- In this video, I'm sharing my picks for the best custom and non-custom in the ear hearing aids as we enter 2021. Coming up. (upbeat music) 2012 once again proved
to be a fantastic year for the development of new
hearing aid technology. And while receiver in
the canal hearing aids usually get all of the attention there are some fantastic
custom and non-custom in ear hearing aids that you
should be aware of as well. That being said, if you
do want to see my picks for the best receiver in
canal hearing aids in 2021, I real link that video in the description. Now for the usual disclaimer where I explained that it does not matter how awesome any of the hearing
aids are in this video, unless you go to a
hearing care professional who can maximize the
performance of those devices by following best practices when fitting and programming them. Now, if you don't know
what best practices are then I highly recommend
you also check out my video talking about best practices that I will link in the description. Also, I am fully aware that
there are a lot of you out there who want me to discuss
pricing in this video. I just wanna let you know that it is nearly impossible to do so because pricing is heavily
influenced based on the city and state that you live in and whether or not the
hearing care provider that you see dispenses hearing aids in a bundled or unbundled fashion. Now, most of the hearing aids
that I'll be talking about in this video do have a detailed review on my YouTube channel. So if any one of them peaks your interest they should, you check out those videos on my YouTube channel as well. All right, let's go ahead
and get into my picks for the best custom and
non-custom hearing aids as we enter 2021. And in no particular order, the first hearing aid on the list is the Phonak Virto Marvel Titanium. The Virto Marvel Titanium is an invisible in the canal hearing aid that is of course made out of titanium. The reason this hearing
aid is made from titanium and not the typical
acrylic plastic material is because it is 15 times
stronger than acrylic. So Phonak can actually reduce the size of the shelter 0.2 millimeters which is 50% thinner than an acrylic shell which allows Phonak to reduce
the size of this device by an additional 26% compared
to the acrylic version of this hearing aid. You can technically get
the Virto M Titanium with a medium power or
super power receiver but I have never successfully fit someone with more than a moderately
severe hearing loss with this hearing aid due
to feedback limitations that is typical with an IIC hearing aid. Also, while the titanium device is smaller power and super power receivers can still make these hearing aids too big for some people with smaller ear canals. The titanium comes in two
different technology levels. The tier one premium level M90 and the tier two advanced level M70. While you will save some money dropping from tier one to tier two as with any hearing aid brand, you will also lose some
customization and features as you drop down in technology level. While these devices do not have Bluetooth wireless connectivity, you can still easily use a
set of over the ear headphones and in some cases, earbuds buds even while wearing the
titanium hearing aids. The titaniums use a size 10
disposable hearing aid battery which is the smallest hearing
aid battery on the market to keep these devices
as small as possible. You should expect to get
around three to five days worth of battery life. But this does depend
on how many hours a day you wear your hearing aids and how much amplification
you need with your devices. You do have a simple push
button on each battery door which can be programmed to
change volume or change programs. In my opinion, Phonak is one of the best when it comes to custom made products. And this skillset really shows with the physical comfort that you get with a titanium hearing aid. Overall, this hearing aid is perfect for the individual who
wants a discreet hearing aid and for any individuals
who just don't wanna fuss with all these different things
like Bluetooth connectivity. All right, moving on to the
second hearing aid on the list which is the ReSound Quattro
Custom ITE the ear hearing aid the ReSound Quattro Custom ITE was the first custom ITE hearing aid that could stream not
only from an Apple device, but from an Android device as well. This streaming capability is available in any Custom ReSound Quattro hearing aid from the completely in canal size up to their full shell ITE models. While this hearing aid is
not technically hands-free because you still have
to talk into your phone when you're on a phone call, all of the sound that's coming
from your phone or tablet or whatever you have it connected to will stream directly into
both of your hearing aids. So you can hear whatever
it is significantly better. And this includes phone calls, it includes podcasts or
YouTube videos or even music. The ReSound Quattro Custom ITE hearing aid comes in a variety of different sizes. You have an invisible in the canal size all the way up to the full
shell in the ear size. But if you want to be
able to stream Bluetooth you have to at least have the
microphone in helix or larger. More on that here in a minute. The ReSound Quattro ITE come in three different technology levels starting with the tier one
premium level Quattro nine, the tier two advanced level Quattro seven and the tier three basic
level, Quattro five. The Mic in Helix version
of this hearing aid which I mentioned a few seconds ago, frees up some extra space
inside of the hearing aid for a telecoil or a more powerful receiver while still keeping the hearing aid relatively small inside of your ear canal. Also by removing this
microphone from the face plate of the hearing aid, it
allows for a bigger vent size which can help reduce the occlusion effect which is the sound of your own voice being boomi and loud to yourself. And it can allow for
increased amplification without getting feedback or whistling. The ReSound Quattro
