Customer Ratings & Reviews

For me there's a massive improvement over the C10's (have been wearing for 8 months). Once properly set up the C20's clarity, volume and speech intelligibility are far better than Lexie B2's or Sennheiser Everyday Clear by a country mile!! The non-vented domes or sleeves that come with the C20 are not optimal as they can cause your own voice and bass sounds to be exaggerated (occlusion effect). Order the vented sleeves or use a pair of cuticle scissors cut two small openings to vent (see my pic). Hearing things that I have been missing out on for years, so happy!!

As my wife and I continue to pass through middle-age, I’ve developed mild hearing impairments while my wife is showing signs of moderate to high-moderate hearing loss. However, like many people without unlimited means (I would imagine), we have shied away from getting a set of prescription aids because they usually clock in close to $5-$6K. Our first attempt at OTC hearing restoration was simply a mid-priced pair of “hearing amplifiers” that did amplify ambient or directional sounds, but did so with so much artificial-sounding processing and echo that it ultimately became more distracting to use than not. Recently, we tried two different pairs of much higher-priced “premium” OTC aids ($1300-$1600), both of which produced markedly better results, but obviously those results came at greater cost. Fortunately, in terms of performance and comfort, the new Sony CRE-C20s comfortably rank right up there with those pricier OTC aids--and in a few ways they even outclass them. In fact, the CRE-20s would be an almost unequivocal blind-buy recommendation for those with mild to moderate hearing loss were it not for the omission of one glaringly large feature in particular that may or may not be a deal-breaker for you. The box comes with all you need to get started—4 sets of eartip sleeves (extra small, small, medium, and large), cleaning kit, replacement wax guards, charging case, and USB-C charging cable. The aids themselves are incredibly small, much more so than most BT earbuds you may be used to. This allows you to get them much further into your ear canals than most BT earbuds enabling a tighter and more secure seal which is critical to eliminating screeching during fitment or handling. In fact, these aids are so small they basically disappear into your ears—if they were available in colorways other than shiny black, people might be even more hard-pressed to tell you were wearing anything at all. In a similar vein, the charging case is equally svelte and more on the smallish side than the larger cases that accompany our other OTC aids. There is a small transparent tether attached to the back of each aid to grasp when removing them from your ear canals--a necessity given the fact that even in my wife’s ultra-tiny ears, the assembly is simply too small and too far inside the canal to get a hold of for removal. The tether is short with a small bulb on the end to aid in grasping with a fingertip or even a fingernail; however, if you have particularly long nails (artificial or otherwise), you may experience some difficulty at first as my wife was constantly reaching much further into her ear than was necessary to grab the end of the tether and experienced quite a bit of difficulty grabbing it. Setup requires a companion app from Sony...and sadly it also requires a Sony account to be created if you don’t have one already. This isn’t unexpected as all our other OTC hearing aids (and virtually any other kind of connected technology these days) have account-linked companion apps, but it would be nice not to have to surrender my personal information yet again just to get the aids activated and configured for use. You need to set aside a good 10-20 minutes in a quiet environment to get the hearing aids ready for use and customized with your own hearing profile. Fortunately, setup is very straightforward with simple and easy-to-follow instructions, graphics, and accompanying how-to demonstration videos. The setup procedure includes a hearing test which runs through a series of tones that helps create a personalized response profile for each hearing aid of different sound frequency boosts, cuts, and signal processing that cater to your unique hearing needs. Once the customization routine is complete, however, the app has very few capabilities remaining. For example, the “remote control” feature only gives you adjustments for volume and clarity...there are no options or selections to accommodate different listening environments or scenarios or selective amplification for voice or reduction of background noise. You do have the option to refine your hearing profile or use the app to help give you an audible reading of remaining battery power, but otherwise, there isn’t anything else in the way of functionality you can adjust or change to affect the functioning of your hearing aids. Confusingly, the setup procedures include an option to set “Loudness,” but afterwards you are only given a “Volume” control. The difference between the two is not made entirely clear, but from what I could divine from several trips into the app help and FAQ sections, adjusting the “Loudness” sets the default levels of the hearing aids while “Volume” adjustments then make changes from that baseline as necessary. The volume deviations from that loudness baseline are a bit subtle at times, and both my wife and I expressed some difficulty noting any appreciable increases or decreases in volume levels unless the volume adjustments were set to the extremes. In some ways, we found this preferable to the myriad adjustments available (even necessary?) in the companion apps of our other OTC aids because it provides just a simple set-it-and-forget-it use case...especially when you’re not in the mood to go spelunking in and out of an app every time you change venues. In action, the aids did exactly what they needed to, and they did it very well. For my case of minimal hearing loss, the CRE-20s provided additional depth and clarity to the soundscape, especially for movies and TV, with a shocking amount of oomph and clarity in the lower registers left behind to help achieve some of that visceral rush you can get from a really active soundtrack. I didn’t expect this kind of bass performance as the other aids we’ve tried usually make the soundfield thinner in exchange for better clarity of voices and other quiet sounds. Speaking of voices, the CRE-20s did a great job of enhancing voice clarity for me with only a hint of extra sizzle and trailing echo—I suspect that with additional use/acclimation and sound profile refinement, I could get rid of virtually all the remaining artificiality in amplified voices. But for my wife’s more pronounced hearing loss, the results she achieved were simply amazing. She was able to make out conversations in TV shows and movies at far lower volume levels without any difficulty, and more importantly, she could finally hear me speaking to her from a room away at normal volume. And thanks to the tiny profile of the aids themselves, the CRE-20s allowed my wife to enjoy high quality music via headphones, something that wasn’t possible due to her other aids’ larger earbud-style form factor or behind-the-ear construction. She reported virtually imperceptible signal processing artifacts when using headphones over the hearing aids--this was a real bonus because the musical quality/performance she’s used to from her other OTC aids hovers around passable to just okay. So, what’s not to like? First, it’s important to note that these hearing aids are NOT Bluetooth-enabled, nor are they compatible with the suite of Apple iPhone’s “Hearing Devices” accessibility functions (I suspect it is the same for Android devices). Instead, the phone is entirely configured/controlled by inaudible sound frequencies emitted by the phone’s speakers while using the Sony companion app. This means these aids provide no audio streaming or in-the-ear phone calls from any connected devices—it is strictly a hearing aid for dealing with everything going on OUTSIDE your head. Second, the aids themselves have no external controls of any kind—no switch to turn them on/off for battery conservation, no on-ear volume or speech quality adjustments; there’s not even a way to check the battery level without using the companion app. In the end, the limited signal processing adjustments to match varying use cases or environments, the lack of on-ear controls, and the lack of Bluetooth connectivity especially, are all most unfortunate--but those issues and omissions are also probably forgivable if you’re looking for a very discreet, very high-performing, and very simple-to-use set of OTC hearing aids that don’t require constant tweaking and adjustment to get great results. Highly recommended!

