Sony CRE-E10 Review: Well-Rounded Hearing Aids Leave a comment

When Sony entered the over-the-counter listening to support market two years in the past, it did so with a pair of merchandise: the CRE-C10 and the costlier CRE-E10. I used to be dazzled by the minuscule C10—it’s nonetheless one of many hearing aid options I like to recommend probably the most—and assumed the E10 could be much more spectacular. Now that I’ve lastly landed a pair of E10 aids to check, I can guarantee you that the E10 isn’t a lot an improve to the C10 as it’s a wholly completely different class of product with its personal execs and cons.

Whereas each the C10 and E10 depend on an in-ear earbud-like design conceit, their basic method is significantly completely different. Whereas the 1-gram C10 matches practically solely contained in the ear, invisible sufficient to require a small retrieval wire to take away it, the two.94-gram E10 is far more bulbous and visual. It appears to be like extra like a typical Bluetooth earbud than some other listening to support I’ve examined, filling the concha with its rounded physique. Since, because the outdated saying goes, all concha aren’t created equal, your consolation degree whereas sporting these listening to aids might fluctuate significantly. In my ears, the match was comfortable however not tight—snug for sporting for a number of hours however not all day. Sony supplies simply 4 pairs of eartips you possibly can experiment with to assist enhance the match.

The opposite huge distinction between the C10 and E10 is that whereas the C10 makes use of replaceable listening to support batteries, the E10 incorporates a extra widespread rechargeable battery. The additional measurement of the gadget lets the E10 work for as much as 26 hours (with out streaming). The USB-C connectible and Qi-compatible charger supplies sufficient juice for a further two to 3 recharges.

Regardless of their bigger measurement, the CRE-E10 aids don’t function any exterior controls, which is comprehensible as a result of controls could be exhausting to entry primarily based on the way in which the aids sit within the ear. As a substitute, all controls are located in Sony’s Listening to Management app (Android, iOS). This is identical app used for the CRE-C10, so I already had it put in, however I bumped into rapid issues as a result of the outdated aids had been nonetheless registered to the app.

To arrange new aids, you need to take away the outdated ones from the app. To do this, Listening to Management requires you to enter a code despatched to your registered electronic mail deal with. Naturally, I by no means obtained the code, so I couldn’t set up the brand new set of aids. Ultimately, Sony tech assist instructed me to delete the app altogether and set it up once more with a unique electronic mail deal with—maybe not probably the most elegant resolution, but it surely labored to get me up and operating.