The Big Six companies have long been the biggest players in the hearing aid market: Phonak, Resound, Oticon, Sivantos, Widex, and Starkey. They have long been the biggest players in the hearing aid market. As of 2019, only the “Big Five” are left. Sivantos and Widex merged together in 2019. But the Big Five’s grip on the market is weakening because of new players like Jabra and Bose, online sales, and changes in the rules about what people can and can’t do. A direct-to-customer hearing aid company called Eargo is one of them. He sent me a pair to review when it came out in January. Here’s how it felt to use them.
Design
You won’t have to change hearing aid batteries every few days with the Eargo 6. It’s rechargeable, so you won’t have to deal with hearing aid batteries every few days. Eargo says that their batteries can last up to 16 hours, depending on how they are used. It tells you to charge them if the hearing aids have less than 25% of their battery life. For more than 12 hours, I didn’t hear that message. The battery life claims seem to be correct. For the case, it should last three days between charges. When I only had one hearing aid, I could go almost a week without having to make an account. If I didn’t wear them all day, I could even go longer.
Eargo 6 will only need to be charged and cleaned once in a while. The company says that you should change the microphone caps and petals every few months. A lot of Eargos come with some extra microphone caps and petals. The petals make it easy to fit the ear canal. The silicone that makes them is soft and flexible. They can be bought in two different sizes and in two different styles.
In the box, the Eargo 6 hearing aids come with medium-sized closed petals already on them. There was a lot of feedback and occlusion the first time I wore them, but I got used to them quickly. When you close your ears, your voice sounds echoy and hollow. The size and shape of the petal were also very painful, almost to the point of pain.
During my first call with Eargo, a hearing professional told me that I should switch to medium-sized open petals to solve all of these things. I didn’t believe that different petals could help cut down on the noise, but she was right. As soon as I put in the right petals, the Eargo 6 hearing aids felt the same as my other hearing aids did.
Ultrasonic Signals
When you want to make Eargo 6 rechargeable and almost unnoticeable, you have to give up a big thing: Bluetooth. App: The Eargo app connects to the charging case with Bluetooth. The hearing aids aren’t Bluetooth-enabled, so the app can’t connect to them. Ultrasonic signals are used to communicate between your phone and your hearing aids.
The hearing professional for Eargo told me that, and then many of Eargo 6’s little quirks began to make sense. The Eargo app tells you to turn the volume up if you try to make changes while the phone volume is too low. Otherwise, the signals won’t be strong enough. A lot of people (like me) make the mistake of only setting up one hearing aid on their first try because they hold their phone off to one side. That can also make changes to the sound of one hearing aid because the user’s head blocks ultrasonic sounds.
Setup
A simple pairing process is shown to customers on the Eargo app. Then, the app uses Sound Match to set up new devices. Sound Match tests the user’s hearing by playing tones at different volumes and frequencies, then asking if they can hear the tones. An audiometry exam, even though it looks a lot like one, shouldn’t be seen as a replacement for one.
You will use the results of Sound Match to make the “Normal” programme for your Eargos after you finish it. Most quiet places, like your home or a school, can use this programme to help them learn.
This hearing aid has a lot of different programmes that can help it work better in different situations. The different programmes change the volume and apply filters, which makes it easier to hear what people are saying and hides background noise. Programs also have settings that stay the same, so lowering the treble in the TV show doesn’t change the increased bass in the Mask show. It’s possible to turn down the volume in a restaurant and then switch back to normal when you leave.
You can also switch between programs by tapping in front of your earlobe, which is how you switch between apps. An accelerometer makes it happen, so you need to be very firm with your hand. When you tap, only one side of your phone changes programs at a time, but it’s a subtle way to change schedules by taking out your phone.
Our Take
The Eargo 6 hearing aids are for people who have mild hearing loss and don’t want anyone to know they’re wearing a hearing aid. If two things happen in a few years: Because the FDA wants to let people buy hearing aids over the counter and because people use earbuds more and more. Will anyone pay more for an invisible hearing aid that doesn’t stream music when no one can tell the difference?
Is there a better alternative?
People haven’t seen anything like the Eargo 6. People don’t use hearing aids that are small, rechargeable, and can be set up on their own, so they are very rare. If you don’t want to be invisible, traditional hearing aids will give you better sound at the same price.
How long will they last?
It has an IPX7 rating, which means it can be submerged in water for up to 30 minutes at a time. If they happen to get wet, they’ll be fine. You should get rid of them as soon as you notice them, though. When the two-year warranty period is over, Eargo will replace each of the hearing aids one time if they are lost or broken. People who work for Eargo may be willing to fix things for a fee. This is all normal for the hearing aid business. Read also; Baseus Blade 100W Power Bank Review: Charge all the things
Should you buy them?
Eargo 6 costs $2,950 per pair, which is comparable to most of its competitors. Costco, for example, sells hearing aids for as little as $1,400 a pair — but they don’t look like hearing aids. If invisibility is the most crucial attribute you seek in a hearing aid, Eargo will go to great lengths to ensure that you are satisfied with your purchase.
