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Telehealth Fitting Options

Horizon Hearing Aids From Hear.com Review

Prices, Sound Recordings, Models
Blake Cadwell
Blake Cadwell

Blake Cadwell is a hearing aid wearer and co-founder at Soundly. He regularly tests and reviews hearing technology to share his experience with Soundly’s readers. Blake's research and perspectives have been featured in the The New York Times, Washington Post, LA Times, AARP and FastCompany.

About Soundly
i

Soundly is an independently owned hearing health research tool. Our reviews are conducted by hearing aid wearers and audiologists. We physically review the leading hearing aids on the market for sound quality, comfort, durability, and more. Our review process starts with hands-on unboxing and days, weeks, or months of wear. We also record live sound demos using a calibrated binaural microphone (read more here). We experiment with backend fitting software for prescription products and use test box measures to measure prescriptive accuracy and flexibility. Our work is funded through reader support. When you buy through our links, we may earn a commission. Read more about our story here.

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Behind the Ear
Bluetooth
Rechargeable
PROFESSIONAL FITTING
No items found.

Horizon from Hear.com comes with one of our favorite telehealth experiences. The hearing aids can be fitted by a local office or online through their "clinic in a box."

Keep scrolling for the full rundown on Hear.com's process and the latest Horizon hearing aids.  

Background

To fully understand Hear.com and the Horizon family of hearing aids, it's helpful to take a step back. Horizon is hear.com's "house brand" of devices, but the underlying technology is virtually identical to the latest products from Signia. That connection means the underlying technology behind Hear.com's products is among the best in the world. Horizon/Signia has some of the top processing capabilities, Bluetooth connection, and battery life on the market. Signia is among the top six hearing aid brands globally.  

Hear.com's version of Signia technology looks and works the same but has a slightly different app with some extra speech-focusing functionality.  

What Makes Horizon Special 

Underlying Technology

Horizon hearing aids are full-featured devices with excellent underlying technology. Some highlights include: 

  • 35+ hour battery life on a single charge
  • One of the smallest receiver-in-canal form factors on the market
  • A ready-to-wear in-the-ear hearing aid with excellent sound quality 
  • Dual processing that separates speech in noise
  • Comfortable and secure earmolds that fit a large variety of ears

You can think of Horizon hearing aids as competitive with the best hearing aids available. We compare these devices to Phonak, ReSound, and Oticon. 

Flexible Care Options 

What we like most about Horizon hearing aids is the flexible range of care available through the company. Hear.com offers local clinic care through a network of partner clinics where you will meet with a professional face-to-face. We particularly love Hear.com's clinic in a box, which ships a virtual clinic to your door and gives you the complete fitting experience without the need to leave your home. 

Our Take

Horizon and Signia are virtually the same product with state-of-the-art technology. What makes Hear.com stand out is its convenient virtual care options. If you live in a remote area or are too busy to take trips to a local office, Hear.com's process is among the best in the business. 

Pros 👍
  • Full-featured, premium hearing aids
  • Bluetooth streaming, rechargeability, excellent app
  • Convenient care options, including telehealth
  • Great selection of styles

Cons 👎
  • Premium price-point ($4,000-$6,000 for a pair)
  • No "Find My Hearing Aid" option in the app
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Soundly Scorecard
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Hearing Loss Level 🔊
Mild - Severe
  • The Horizon line of hearing aids are fully customizable, prescription devices appropriate for mild-severe hearing loss
  • If you have severe hearing loss, you may want to go to a local clinic (Vs. telehealth) where you can get a custom earmold
  • If you have profound hearing loss, you may be a better fit for a high-powered BTE style hearing aid
Care Type 🏥
Prescription
  • Horizon is a prescription device, fit and programmed by a professional
  • You can choose a fully remote Telehealth service or service through one of Hear.com's partner clinics
  • After an initial fitting, you can connect with your care provider remotely through the Hear.com app
Sound Quality 🔊
Strong in Background Noise
  • Horizon uses a unique Split Processing technique helps isolate background noise and boost speech clarity
  • Horizon's Own Voice Processing (OVP) helps take the edge off of that uncomfortable sound quality of the user's own voice that many patients experience when adjusting to hearing aids
  • Horizon hearing aids are manufactured by the same company as Signia, the product's hardware is identical, but the apps are slightly different
Comfort 🦻
Very Comfortable For All-Day Wear
  • Horizon comes a variety of sizes and shapes that are very comfortable to wear
  • The most popular Horizon hearing aid is a small and comfortable receiver-in-canal style that is easy to wear all day

