Thanks to These Nearly Invisible Hearing Aids, I Don’t Say “What?” Anymore

What We Tested…

• Horizon IX hearing aids (from $1,975, hear.com)

Why I Tested…

How I Tested...

I wore the Horizon IX hearing aids in a variety of settings for about a week, including a crowded store, the car, a Pilates class, a movie theater, watching TV, listening to a podcast, and at Thanksgiving dinner. I took careful notes on how clearly I was able to hear and understand in each location.

Test Results…

• Helpful onboarding experience. I had a sales call introducing me to hear.com and the device. Nicole (the expert sales consultant) was easy to understand, answered my questions, and gave a thorough overview of what to expect. I received my hear.com clinic-in-a-box^® — it was very comprehensive (it comes with a tablet and instructions) — and I took the teleaudiology appointment with an audiologist from my home to make sure the devices were fitted properly. When I had trouble keeping all the cables straight and finding what was needed in the box, my audiologist walked me through the directions.

• Improved hearing quality. When I get up in the morning, I turn on the radio next to my bed. Typically I’m only hearing gibberish. But with the Horizon IX hearing aids, I could hear everything. I sat in my car with the window rolled down and talked with someone on the sidewalk — even with traffic, I could hear them. There is a great deal more clarity and I am not as reliant on reading lips. I went to a store and was able to hear the clerk, despite being in a crowded environment. On Thanksgiving, I was at a celebration with 10 people I didn’t know seated next to the kitchen, where pots and pans were banging. Not only could I hear the person next to me, but I could also talk with several other people farther away. Overall, the hearing aids had a natural sound quality that helped me hear better in a setting with multiple voices and background noise, which helped me better connect with my friends and family.

• Adjustable settings. The hear.com app makes it very easy to adjust the settings on the devices, as if you have your own personal audio assistant. I very much appreciate the “Sharp” setting for speech, as this is something I really need in my line of work. Usually I find being in a room with many people speaking at once painful. The hearing aids helped me relax into the loud environment, and distinguish the sounds and voices in the space.

• Easy to use. These hearing aids are state of the art and learning the procedures, care, and maintenance isn’t difficult.

Sidenotes…

• Bluetooth connectivity. These hearing aids connect directly to earbuds, smartphones, or any Bluetooth device, making it easy to stream shows, podcasts, and phone calls directly to the devices.

• Nearly invisible. Their award-winning design is so discrete and comfortable, and the devices almost look like the latest earbuds. Aka they’ll fly under everyone’s radar.

• Rechargeable. No battery changes required. Just plug them in overnight and they’ll be ready for all-day wear by morning. 

• Relax mode. Need to unwind? Activate the device’s ultra-zen Relax Mode in the hear.com app and enjoy the ambient sounds that reduce stress and increase mindfulness. 

• Game-changing technology. These German-engineered devices are the first of their kind with dual-processing chips, meaning they can process speech and background noise independently, then recombine them for crystal-clear sound.

The Fine Details…

• Horizon IX hearing aids (from $1,975, hear.com) 

• HSA/FSA eligible

• Insurance and flexible finance options available

• Award-winning customer service

• 45-day no-risk trial