Custom ITE hearing aids can fit a wide range of hearing losses anything from a mild hearing loss all the way up to a profound hearing loss by using either a multi-power receiver all the way up to an ultra power receiver. The ReSound smart 3d app is one
of the best hearing aid apps in the industry that
you had direct access to with these custom devices. This app is great because it allows you to make some customizations
of your own programming, whether that be volume control or doing a low, mid or
high frequency adjustment. But the best thing about it is that you can actually connect remotely with your hearing care professionals. So if you have difficulty
making it into their office if you're home bound
or something like that you can still have live
remote programming sessions with your hearing care professional. You can also use the app to activate any of the remote
accessories that ReSound has including the TV streamer, the
multi-mic and the micro-mic. Overall, the ReSound Quattro Custom in the ear hearing aid
is a terrific hearing aid for anybody who wants really
good Bluetooth connectivity and who wants access to an amazing app. Moving on to the third
hearing aid on the list. We are right back to Phonak or we're going to be talking about their Virto Marvel Black
Custom hearing aid. This hearing aid does come in a size 10 disposable battery option as well as a size 312 non wireless disposable battery option. But the real excitement comes into play with the wireless version
of the size 312 battery. The Virto Marvel 312 version
can wirelessly connect to virtualy any Bluetooth device whether it's an Apple
device or an Android device and stream that audio directly into both of these custom hearing aids. These devices are also
completely hands free so you do not need your
phone in your possession to be able to talk on the phone because the microphone's on the actual hearing aids themselves will pick up your voice
and send it to the person on the other end of the line. When it comes to technology levels Phonak has four tiers
of the Virto Marvel 312. Starting with the tier one
premium level Marvel 90 down to the tier four
basic level Marvel 30. You can get this hearing aid in a half shell size or a full shell size with anything from a
moderate power receiver, all the way up to an ultra power receiver for anybody with a mild all the way up to profound hearing loss. But again, you can only
get these hearing aids with a size 312 batteries. So you cannot upgrade to a size 13 battery which is larger and
stores more battery life. Another thing that you
cannot get is a telecoil with this hearing aid. The Virto Marvel 312 hearing aid uses the exact same MyPhonak app to make custom adjustments
to your own devices, as well as connect remotely with your hearing care professional. If you want your hearing care professional to be able to make programming adjustments even when you're not in their office. This hearing aid is directly compatible with all of the Phonak
wireless accessories including the award-winning
Rodger microphone lineup and the TV connector if
you wanna stream audio directly from your TV into your devices. Overall the Virto Marvel Black is one of the best hearing aids. If you want your hearing aids to look more like a consumer electronic device and if you want your devices to be able to have great Bluetooth connectivity. Fourth on the list is the
Custom Starkey Livio Edge Ai. The custom version of the
Livio Edge Ai hearing aid stands out due to the fact that it is the only fully featured custom rechargeable
hearing aid on the market. The rechargeable case stores
an additional three charges and takes only a three
and a half hour charge to give the Livio Edge Ai hearing aids 23 hours of battery life. You can get this hearing aid
in a black color as well. So if you're the type of person that wants your hearing aid to look more like a consumer electronic device you can get that with
this hearing aid as well. While this is a made
for iPhone hearing aid it does have the ASHA Bluetooth protocols. So you can connect with an Apple
device or an Android device for direct streaming into
both of the hearing aids. Technically the Custom Livio Edge Ai only comes in the tier
one premium model i2,400, but you can get the non
Edge Livio Ai version in the tier two advanced level i2000 all the way down to the tier
five essential level i1000. So what do I mean when I say edge? Well, the feature edge mode is available only in the Livio Edge
Ai premium model devices and it uses edge computing
to help you hear better in a background noise situation. Lemme go ahead and just
play you a sound sample with edge mode off and with edge mode on. (crowd cheering) - [Announcer] (mumbles). - The Custom Livio Edge Ai hearing aids come in three different sizes. You have the, in the canal size the half shell size
and the full shell size and these hearing aids
can fit a wide range of hearing losses, anything from a mild to
profound hearing loss with a 70 gain receiver but, just know that if you
have a really small ear canal that 70 gain receiver is
a very large receiver. So what might force you into
a larger size hearing aid? If you do happen to get
the full shell version of this hearing aid, you will
have access to a telecoil but anything smaller than the full shell you will not get a telecoil. The Custom Livio Edge Ai hearing
aids still give you access to the Starkey thrive app,
which gives you a body and brain score that make
up your thrive score. The intent of this type of tracking is to encourage you to
use your hearing aids more since your hearing, your brain and your physical well-being
are all closely linked. The thrive app also acts
as your remote control so you can make custom adjustments
to your own hearing aids and you get access to the
hearing care anywhere features. So your hearing care professional can make remote adjustments
to these hearing devices when you're not in their office as well. These hearing aids are also great for someone who needs a caretaker thanks to the Starkey thrive care app which lets hearing aid
users share their health and wellness information with
the people of their choosing giving peace of mind to their caregivers and the hearing aid user alike. Overall, if you want a
