Jabra - Enhance Select 50R Rechargeable Hearing Aids - With Remote Professional Care and Bluetooth Streaming - Gray

Easy to use and has a nice app for controlling them on my phone.

As a hearing aid wearer for a few decades, I have seen improvements and advances in technology over the span of my usage. Certainly the introduction of Over the Counter hearing aids is a major force in today’s market. For the people with mild to moderate hearing loss, the cost of these devices are about half the price for the “medical grade” hearing aids. Since you are no longer required by laws to have a licensed audiologist or hearing aid dispenser to handle the transaction, the costs are much more affordable. The audiogram process is a service that medical insurance and Medicare pays for. So if you have coverage, that is probably the best place to start on your hearing improvement journey. With the data of an audiogram, you will have a good idea if an OTC hearing aid will have the "horsepower" you need. With the data of the study, you can have Jabra adjust the OTC hearing aids to precisely match where in the audible spectrum your acuity is weak. There is also a cheaper option to do an at home, computer based hearing test, with a link at the Jabra web page to test your hearing and set up the hearing aids accordingly. They suggest using a set of headphones and in a quiet place; even a closet is good. Use of the Jabra phone app allows you to further adjust as you familiarize yourself with the amplification and your personal perceived needs. The Jabra device incorporates many of the incremental advances that have improved hearing assistance over the past decades. This is a "receiver in the ear" product, where the battery unit fits over the ear as the power source, but the actual speaker resides in the ear canal, and a thin wire connects to the battery unit. This leads to a small, light weight unobtrusive instrument. A wide selection of alternative rubber fittings is provided to customize to your anatomy and secure the amplifier in your ear canal. Having a secure fit allows optimum delivery of the sound to the eardrum, as even small leaks will let a significant proportion of the sound to escape from the canal. There are three different styles in a range of sizes to fit the majority of people. I switched the perforated dome that was factory installed to a solid, and larger sized dome which was easily accomplished, with definite improvement in the delivery of the sound. the instruction manual and online linkage made starting up of the Jabras understandable, especially important to new users of hearing aids. Built into the separate Jabra app for your iPhone/Android had multiple video links each step along the way. Once I had registered my hearing aids online, which was simple to do, I received emails, and even a phone call from a human, offering guided support in getting started. You had the options of either phone support or web addresses for a variety of educational modules dealing with all aspects of customizing the device and daily usage. Notable advances of hearing aid technology that I have witnessed over the years are well incorporated in the Jabra devices: Digital amplification. Digitization allows for speech to be prioritized for amplification by the processor, and dampen the background noises. Digitized sound can be transmitted electronically by Bluetooth over distances of around 10 meters, so you can leave your phone on the table and move about the room. Additional benefits accrue: the squealing of audio feedback, a bane of analog hearing aids, can be recognized and suppressed by digital processing. Rechargeable batteries with a run time of all day. You recharge at night, similar to the ritual of charging your mobile phone overnight. The hassle and expense of changing batteries weekly or for smaller devices, with smaller batteries, even more often, perhaps every 3 or 4 days, is gone. Wireless recharging of the batteries with a USB powered table top charger. No need to plug anything in; just drop the device into the cradle, the light on the hearing aid turns on, and you know it’s charging. Shrinkage of size and weight with advances in microelectronics and chip technologies. See the comparison picture of my regular hearing aids to the Jabra Enhance devices. Water resistance. However, these are not to be worn swimming or in the shower, of course. But they will not be destroyed by being caught in the rain. Receiver in the ear speakers for optimum esthetics and smaller form factor. My photo shows the difference of a “behind the ear” device, where all the electronics are in the white lozenge and the clear plastic tube carries the amplified sound down from the hearing aid to the molded plastic ear piece that is custom fit to the ear configuration. “Made for iPhone” (and Android equivalent) linkage to mobile phones offering binaural hearing when using your phone, and additionally the ability to mute out all the background noise while on a phone conversation. Ability to use the hearing aids as an equivalent device as earbud headphones for optimized music, podcast, and “live listen” linkage using your mobile phone as your private microphone. The only difficulty that I encountered: The initial linkage of the Jabras to my phone via the app instructed me to “turn off Bluetooth and WiFi”. The app then did a search for the Jabras and stated they were discovered, but the next step when I clicked on the “done” button took me back to the screen that said “hearing aids not connected”, with a button stating “connect hearing aids”. This became a merry-go-round over and over with no obvious