Customer Ratings & Reviews

Pretty good. But I could not get the sound to my liking. So returned them for the next level.

If you are really hard of hearing then these are not for you. They are not good enough to pay the price. Maybe for someone with mild hearing problems they would work.

Purchased but had to return due to the hearing aids muffling my voice and not allowing sound to come through

They seemed to amplify the background noise more than what I want/needed to hear.

The world of hearing aids is undergoing a quiet revolution. No longer confined to the sterile walls of audiology clinics, these devices are becoming increasingly accessible and affordable. The catalyst for this change is the Over-the-Counter (OTC) Hearing Aid Act of 2017, which paved the way for a new class of hearing aids that can be sold directly to consumers without a prescription. Sony, a name synonymous with innovation in audio technology, has stepped into this arena with the CRE-C20 Self-Fitting Hearing Aids. These sleek, rechargeable devices promise to deliver prescription-grade sound quality and a customizable listening experience, all at a fraction of the cost of traditional hearing aids. But do they live up to the hype? Let's dive deep into the features, performance, and overall user experience of the Sony CRE-C20 to see if they're the right fit for you. Design and Comfort: Discreet and Comfortable The CRE-C20 boasts a sleek, minimalist design that's both discreet and comfortable. The earpieces are compact and virtually invisible when worn, ensuring you can go about your day without feeling self-conscious. The lightweight construction and ergonomic shape provide a snug fit that stays in place even during active movements. The included ear tips in various sizes allow you to find the perfect fit for your ear canals, maximizing comfort and minimizing sound leakage. The charging case is equally impressive, with a smooth, pebble-like design that fits comfortably in your pocket. It also serves as a storage case, protecting your hearing aids when not in use. The magnetic closure ensures a secure fit, preventing accidental opening. Setup and App: User-Friendly Experience Setting up the CRE-C20 is a breeze, thanks to the intuitive Sony Hearing Control app. The app guides you through the entire process, from pairing the hearing aids to your smartphone to personalizing the sound settings. The self-fitting feature utilizes a series of hearing tests to create a custom audio profile tailored to your specific hearing loss. The app also offers various preset listening modes for different environments, such as restaurants, concerts, or outdoor settings. You can further fine-tune the sound with adjustable bass and treble controls, giving you full control over your listening experience. The app also provides helpful tips and tutorials for getting the most out of your hearing aids, making it a valuable resource for first-time users. Sound Quality: Prescription-Grade Performance The CRE-C20 delivers impressive sound quality that rivals that of many prescription hearing aids. The advanced digital signal processing algorithms effectively reduce background noise and amplify speech, allowing you to hear conversations clearly even in noisy environments. The wide dynamic range ensures natural and balanced sound across various frequencies, from deep bass to crisp highs. The hearing aids also automatically adjust to different sound environments, providing optimal listening clarity wherever you go. Whether you're in a crowded restaurant or enjoying a quiet evening at home, the CRE-C20 delivers a rich and immersive audio experience. Battery Life and Charging: Power on the Go The CRE-C20 offers excellent battery life, lasting up to 26 hours on a single charge. This means you can enjoy uninterrupted hearing throughout the day without worrying about running out of power. The included charging case provides an additional 3 full charges, giving you a total of up to 104 hours of listening time. The case itself charges quickly via USB-C, and the hearing aids snap securely into place with magnetic charging pins. The app also provides real-time battery status updates, so you can always stay on top of your power levels. Connectivity: Seamless Integration The CRE-C20 connects seamlessly to your smartphone via Bluetooth, allowing you to stream music, podcasts, and phone calls directly to your hearing aids. The low-latency audio transmission ensures a smooth and synchronized listening experience. The app also lets you control the volume, switch between listening modes, and even find your hearing aids if you misplace them. You can also connect the CRE-C20 to your TV or other audio devices using the optional Sony Wireless TV Transmitter, further expanding its functionality. User Experience: Real-World Performance In real-world usage, the CRE-C20 performs admirably. The self-fitting process is surprisingly accurate, producing a personalized sound profile that enhances hearing without feeling artificial. The hearing aids are comfortable to wear for extended periods, and the discreet design makes them virtually unnoticeable. The noise reduction algorithms effectively filter out background noise, making conversations easier to follow in crowded environments. The ability to stream audio directly to the hearing aids is a game-changer, providing a convenient and enjoyable way to listen to music or podcasts. The battery life is more than sufficient for all-day use, and the charging case ensures you're never caught without power. Pros and Cons: A Balanced View Pros: Discreet and comfortable design User-friendly setup and app Prescription-grade sound quality Excellent battery life and charging Seamless Bluetooth connectivity Cons: No directional microphones Limited customization options compared to some prescription hearing aids Can be pricey compared to other OTC options

