This article lists what Soundhearng.org believe to be the best RIC (Receiver in the Canal) hearing aids available in 2022.
When choosing what is the best hearing aid, Sound Hearing considered the following factors:
- Technology
- Customer feedback
- Reliability
- Manufactures’ customer services
Receiver in the Canal Hearing Aids
Receiver in the Canal (RIC) hearing aids are the most popular stye of hearing aids accounting for around 80% of sales in the private sector. RIC hearing aids are discreet, robust and powerful. Compared to many custom in the ear hearing aids, they contain more technology such as bluetooth and multiple microphones that can communicate with each other.
Number 1 – Oticon More – RIC
The Oticon More range of hearing aids are our number one choice. Oticon’s BrainHearing™ technology processes the full sound-scene ensuring the brain receives all the data it needs to work optimally.
To deliver the full sound scene Oticon recorded sounds from real life and used the data (12 million real-life sound scenes) to train a highly Deep Neural Network (DNN).
Customer feedback has been positive with customers finding that the Oticon More hearing aids improve speech understanding in noisy situations. They have also said they are easy to use with their phones and very reliable.
Customers particularly like the stable charger and the ease with which the hearing aids can be inserted and removed from it. This is an important consideration if your eyesight and/or dexterity is impaired.
The hearing aids are reliable and come with a 5 year manufacturer warranty (UK only); Oticon customer services are easily contactable and deliver quickly and Oticon have a world wide presence.
Oticon More is available in 3 technology levels; 3, 2 and the top of the range, 1. All of the range is bluetooth compatible and will connect to Apple (iOS) and many Android phones. The Oticon ON app allows for programme and volume changes and includes the useful find my hearing aids option.
Oticon More is available in a rechargeable version and a Zinc-Air 312 battery version. It is suitable for mild to severe hearing losses.
soundhearing.org has Oticon More available from £1000.75. Please click here full the full price list and additional product information.
Oticon More official page can be found here
Additional information about brain hearing can be found here
Number 2 – Resound ONE – RIC
The Danish GN Resound released the Resound ONE is soundhearing.org second best hearing aid of 2022. The Resound ONE comes with Microphone and Receiver in the Ear technology (M&RIE). M&RIE discreetly places an additional (3rd) microphone inside the ear canal resulting in a natural listening experience. M&RIE also allows for the UltaFocus feature where all 6 microphones of the hearing aid system are able to focus on speech from the front.
Our customers rehabilitate to the ‘Resound Sound’ very easily and they also find the Resound One Smart 3D App very easy to use.
The Resound Premium Charger has a battery built into the charger allowing for charging on the move. Insertion and removal from the charger requires little effort.
The hearing aids come with a 5 year manufacturer warranty and are available in 3 technology levels: 5, 7 and the top of the range Resound ONE 9.
Resound ONE is available in a rechargeable version and a Zinc-Air 312 and longer lasting 13 battery version. Suitable for mild to severe hearing losses.
Sound Hearing has Resound ONE available from £1015.75. Please click here for all Resound One pricing extra product information.
GN Resound, ONE product page can be found here
Number 3 – Starkey Evolv – RIC
Starkey a US company founded in 1967. In the UK they have a manufacturing facility in Stockport.
Evolv-AI is the successor to the popular Starkey Livio and Livio AI hearing aids.
Starkey have included Edge mode in the top three technology levels of Evolv AI. Edge mode uses artificial intelligence to scan the listening environment and make real-time adjustments to maximise speech understanding.
Hearing Reality Pro analyses and understands the listening environment and then uses binaural signal processing and adaptive microphone directionality to adjust the hearing aids. This gives the best possible hearing in any listening environment.
Evolv AI allow for 2-way audio from iOS devices. Answer your phone by pressing a button on the hearing aid.
The Thrive phone App has a number of new features which allow you to adjust and fine tune your hearing aids. It also has fall alert, brain and body tracking (counts your steps).
Since the product is so new to the UK, we have no customer feedback yet hence position three. We are; nevertheless, confident that it will be as positively received as Livio AI. Starkey customer services are renowned in the industry for their superior service.
The Evolv AI charger is easy to use and contains a battery for charging on the go. It is slightly bulky to fit in a small bag though a smaller Turbo charger is available which reduces size and charging time.
Starkey Evolv AI is available in 4 technology levels: 1200, 1600, 2000 and the top of the range 2400.
The RIC version is available in rechargeable and 312 Zinc-Air micro RIC and a standard 312 RIC .
Starkey have also released the Evolv AI in all hearing aid styles – IIC, ITC, ITE and BTE.
Sound Hearing has Evolv AI available from £803.25.
Please click here for all Starkey Evolv AI pricing and extra product information.
