Unboxing Eargo 7

My Eargo hearing aids arrived in a well-designed box that felt more like an Apple product than a medical device. The charging cable, cleaning brush, alternate tips, and wax guard fit neatly.

The product arrived with some battery charge, but Eargo recommends you charge your batteries for four hours before you begin the setup process. The fully charged devices have 16 hours of life, and the recharging case offers another two days of charging on the go.  

These devices are incredibly small. I would guess that 90% of people I interact with don’t see them in my ears.  

I placed the Eargo 7 in my hearing aid test manikin for a second perspective. The devices really disappeared.  

For perspective, here is an Eargo 7 device side-by-side with a leading prescription hearing aid from ReSound.

Programming And App Controls

Eargo hearing aids are compatible with iPhone and Android devices. The first step in the setup process is to connect your hearing aids (while they are in the charging case) to your phone. Make sure your Bluetooth is on, and your hearing aids are charged. This step took less than a minute.  

Once you are connected, the app will prompt you to start a hearing test. To do that, you’ll need to turn up your phone volume to at least 75% and find a quiet environment.

Why turn up the phone volume? Eargo does not connect through Bluetooth (due to its tiny size). Instead, your phone will control your hearing aids using a high-pitched tone. Your volume needs to be on and turned up for that chirp to reach your hearing aids.

Once the hearing aids are connected, the app will guide you through a 10-minute hearing test. During the test, you will hear a series of tones in each ear, and you’ll press a button each time you hear the sound.

Of note, because Eargo doesn’t use Bluetooth, you might hear the high-frequency buzz (sounds like a cricket to me) during the test. You’ll need to ignore that sound and listen for more traditional beeps.

Once you complete the test, the app will instruct you to place the hearing aids back in the recharging case for about 5 minutes. During that time, the app will re-program your hearing aids to match your hearing loss. Remember, you can always set up an appointment with an Eargo specialist if things don’t sound right.

With my newly programmed hearing aids back in my ears, I can now make on-the-fly adjustments to volume, background noise management, and pre-set programs.

The updated app is where the new Eargo 7 devices stand out. Previous versions of the product offered less customization. I’m a big fan of more control!

Hearing Through My Eargo 7 Hearing Aids

I tried my first pair of Eargo hearing aids in 2020 and the sound quality improvements since that time are remarkable. Eargo 7 has significantly clearer sound for my hearing loss and the new app controls make the overall listening experiences more comfortable.

Eargo 7 is the best-designed invisible hearing aid on the market. That’s impressive because at $2,950 for a pair it’s also significantly less expensive than prescription competitors like Starkey.

Pros and Cons of Eargo 7

The Eargo 7 is significantly more customizable than previous Eargo generations that I trialed in 2020 and 2022. Eargo is a legitimate hearing aid that competes with the best. Still, there are pros and cons.

First, the good stuff:

• Eargo 7 is far better at handling background noise than previous versions. The noise filter option on the app makes a noticeable difference and significantly improved my listening comfort.
• Eargo 7 changes programs automatically when sounds change around you. This feature is another significant improvement for the brand and puts Eargo on par with other leading products.
• The new product offers useful programs and tells you what program you are switching to by name by announcing "mask," "restaurant," or "meeting." Previous versions just identified these programs by a number.
• Eargo 7 is easily the smallest digital and rechargeable hearing aid available. It's nearly impossible to spot in my ear even if you are looking.

Eargo 7 drawbacks:

• Eargo’s invisible design fits comfortably in most ears (including mine), but some of our customers find that receiver-in-canal hearing aids, like the Sennheiser All Day Clear, offer greater comfort for all-day wear.
• The app and product are reasonably intuitive, but they aren't foolproof. If you don’t feel comfortable with smartphone controls this product likely isn’t for you.

A few Other Things to Know

Eargo devices are tiny, and to design such a small device, they had to build in two unique features.

• First, the program control (selecting between restaurant, music, mask mode, etc.) is completed by double-tapping your ear. The devices sense the vibration and change modes. Each time the mode changes, a voice will announce "mask," "restaurant," etc. You can keep tapping to move through the four options. After cycling through each option, you'll return to "normal" mode.
• Second, instead of making the devices larger with Bluetooth, Eargo uses a high-frequency sound emitted from your phone to communicate with your devices. Each time you tap a button in the app, a high-frequency sound will broadcast from your phone and tell your hearing aids what to do. Most people won't even hear the sound, but this functionality does mean your phone volume needs to be turned up to at least 75% while you use your app. If the phone was too far on the right side of me, my left hearing aid would not pick up the high-frequency noise and wouldn't respond. Hold the phone directly in front of you to ensure both hearing aids can gather sound from your Eargo app.

Overall Thoughts

Eargo has the most innovative design in the industry, and it isn't really even close. Their devices are invisible, rechargeable, and beautifully designed.

If you enjoy being an early adopter and don’t mind playing with your settings and the app, this product could be a great fit.

Get in touch with our team to learn more about whether Eargo could be a good fit for you.