Audicus Hearing Aids Review 2023
Audicus Hearing Aids Review 2023
When you buy hearing aids, you typically purchase them online or go to a hearing aid clinic. Audicus caters to both online and in-person shoppers. It sells FDA-registered hearing aids directly to consumers online, at partner hearing clinics, and at the company’s full-service hearing clinics in New York, Colorado, and Illinois. Audicus sells four different hearing aid models that come in non-custom, completely-in-canal (CIC), and receiver-in-canal styles (RIC).
Audicus hearing aids range in price from $1,398–$2,798 per pair, offering a more affordable option than some competitors. If you aren’t sure about buying hearing aids or need a more budget-friendly path to hearing aids, Audicus offers its unique Audicus Plus Plan, which lets you rent certain hearing aid models and receive a new model when you renew your plan. Audicus also offers remote care options for hearing aid users. For Bluetooth hearing aids, this includes remote audiology visits, where audiologists update and adjust your hearing aids without you ever leaving your house. For non-Bluetooth hearing aids, you’ll have to mail your devices to Audicus to receive updates.
To give you an up-close look and help you shop with confidence, we researched Audicus as a company and tested their Mini and Omni hearing aids during our Hearing Aid Summit in Raleigh, N.C. More specifically, we took a closer look at factors like durability, ease of use, value for the cost, customer service, reputation from verified customer reviews, sound quality, and features offered, including sound technology and battery life.
Key Takeaways
- Audicus sells over-the-counter (OTC) hearing aids online and at partner and company-owned hearing clinics.
- Customer reviews give Audicus hearing aids high marks for providing good quality at an affordable price.
- Audicus has a unique rental program called the Audicus Plus Plan that lets members upgrade to newer models after renewal of their contract.
- Audicus’ audiologists reprogram hearing aids for free through the mail or online depending on each model’s Bluetooth capabilities.
Pros and Cons of Audicus Hearing Aids
As a primarily online hearing aid manufacturer, Audicus offers more affordable OTC hearing aids. The technology, however, is relatively more limited than prescription hearing aids. Like other OTC hearing aids, Audicus hearing aids are also not custom-fit to your ear.
It’s difficult to find the accessories page on the Audicus website. Instead of easily accessing it from their dropdown menu, you have to select “Supplies” from the dropdown menu under hearing aids, then select “Audicus Supplies” again, before selecting the hearing aid you have and finally arriving at the accessories page.
Pros
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Strong consumer ratings
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Easy buying process
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Rental plan with all models
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Modern features, like Bluetooth, offered with most models
Cons
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Not custom-fit like prescription hearing aids
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Not all Bluetooth models have remote programming from an audiologist
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Accessories not covered by manufacturer warranty or the add-on protect subscription
Why You Can Trust Our Expert Review
Our experts research and recommend products that can help give you a better quality of life. Using our high standards and rigorous testing methodology, we’ve spent more than 4,000 hours, collectively, researching the best hearing aids to help you find the device that’s best for you. Throughout our research process, we did the following:
- Consulted with audiologists and geriatric care experts
- Mystery shopped the brands
- Surveyed hundreds of hearing aid users
- Tested various models of hearing aids
- Interviewed experts in the field
- Read thousands of verified customer reviews
In addition to our Hearing Aid Summit, where we researched and tested some of the most popular hearing aid brands, including Audicus, we also surveyed 1,000 hearing aid users to gather more specific insights and bring our readers first-hand data to make informed decisions.
Audicus Hearing Aid Models
Audicus offers three receiver-in-canal hearing aids and one invisible style. All receiver-in-canal models are water resistant and come with tech features that include directional microphones and auto-adapt to automatically amplify nearby speech sounds and reduce background noise. To help you compare its products, Audicus provides a convenient comparison chart at the end of its product pages that clearly lays out differences in features between similar hearing aid models. For models that don’t have similar products to compare side by side, Audicus lists features that the model does or does not come with. Audicus’ Bluetooth streaming hearing aids—the Wave, Spirit, and Omni—are eligible for the Audicus Plus rental plan. You pay a monthly fee for the hearing aids, plus a $499 startup fee, and receive a new model each time you renew the rental contract every 18 months. You can also purchase these models, but you won’t get the trade-in perk.
From our testing, we found all Audicus models to be pretty durable. In our drop test, we intentionally dropped each model 10 times to see how it held up to damage. Audicus hearing aids did not show any substantial damage aside from the battery door opening several times during the trials.