So I have been looking for a "cheaper" option to the multiple thousands of dollars for professional hearing devices to assist with my minor to moderate hearing issues. The chance to try out these Sony CRE-C20 OTC Hearing devices was right up my alley. The box arrived announcing the "rechargeable, self-fitting" hearing aids. Small box but well designed and protected. Inside is the 2 actual devices, replaceable, sized sleeves for the devices, a short USB cable and wax guards and cleaning brush (Care Tools they are called). The User Guide has a quick start guide with the QR code to link to the Sony Hearing Control app, which both controls the hearing aids as well as having several setup videos and guides. The devices themselves are tiny as well as the case. The case is smaller than most earphone cases, recharges with USB Type C and recharges the devices. The sleeves come in the standard extra small, small, medium and large. I went with the large so as to get a good seal and seating. Once the app was up and running, it puts you through the hearing aid setup which puts you through a pretty thorough hearing test. Once completed, then you can fine tune the hearing aids through the app. You can also fine tune through the app to closely tune the devices to your needs. The devices themselves work quite well and do a good job at assisting my hearing. The shortfall is definitely the app as it just doesn't allow for much tailoring to your surroundings. As they sit pretty far into your ear canal, I'm not sure how much directionality you could attain anyway. The app allows you to also balance the sound making it smoother or sharper, depending on your needs. Also annoying is the fact that battery status is done with a series of beeps through the app or by looking at the case when charging. No voice control here... Overall, when comparing to other OTC devices on the market, the Sony CRE-C20s themselves seem like a solid buy, but the app is not responsive enough to tailor for your needs and needs to be restarted often to find the devices. So, good devices but just okay supporting app.

Self-fitting OTC Hearing Aids - Black (Sony CRE-C20) Over the past few years, I have tried a half-dozen or more OTC hearing aids and none of them were better than the Sony CRE-C20 aids that I have had the opportunity to evaluate. I have tried less costly and more expensive OTC's - doesn't matter - these were the answer to my inability to hear in many situations. Family conversations, TV volume at a normal loudness level, my preacher's sermons and other situations makes life much more pleasurable. I was pleasantly surprised at how clear the sound was coming out of them in almost all circumstances. The other night I was in a meeting in which there were three different groups in the same room. The two other groups were talking loudly but I was still able to hear in the group I was in pretty well. The Fit These hearing aids fit inside the ear which is my preference. I wear glasses and some hearing aids fit behind the ear. I find the behind the ear an uncomfortable fit with my glasses. The CRE-20 aids are very comfortable. I insert them in my ear in the morning and wear them all day. One night I forgot to take them out and wore them overnight for I did not realize they were still in my ears. The CRE-C20 aids do NOT use replaceable batteries. Charging overnight is so convenient and the charge lasts all day with a decent amount of left over. Even the case can be charged which adds portability without a cable or finding a place to plug them in. All in all, with the impressive sound quality, the comfortable fit, and the rechargeable battery system, I think anyone who does not have serious hearing impairment but needs hearing aids, can't go wrong with the Sony CRE-C20 OTC Hearing Aids.

