Edit after the initial use: I do NOT recommend these except in the very mildest of hearing loss on specific cases. The Sony CRE-C10 is a better option.
I received the Ceretone Core One Plus hearing aids today. I paid 349.99 total for them. That is $1950 less than the Eargo 8s (after $400 off) that I received yesterday.
I’m writing this review because I could only find reviews on Ceretone’s site and some YouTube reviews that are very obviously people promoting these items. These videos often have an inordinate number of praising comments. The most annoying ones state Ceretone is a division of Audicon, which, from what I could figure out, is just Ceretone or some holding corporation that includes only Ceretone. IMO, this makes it seem like they are trying to legitimize it as part of some competitor to Sonova or something.
Hopefully, people searching for the product will find this an honest and fair review.
TLDR - I do NOT recommend these except in particular use cases.
First, a side-by-side comparison and a picture of it in my ear.
I don’t like beige hearing aids and a CIC aid should be black to make it less visible in the canal shadow. It is slightly larger than the Eargo 8 in length (1 mm) and similar in width. That’s not a deal-breaker.
They have four programs, which are easy to switch by double-tapping just like Eargo. 1. Standard. 2. Restaurant. 3. Outdoors. 4. Tinnitus masking. I could not tell the difference between any program. The tinnitus just seemed to mute the aids and I could not hear any masking noise (maybe a very soft hum that I may have imagined.).
You have to adjust the volume (6 levels) by placing them in the case and pushing the button on the right or left of the case to cycle the volume. This is easy to do. There is a Ceretone Core One app, but this does not seem to work with the Plus. The instruction manual makes no mention of the app.
There is no way to enter an or adjust the treble or bass. You can only change the volume. They seem to be tuned for people with high-frequency hearing loss, as they actually helped me here, and I have much worse hearing in the high frequencies. They don’t overdo the low end. IMO this makes them more like amplifiers than OTC hearing aids. I have the Bose original hearing aids, and the bass and treble are adjustable. No excuse not to have that here.
They only slightly helped speech in noise. They seem to have marginal compression.
The feedback is insane. It takes many seconds to stop screaming. They come with three sizes of hybrid trumpet/dome tips. No matter what size and how deep I pushed, I’d get screaming if I lay my head on a pillow above volume 1. They are unusable at volume 5 or 6 because any high-pitched sounds will send them squealing. They go very loud. The squealing hurt my severely diminished right ear, and that takes A LOT!
In summary, if you want an inexpensive CIC hearing aid, get the Sony CRE-10/20. They cost more than this, but are many times more useful. Only purchase these if you intend to use them because you don’t want too many people to notice that you are wearing them, and only outdoors or in relatively quiet settings, like watching television. I don’t think these are a rip-off (the industrial design is good and they help a little), but I also don’t think they are worth buying.
Pros: Form factor, Cost, easy to switch programs in situ, easy to adjust volume once in case. Reliable contact charging in case, seemingly good battery life. Not a big difference from an amplifier, though there may be slight noise compression in these.
Cons: Only the volume is adjustable, not the treble/bass, and there is a squealing issue that takes several seconds to self-correct. No perceptible difference in programs. Volume is only adjustable in the case. Tinnitus masking seems just to mute them. IMO sketchy marketing.
UPDATE: (after a few days use they were uncomfortable so I replaced their domes with Signia’s small size closed sleeves and the feedback is eliminated and they are way more comfortable. Against all odds, they are pretty tuned for my prescription. Real ear measurement indicates they meet my severe hearing loss correction in the high frequencies at volume 4/6, while only slightly over-amplifying mid frequencies lol.). 6/6 way over-corrects everything to like profound hearing loss levels lol. So I’ll keep them, but I believe I’m just lucky.
Also: the Standard setting (program 1) gives the most feedback. Outdoor (setting 3) gives the least feedback, with restaurant (setting 2) in between. I still can’t tell what these settings are doing. The Tinnitus (setting 4) does mute the aids and it sounds like a slight fan noise or white noise in the background. No help for my tinnitus.
Update #2. Get the Sonys and not this. They are MUCH better in every day use.
Photo with Signia medium closed ear sleeve (not a click sleeve)
goes further in with Signia sleeve too:
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