We also learned all models beep when the hearing aid battery life has 30 minutes or less remaining, and that changing the volume on all tested models was quite easy. Receiver-in-canal Audicus hearing aids contain a button to manually change the volume. Bluetooth hearing aids’ volume can also be changed using Audicus’ smartphone app.
Audicus Online Hearing Test
Although not mandatory, Audicus offers a 5- to 10-minute online hearing test to help you narrow down which of its models suit you best. Audicus also lets you upload hearing test results from other clinics to help with programming your hearing aids before you get them.
At the beginning of the hearing test, Audicus will ask for your gender, age, name, and contact information, then to continue with testing, you have to agree to receive marketing messages from them. It instructs you to go to a quiet place, plug in headphones, and set the volume on your computer to 50% before you play sample tones in a test run. Once the real test begins, you listen to a series of tones at different pitches and volumes and press one button when you hear the tone and another button when you don’t. Each ear is tested separately, and Audicus shows you which frequency it’s testing during each trial. At the end, you’ll be asked if you’ve ever worn hearing aids, how likely you are to buy them, how soon you want to make a purchase, and the type of health insurance you have. The company will then email you your hearing test results.
Our hearing test results promptly showed up in our inbox. Audicus showed us the overall score and explained how we performed with each tone—high, mid, and low—and with which speech sounds those tones corresponded.
Audicus Hearing Aids Cost, Pricing, and Plans
Audicus hearing aids come with sound technology that’s competitive with prescription hearing aids, but prices vary by the technology and features packaged with each model. Unlike other hearing aid brands, the Audicus Plus Plan rental program allows you to rent your hearing aids at an affordable monthly price point.
Audicus Costs
The Wave is Audicus’ least expensive hearing aid and the Omni is the most expensive.
| Mini | Buy Upfront | $2,498 per pair | Rent Monthly | $139 per pair a month with a $299 sign-up fee |
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| Wave | Buy Upfront | $1,398–$1,598 per pair | Rent Monthly | $89 per pair a month with a $299 sign-up fee |
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| Spirit | Buy Upfront | $1,798–$1,998 per pair | Rent Monthly | $129 per pair a month with a $399 sign-up fee |
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| Omni | Buy Upfront | $2,598–$2,798 per pair | Rent Monthly | $159 per pair a month with a $499 sign-up fee |
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When purchased outright instead of through the Audicus Plus Plan, Audicus hearing aids come with a two-year warranty, 45-day trial, and free standard shipping. All purchases also come with the quick start kit and unlimited expert support.
The quick start kit includes:
- A hearing aid case
- Ear domes (tips) in sizes small, medium, and large
- A charger (if purchasing a rechargeable model)
- Desiccant for the hearing aid charger to absorb moisture from the hearing aids
- A small cleaning kit
With each hearing aid purchase, Audicus also offers unlimited free support from its customer service and audiology teams via phone and video calls Monday through Friday from 9 to 6 pm. Audicus’ customer service line can be reached at 855-971-0451.
Audicus Plus Membership and Payment Plans
Audicus offers a membership plan known as the Audicus Plus Plan on all of its hearing aids. With this plan, you sign a contract to rent your hearing aids for 18 months and can upgrade to one of the latest models when you renew your contract. The monthly membership costs and sign-up fees vary by hearing aid model. All Audicus Plus plans come with:
- Free cleanings
- Unlimited warranty
- Unlimited damage protection
- Loss and damage protection
Once subscribed to a rental plan, you can purchase your hearing aid for a buy-out fee of $499 plus the remainder of the amount you owe on the hearing aid. If you decide to buy after renting and are within the first 45-day trial period, you are not charged a buy-out fee and will get a refund on your rental fees. By comparison, if you buy instead of renting a pair of Audicus hearing aids, you can purchase add-on options of a care subscription plan for $36 every three months and a 3-year warranty for a $198 sign-up fee ($99 if purchasing only one hearing aid). The care subscription plan includes regular delivery of cleaning supplies, wax guards, and new ear domes to keep your hearing aid clean. The protect subscription provides unlimited repairs, unlimited cleanings, and a one-time loss replacement (for a $150 copay).