I’m pretty new to hearing aids, having been diagnosed with moderate hearing loss in my left ear and minor loss in my right. I was lucky enough to get a pair covered by my insurance but the doctor gave me no options about what brand, model, features, etc. I wanted from my first hearing aid. Basically this means that I was left wondering if I was getting a good set or not, and when I got the chance to test out the Sony CRE-C20 “self fitting” hearing aids I figured there’s no better consumer electronics company than Sony! The box is a slip case so you can slide out the box with all the accessories, documentation, and the case with the hearing aids which is really nice since there’s small stuff that could get lost/misplaced. The hearing aids themselves were very exciting just to see them since I knew they’d be more discreet than what I had already, the Sony ear pieces are small like an earbud without the “handle” on the bottom and use a little wire on the back instead. I say wire but it’s actually a plastic or flexible nylon which isn’t irritating to the ear, in my opinion. That wire is incredibly small, maybe too small (possibly a quarter inch?), and barely sticks out so it doesn’t go past the edge of your ear, making them virtually invisible! The default rubber cone that comes on them is probably fine for most people but there’s also a pack of Small, Medium, and Large pairs to swap out with (I’m pretty sure the medium is the ones on there already, so you have a spare). You will need to download a Sony app to configure these as well as fine tune and troubleshoot, but I think almost everyone has a smartphone by now so that shouldn’t be an obstacle. Setup takes some time, you can’t open the box and go. Start by removing the charging case (which has the hearing aids inside) and plug the enclosed charging cable into the back, there is no adapter so you’ll have to supply that on your own. Once again, everyone should have one but this is a pet peeve of mine because if you don’t then you’re in a pickle. Let the hearing aids charge fully, the LEDs will turn green, and you need to download and install the app while you wait. Once you have the app and fully charged devices you can start the app and follow the instructions which is essentially a self diagnosis like you’ve already gotten from the doctor’s office: it plays a series of various frequency tones in each ear and you say how many you heard. This calibrates each side to your hearing needs and then you’re good to go. In the app main menu you’ll also find a fine tuning sequence you can run where you pick what issue you have and it gives some pre-programmed adjustments you can try. For my issue I found that I could hear people and sound around me “normally” but my own voice sounded muffled like I had cotton in my ear and I was talking too loud to compensate. It gave me four adjustment options and you click a button to try it out, it asks if you want to keep the settings or not. If the adjustment fixed your issue then you’re good to exit the app but otherwise it attempts a few more times. There’s also volume and “sharpness” slider so you can personally fine tune some of the extra “white noise” of the environment and make it easier to hear to your tastes. What I love about these is just how tiny they are while performing at the same level as my doctor prescribed hearing aids. As I mentioned the discrete size is both a blessing and a curse as I’ve found myself fumbling to locate the little wire on the end to pull them out at night. They’re FDA approved medical devices and I can’t find it in the paperwork but somewhere, maybe the app, I saw that some insurance MAY cover the cost of these, which would be awesome to have another option insurance will cover. You can’t beat a battery that lasts almost the entire day as well, I don’t stay up 18 hours so I can’t say for sure but they go at least 15 hours. Having a carrying case that’s also a charger is a huge benefit, so you’d be able to take them camping without running out of power. These are so small you won’t have to feel self conscious, that’s the biggest sales point in my book. One drawback I would maybe consider is they do not function as bluetooth earbuds as well, which other companies’ models do. It's a minor thing but makes a huge difference if you’re someone who likes to listen to music or podcasts on the bus or at work without having to constantly swap back and forth. The troubleshooting is really handy and simple, but I never fully satisfied myself with the solution to my muffled voice issue…hopefully it's something that just adjusts away with time once I get used to them, but otherwise there’s a customer support number (although they’re open East coast business hours which wasn’t convenient for me). Overall, if you’re having hearing issues this is a SOLID consideration you can use to return close to your natural hearing without advertising to the world that you have a device in your ear.

First Impressions - I opened the box, removed the case and noted all of the included accessories including a cleaning kit and assorted end cups for best fit. I was able to fit the correct size dome/cup in a few second and then fully charged these in about an hour and a half. I installed the application and registered on an iPhone and also installed it on an Android Tablet. I tested both for settings to carry over (they do) however I will be predominantly using the iPhone app. These aids are TINY - And designed to fit entirely in-ear. They do not disappoint; I have average ears and they are difficult to notice. Daily Use - I have tested these throughout my working day with headphones over them for calls, with various speakerphone devices, with speakerphone on an iPhone and had no issues with then falling out or any aberrant background noise. Mode changes -These have an adaptive mode change feature whereas they will adjust automatically to the environment and can be tuned from your phone or tablet. Custom Tuning - Setup and Tuning is done in the app - sign up, sign in and walk though the steps. It took me less than 15 minutes. Car use - These do a reasonably good job of boosting conversation without over boosting the background noise. I did not experience any "odd" interactions, funky pops or clicks while playing music. Taking a call on speakerphone in the car was usable without any odd feedback. These were able to boost and also attenuate conference call voices during a zoom call where some speakers had a much higher volume level. Physical Operation - Could not be simpler - turn on and setup from app. Mode changes and tuning are all done in the application. There is no way to switch modes on the hearing aids themselves. Battery performance - The product page lists battery life as 28 hours - I was able to continuously use these for more than 28 hours prior to recharging. I generally do not wear hearing aids when I go to sleep so these will outlast a very long day ! Ear Cup Replacement - There are a variety of open and closed styles for purchase. Closed style are included. Sport Use: These are IP68 Sweat and water resistant - I was able to wear these biking multiple times without any fear of them falling out or being damaged. A little about my own hearing loss - I am writing this review as I have "moderately-severe" hearing damage in one ear due to repeatedly rupturing an eardrum. My own hearing loss makes it difficult to discern speech on that side and in any generally loud, high echo or noisy situation. Additionally it interferes with hearing speech, television, movies etc....."Correctly". Since I can still hear reasonably well in the second ear - ( Nobody's perfect, right? ) it allows for a good comparison for various hearing products. Notably I wear a single customized hearing aid for daily use which is atypical for most that need hearing aids. All OTC hearing products I have used to date require that they be installed in both ears to function properly. What I love: Incredibly >small< size and very easy to tune ! Room for improvement: Please Bluetooth enable this set for calls and music - even if detrimental to battery life.

