Widex is among the top five hearing aid brands in the world. Like competitors, Widex offers Bluetooth streaming, rechargeable batteries, and AI-powered noise reduction.
What sets this brand apart? Speed.
Widex hearing aids process sound faster than any competitor on the market. While some claim that the standard millisecond delay is undetectable to the human ear, Widex diehards are notoriously loyal to the brand's unique sound quality.
In this article, we'll explore the backstory of the Widex brand, unpack their newest technology, hearing aid models, pricing, and more.
In preparation, I sat down with Sr. Director of Audiology Dana Helmink to discuss what makes Widex different and why the brand is obsessed with sound processing speed.
Widex History and Models
Widex hearing aids are sold in almost 100 countries, and the company employs approximately 3,800 people worldwide.
In 2019 Widex and Signia joined forces to create WSA audiology. Widex and Signia still operate their brands independently. Widex is based in Denmark, with U.S. headquarters in New York City.
Widex was founded in 1956 when engineer Christian Tøpholm and businessman Erik Westermann converted Tøpholm’s home cellar into a workshop and production hall. The Widex 561 was born, and the business was off and running.
By 1988 the brand began to take the lead. Widex introduced the Quattro Q8 as the first digitally programmable hearing aid with remote control.
In 1995, the Widex Senso Series was the world's first digital in-the-ear (ITE) hearing aid.
By the mid-90s, Widex began to find its focus. Sound quality. While other brands were racing towards the latest in Bluetooth and rechargeable batteries, Widex focused on creating natural sound.
Today the company's thesis is much the same. Dana shared that in 2023 Widex is focused on new features that provide better sound quality to address the challenges of living with hearing loss. That doesn't mean the brand doesn't offer new features (more on that below), but it does shift the focus away from shiny objects and back to the core value - sound.
An Important Note 🌎
Widex is a leader in sustainability. The Widex headquarters, located just outside Copenhagen, use a geothermal system that uses groundwater as a heat reservoir to store an entire year's worth of heating and cooling.
A windmill rises above the HQ to deliver more power than Widex uses. Not only does this make the headquarters CO2-neutral - it also allows Widex to return excess energy to the electricity grid, providing a CO2-free contribution to the local area.
The Last 10 Years of Widex Models
2022: Widex MOMENT SHEER (current)
2020: Widex MOMENT
2018: Widex EVOKE
2016: Widex BEYOND
2015: Widex UNIQUE
2013: Widex DREAM
Current Widex Hearing Aid Models
Widex releases a new product line every few years. Each line has updated features and better sound quality.
Widex launched the Widex Moment Sheer line of products in September 2022. Moment Sheer offers rechargeable batteries and Bluetooth connection but skips some more adventurous features that Starkey and ReSound added with their latest products.
The biggest advancement in the Widex Moment Sheer line is speed of sound-processing. Moment processes sound in .5 milliseconds. The next closest competitor is 10X slower at 5 milliseconds.
I talked to Sr. Director of Audiology Dana Helmink about why speed matters so much to Widex. She explained that the speed at which sound goes from the microphone on your hearing aid to the receiver in your ear has a lot to do with how "digital" or artificial the sound in your ears feels.
She explained that people have just gotten used to hearing aids having a particular “radio-quality” sound in other hearing aids and have accepted it.
That digital feeling is our brain perceiving a time gap between the natural sound that comes in through our ears and the sound our hearing aids produce. By increasing the processing speed, Widex increases sound clarity and creates a natural soundscape.
Widex Hearing Aids and Music
One benefit of Widex's low-latency sound is better music quality. Many hearing aid wearers find that traditional devices distort the sound of music in an effort to reduce "background noise" at a live performance.
Widex Moment Sheer achieves its natural sound quality through its Zero Delay and Pure Sound technology (branded terms to describe processing speed). These technologies speed up the processing and deliver a less distorted and smoother, more authentic sound quality.
Let’s take a closer look at the Widex Moment Sheer lineup.
Widex Moment Sheer hearing aids come in several shapes and sizes. Each device uses the latest Widex computer chip system (the brain), but the hardware varies. If you are interested in Widex, you'll get your choice of five form factors.
Widex's custom hearing aids come in three sizes, from completely in the canal to a larger earbud size.