remedy. This circular path occurred because via the separate linkage in my iPhone to a “Made for iPhone” device was already occupied by my pre-existing hearing aids. The hearing aids did not exit from that linkage, until you specifically go to that area of Settings and ask the phone to remove that device. So turning off Bluetooth in the General settings, will not disconnect them. So the loop of instructions was written for a phone that had not been previously linked to a Made for iPhone hearing aid. Once I recalled the Made for iPhone aspect, I was able to proceed and get the Jabra instruments to connect. Since I have my current hearing aids for three years, I had completely forgotten about that pathway, hidden in Settings. You can fast track to that setting with an iPhone with a triple press of the right sided button on the iPhone. That will automatically open the Accessibility Shortcuts. From there you have access to 3 choices: hearing devices, magnifier, and zoom. You open the hearing devices menu, then tell the phone to “forget” your current hearing aids that you are upgrading from, if they are of the Made for iPhone category. Then magically, the option to choose Jabra Enhance is present. It is smooth sailing from there. In conclusion, I found the Jabra an excellent choice for those wishing to improve their hearing ability. Various reasons to pursue an OTC solution: perhaps you live too remote from an audiologist, are not that marked in your hearing impairment but recognize there is room for improvement to a more vibrant hearing experience that you recall from earlier in your life, or finances are such that you need to try to limit your expenditures. Compared to another pair of OTC hearing aids that I trialed, the Jabra were far superior in all aspects, most notably in the robust support and graded options for more involvement. A robust warranty with a long period of coverage (3 years) and ongoing support for those three years. I live on the border of moderate to more severe hearing loss, and even at highest volume the Jabra devices reach some limitations. In critical listening environments, attending a lecture in a large auditorium for example, I will depend on my prior hearing aids. But the Jabra set will go with me on all travels, for less critical listening and a worthy backup pair should there be issues with my former hearing aids, or if they need to be sent back to the factory for repairs.

The reviews must be fake! Adjustments can only be made remotely customer has no control. With that being said it takes several days for it to take place. I have never been able to use them since buying them. I’ve been unable to have the volume turned up enough to make them usable. They cannot be used after several adjustments still nothing. Their answer is I need to get used to them, I’ve worn hearing aids for years I’m quite sure I know what to expect. I have no clue how someone can get used to not hearing. I bought them for the Bluetooth and it works because others I ask can hear it slightly. 1200 dollar Bluetooth no thanks. Every time I call c/s they have me run through some routine and so far I’ve changed filters more times than I’ve worn them. I’ve bought several other otc aids and this is the worst of all and only one I cannot hear anything at all. I can hear better with nothing.i bought from best buy now jabra will do nothing and too late for refund. Do not waste your money on these. All the reviews must be made up no way can everyone else be satisfied. 100 dollar hearing aids are twice as good. I took online hearing test wearing these and I have severe hearing loss without them it’s moderate. Every time I call it ends up being over an hour. They continue sending emails trying to sell this or that latest joke is refer a friend I would not tell me worst enemy to buy these. I’d rather return and donate my refund to Red Cross at least I wouldn’t feel cheated.

I noticed I could hear much better after trying out the Enhance Select 50R, I should have tried them way before now, it is a big change. The speech clarity and noise reduction are amazing. Jabra has made great products for a long time; I remember my first headset as well as my headphones and now Enhance Select 50. The Jabra are easy to setup, basically just plug and play. Right out of the box, a QR Code is there to start, download the app and the app walks through all the necessary steps to get them to work well like how to measure my ears, how to wear them, charge them and more. In the box it even comes with cards with large numbers with the step by step instructions, and if any questions should come up, information is right there. The application is also easy to use to adjust or customize the aids right from the smarthphone. Being able to use them with Apple or Android cell phone is great and it does not have to be the most expensive phone, just a smartphone to download the app and customize the set. The aids are rechargeable, and they are easy to put them on the large case to charge them and the battery life lasts an entire day and perhaps longer. Taking phone calls and music or podcast streaming is available without taking them off, they are already paired via Bluetooth to the smartphone so it is so much easier to listen to every day occasions. The size is amazingly small, I remember people having large hearing aids when I was younger and now they are so small they are almost invisible, I really like that. The premium package comes with three years of follow up care so help is there if needed. Overall they are easy to setup, easy to use and maintain and I am very happy with the near invisible pair.