As I’ve gotten older my ability to hear conversations in noisy environments has diminished to the point that it needs to be addressed. I’ve looked at several OTC hearing aid solutions and was excited to receive the Sony CRE-C20 CIC Self-fitting OTC Rechargeable Hearing Aids. My wants were a solution that helped with hearing in all situations but more so in those louder environments like parties, restaurants, events, etc. I also wanted a system that is affordable, low profile and customizable. After a week plus of use I can confidently say that the Sony CRE-C20 hearing aids have met if not exceeded my criteria and expectations. In The Box: The Sony CRE-20E is a complete system and ships with the 2 hearing aids, a charging case with USB-C cable, 4 size sleeves for customizing the fit, care/cleaning tools, and a user’s guide. Set Up: As with most products today, there is an app to support the product and a QR code to connect to Sony Support to assist in the process. These hearing aids are a bit different in how they connect to the phone/app using high pitch (inaudible) tones to connect instead of BT. The app guides through this process and support is available directly from Sony via text, phone or chat. I did not have to use support, but Sony made it very easy to connect if support was needed. The Sony Hearing app (as well as the included user’s manual) walk through setup and what I found to be cool is the is Fine Tuning option that sets the hearing aids to a specific user’s needs based on an audio test. Initial set up took 10 to 15 minutes, but I continued to use the Fine Tune (and other options) to get the sound quality just right. Fit & Function: The Sony CRE-20E hearing aids are an in ear stye with no outer speaker on the ear, so they are low profile when properly fitted into the ear. It took a couple of times switching between different size sleeves before I got the correct size dialed in. They are easy to remove and change. Once the correct sleeve was selected, they hearing aids should be inserted fully into the ear, but don’t force them in. The first couple of times I inserted them I realized they weren’t in quite far enough. To remove, simply use the clear arm on the device to gently pull them out of the ear. In terms of function, I was very impressed with the overall sound quality once it was dialed in. Initially they sounded a bit tinny, but that was easily adjusted with the Sound Balance control. It took a couple of days of use and adjusting before I really felt they were dialed in. At that point I wore them all day in different environments to put them through their paces. One of my main concerns is the ability to hear clearly and understand what the person I’m speaking with is saying in a louder environment. The CRE-20Es did a fantastic job with toning out the background noise and producing a clear and easy to understand conversation experience. I tend to have to listen and read lips at the same time but quickly realized I could hear the conversation very well, even in a loud restaurant environment. As mentioned, I wore these hearing aids all day and never had an issue with battery charge. The battery level can be checked in the app, it doesn’t show the level but produces beeps to determine what level the batter is at. This is a little different that I was used to, but the batteries were never an issue, so I found myself checking the levels less and less as the days went by. The case provides charge to the hearing aids, and is very small, so easy to with you on the road. The included USB-C cable quickly charges the case and the hearing aids. Pros: - Very small design and not very noticeable when wearing - Easy to set up and fine tune, even without BT connection - Easy to use Sony Hearing app for customization and fine tuning - Convenient charging/storage case included - Battery life is more than sufficient for wearing all day - Sony Support via text, chat or phone is included for set up, fitment, and fine tuning Cons: - The non-BT connection to the phone/app does not support listening to music or answering calls with the hearing aids. Overall, the Sony CRE-20E hearing aids are a great option for anyone looking for a high-end OTC hearing aid at a very reasonable price point. They are easy to setup and wear and the customization is top-notch. If you are considering this type of hearing solution, do yourself a favor and buy the Sony CRE-20E!

So size does matter. This is none of the few full in ear hearing aides that we have tested. Setup was suuuuper simple. Downloaded he app on Android. Walked through the Bluetooth setup process and started the hearing set-up test with mother in law. I really loved that the rest was simple. Click on number of times you hear. No need for any fluff. Straight forward for an older person to push. Eventhough it was easy for my mother in law to use I still sat with her to make sure it she was able to set it up correctly. After that it was simple steps to synchronizing the 2 aides. Use was nice... NO OVER THE EAR LOOP. So it we as nice and discreet. Which is in my opinion one of the best features. Overall the performance per my mother in law is good. Her hearing loss is pretty bad but this helps with direct conversations which can be frustrating for many who suffer hearing loss Overall for the discreet function plus the easy setup is really nice and worth it for people that want discreet OTC hearing aids and functionality. Nice job Sony

