What technology level should I pick for my next hearing aids?
- Koorosh Nejad
- 10 hours ago
- 6 min read
One of the most frequently asked questions I receive from my patients is: "What technology level should I consider for my new hearing aids?" In this article, I will present my opinion on this topic, with a focus on select popular hearing aids in the UK market.
Similar to other sophisticated products, the hearing aids also come in different technology levels.
When you go shopping for a laptop computer, regardless of the computer brand (e.g. Dell, Asus, HP, etc.), it is the technical specifications of the components used in the computer that determine the performance of the device, hence its price range. For example, the specifications such as the speed of the CPU, the amount of memory RAM, the hard-disk capacity and how compact the laptop is can push the price of the computer up to 100% higher. The same is valid for buying a car. If you go to the Mercedes showroom, you would expect to see a price range for a Mercedes E-class 300. It can be available in E300 e, E300 de, E300 AMG, and you can even ask for a different level of interior and add-ons such as a glass roof, alloy wheels, and so on.
Historically, the hearing aid manufacturers have been following the same business model. They always offered their hearing aids in different technology levels depending on the hearing aids ability in its performance in areas such as speech intelligibility, noise and reverb control, sound quality, processing channels, environmental classifiers and so on.
Based on my experience, there are multiple challenges with the hearing aid technology levels offered by the manufacturers:
Often, the terms used to define the technology levels are too technical and too confusing. Some hearing care providers, such as Boots Hearing, have made it easier to understand by offering Platinum, Gold, and Silver product levels. Which is good, but does not clearly show the ability of the hearing aid in different soundscapes.
There are too many tech levels. For example, Signia Silk 7IX has 5 technology levels. So has Oticon Own invisible IIC. Oticon Intent comes in 4 technology levels, and so does Phonak Infinio. This is too confusing for the end user, and believe it or not, sometimes for the audiologists as well.
The price range from the very top to the very bottom tech level is not very large. Let me elaborate on this a bit. Part of the price that you pay for a hearing aid is for the warranty and the aftercare (depending on the hearing care provider that you are dealing with). When you go down on the technology level of hearing aids, the component in price that represents the provider's cost to support you over the life of the hearing aid stays constant.
The good news is that the manufacturers are aware of this challenge, and from the recent product launches in 2025, it seems that the trend is towards fewer tech levels. For example, Starkey Omega was introduced in 3 tech levels only, and Oticon Zeal was released in only one technology level.
According to my sources, more than 70 to 80% of the hearing aid models sold are at their topmost technology level. I think it is easy for the hearing aid manufacturers to see the opportunity for optimising their supply chain by developing fewer technology levels.
How do I pick the right technology level for my new hearing aids?
The lifestyle of a 95-year-old patient and the variety of soundscapes that s/he will be exposed to is quite different compared to a 45-year-old executive who runs a business. One may enjoy gardening and watching TV, and the other might hold business meetings in noisy restaurants and attend busy exhibitions. So first, you need to understand your lifestyle and determine how much you are exposed to complex listening environments.
Here is my short answer to this question: The price difference between the top-of-the-line and the middle technology level for most hearing aids is not that much. Therefore, if money is not the main criterion of selection, then go for the top of the line. This way you
If the price is an important component in your decision-making process, then consider the following to help find the best match between the technology level of the hearing aids and your lifestyle.
Top of the line technology level - Choose this if your life and work expose you to holding conversations in loud, noisy environments most of the time.
Mid-range technology level - Choose a mid-range technology level hearing aid if your lifestyle exposes you to conversations in noisy environments.
Lowest technology level - Choose the base technology level if your budget is absolutely limited and your lifestyle is often very quiet.
If you have a particular brand of hearing aids in mind to purchase, the rest of this article might cover the details about the tech levels of different brands in more detail, so keep reading.
The details of the technology levels of Oticon hearing aids are about the same between different technology generations. For example, Oticon Intent and Oticon Zeal share the same electronics and algorithms. For simplicity, I only review the latest tech-level comparison table of the popular hearing aids in this article.
What technology level of Oticon hearing aids should I consider?
Oticon Intent is the flagship of Oticon hearing aids. It uses artificial intelligence and deep neural network algorithms to improve speech understanding, especially in a noisy environment. More about Oticon Intent hearing aids.
The Oticon Intent comes in 4 technology levels. Oticon Intent 1, 2, 3 and 4. All technology levels of Oticon Intent sound similar when having a conversation in a quiet room with no background noise.
Oticon Intent 1 (and Oticon Zeal NXT CIC) - Oticon Intent 1R is the top of the line of product, featuring the ability to improve the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) by 12 dB through AI and DNN processing. You need to consider this product if you are heavily exposed to loud, noisy environments and need to hear speech in complex soundscapes such as busy restaurants, exhibitions, transit saloons, etc.
Oticon Intent 2 - Oticon Intent 2 is very similar to Oticon Intent 1. It has 5 environmental classifiers, and the Ability to improve the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) by 10 dB through AI and DNN processing with the help of the 4D sensor. It has 20 fitting bands, which is quite efficient for a REM fitting. If on a critical budget, the Oticon Intent 2R might give you all you need from your Oticon and save about £600 for a pair, as it usually has a big price gap versus the Oticon Intent 1R.
Oticon Intent 3 - Oticon Intent 3 R has 3 environmental classifiers and can improve the SNR by 8 dB through AI and DNN processing and better-ear-priority, which picks the sound from the hearing aid with a less noisy signal. It misses two components compared to Oticon Intent 3 R: the 4D sensor and the clear-dynamic. This limits the performance of the aid in speech intelligibility in noisy environments compared to Oticon Intent 2 and Oticon Intent 1. Oticon Intent 3R would satisfy you if your exposure to noisy environments is limited, e.g. meeting friends for dinner in a cosy venue for dinner a couple of times a month.
Oticon Intent 4 - Choose Oticon Intent 4R if your lifestyle does not expose you to complex soundscape. Examples of such a lifestyle are a retired person who mostly at home, alone or with a partner, watching TV and not having a conversation in a noisy environment. It has 14 fitting bands, which is just enough for most hearing loss profiles. It does not have an environment classifier and has only 2 levels to adjust to sudden sound control. Oticon Intent 4 uses AI to help with speech in a noisy environment with a 6 dB boost to SNR (signal to noise ratio). If you are very sensitive to sudden sounds or wind noise, then you must consider higher technology levels.
The good news is that the connectivity features of Oticon Intent are pretty much the same among all tech levels. These connectivity features include:
Bluetooth LE Audio
Auracast ready
Handsfree and tap control on iPhone 11 and higher devices, and for the latest Android devices, including Galaxy 23+ and Google Pixel 8,+ and any other handset that is LE Audio Bluetooth compatible (note: tap control is only available on Oticon Intent 1, 2 and 3)
Please see the Oticon Intent and Oticon Zeal technology levels comparison below. Please book a free telecare consultation if you need more help with Oticon Intent.
Table 1 - Oticon Intent tech levels
Table 2 - Oticon Intent tech levels
Table 3 - Oticon Intent tech levels
Conclusion
Choosing the right hearing aid can be frustrating. My best advice is to spend enough time consulting with your audiologist to get the right and best technology level that your budget can buy.
Please get in touch if you have a question about Oticon Intent that has not been addressed in this review.
Updates
References:
4D Sensor technology and Deep Neural Network 2.0 in Oticon Inten, Oticon, 2024.
Higgins et al. (2023). Head movement and its relation to hearing.
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