customer chargeable hearing aid or you want a hearing aid that can track a whole bunch of different health and wellness information about you then the Custom Livio Edge Ai
hearing aid is a great option. The fifth hearing aid on the list is the Signia Silk Xperience invisible in the canal hearing aid. The Signia Silk has
been around for a while and is a generic fit IIC hearing aid that does not require a
custom ear mold impression or a 3d ear scan. It is technically the smallest daily wear where I see hearing aid that
uses either click sleeves or click domes to adjust the physical fit of the device in your ear. It uses the very small size 10 disposable hearing aid battery. And it does not give you any
other kind of external features like a push button for you
to make any adjustments with. While this may make the outer appearance of this hearing aid to
be overly simplistic there is nothing simplistic about the performance of this hearing aid since it was built on the
Signia experience platform. The Silk X devices come in five
different technology levels from the tier one premium silk seven X to the tier five basic silk one X. This hearing aid is way
too small for a telecoil or for Bluetooth connectivity but somehow this hearing
aid actually works with the signee app to make
remote control adjustments to your devices and give you access to your hearing care professional
through the app as well. What's crazy is that it still has ear to ear wireless communications. So you can technically
use this hearing aid with a cross transmitter. So if you're someone who
needs to have cross treatment or by cross treatment, because you have single-sided deafness you can still use these hearing aids for that type of hearing loss. Due to the extremely small
size of this hearing aid it only has access to a 50 gain receiver which is generally suitable for someone with a mild to moderate hearing loss. And in some cases, a
moderately severe hearing loss depending on the size and
shape of your ear canal. Overall, the Signia Silk
experience IIC hearing aid is a terrific hearing aid for someone who wants
a really small device and who wants the device
that does not require a custom ear mold impression
or a custom 3d scan. And last, but definitely not least the sixth hearing aid to
make my lists of best custom and non-custom in the
ear hearing aids in 2021. And this one is kind of
in a category of its own. It's the Phonak Lyric. The Phonak lyric is an invisible
extended wear hearing aid which means that instead of
putting in your hearing aid in the morning and taking it out at night you have it professionally
placed deep inside of your ear canal by your
hearing care professional and have it replaced every two
and a half to three months. The crazy thing about the lyric is that you can tell someone
to look inside of your ear and they will still not
see this hearing aid. The lyric hearing aid has an outer layer of soft and very comfortable
biocompatible foam that encases a digitally
programmable analog hearing aid and permanent battery. The reason why you have to have your lyric hearing aid replaced by your hearing care
professional every three months is because the battery
only lasts that long. You basically do
everything with the lyric. You sleep in the lyric,
you shower in the lyric you ride your bicycle with the lyric. You wear a helmet with the lyric. You can use earbuds or
headphones with the lyric. In fact, the only things
that you cannot do with the lyric is go get an MRI and completely submerged
your head under water. Since you sleep in the lyric, it's one of the best hearing aids to help manage your tinnitus while you're trying to fall asleep. And from a security
standpoint, it's terrific because (mumbles) you would
take other hearing aids out of your ears at night you can actually hear
while you're sleeping. This hearing aid is small but it can actually fit a
wide range of hearing losses because it's so close to your eardrum. So if you have a mild hearing loss all the way up to a severe hearing loss there is a solid chance that
the lyric would work for you. To be able to use the lyric you have to have a large
enough of an ear canal and you cannot produce
massive amounts of earwax. Both of those are Contra indications for this particular device, but they do have a vast array of sizes of these hearing aids. You have an extra, extra small all the way up to an extra, extra large. The lyric does not come in
multiple technology levels. You basically only have one tech level of this particular hearing aid and it functions off of
a subscription basis. So what happens is you go into your hearing care professional, you subscribe to lyric for a year that covers your cost of devices as well as all of the professional
care that will receive over the course of that year. And each time that that
one-year Mark comes up, you're repaying your subscription fee. Lyric has actually been
around for a while. And in late 2020, Phonak
released lyric version four which touts a smaller size and
better resistance to earwax. Overall, if you do not want anybody to ever see your hearing aid or you want to have a hearing aid that you just put into your ear and leave it alone and
go and live your life then the lyric four should be on your short
list of devices to consider. All right guys, those are my
six picks for the best custom and non-custom in the
ear hearing aids in 2021. And a lot of them are on par with a lot of the amazing receiver and canal hearing technology
that you hear a lot more about. Just remember, there are a
lot of amazing hearing aids out there and your success
with any one of them largely depends on how familiar your hearing care
professional is with each one. And of course, whether
or not your hearing care professional follows best practices when fitting and
programming the hearing aids to your hearing loss. That's it for this video. If you have any questions leave them in the comment section below. If you liked the video, please share it. And if you wanna see other
videos, just like this one go ahead and hit that subscribe button. Also feel free to check out my website, Dr. CliffAuD.com. (soft music)