Hearing aids (I will refer to them as “HAs”) are a multi faceted topic as there are different degrees and types of hearing loss, there are differences in hardware, differences in support and after-care, and differences in the individual’s ability to manage proper use and care of the devices. I first want to say I have been a prescription HA user for eleven years (two different sets of hardware from different manufacturers), and have also tested a couple other sets of OTC HAs, both of which have left me less than impressed. My hearing loss is at the upper end of moderate loss (per Jabra’s audiologist’s opinion) thus making me just barely a target customer for the JabraGN Enhance Select 50R product. The Select 50R is at the lower end of JabraGN’s range of OTC products (there are also Select 100 and Select 200 versions). There is a Select 50 model that uses replaceable batteries rather than containing rechargeable batteries like the Select 50R, and the features of the 50R match up very similar to the Select 100, so I am not sure what Jabra’s end game is for a product line up. Virtually all HA manufacturers have a variety of models in their lineup at different price points and with differing feature sets. With my prescriptions aids, I have bought at the upper end of the offered lineups (my last set was $4,275 for the pair in 2019) as I didn’t want to leave anything on the table as far as the product’s ability to help me. That said, I have been slightly disappointed in the results and functionality, and sometimes wished I had bought a more basic set at a lower price. Having worn HAs previously, it is inevitable that I make comparisons between them and these Jabra units (GN Group is the parent company of Jabra and ReSound is their prescription brand). The RITE (Receiver-In-The-Ear) design is a very comfortable to wear style, provides very good performance, and in my opinion is a good choice for most people. This design is very unobtrusive and most people don’t even notice you are wearing them. Obviously everyone’s ears are different, but having the aid behind the ear is not bothersome even if you wear glasses. The Jabra Enhance web site is very well laid out and easy to navigate. There are tools and advice to evaluate if your hearing loss can be helped by an OTC hearing device. Their OTC hearing aids come with a 100-day money-back trial period, which is very generous. I believe the trial period that manufacturers offer varies from state to state and is usually 30 or 45 days. Jabra also offers three years of follow-up care along with a three year warranty and three year loss & damage coverage (a deductible applies). This is my first experience with rechargeable hearing aids and after using both kinds, I will definitely continue with rechargeable ones in the future. Using batteries, I normally get seven days of all-day use (about 16 hours per day) from a set of batteries (312 size) at about $1.12 per week. Rechargeable HAs cost more upfront, but the convenience is worth it in my opinion. These Enhance 50Rs just drop into the charging base and they are charged wirelessly, meaning there are no electrical contacts on the HAs or in the base to get dirty or corroded. They will recharge in about 3 hours and can last up to 30 hours before needing to be charged. I had one day where I forgot to set them in the charger and they went about 27 hours before one of them chimed and the phone app asked me to place them in the charger. On a normal day the charge level would drop from 100% to 70% with minimal use streaming audio content. The Select 50R HAs are very slightly larger in size than my prescription ones that take replaceable batteries, have three microphone openings, one push button that is nicely sized with good tactile feedback, and one LED to show charging status (blinks when charging, solid green when fully charged). The receiver that fits in the ear canal has the option of four different lengths of wire to connect it to the HA. I’m not sure why the industry calls it a receiver when in actuality it is a tiny speaker that reproduces sound from the amplifier in the body of the HA. The HAs come with a number 2 wire in the package, but Jabra will supply another size if needed based on using a measuring tool that is supplied in the kit. After sending a picture of my ears with the tool in place to Jabra, I was quickly informed via email that another set of receivers would be shipped out to me and they arrived in just a few days. The receiver and attached wire are VERY easy to replace using the small tool that is supplied in the kit. The starter kit that comes with the HAs includes three sizes of open domes (a dome is the little rubber piece that attaches to the receiver and holds it in the ear canal), three sizes of closed domes (a closed dome has no holes in it that allow outside noises into the ear), one package of tulip domes (they come in one size only), two packages of wax traps (little “filters” that keep ear