Audicus also offers payment plans through Care Credit and Allegro for financing your hearing aids. Care Credit allows you to finance without interest if you pay for your hearing aids within one year. It also offers 6-, 12-, 18-month, and 24-month payment plans starting at $39 per month. Allegro is an option for consumers with lower credit scores.
Audicus Accessories
| Mini | Compatible Accessories | NA |
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| Wave | Compatible Accessories | TV Connector $199 |
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| Spirit | Compatible Accessories | TV Connector $199, Partner Mic $199, Remote Control $199 |
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| Omni | Compatible Accessories | TV Connector $199, Partner Mic $199, Remote Control $199 |
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All rechargeable Audicus hearing aids come with a charger that plugs into the wall. Once plugged in, your hearing aids will reach a full charge in three to five hours. For $49, Audicus sells an external battery called the Power Pack that connects to the bottom of the charger so you can charge your hearing aids on the go. The Power Pack stays charged for seven days.
Audicus Reviews From Customers
In our AgingInPlace.org hearing aid survey of 1,000 hearing aid users, around 91% of Audicus users said they thought their Audicus hearing aids were a worthwhile purchase. This is similarly reflected in third-party review websites.
Audicus on Better Business Bureau
Audicus is accredited by the Better Business Bureau (BBB) and has an A+ rating and 3.25/5.0 stars from customer reviews. Customers applaud Audicus for its easy purchasing process, affordable pricing, and quality products. Audicus is said to have a fast turn-around time for reprogramming hearing aids by mail. Some customers complained that Audicus’ telemarketing to potential customers is too aggressive, and that the company has poor customer service representatives who can be rude and unresponsive.
Audicus on Google
Users gave Audicus 4.4/5 with 61 customers reporting on Google as of this writing. Reviewers praised Audicus customer services as well as the quality of the sound and ease of use for the brand’s hearing aids and the corresponding app.
Comparing Audicus To Other Brands
At our Hearing Aid Summit, we tested 11 popular hearing aid models in our laboratory, and we rated the Audicus Omni a 3.97/5 stars. It is ranked in the top five of our best hearing aids. The standout feature is Audicus’ unique membership plan. Plus, it was the highest scoring hearing aid model for ease of use, including its app. Out of all the hearing aids, it had one of the easiest processes with the fewest directions for connecting the hearing aid to the app via Bluetooth. The hands-free calling feature was also easy to initiate without us having to push any buttons on the phone or hearing aid.
Who Are Audicus Hearing Aids Best For?
According to Clinical Interventions in Aging, hearing loss is the most common sensory deficit in the elderly and a growing problem that can reduce quality of life, which is why hearing aids are critical for treatment. Audicus hearing aids are best for people who are comfortable shopping for hearing aids in a less traditional online setting and don’t need custom-fit hearing aids. The brand’s hearing aids treat mild to severe hearing loss, depending on the exact model. Audicus has several hearing aids with varying levels of technology, making them appropriate for tech-savvy older adults who want Bluetooth streaming and those who aren’t so tech savvy and want an easy-to-use and easy-to-buy hearing aid. With their monthly rental plan, Audicus hearing aids are a good option for people who want the perks of regular hearing aid upgrades and convenient ongoing maintenance without expensive upfront costs.
Bottom Line
Audicus sells four OTC hearing aids in receiver-in-canal and invisible styles via a convenient online purchasing process that comes with the option to consult audiologists as needed after you receive them. Some receiver-in-canal styles have high-tech features like telecoil, tinnitus masking, and Bluetooth for audio streaming, hands-free phone calls, and remote programming from audiologists.
While you don’t have to see an audiologist to purchase Audicus hearing aids, an in-person hearing test is always a good idea—and more accurate than an online screening. An audiologist can ensure there aren’t any medical reasons why you shouldn’t use hearing aids and determine your hearing aid candidacy, as well as determine the type, severity, and configuration of hearing loss. But if you have mild to moderate hearing loss and are comfortable purchasing your hearing aids online, Audicus may be an option for you.
Frequently Asked Questions
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The reported hearing aid life on Audicus’ website is five years if the hearing aids are properly cleaned and maintained.
WRITTEN BY
MEDICALLY REVIEWED BY
Brian Murray earned a bachelor's of science degree in Speech Language Pathology and Audiology in 2010 from Ithaca College. He is licensed to dispense hearing aids in New York, North Carolina, and Virginia, where he has worked in both private practice and retail clinics. He is currently a workshop consultant with Alpaca Audiology.