. Consumer Reports
doesn't include them. How do they rate?
 Oticon More
$2,698
New Average savings of 23%

23 reviews

Phonak Audéo Lumity

$2,600
New Average savings of 21%

2 reviews
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