The Sony CRE-C20 is one of the tiniest OTC hearing aids I have used. While they may be tiny, they provide surprisingly good comfort for prolonged use and they sound very good. Another positive thanks to their size is that they are discrete. I am not a fan of the pullout cord but with these hearing aids they are not noticeable. Setting them up is simple. Download the Sony hearing control app and follow the instructions to pair them. During the initial setup you have to create a profile of your hearing. Basically the hearing aids will perform a tone base test to evaluate your hearing level. It is very similar to the exam you get at the ENT audiologist but much simpler. These CRE-C20 are very simple and they sound really good when it comes to voice clarity. This is where they actually focus on, instead of more environmental sound. For example I was in a conference room and I was able to hear the speaker perfectly. It's like the device just focuses on vocals. During a noisy environment like a warehouse is the same thing but this time it felt like it masked the surrounding noises. Not completely, and it is really hard to explain as the noise just didn’t bother me at all. However, it was kind of hard listening to the speaker sometimes. I even tried adjusting the volume and the sharpness, it worked to some extent. It was like I had to find a good listening spot to hear the speaker properly. These hearing aids work very differently from other OTC hearing aidsI tried in the past. I mean it in a good way because the others pretty much just amplify the sound. With the app you can control the volume and the sharpness of the sound. Something I really liked is the fine tuning feature. A good example, after the initial setup, I could hear my breathing. However, the fine tuning feature offered several options to adjust the sound, and it worked!. The fine tuning is not only limited to just that, but you can pretty much correct most of the common sound issues using it. When it comes to battery life I honestly would like to know where it holds the charge? I was able to use them for over 14 hours. I took them off to sleep and left them outside of the charging case just to see how long they could last. To my surprise they still have less than 50% of the charge. That was more than 20 hours, that's impressive for their size. Manufacturer claims they can last up to 28 hrs. To know the battery level of the device is something I personally dislike. It doesn’t tell you exactly how much battery you have, instead it gives you an approximate % base on the tones. 1 beep is below 50%, 2 beeps is for 50-80% and 3 beeps is 80% or more. I don’t know why they chose to do that when it was simpler just to add the exact battery percentage. As for portability, they don’t fall behind. The charging case is very small too. It will fit in any pocket and it will not feel bulky at all. The hearing aids attach to the case magnetically and it holds very well. The case can be charged via USB-C or wirelessly. In the front there are three charging indicator lights. I was not able to find how much charge the actual case holds, not on their CRE website nor the manual. However, I was able to find in their press release that you can charge the CRE-C20 three times with it. These OTC hearing aids are exactly that, you cannot do audio streaming or take phone calls. Comparing these CR20 with my CRE-E10, the CR20 has much better voice quality. However, the E10 sounds better overall. The thing is the E10 lacks the tiny size and battery power of the C20. Overall these are impressive OTC hearing aids, coming from someone with moderate hearing loss. They are extremely discrete, they sound good with an impressive battery life. When it comes to vocal focus, I haven't heard anything better than this. They are also IP68 rated, giving your investment some protection against water, dust and moisture. In the box you get the OTC CRE-20, charging case, charging cable, cleaning cloth, 4 pairs of sleeves, wax guard, cleaning brush and manuals.

Sony - CRE-C20 CIC Self-fitting OTC Rechargeable Hearing Aids: I’ve been able to sample a number of efforts at hearing assistance technology. We humans are tough to satisfy. SONY has a great solution with these very small, hide-in-your-ears, rechargeable, self-fitting hearing devices. These are not able to offer audio streaming, so you will want to check the CRE-E10 if you want that feature. But, in every other way, these are very compelling. SONY has delivered a very competent hearing assistive tool that makes it easy to achieve a comfortable, much improved, hearing experience. Actually having a conversation in a very harsh environment — a modern cool restaurant — was so much more doable. I can receive the level of amplification I want, separately for each ear. I can modify the clarity or sharpness of voices in a manner that I prefer. I was able to dial back sharp sounds of dishes while keeping voices in focus. During the setup process, I’m able to repeatedly test and refine the sound contour of these hearing devices until I’m completely satisfied. Or, I can test, adjust, set and forget as soon as I’m happy with the results. And, as I discovered in my initial setup, SONY has a truly responsive, helpful, knowledgeable and patient support team if you get frustrated. And, while it’s early in the roll-out of these very new CRE-C20 aids, I had no wait time to get help and my support guy, Anthony, was entirely well trained in how these work.This is great support. SETUP: I’m going to offer some guidance here. Forget what you may have done before with other hearing assistive devices. You will NOT be using Bluetooth. Your phone (via the SONY Hearing Control App) is communicating with the CRE-C20s with inaudible high frequency signals sent by the phone’s speakers!! You’re instructed to set the phone volume fairly high so the devices can “hear” them. In fact, if you’ve tried previous SONY hearing assist devices, I’d suggest deleting the App and reloading it to eliminate previous data files. I believe they obstructed my initial effort here. The SONY Hearing Control App hand-holds the end user through every step of ear-insertion, linking to the phone (iPhone 15 in my case), initial verification of a connection and then on to the audio test process. From the second you place the devices into your ear you receive some nominal amplification. Four sets of eartips (closed sleeve) are provided. SONY offers additional eartips with a different, vented-tip design, that can be purchased ($14.99). It’s important to follow instructions about turning off Bluetooth, disconnecting other accessories, and pre-setting the phone volume, At the end of this testing phase, you are ready to further fine-tune your settings to achieve the help you want. If you get lost, if you can’t figure out anything, you absolutely want to call the SONY support number that has been provided, where you hopefully will reach the same level of competence and patience I dealt with. PERFORMANCE: I found so much to like about these CRE-C20s. I love how they disappear into the ear canal. Much of the frustration I have had with other OTC hearing devices has disappeared. Example: These types of devices are very prone to squealing because you are handling them on insertion, removal or re-setting them in your ears. The SONY quickly damps that down and away. During the hearing test process, SONY’s built in software is choosing which tuning setting are best for my hearing loss. These CRE-C20s seem to automatically address wind noise, general environmental noise levels, and they are immediately physically comfortable. And they sound very good with far less “digital edginess” I often hear with other devices. If I don’t like the sound of voices, for example, I can adjust the quality of tone I’m presented. Out and about in the world is where I found the CRE-C20s to have the most comfortable hearing assistive experience. It seems to me that these aids take a subtle approach to correction. I believe the early OTC devices I tried often over-compensated, offering extreme changes, with too many annoying artifacts. The SONY modifications manage to address my deficiencies without those jarring interventions. A noisy restaurant is tamed, while highlighting the voices in front of me. If the harsh noises of a hard room, clanging utensils, the crashing of plates, are driving me batty, I can open the App and quickly dial down the sharpness with no effect on th energy voices. Within the App I can identify any issues that bother me, and the App presents solutions. None of this takes away the advice that ALL hearing assist devices require some time to get acclimated to them. Initially, it’s an abrupt change that will seem like too much, too fast. Be patient with yourself. The battery is rechargeable lithium and promises up to 28 hours of use. The case is also charged and has 3 additional charges waiting. It is contoured into a shape that will slip in a pocket. The charge cord is longer than most, but you will need a charging block you must provide. CONCERNS: The connectivity between the SONY Hearing Control App and the CRE-C20 is so different from other bluetooth enabled devices that more effort should be offered to educate users about the absence of bluetooth use. I am immersed in a world of technology, but I was confused at first. I felt that the pull string was a bit short and the ease of losing grip on the hearing devices was disconcerting. These small devices are inserted further into your ears than typical and are very slick to handle. As an older male, ear hair grooming doesn’t completely solve the issue of finding that pull string/bead. (more advice: start with large eartip and work down to smaller. A device that is too small easily rotates out of position. SUMMARY: For my use, the SONY CRE-C20s achieve every goal I was seeking to improve my hearing. Ease of setup, easy-to-modify while in use, always ready-to-use with a full charge, and a sound contour that is easy-to-live with. Those annoying characteristics of hearing aids, such as squealing, edginess, noise, that we’ve all witnessed are very successfully reduced. Yes. I miss the bluetooth connectivity, but I can also appreciate the focus on a less fussy set of functions focused strictly on my hearing. And, these hearing devices disappear visually while being used, more so than any I’ve ever used before. There is no need to be self conscious about them. Most importantly, out-in-the-world, the CRE-C20s are able to solve a number of typical hearing challenges.