not comfortable or very effective for my hearing problem

My review is about the fit, feel, comfort, ease of setup, and how much they help me hear better. I will leave the specs and other minutia to others. Bottom Line Up Front: They are comfortable to wear, easy to set up, and sound great. I have not tested the total time on batteries as I charge them every night, but they are still going strong after all-day wear. I usually have them in for 8 to 15 hours every day. The charging cradle has lasted over a week with the initial charge, and I don't know how long it can go before requiring a charge. I am unsure what the minimum charger output requirement is, but charging has not been an issue so far. The rubber inserts were the right size for me, but they come in larger and smaller sizes to fit your ears. The accompanying app is a powerful tool that puts you in control. It has everything you need to set up and maintain the hearing aids. While I haven't felt the need to change any settings after wearing them for a week, the app allows you to make adjustments if needed for your specific environment, giving you the power to customize your experience. Now, the subjective - how do they sound? In a word - GREAT! The manual says getting used to them takes a while, and I agree with that warning. Every day I wore them, they became less noticeable and more natural in fit and in sound amplification. I have not tried them with headphones, but they work well with a phone to your ear. Normal voices are much clearer, and I hear sounds I missed in the past. Music sounds great, and they amplify the mid-ranges better than the high notes. Bass has never been an issue for me, so I am unsure if they help there. In noisy environments like restaurants, they amplify the sounds close to you while not amplifying farther away sounds. I do not know how they do this, but it makes conversations in a noisy environment far more pleasant. One nitpick - they are NOT Bluetooth, so you cannot use them as a receiver - they are only amplifiers. Too bad, because this would make them perfect. The little stem that sticks out is very discrete but allows a great handhold when removing them. Simply wipe off the ear wax, drop them in the charger, and start again the next day. Easy-peasey! Highly recommended for those with mild hearing loss. If these do not work for you, you may need to see an audiologist and get professionally fitted. But if you have mild hearing loss like me, these are ideal at a fraction of the cost of professionally fitted aids. Buy them!

Maybe I’m just unlucky this is the second time the right side hearing stop working Again I have to bring them back

So I just received my SONY CRE-C20 Self-Fitting Rechargeable Hearing Aids about a week ago and have been putting them through their paces. This will my second pair of SONY Self-Fitting hearing aids that I have tried over the last couple of years. The last set were the ITE Self-Fitting OTC Rechargeable hearing aids, and I really liked them. Hoping these CRE-C20's are just as comfortable and easy to use as the other SONYs were. Earlier this year in the Spring, I was properly diagnosed by licensed audiologist that I had slight/moderate hearing loss in my right ear (surprisingly which seems to be my dominant ear compared to my left ear). Upon opening the box, you will find: * The Sony CRE-C20 Self-Fitting OTC Hearing Aids * Charging Case * Closed Sleeves (XS, S, M, & L) * USB-C Charging Cable * Cleaning/Care Tools * User Manuals To get started, it's best to ensure the hearing aids have been fully charged. Once fully charged, simply follow along by downloading the Sony Hearing Control app from the App Store for iOS or Google Play Store for Android. After fully charging the hearing aids in their case, you should be ready to start the setup process by following along in the app. go. I was ready to take these babies for a spin. These hearing aids are not Bluetooth. To begin, you open the case up and remove the left hearing aid and place it into your ear as instructed in the diagram on the app; after hearing a confirmation beep, you will do the same with the right hearing aid. Once both are in and connected its, time to start the setup process of each individual hearing aid. You will be played a series of beeps and must count and select the number of beeps you heard. This is the part that takes the longest and you must be in an area of complete silence. Once you are set with the left hearing aid, you will have to do the same with the right hearing aid. Once they are properly calibrated, you can fine tune them through the app. But before fine tuning, its best to see how they sound when talking to other people and/or listening to your television. The app is pretty self-explanatory and allows you to continue fine tuning them even further. In my experience with these, especially during the initial setup, I was getting some feedback in the hearing aids (almost a screeching sound), however, I was able to fine tune that out. When it comes to sound quality and clarity, these hearing aids were good. I could clearly hear what others were saying to me without having to ask them to repeat themselves, or turn sideways to my right positioning myself to hear with my dominant right ear. With the fine-tuning section in the app, I was able to fine to a person's speech, no matter whether I was talking to someone face to face or listening to dialogue on TV. Something I like is that the case hold a charge for quite awhile. I've not timed how long, but by charging the hearing aids at night and using them throughout the day, I never ran out of battery life. Now one thing that I wish was that they were Bluetooth compatible and that they were able to used for phone calls (meaning I could hear my calls through these hearing aids and fine tune voices on calls) as well as using them for listening to music. However, they are amazing for what they do, and being their by Sony, you won't be disappointed if you're on the market for a nice pair of OTC hearing aids with great sound quality as well as a nice rechargeable case.