The overall sound processing is the same throughout the line, but some technology like Bluetooth and rechargeable batteries is only available in larger sizes. Here are the features from left to right:
Widex Moment - Receiver In Canal
- Most popular style that is best for mild to severe hearing loss
- Rechargeable
- Stream phone calls, music, and podcasts from Android or Apple devices
- Sits comfortably behind the ear and has buttons or an app for volume changes
Widex Moment - Behind The Ear
- Made for people with a wide range of hearing loss from mild to severe or profound
- Comes with disposable or rechargeable batteries
- Allows streaming through Apple and Android
- Sits behind the ear with buttons or an app for volume changes
Widex Moment Completely In Canal Micro
- Smallest size, nearly invisible
- Custom molded to fit your ear
- Uses a disposable size 10 battery
- Best for mild to severe hearing loss
- Does not allow Bluetooth streaming
- Volume and program control through a Widex app or remote control
- Does not allow remote programming
Widex Moment Completely In Canal
- Second smallest size
- Custom molded to fit your ear
- Uses a disposable size 10 battery
- Best for mild to severe hearing loss
- Does not allow Bluetooth streaming
- Volume and program control through a Widex app or remote control
- Allows remote programming
- Best for those who want a small hearing aid with remote programming
- Compatible with a wide range of Widex accessories
Widex Moment XP
- Largest custom molded device
- Uses a disposable size 312 battery for 2-3 days longer life
- Best for mild to severe hearing loss
- Does not allow Bluetooth streaming
- Volume and program control through a Widex app or remote control
- Allows remote programming
- Best for those with dexterity challenges and a need for longer battery life
Widex hearing aids also come in a variety of technology levels.
Widex offers each of the above styles at four technology levels. Each time you go up a level, you get more features for an increased price.
Widex Moment Sheer 440 - is the top technology level available in the line. The 440 comes with a complete set of sound processing features, including wind noise reduction, speech enhancement, and 15 adjustment bands of customization for your audiologist. If you regularly travel or spend time in groups, this top-end level will probably be worth the additional cost.
Widex Moment 330 - is the second technology level available and comes with most of the core features available. The 330 has 12 channels of customization for your audiologist to work with and loses some ability to process high-frequency sounds and adjust for wind noise. If you spend time in mid-sized groups and at home, this product is an excellent choice.
Widex Moment 220 - is the third technology level available and comes with most of the core features available. The 220 has 10 channels and does not offer the highest level of speech enhancement. If you spend the most time in 1-1 settings or at home, this product will work well for you.
Widex Moment 110 - is the base technology level available and comes with many of the core features available. The 110 has 6 channels and does not offer several features that help to manage background noise. If you are looking for a budget option and have simple listening needs, this could be a good choice.
Learn more about how to choose a hearing aid technology level below.
Widex Apps
Widex has three apps that support Widex hearing aid users, depending on their needs. All Widex apps are available via iPhone and Android phones.
The Widex Moment™ app is the main app you'll access as a remote control and personalization features.
The Widex ZEN app will help you find the right tinnitus masking sounds. For remote programming, you'll need the.
Widex Remote Care app. Apart from the Widex Moment™ app, the brand offers two other apps that serve specific purposes.
You can read our full review of the Widex App here.
Widex Accessories
Widex offers a suite of hearing aid accessories to assist with specific or challenging listening situations. In most cases you'll need to purchase accessories through your hearing care professional.
Charger - Most hearing aids come with a recharging case. You can purchase additional cases in places like Club Hearing.
Sound Assist - Multi-purpose microphone that doubles as a remote control.
TV Play - Streams TV audio directly to your hearing aids.
Com - Dex - Streams audio directly from a partner mic at a distance.
RC-Dex - A discreet remote control you can carry in your pocket or bag for on-the-go adjustments.
Widex Pricing
The national average price for Widex Moment Sheer 440 hearing aids is around $7,200 per pair.
Our research indicates that the best pricing and care packages are currently available through ZipHearing. ZipHearing offers a pair of Widex Moment Sheer 440 hearing aids with one year of unlimited care for $4,598 per pair.
👉 Use this page to compare up-to-date pricing across technology levels.
Widex Process
ZipHearing will match you with a local clinic near your zip code and pre-negotiate a lower price (typically 25% less than the national average).
Fill out the form on this page to get matched with a local clinic.
Our readers are consistently happy with ZipHearing's offering and give the company 97% 5-star ratings on Trustpilot.
Widex vs. Oticon, ReSound, Starkey Signia and Phonak
Widex hearing aids come at a comparable price to the other top-of-the-line products like Oticon and Phonak. So what makes this hearing aid different?
Widex Moment is laser-focused on one thing, sound quality. Nearly every innovation within the Widex Moment line goes back to this goal. They don't have the leading rechargeable batteries or Bluetooth connections, but these are devices to consider if you want fast and clear sound.
If you prioritize sound quality over everything else and can swing the price for a premium product, you will not likely be disappointed.