--- SETUP --- These self-fitting OTC hearing aids are quick to charge out of the box. Plug them using a USB-C cable, download the app, and follow the in-app instructions to begin use. --- FEATURES --- Rechargeable battery, rechargeable case, small and discreet, extremely comfortable, FDA-cleared medical device, IP68 rating (water and dust proof), multiple earbud sleeves for customized comfort. --- EXPECTATIONS and PERFORMANCE --- I have had several experiences with OTC hearing aids. These are by far the most comfortable hearing aids I own. The comfort makes me forget I am wearing anything in my ear. They are also very discreet. I am an educator by day and I work in a middle school. Students are extremely curious at that age, but no student brought up the hearing aids I was wearing until probably after a week of wearing them. The initial test setup was easy to follow. There’s an included card with a QR code that will direct you to download the app necessary for setup. Once downloaded, all the instructions are easy to follow within the app itself. You put on one hearing aid, sit yourself in a quiet environment, then tap the phone when you hear a beep. Then, you repeat the process with the other hearing aid. I did encounter a problem, though, during this part of the setup. The app starts me with the left hearing aid. I am deaf in only one ear, which is my right ear. However, I was still made to go through the hearing aid for the left ear. That’s not a big deal by itself. The problem occurred when I tried to do the test for the right hearing aid. I started the test and it would fail. It wouldn’t let me continue for whatever reason. This meant I couldn’t use the right hearing aid, which is the one I needed. I shut down and restarted the app, turned off my phone, uninstalled and reinstalled the app, and nothing seemed to work. I tried the next day, and then it worked. I believe the testing should allow me to choose what hearing aid I want to use and not force me to go through both. The use of the hearing aid itself is helpful, but there are some caveats. For me, it is helpful in the classroom at times where students' voices are silent and only 1 other person is talking in the room. That could be me, as the instructor, or a student sharing their response with the class. However, whenever I do group talks, everyone is talking at the same time. This means that the feature to amplify the voice makes all voices unintelligible to me because the microphone in the hearing aid is making other voices farther from my position louder than I’m used to hearing them, blending in the voices that I am near to. I couldn’t find a way to turn that feature off in the app. --- APPROVAL --- For quiet spaces, like movie theaters, quiet classrooms, or even watching TV or playing video games at home, I really enjoyed using the hearing aids. For loud spaces like crowded hallways, cafeterias, or buildings like the mall, I had to remove them. Based on this information, think about where you plan on using them and buy them if the occasion seems to fit your needs.

The Sony CRE-C20 hearing aids are some of the best over-the-counter hearing aids you can buy! They are tiny, easy to set up, stay in your ears, are almost invisible to others, and provide crystal clear hearing! Now, these do NOT have Bluetooth or any way of listening to music or taking calls, they are strictly for hearing and listening to the world around you. With that, the setup is a little odd... you're instructed to turn your phone's volume up while performing any adjustments to the hearing aids because they receive a high pitch tone that your phone will emit. I did not hear this, nor did a few other people around me, but some of my coworkers in the office DID hear it and were very curious about what that noise was. We had determined it was from the hearing aids from me adjusting them and they would hear the noise. Weird but a cool, low power way of making adjustments! Aside from that quirk, the app is straightforward and easy to use, full of helpful adjustment guides that will ask you tailored questions to get your hearing aids set to your particular level of perfect. I would definitely recommend these for those who need something for noisy environments such as bars and restaurants where you'd like to hear what people say to you, not just mush.