Or visit Starkey’s own product page for Evolv AI.
Number 4 – Widex Moment – RIC
Released in 2020, the Widex Moment superseded the Widex Beyond range of hearing aids.
Widex Moment introduces two new technologies: PureSound and TruAcoustics. PureSound technology reduces the time it takes for a hearing aid to process sound. Hearing-aid wearers often report a tinny or distorted sound. This is due to the time difference between a direct sound signal hitting the ear drum and the processed sound from the hearing aid. Widex PureSound has zero processing delay and their research concludes this results in a natural and distortion-free sound.
Widex TruAcoustics ensures the hearing aid produces the correct amount of volume at the eardrum. For the hearing aid user, TruAcoustics technology results in an accurate fitting prescription, a natural sound and improved speech recognition.
Insertion and removal from the Widex Charger is simple, although the charger has no built in battery for charging on the go.
The Widex Moment App is excellent, allowing users to adjust volume change programmes and to fine tune their hearing aids. Wearers can also take advantage of AI to let the hearing aid learn how you like to hear with SoundSense Learn.
Customer feedback has been positive, especially from existing Widex users who were upgrading.
Widex Moment is available in 4 technology levels: 110, 220, 330 and the top of the range 440.
Widex Moment RIC is available as rechargeable, 312 Zinc-Air Battery and in the smallest RIC on the market, using a size 10 battery. Moment is also available in BTE, IIC, CIC, ITC, and ITE styles.
Sound Hearing has the Widex Moment available from £845.75. Click here for all prices and more information.
Widex’s Moment product page can be found here.
Number 5 – Phonak Audeo Paradise – RIC
Phonak released the Audeo Paradise in 2020. Phonak, until the recent iOS update, had the only hearing aid on the market that allowed for direct 2-way audio between phone and hearing aids. Before this, all hearing aid users who did not have a Phonak Marvel/Paradise, needed an intermediary phone clip/loop to achieve hands free calling.
Audeo Paradise uses the new AutoSense 4.0 software. AutoSense constantly scans the listening environment and fine tunes the audio with up to 200 adjustments for an optimised listening experience.
Audeo Paradise contains motion sensors which detect when the user is stationary or in motion and then automatically adjusts the microphones and the dynamic noise reduction system to maximise speech intelligibility. The motion sensor compatible hearing aids also contain double tap – answer a phone call by tapping the hearing aid.
Phonak used to send the mini charger case with all new orders. Due to supply chain issues, Phonak were unable to produce the mini charger case in mid 2021. Since then, they have been providing the Phonak Charger Case Combi as standard (without the Phonak Power Pack).
Customers have found that the sound quality and hearing in noise is excellent with Phonak. However, those with dexterity issues have found it hard to remove and insert the hearing aids into the charger.
The myPhonak App is good and allows users to fine tune their own hearing aids.
Audeo Paradise is available in 4 technology levels: 30, 50, 70 and the top of the range 90.
Audeo Paradise comes in a rechargeable version and a Battery Zinc-Air 312 and 13 model.
Sound Hearing have Paradise available from £845.75. Please click here for all Phonak Audeo Paradise pricing and extra product information.
Phonak’s own product page for Audeo Paradise can be found here.
New Phonak Life Hearing Aids
Phonak will be releasing the Phonak Life early 2022 in the UK. Life will be waterproof, shower proof and sweat proof. Life will induction charging, which should make insertion and removal from the new charger much easier. If you are considering buying Phonak Paradise you may want to consider waiting for Life to be released.
Age Related Hearing Loss
In the UK, around 12 million people (approx. 18% of the population) suffer from hearing loss. The cause of most hearing loss is longevity.
As we age, we lose our ability to hear soft sounds, especially in the high frequencies (treble range). The result is that you may feel people are mumbling. You may also find yourself regularly adjusting the TV volume and you may be unsure whether the volume is too loud and bothersome to neighbours. In noisy environments, you may feel yourself straining to follow a conversation. Often, people report that in a restaurant or café environment, the effort they put into listening is tiring; they then find themselves disengaging.
Our brains process our hearing, and as our hearing deteriorates, not enough sound data reaches the brain to make sense of the incoming speech. The brain will try and fill in the gap; however, this takes a lot of effort and explains why you may find what should be a pleasurable meeting, tiring.
By treating age-related hearing loss with hearing aids, you allow the right amount of sound to reach the brain. As a result, understanding speech becomes easier and social environments become less frustrating (or tiring) and pleasurable again.
Hearing Tests
To arrange a full diagnostic hearing test or find out more about the latest hearing aids, email: info@soundhearing.org
Not sure if you have a hearing loss? Try our free online hearing test, as a starting point. Click here