wax out of the receivers), a cleaning brush, a cleaning cloth, a tool for opening the latch that holds the receiver wire to the HA body, a measuring tool to check the distance from the top of the ear to the ear canal, a sturdy, hard-sided carrying/storage case, and the charging base with USB cable and power adapter. The items included allow the user to get a perfect fit on their own without a visit to a hearing professional. Also included is plenty of paper documentation (thank you Jabra!) that is very well written at an easy to understand level. I can’t stress enough to read through the user guide completely before starting to use the HAs. The initial consultation I have had with a Jabra audiologist was via a Zoom meeting. Over the years I have interacted face-to-face with seven or more different audiologists (I have had hearing tests as far back as 1983 even though I didn’t get HAs until 2012), and I must say that the audiologist from Jabra was better at explaining things, answering my questions, and making sure I was taken care of properly than the other ones were. She reviewed my last audiogram that I took a picture of and uploaded to Jabra and designed an amplification curve tailored to my specific hearing loss. The customization will carry over to each of the four built-in listening programs, “All-Around”, “Restaurant”, “Music”, and “Outdoor”. During our meeting, she downloaded the file to the Jabra Enhance app on my iPhone and it installed onto the Select 50R HAs in just a matter of a couple of minutes. The change in what I was hearing after the HAs rebooted was immediate and very noticeable. I have another Zoom meeting scheduled in a week for follow-up to make sure I am satisfied with the changes. Everything so far has been the same as what I have experienced in a physical audiologist’s office except for the hearing test in the soundproof booth. The Jabra web site/app does offer a hearing evaluation, but it is not as comprehensive or detailed as what you get in an actual office. The buttons on the HAs themselves allows you to turn them on and off (independently), adjust the volume up and down (both at the same time), and change listening programs (both at the same time). The programs have different algorithms making them suitable for different environments that possess different challenges for hearing clearly. “All-Around” is the default program for normal use, “Restaurant” takes into account what can be a noisy environment with many conversations going on, “Music” adjusts to make streamed music or live music more natural sounding, and “Outdoor” helps to overcome wind noise. I did notice some distinct differences between the programs, but some possible improvements might be hard to ascertain depending on the individual user and the specific environment being encountered. Each program also has the ability to offer small changes such as “Noise Filter”, “Speech Clarity”, or individual bass and treble boost. The phone app also allows you to reach out to Jabra’s hearing professionals for help and has tutorials on how to do certain things such as clean the HAs. Jabra’s app is much better than the app from one of the major HA suppliers that made my prescription aids. The big question is, have they been problem-free? To be honest, no, but I don’t think it is any worse than any other high-tech electronic device. And it is hard to say if the fault lies with the hardware, software in the HAs themselves, the phone app, or most likely in the connection between my iPhone and the HAs. I have had issues with not hearing phone notifications in both HAs at the same time (usually I do), sometimes when changing between the four built-in programs the HAs will not hold the last one chosen and will revert back to the previous one after a few seconds, when streaming audio from my phone occasionally the audio will cut out in one HA, and when first turned on (removing them from the charger) the right aid will start squealing slightly with feedback, but it will stop after a few minutes. Are any of these issues deal breakers? Absolutely not. Note that the hearing aids do NOT need the phone with the app present to work, it’s just that some of the features will not be available, but the basics such as changing volume and changing programs will be. HAs require a certain amount of manual dexterity to manage them - cleaning, replacing domes and wax traps, using the phone app, etc. OTC HAs will probably end up being used by a somewhat younger demographic, and being served remotely rather than in a face-to-face encounter they will be better able to deal with not having the hands-on relationship with a local audiologist like an older person would. Anyone experiencing hearing loss and the perceived stigma that goes along with wearing hearing aids, please do yourself a favor and put those thoughts out of your mind. The JabraGN Enhance products are a great place to start and I guarantee you will wish you would have done it sooner.