Sony CRE C-20 hearing aids are nearly invisible in my ears. I love that they are very small. I hate using batteries and love that these recharge in the case. It is so convenient and the charge lasts all day no matter how long my day is. I just put them on to charge while I get ready for bed. They are charged and ready for the next day by the time I slide into bed. They come with the cord to recharge but not the block so I just used my iphone block. I know it stays charged longer than one day but I am always afraid that they will go dead when I am out away from the house. Charging each night gives me peace of mind. They were easy to set up using the free Sony APP. However once set up there is not a lot choices to adapt the hearing aids even using the APP. It is easy to learn how much battery charge is left by using the APP. Beeps from 1-3 lets me know rather quickly. Three beeps mean there is full charge. Each number below 3 is less charge. There is no way to adjust the hearing aids for the environment that I am currently in such as restaurants with loud talking around me. I find that these hearing aids make all the noise louder. It was rather irritating in loud environments. There is no way to fade out the sound of fans or the wind as my previous hearing aids do. The sound is louder than my normal ears and they do pick up on the sounds that I cannot hear with my naked ears. It is just that they increase the sound of all the noise around me. Also they do not sync with my phone to make calls or listen to music so if I want to listen to music I need to take these out and put in my ear buds. I would rather them sync with my phone. Customer support it available to help with issues but I just do not think these hearing aids are for me.

Sony has come out with the best OTC hearing aids that I've ever used. The CRE-C20 hearing aids have a micro form factor that allows them to rest in the ear canal and not stick too far out like ear buds style OTC hearing aids do. This means that I can wear over the ear and on the ear headphones while using these. They are also rechargeable and come with a charge case. No more button batteries. In The Box: In the box are small, medium, and large tips for each hearing aid, a cleaning tool, charge cable, charge case, USB-C charge cable, and hearing aids. Sony included all that I need to maintain them. Form Factor: The CRE-C20s are very small. They are the smallest hearing aids that I've tried. When I'm wearing them, the tip rests in the ear canal and the opposite end of them, where the circuitry resides, is short enough that it can't be easily seen. On ear headphones don't touch them as there isn't any part of them protruding out as there is with my ear bud style OTC hearing aids. Comparing the CRE-C20s to my on ear hearing aids (traditional style hearing aids), these are much better for using with headphones. They aren't being pressed against by over the hear head phones, they don't shift due to me wearing glasses, and they don't shift around when using on ear headphones such as what I use when in conference calls. I put these in starting in the morning and I'm able to keep these in all day. With my traditional style and my ear bud style OTC hearing aids, I had to take them out when using my on ear headset and I would have issues with the traditional style hearing aids shifting due to the being against the ear pieces of my glasses. I don't have any of these issues while using the CRE-C20s. Batteries: The CRE-C20s are rechargeable and there is a charging carry case with rechargeable battery. When I received them, I initially charged the charging case and the hearing aids. Since that initial charge, I have not yet had to recharge the charging case. Each night I place the hearing aids in the charge case and take them out in the morning. As far as battery life goes of the hearing aids, I wore them for 14.5hrs on the first day, 15hrs second day, 15.5hrs third day, 8hrs the 4th day, and 5hrs the fifth day. On the days where I wore them for 8+ hours, the battery level was above 50% by the time I put them in the charge case to charge before going to bed. The batteries in them last me a full day of use which is surprising given how small they are. It's impressive what Sony has done packing all of the circuitry into these plus a rechargeable battery that enables them to last all day. I still haven't had to recharge the charging case. Sound Quality: The sound quality I get out of the CRE-C20 hearing aids is very good. They are much better than the ear bud style hearing aids that I have and they are on par with my traditional style hearing aids. I adjusted the CRE-C20s volume and sound balance using the Sony Hearing Control app. This is also the app used for initially setting up the hearing aids. After I went through the initial setup, adjusted the volume, and set the balance I prefer, I was good to go. The sound quality is really clear for voice as well as for hearing voices in TV programs and movies. Conversations with people come through clear and I can now turn down the volume on my video conferencing on ear headset. I was also able to clearly hear words spoken by an associate in a noisy hardware store. I like how the clarity of voice is maintained even situations like that. It helps so much. Comfort: I find these to be the most comfortable hearing aids out of the others that I have. The form factor of these is the biggest help in this. On ear headphones, over the ear headphones can be worn by me without the hearing aids shifting or getting uncomfortable. They also don't touch the ear pieces of my glasses so if my glasses shift or I need to adjust them, it doesn't affect the hearing aids at all as it does with the traditional style of hearing aids that I have. I don't have a problem wearing these all day and I'm not often having to make any adjustments to them. App: The Sony Hearing Control app is what I needed to use to setup the hearing aids. The app is supported on both Android and iOS. The app is what I used to adjust the volume, sound balance, check the battery status, and get support information. The layout of the app is straightforward and navigating is simple to do. I would like to see Sony add an option for check the charge case battery level, but as it stands, you can only check the battery status levels of each hearing aid. Support: You can get support information from within the app. It will direct you to Sony's support web page. From there you can get the phone numbers to call support, send a text to support, start a text chat, or access they support community. Sony has made numerous options for me to use to get help or get my questions answered when I need that. Overall Thoughts: I'm very happy with the new CRE-C20s. I will be using only these from now on where as before there were times where I would use my traditional style hearing aids and at times use my ear bud style hearing aids. I no longer need to do that as the CRE-C20 hearing aids work in all situations so there is no longer a need to change based on what I'll be doing. I'll only be using these. I'm impressed with that Sony has been able to do in such a small form factor hearing aid. They've managed to maintain sound quality while using a very small battery in each hearing aid that lasts an entire day. I believe anyone would be as happy with these as I am. I would recommend these to anyone looking for new OTC hearing aids or simply wanting to replace their traditional or ear bud style hearing aids.