Style  💫
Behind The Ear, In The Ear - Non Molded
  • Horizon offers a range of hearing aid styles including their most popular model that sits behind the ear and an innovative ready-to-wear hearing aid that sits inside the ear. Around 80% of customers choose the behind-the-ear option due to advanced processing and streaming capabilities.
Battery 🔋
Rechargeable Or Disposable
  • Choose between disposable and rechargeable batteries
  • 36+ hours on a full charge for the behind-the-ear model
  • Popular charger options: Portable charger with induction charging, or plugin Dry & Clean charger
Connection 📡
Bluetooth Available
  • Horizon allows Bluetooth streaming, music listening, and phone calls. iPhone users can take calls hands-free, while Android users must keep their phones close to pick up outbound audio
  • Horizon hearing aids use Apple's MFI connection and Android's ASHA connection to stream content through Bluetooth
  • Horizon hearing aids can connect to multiple devices (ie. TV and phone) simultaneously
Dexterity Level 🤏
Average
  • Horizon's popular behind-the-ear model is reasonably easy to handle but does require the wearer to place the hearing aid behind their ear and insert the receiver into the ear (consistent across all behind-the-ear styles)
  • Horizon uses a port-based charger that is easy to handle
Waterproof Level 💦
IP68
  • Horizon is water resistant with an IP rating of 68
  • This hearing aid can withstand dust and water submersion in one meter of water for up to 30 minutes
App features 📱
Has An App, Telehealth Capable, Find My Hearing Aids
  • Customization: Treble/bass, volume, microphone directionality
  • Includes a setting for speech focus
  • Find my hearing aid: Not available
  • Fitness tracking: Not available
Pricing and Process
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Pricing

Hear.com does not publish prices but they do publicly share that they have options starting at as low as $499 for a pair. Hear.com states that most patients spend around $5,000-$7,000 on a pair of premium hearing aids. The national average for a pair of hearing aids is around $5,500. Hear.com does offer monthly payment options starting at 139 per month.

Ultimately, Hear.com’s average prices are in line with (or a bit higher) than the average private clinic. ZipHearing offers an alternative option with slightly lower prices.

Process

Hear.com offers a local clinic matching service or a telehealth service. Here's how both processes work: 

  • Local clinic: If you want to see a professional in person, the Hear.com team will pair you with a local clinic from their 2,000 locations around the country. You will purchase your hearing aid over the phone and get it fit and programmed in the office. Future adjustments will typically take place in that same office.
  • Telehealth: If you prefer telehealth care, the Hear.com team will send you a "clinic in a box" with an otoscope, headphones and tablet. A professional will walk you through the full process of programming and adjustment from home. You will use your clinic in a box for future adjustments as needed.
How to Choose a Horizon Product
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Select a Style

Horizon hearing aids come in two main styles: in the ear and behind the ear. The vast majority of customers opt for behind the ear hearing aids due to their processing power and all-day comfort. Horizon's behind the ear hearing aids are among the smallest in the market.

Alternatively, customers can choose an in-the-ear device (similar to Signia Silk). These hearing aids sit deep inside the ear canal and are invisible in many ears. The in-the-ear styles are note Bluetooth enabled and have slightly less sophisticated sound processing.

Select a Technology Level

Hear.com offers multiple technology levels for either form factor. Technology levels are similar to Signia's 3AX, 5AX and 7AX. Read more about Signia's tech here.

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Name

Full Review

Amy Sarow, AuD, CCC-A
Written by
Amy Sarow, AuD, CCC-A

HNew to the world of hearing aids? Or considering a product switch? There’s a lot to consider.

As an audiologist, I’ve seen the positive impact hearing aids have on people. So, I enjoy staying up to date on the latest hearing tech—because investing in the right device can make a world of difference.

But with so many choices, it can seem overwhelming. You don’t have to feel that way, because I research the best hearing aids for my patients. I’ll arm you with the best insights and the latest intel in order to choose the right treatment for your needs.

Keep reading and in the review below, I’ll go in depth on Hear.com and Horizon hearing aids, key features and benefits, and how these hearing aids compare to Signia.

Prefer to watch? 