I have used several different hearing aid devices and was excited to try out and review these Sony CRE-C20 hearing aids. Upon receiving them, I immediately unboxed them and put them in the charging case using the USB-C cable provided to obtain a full charge before using them. A 4-hour charge produces a full 26 hours of use; 30-minute charge gives up to 6-hours of use. While the Sony hearing aids charged, I read through the manual provided with the hearing aids, downloaded the Sony Hearing Aid Control Software App and looked at the cleaning brush, cleaning cloth and various sized ear sleeves provided with the devices. The Sony CRE-C20 haearing aids are FDA approved and available over-the-counter without a prescription. Sony provides a hearing test via its Hearing Aid Control Software Application and each user should spend a short time setting up the devices for their specific situation by taking the Sony hearing aid test. Once the test is completed, the Sony Hearing Aid Application automatically tunes the hearing aids for each individual's use. The hearing aids can be manually adjusted using the hearing aid control app. Sony recommends daily cleaning of the hearing aids, daily charging, and protection from water and humidity. Do not wear the hearing aids when showering or when taking an MRI or getting an Xray. I have found that the Sony hearing aids stay in quite well when exercizing, walking, running and working out. These hearing aids were built to enhance hearing of voices and do not invlude streaming of music through the devices. As such, they excel at enhancing vocal conversations. The Sony CRE-C20 OTC Hearing Aids are quite small making them almost invisible when inserted in each ear for use. They have a small clear plastic stem to remove them from your ear canals after use. The hearing aids, when inserted, play a short musical tone so you can know that they are ready for use. My prior devices were over the ear types that were visible and not quite as accurate in producing sound as these Sony hearing aids are. I found the Sony CRE-C20 OTC Hearing Aids to be comfortable to wear all day, easily adjustable to use and better than others at enhancing conversations and other sounds extremely well. I highly recommend these Sony hearing aids to you!

I have been a user of over the ear hearing aids for a few years now. When these became available I decided to try them. My experience is mixed. Upon opening the box I was presented with a printed User Guide. This had basic information and a QR code to get the Quick Start Website. I then downloaded the Android APP. I had to create an account and I started the hearing aid setup. I was precisely walked thru the process to prepare for the hearing test. This could not have been easier. All I had to do was count the beeps I heard for both my left and right ear. The APP did the rest ultimately providing me a personal hearing profile. I did not have that with current hearing aids I am using. One issue I have is that the hearing aids ship with only Closed Sleeves. This produced an unacceptable quality of my own voice. Its best described as listening to your own voice with fingers in your ears. It is muffled and gave me a sense of claustrophobia. This was just not acceptable to me. I saw that OPEN Sleeves are available and SONY was contacted to get the Open Sleeves so that I could provide a full review. This is normally a $15 cost as they are not provided in the box. Without the OPEN Sleeves I would be looking to return the product. At this price point they should have been included in the box. I re-ran the complete setup with the new sleeves without any issues. When that was completed the overall volume control on the APP was not working. I contacted SONY Support via their toll free number. The call was answered quickly and the support person knew the product very well. He walked me thru some troubleshooting items and the volume control was now working. This was a truly great support experience. My expectation was greatly exceeded. The overall sound quality is very good with speech greatly enhanced. My hearing loss, when last medically tested, was right in the speech range and is now corrected nicely with this sound profile determined by the hearing test from the APP. I am also hearing more highs in music once again which is very pleasant. It is still somewhat difficult to hear in noisy environments when many people are talking but that is the same with my present hearing aids. The batteries last throughout the day and are easily charged overnight. The charging case also has an internal battery that can recharge the hearing aids without it being plugged in. A USB cable is provided along with some maintenance items but no power cube. Unfortunately my own voice is still not as natural as provided by my current over the ear hearing aids. This is a great disappointment to me. I used the FINE TUNING section in the APP, it helped but still not great. In time I may get used to it as the manual said it would get better with time.

