Product review: Signia Active Mini IX, the smallest easy-fit ITE hearing aid
- Koorosh Nejad
- Jul 16
- 5 min read
Updated: Jul 21
Signia is the leader in hearing aids that look like music earbuds. Their Active Pro, X, and IX technology platforms were and still are very popular. The new Signia Active Mini IX earbud hearing aid is the same powerhouse as Signia Active Pro IX but with two major changes: a. it is smaller and looks nicer, and b. It is available in 5 tech levels. Signia's in-house survey indicates that Signia IX technology does 22% better in speech understanding in noise compared to hearing aids with AI. A big claim; read more to learn about Signia Active Mini IX.
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Overall product feature: Signia Active Mini IX
Here is the list of product features for Signia Active Mini IX:
Suitability: The Active Mini IX suits mild to moderate hearing losses and makes an excellent first hearing aid.
Rechargeable - Up to 21 hours per charge, fast charging, pocket-sized portable case for top-ups on the go. A 30-minute charge gives you 5 hours of run time—portable charger with Q charging.
Durability: IP68.
2-in-1 - Looks and streams like a music earbud, but it is also a hearing aid. Calls, music and media from iPhone and Android (ASHA and LE Audio), with hands-free calling on iPhone and LE Audio Android phones.
Accessories - Works with Signia TV Sound and StreamLine Mic.
AI assistant in the app - Signia Assistant adjusts your sound on request, and motion sensors adapt it as you move through the day
Tinnitus support - Notched Noise Therapy delivered unnoticeably within everyday amplification.
Three colours - Black, White and Beige.
Comfort - 97% of wearers were satisfied with the design's comfort in Signia's internal research. A wide range of Signia eartip sleeves warrants the comfort of the fitting. However, please be aware that there might be a patient for whom the Signia Active Mini IX does not stay in the ear canal due to the irregular shape of the ear canal.
I just had a hearing test, and it seems that I have a mild to moderate hearing loss. Is Signia Active Mini IX suitable for me?
If you recently had a hearing test and were just diagnosed with a hearing loss, then there is a very high chance that your hearing loss is only mild to moderate sloping. This is the type of hearing loss that is due to the natural deterioration of the human auditory system that starts about age 50. The Signia Active Mini IX is designed for mild to moderate hearing loss, so it would be a perfect choice of a hearing aid for first-time users.
I am a first-time user and looking for a discreet hearing aid. Should I choose Signia Silk CIC or Signia Active Mini IX?
I have discussed the answer to the above question in length in a separate article, which I invite you to take a look. Although they are both quite discreet, there are considerable differences between the two models that you need to study in this article first.
How do I choose the technology levels of Signia Active Mini IX?
My advice to my patients in choosing the technology level of their hearing aid is to go by their lifestyle. The following table is a comparison of the 5 technology levels of Signia Active Mini IX. As you can see in the right-hand side column, I have explained what kind of lifestyle the tech level is suitable for. If you still lead an active lifestyle with lots of meetings and socialising events in relatively busy and noisy environments, then you should not deviate from the 7IX, which is the top technology level of the Signia Active Mini IX. For quieter lifestyles, you may start stepping down to 5IX, and so on.
Tech Level | Feature | Suitable for |
7IX | The best Real-Time Conversation Enhancement ●●●●● Three focus streams Spatial SpeechFocus Motion sensor Auto EchoShield 12 kHz bandwidth 48 channels | Challenging listening environment Group chat in busy and noisy environments |
5IX | Good Real-Time Conversation Enhancement ●●●● One focus stream Motion sensor 36 channels | Group conversations: focus on a single speaker |
3IX | Real-Time Conversation Enhancement ●● Augmented Focus Motion sensor 32 channels | Every day listening with occasional noise - our value pick |
2IX | Augmented Focus Adaptive directionality Speech and noise management 24 channels | Quieter lifestyles |
1IX | Augmented Focus automatic directionality SpeechStabilizer 16 channels | Straightforward listening needs on a budget |
What groups of patients could benefit from Signia Active Mini IX?
If you are asking whether the Signia Active Mini IX is suitable for me, here is the answer. The newly released Signia Active Mini IX hearing aids are suitable for patients, including:
Patients with a mild to moderate hearing loss (send us your audiogram if not sure about this).
First-time hearing aid users who wish to test the water by getting into wearing hearing aids, but also are concerned about the vanity and the image of wearing hearing aids; they just look like music earbuds!
Patients with an active lifestyle who need in-the-ear (ITE) hearing aids so they can wear helmets, e.g. for mountain biking, or safety glasses for work or active sport and do not want behind-the-ear hearing aids for comfort and the hassle.
Patients who absolutely hate having something behind their ears all the time, which interferes with their glasses, especially patients with multiple sets of glasses they need to frequently switch between.
The medical team that uses masks. Removing masks often removes a behind-the-ear hearing aid and adds to the risk of losing the hearing aid.
Patients with an irregular ear shape (pinna) that does not accommodate behind-the-ear hearing aids; hence, the best option is in-the-ear hearing aids.
Patients look for a budget pair of hearing aids to start with: Signia Active Mini 3IX and 1IX.
What does Signia Active Mini IX miss?
Signia Active Mini IX is a great choice, especially for first-time hearing aid users. I would say it is very acceptable that Signia Active Mini IX misses things such as a telecoil. However, I wish it were Auracast ready. Also, at the time of this article, Signia has no plan to make a CROS transmitter for the Active Mini IX.
Does Signia Active Mini IX work with my mobile phone?
Please use the compatibility page on the Signia website to see if your Android device is compatible with hands-free and streaming through Signia Active Mini IX.
What is the range of available accessories for Signia Active Mini IX?
The 3 popular Signia accessories for hearing aids are the Signia TV streamer, the remote control and the Streamline remote microphone.
What is the best price for Signia Active Mini IX hearing aids?
There are a few suppliers for Signia Active Mini IX hearing aids, including HearingNow. Please see the price of Signia Active Mini IX earbud hearing aids here.
Questions
Please click below to book a free online consultation with our audiologist if you have any questions about Signia Active Mini IX.
Updates
At the time of the release, only the black colour is available for Signia Active Mini IX
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