Check out our full unboxing and review of Hear.com's telehealth service here. 👇

Background on Hear.com and Horizon

With beginnings as Audibene in Germany, the hear.com brand has grown considerably since 2012. WS Audiology (one of the 5 largest manufacturers in the industry) owns Hear.com, Audibene and three other major brands: Widex, Signia, and Rexton.

Hear.com serves 11 different countries with a goal of providing the best hearing option based on lifestyle, budget, and location. The flagship product—known as Horizon—is very similar to Signia Charge & Go AX.

Scroll on to check out the similarities and differences between Signia versus Horizon hearing aids.

How The Hear.com Process Works

Let’s get into what you can expect from the process with this model of hearing care.

First, Hear.com uses a questionnaire to assess your communication needs, desired features, and other questions to determine a profile from which they can make recommendations.

But, there are other factors that Hear.com considers for your unique situation:
  • Insurance coverage
  • Employment status
  • Health benefits
  • Credit score

Next, you can speak with a consultant to continue the evaluation or to schedule an appointment after taking the questionnaire.

FYI: For those who are new to hearing aids, speaking with a consultant can be very useful in sorting out the best path forward. They can also share more information about insurance, payment, and financing options.

Customers are given two care options: 

Get paired with a local clinic for in-person care

For in person care, you’ll be scheduled with a local provider to fit with the hearing devices you’ve selected. Conveniently, Hear.com partners with over 2,000 licensed hearing care professionals and can recommend a local professional in your area. When you go in for your visit, your audiologist will do a hearing test to fit and program your devices appropriately.

Complete the entire process through Telehealth

Hear.com's telehealth process starts with a "clinic in a box" that is shipped to your door. Before your appointment, you’ll receive:

  • A tablet
  • A video otoscope
  • Hearing aids

Additionally, before the appointment a customer support professional will explain the process and answer any questions. Then, you’ll set up your appointment for your remote hearing aid fitting.

While there are pros and cons to both approaches, Hear.com's reviews show that customer experiences are more consistently positive with Telehealth care.

Hear.com "clinic in a box"

How Horizon Compares to Signia

Signia Vs. Horizon hearing aids

First, let’s focus on what is similar to the current Signia products.

Visually, these hearing aids look identical to Signia counterparts. Signia’s Charge&Go hearing aid is one of the smallest designs on the market. And, the devices come in three levels of technology, 3, 5, and 7.

Like Signia products, Horizon devices share great rechargeability, smartphone streaming, and strong background noise capability.

So, what, if anything, is different about these devices? The difference is on the inside.

Horizon hearing aids have three unique features:

Speech Focus

Speech Focus is meant for those situations when you need additional speech clarity in the presence of background noise. You’ll hear more high-frequencies to emphasize speech while reducing background noise.

Relax Mode

Are you feeling overwhelmed and need a break? Relax Mode will play relaxing nature sounds like ocean noise to help you relax.

Panorama Effect

The Panorama Effect is just what it sounds like. If you take a panorama photo, you’ll capture your full surroundings. Similarly, this feature is for those who want to hear 360 degrees around them.

Horizon App

Horizon Prices

Horizon hearing aids in their portable recharge case.

Hear.com does not publish prices but they do publicly share that they have options starting at as low as $499 for a pair. Hear.com states that most patients spend around $5,000-$7,000 on a pair of premium hearing aids. The national average for a pair of hearing aids is around $5,500.

Ultimately, Hear.com’s average prices are in line with (or a bit higher) than the average private clinic. ZipHearing offers an alternative option with slightly lower prices.

Conclusion

The options at Hear.com have a convenient, flexible offering regarding hearing aid selection and care model. We especially love the option to get a "clinic in a box".

Compared with Signia devices, users can almost expect similar performance from both the Horizon and Signia brands—but potentially get more bang for their buck if they choose Horizon.

If you’re interested in learning more or want to see what Signia offers, check out the Live Listen to sample audio files of different devices to test them out. With plenty of information here and elsewhere online, we hope you now feel equipped with the knowledge needed to make an informed decision when selecting a hearing aid brand and care model.

Amy Sarow, AuD, CCC-A
Written by
Amy Sarow, AuD, CCC-A
Soundly Staff
Reviewed by
Soundly Staff

Soundly conducts in-depth research to guide prospective hearing aid wearers. Our work is funded through reader support. When you buy through our links, we may earn a commission.

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