The right hearing aide stopped charging a little after 2 months of purchase. My husband was so excited when he first bought these but one hearing aid is already unusable. I feel really bad for him because it happened just 5 days after the return period. Unfortunately, Best Buy does not offer extra warranty on these that you can purchase. At least thats what our sales person told us.

Memory updated I recently started using the Sony CRE-C20 CIC Self-fitting OTC Rechargeable Hearing Aids, and I couldn’t be more impressed. Setting them up was a breeze with the Sony Hearing Control app, which offers predefined smart hearing settings based on thousands of real-life audiograms. The app’s customization options allowed me to fine-tune the sound quality and volume to suit my specific needs, making conversations and everyday sounds clearer than ever. One of my favorite aspects is how discreet they are. These are some of the smallest OTC hearing aids I’ve come across, and they fit comfortably all day without slipping. The improved ear sleeves provide a snug, secure fit, and I often forget I’m wearing them because they’re so lightweight. The rechargeable battery is a game-changer, offering up to 28 hours of continuous use. I don’t have to worry about constantly replacing batteries, which adds to the overall convenience. The sound clarity is fantastic, especially in noisy environments. Thanks to the Auto Sound Analyzer and Ear-to-Ear Wireless Link, I can easily focus on conversations even in busy areas. Another major plus is the IP68 rating, so I feel confident using them in different environments without worrying about moisture or dust. Overall, these hearing aids have exceeded my expectations in comfort, sound quality, and ease of use. Five stars, hands down!

The Sony cre c20 hearing aid amplifies all sounds, so made it even more difficult to understand people speaking. It was even worse in restaurants

The newest arrival from Sony in the Hearing Aid department is small enough to fit into your ear canal and is almost invisible. The battery lasts all day, it is conveniently recharged in its storage case overnight. Set-up takes a few minutes, over an hour or so. After unpacking you need to charge the units. Follow the instructions to download the Sony application. After charging follow the steps to setup and adjust the hearing aids. Then take the hearing test to fine tune each independent aid. If you have any questions Customer Service is only a call away. Within minutes of calling, they solved my error and got me right back on track. After I got the units properly set up I was surprised with the clarity of each unit. I was able to hear and understand people at a distance, it was nice not having to say “What”. I took these hearing aids on a trip to the Grand Canyon. In the noisiness of the place, I could still hear clearly without any fuzziness. These hearing aids made my trip more enjoyable. They have everything needed to improve your hearing.

Had the cre-c20 hearing aids for 2 weeks...and then charger stopped working...returned them for refund

