Signia Styletto IX Hearing Aids Review

Signia Styletto IX Pros and Cons

Design

Unpackaging my Styletto IX hearing aids, I was immediately struck by how much their size, combined with the charging case, reminded me of a pair of AirPods. Compared to other receiver-in-canal hearing aids, these devices were slimmer, albeit a bit longer. Still, it’s hard to notice them when worn, as the shell of the hearing aid fits snugly behind one’s ear.

The Expert Take

From Kasey Craig

Most of my patients have no discomfort with modern hearing aids worn behind the ear. They are almost all extremely small and practically invisible. The exception is patients with small ears who also wear glasses. For these patients, a very slim hearing aid that can prevent sore ears could be a gamechanger in terms of comfort. Make sure that the aids you choose are 100 percent comfortable, as ideally, you’ll be wearing them all waking hours!

I should also note that, in terms of physicality, these hearing aids are comfortable to wear. Because they are lightweight and smooth, I could hardly feel I was wearing them after several minutes.

Battery

To charge the Styletto IX hearing aids, you must place them in the charging case, which can hold up to three additional full charges. To charge the charging case, you can use the included USB-C charging cable.

Signia also sells a charging pad that allows you to charge your case wirelessly. While this device is not included with the hearing aids, you can purchase a Qi-certified wireless charger from Amazon or Best Buy for under $20.

The Expert Take

From Kasey Craig

Ever since rechargeable hearing aids were launched, my patients who live in humid climates have struggled to find a time to put their hearing aids in their drying box – they used to do it overnight, but now, they are charging overnight! Drying out hearing aids is very important for sound quality. The Styletto IX also has a charger available for purchase that cleans and dries your hearing aids while they charge. If you live in a humid climate, sweat a lot, or wear your aids while participating in team sports, this might be a choice for you.

My hearing aids took about three hours to charge fully, and with regular use, I was able to get upwards of 16 hours on a single charge. Regardless, I’d recommend you charge these hearing aids every night.

Remote Fitting

Upon charging these hearing aids, I downloaded the Signia app and paired the hearing aids to my iPhone. Once this was complete, I was ready to begin a remote fitting session with a Signia hearing health professional.

During this session, my audiologist walked me through every aspect of the Styletto IX hearing aids, from placing them in my ear to making adjustments to my sound profile. She also walked me through the ins and outs of the Signia app, which can be used to schedule additional remote sessions.

Overall, the experience felt similar to a traditional in-person visit to an audiology clinic. The help I received was professional and thorough. The only downside I see is that if a person doesn’t have a smartphone, this functionality might be a bit more difficult to access.

Signia App and Assistant

Once my remote fitting was complete, I was left in control of how to use these hearing aids. Using the Signia app, I was able to access a number of helpful controls.

You can adjust the volume of each hearing aid (left or right) independently as well as together. You can also adjust the directionality of hearing aid microphones. For example, I often struggle to hear conversations in noisy environments. By adjusting my Styletto IX hearing aids to focus on sound coming from my left-hand side, they tuned out some of the noise coming from my right-hand side, allowing me to focus on my conversation.

With the press of a button, I could also activate face mask mode, which enhances speech audibility for those wearing facial coverings. In my tests, this feature seemed to work very well.

Signia Assistant

Beyond manually adjusting volume, tone, and directionality, the app also features Signia Assistant. Essentially, this functions like an advanced chatbot. By activating Signia Assistant, you’ll be prompted to select what is causing your issue: your own voice, other voices, sound quality, or handling.

From there, Signia Assistant will ask further questions about what’s giving you trouble and eventually alter the settings on your hearing aids. I found this feature to be particularly useful, as people often don’t know exactly which settings need to be adjusted.

Additionally, when making changes through Signia Assistant, your Signia hearing health provider will be alerted of these changes, allowing them to see which aspects of the hearing aids are giving you trouble and advise accordingly.

Bluetooth

I always appreciate when Bluetooth hearing aids allow you to stream music and calls, and luckily, Styletto IX does support this for iPhones and Android devices. Overall, I found the audio quality to be pretty good, at least on par with my AirPods Pro. Calls came in exceptionally clear, and my music did as well.

One caveat with audio, however, is the adaptive streaming of these hearing aids. This feature automatically adjusts the volume of your music based on surrounding noise. For example, while going for a walk, gusts of wind would cause my music to fluctuate obnoxiously, and there is no way to turn off this feature.

Cost

Signia Styletto IX hearing aids can cost anywhere from $2,500 to $5,000 for a pair. The actual cost will depend on the seller and the technology level you choose. Since these hearing aids are not available over the counter, you’ll have to visit an audiologist or hearing health professional to get them.

Signia Styletto IX vs. Jabra Enhance

Both Jabra Enhance and Signia make some of the best hearing aids around, which is why they’re two of our favorite brands. That said, the Styletto IX and Enhance Select models differ greatly in terms of price and the type of hearing loss they suit.

Let’s start with the similarities. Both the Signia Styletto IX and Jabra Enhance Select hearing aids are behind-the-ear (BTE) models that feature Bluetooth compatibility, smartphone controls, and remote support. Both models also have rechargeable batteries that can last an entire day before requiring a recharge.

Jabra Enhance hearing aids, however, are over-the-counter hearing aids. The upside of this is that they’ll cost as low as $1,000 for a pair and can be purchased directly online. The downside is that these hearing aids are only intended to treat mild-to-moderate hearing loss.

Signia Styletto IX hearing aids require a prescription and can treat mild-to-severe hearing loss, making them better for those with more advanced stages of hearing loss. This increase in functionality comes with higher costs, as Styletto IXmodels cost $2,500 to $5,000 a pair.

To learn more about Jabra Enhance hearing aids, read our Jabra Enhance review.

Bottom Line

Minor gripes with audio streaming aside, I found my Signia Styletto IX hearing aids to be among the best I’ve ever tested. Sound quality was crystal clear, and the companion smartphone app made it super easy to adjust my settings or — in the case of more complex issues — get telehealth from a Signia hearing health specialist.

For those with mild-to-moderate hearing loss, I would definitely recommend these hearing aids. The only people for whom I would not recommend these hearing aids are those who don’t own a smartphone, as one of the main components of Styletto IX is the ability to make your own adjustments through a smartphone app.