Included in the box are the two Sony C20 hearing aids, a rechargeable storage case, a 3’ long USB-A to USB-C charging cable, multiple sizes of ‘sleeves’, a cleaning brush, 8 replacement wax guards, and documentation. The hearing aids themselves are fantastically small. They have a removable silicone canal sleeve and a removal cord on the outside. There is no included AC brick for charging. After charging the case and the hearing aids, setup was a very easy if not lengthy process. The Sony Hearing Control app easily installed from the Google Play store. Once installed, the app will have you create an account, then will step you through setting up the hearing aids, including testing your hearing and building a customized profile for your specific circumstances. Note, the app does not pair to the hearing aids in the way earbuds or headphones do. Rather, the phone will communicate audibly with the hearing aids, like an old fashioned modem. After the initial setup is complete, the app provides a tremendous amount of customization for the hearing aids. Not only are you able to increase the overall volume, but you can apply customizations for if you are finding voices too quiet or muddy. Wearing the hearing aids, I was able to notice an immediate improvement in my hearing. My age, combined with years of abuse by loud music and loud tools, has left me frequently asking those around me to repeat themselves, much to the frustration of my family. No longer. I am now able to hold conversations both in quiet and noisy environments, without saying “what” over and over again. Additionally, I find myself actually talking quieter. I didn’t realize how much I was raising my own voice unnecessarily. Some additional points: The aids have been comfortable to wear for longer periods. They are so small that I actually wore them for several hours without my family even realizing that I had them in. And the battery life has been on par with the advertised 28 hours of usage, allowing me to easily get through a whole day of usage easily. If you have mild-to-moderate hearing loss I recommend you to seriously consider the Sony C20 hearing aids. With the lower cost vs professional devices and the convenient access, it couldn’t be easier. Do it for yourself and your family.

I have had a chance to use these for about but first off you should know I have never been diagnosed with hearing loss. I am in my late 40's and i have noticed in the past 2-3 years that my vision gets dramatically worse in less than bright lighting and my hearing gets much worse in loud environments, such as a background with music or a lobby with multiple people talking. The use of these hearing aids has made a dramatic improvement, the best example is think of the first time you use eyeglasses and can see clearly sharp letters. The moment you use the hearing aids, the sound becomes distinct as do the words being spoken to you...it's a game changer. DESIGN The second best part of these hearing aids is the discreteness, most people will think they are music earbuds but they are so tiny that they do not stand out. If they were a beige, flesh colored neutral color then they would surely go un-noticed. The automatic charging when placed back in the case makes for a fully charged pair every-time you put them in. The charge lasts up to 28hrs but I have never needed them for more than 16hrs without any power issues. The carrying case is small and easily fits in your pocket without causing a bulge. Performance/SOUND The amplification of the speech of those talking to me is amazing. The sound clarity is noticeably much much better when using the hearing aids and I find myself not asking people to repeat themselves anymore. The sound clarity-sound amplification works especially well when using the app and the custom settings. I can go from talking to someone on a one to one to talking to someone in a noisy social setting and the hearing aid seems to know this and amplifies the voices and not the background music/noise. It is one of those things that you didn't know would impact you as great until you actually try them for yourself. Overall I definitely recommend them and it may seem like you have gotten used to asking people to repeat themselves, unable to hear television unless it's blasting at a loud volume or can't enjoy conversation in loud environments...NO MORE once you take the plunge and try these for yourself.

I have had behind the ear hearing aids fitted by an audiologist and they have started to hurt the area behind my ears. After doing an extensive internet search, I came across these hearing aids but was concerned that I needed to adjust them myself. On the other hand, you have a 30 day return policy from Sony which BestBuy extends so I though I had nothing to lose. I purchased them, and have fiddled with adjusting them over about a week. I have moderate hearing loss and there is some concern if these are good for someone with that much loss. In short, I love them. I think I am hearing better with sound that is clearer than my old hearing aids but they were 5 years old. The Sony app is easy to use, once you learn how to use it. Sony has excellent phone support but actually if you use youtube and search the internet, you probably will get the answers you need. I find these hearing aids comfortable. For hearing aid users, the worst place is a noisy restaurant. These are not perfect but are satisfactory. Would I buy them again? YES

Very discreet, comfortable fit with clear sound. I have been wearing these everyday for a month now and I love the way the improve my hearing in 1:1 and in noisy environments. I’ve only had to charge the case once in 3 weeks. I highly recommend these for anyone needing a little boost to their hearing. No one has noticed them yet, either.

For me having a discrete pair of aids is the most important thing I was looking for. I have a highly dollar set of hearing aids that cost $3k plus and the Sony pair is better for hearing quality as well. The only downside is no Bluetooth but honestly that isn’t that great in my expensive set either. You won’t be disappointed in this OTC hearing aid option.

Happy customer. At first, I was a little skeptical... since it's the first time I've used a hearing aid. But it's easy to put on. Easy to install in the app. People don't notice you're wearing it since it's so small you can barely see it. I recommend it for people who have lost some hearing, like me.