I've suffered a lot recently due to slowly increasing hearing loss. For such a long time I've spent my time asking for others to repeat themselves and I've tried some other over the counter solutions that are a bit less than elegant. I'm always self-conscious about just how noticeable other hearing aids are in my ears and I'd just as soon go without and ask people to repeat themselves than to be embarrassed. That's why these are a god-send. Packaging: To start, the packaging is minimalist, straight to the point, inside is some literature, the hearing aids, 3 sizes of gels and the charging unit. I will say that the charging dock is a little larger than expected, even some of my full size earbuds dont have a dock quite this large, so it's a little bit odd, but there may be more technology buried in the unit than a simple earbud might have. Setup: Setup is straightfoward, pair to the app and go through the setup process, select what you can hear in terms of the tones, and it adjusts some settings for you. There's a few other options for sharpness and white noise and some other things then an option to save. I feel like with something as advanced as these, they should have some additional intelligence. I've owned earbuds that have better tuning options than these unfortunately. That said, they do seem to work well despite the limited options, more on that in a sec. Fit and Use: Fit is actually quite good, as is the standard with most in-ear options these days, the handful of gels sends to be sufficient, I went with the middle size and it worked well for me. Hearing my surroundings was a slight effort of 'getting used to' for a minute, but my biggest worry of losing voices to the background noise seemed unfounded, though it's an issue I've experienced in the past with other options. They are very clear and plenty loud enough, so I'm actually quite happy with them. It also seems they aren't obvious to most people that I'm wearing them, and since they dont have an outer ear loop, to anyone else looking they might just look like very small earbuds, which is good for me. Final thoughts: A more robust setup, profiles or even some level of 'ear mapping' as I've seen with some more advanced earbuds might make these really stand out, but that said, I think they are excellent. It would be great to see some slight improvements to the app and function, but so far as an OTC solution they are my current favorite.

As the title suggests, these haring aids are a cut above the rest. They fit perfectly and the multiple ear tips allow for the best fit possible. They were easy to setup to reduce the typical echo you get with hearing aids and we were actually able to get them to eliminate that completely (where you hear yourself speaking in them), which is rare for hearing aids in general without professional adjustments. They are good at filtering out background noise while still enhancing voices and also do a good job making it easy to focus on who's speaking. The settings are also easy to use and tweak over time to get the best possible experience. Overall, these are some of the best hearing aids I've ever used and also just feel high quality. They also fit snugly in your ears so you don't have to worry about them falling out with physical activity or just normal use. They are also extremely comfortable to wear for long periods of time. I highly recommend them. Again as the review title mentions, they really a cut above the rest.

I bought my Sony CRE-C20 hearing aids at Best Buy about three weeks ago. So far I like them a lot. They are so indiscreet, most people think I forgot my hearing aids. I had been using Jabra hearing aids for several years and like them a great deal too. I my opinion, the Sonys perform just as well and help me hear just as well as the Jabras did. There are two things the Jabra hearing aids offer that the Sony hearing aids do not. First, the Jabra hearing aids offer Bluetooth connection and I can listen to phone calls and music from my iPhone. However, because of the poor quality of music the Jabras provide, I never used the Bluetooth feature. When I wanted to listed to music, I’d take out my Jabras and listed through my AirPods Pro, which deliver my music’s fidelity so much better. I do the same with my Sony CRE-C20s. So I don’t really miss the Bluetooth capability the Jabra hearing aids provided. However, there is one thing I miss greatly with the Sonys. Jabra allowed me to access their hearing aid app from my Apple Watch. Sony does not. It was so much more convenient to be able to adjust the volume and tone of my Jabra hearing aids from my Apple Watch rather than have to pull out my iPhone every time I need to make an adjustment on my Sony hearing aids. Sony, if you’re listening, PLEASE provide the ability to include the Sony hearing aid app among those I can load on my Apple Watch. I’d give the CRE-C20 hearing aids FIVE stars if I could do that!

These are a nice size and profile, very hard to see from a distance and fully in ear. The app and volume adjustment was pretty clear - one thing to note, in the setup, there are supposed to be some beeps that you hear. Depending upon when you start up the hearing aids, you may or may not get into the setup correctly. We had to speak with customer support, who did a very good job, and after shutting down all the way and restarting from scracth with the app already installed on the phone, we had no issues. From experience, it took a few days to get used to the sound difference and find the right level to set the volume at. Around loud machinery or in an area where there may be some mechanical loud noise, it is wise to turn the volume down ahead of time or pull the hearing aids. These are just as comfortable as a pair of standard earbuds, and made a big difference as far as TV and radio volume etc. Lip reading isn't a thing any more either. The charging peiod and battery life are good, pulling these out at night, cleaning and putting in the charger is simple and a charge lasts all day. If you or somebody you know needs a little help hearing, these may be the answer.