Every now and then, I scout the top selling hearing aid pages on Amazon. Over time, I’ve learned that these might not always live up to expectations, but I’m always looking for hidden gems. The EarCentric EasyCharge might be one of those gems. At first sight, it looks great. It reminds me of other rechargeable hearing aids that are among the top hearing aids on this website. But we need to go beyond those first impressions to see if the EarCentric is worth buying.
In this review for the EarCentric, I’ll go through the good, bad, and not-so-good of this EasyCharge model. You’ll find out all the key features, see how the EarCentric works in everyday life, what’s possibly wrong with it, and which alternatives to consider.
As always, you can skip all the reading and jump straight to my conclusion. I’ve prepared a 30-second visual review at the end of this post.
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Key features
The first key feature is that the EarCentric EasyCharge is rechargeable. It features a standard charging base that we’ve seen in other popular models, such as the Neosonic MX-RIC and MDHearing VOLT MAX. According to the EarCentric website, this saves you about $400 a year in batteries. That number is more than a bit inflated. Getting batteries for the Lexie Lumen at hearOclub is $19 a month (and subscribers to my newsletter get a month free).
Another key feature is that it comes with a booster kit. Now, this isn’t new, as I’ve seen this before with the Otofonix Encore, but it’s a welcome extra to be able to up the power a bit. The booster kit takes the dB gain from 35 dB to 42 dB.
Who is this hearing amplifier for?
The Easycharge is for people looking for a steal. Its popularity on Amazon will be largely due to the $199 price tag, making this one of the best hearing aids for under $200. It offers all the basics, but nothing more than that. If you’re looking to get a cheap baseline hearing aid, the EasyCharge is an obvious choice.
How well does the EarCentric EasyCharge work?
Fine. Like I said, it’s a baseline model. This means it ticks most of the boxes, but offers nothing truly exciting. It has two listening modes (below average) and noise cancellation features (standard). The battery takes 3 hours to charge and gives you 20 hours of use. Other than that, there simply isn’t much to say about the EasyCharge.
What’s not to like about the EarCentric EasyCharge?
The EasyCharge costs about half of what you’d pay for a Neosonic MX, and that seems about right, since you get about half of the experience. There are no advanced options, only two listening modes, and just the one microphone.
As you may know from other reviews, I like to take a look at the overall brand. In this case, EarCentric has plenty of surprises in store. On Amazon, you currently (July 2022) pay $199 for a pair of the EasyCharge. Their own website has the exact same model for $450. I could offer you a $50 discount, which “only” makes the device twice as expensive as it is on Amazon.
Alternatives for the EarCentric EasyCharge
If you stay in the same price category, where a low cost is more important than quality, your options are limited. The Banglijian BLJ-707 is even cheaper, and generally costs less than $150. It’s also rechargeable, however, and comes in a neat travel case. Another budget option is the Neosonic B10. This model, too, comes in a travel case, but has a higher quality. It’s less than $300.
For even more quality in your hearing aids, check out the top 3 current hearing aids: the MDHearing VOLT MAX, Lexie Lumen, and Neosonic MX-RIC. Although none of these try to compete with the EarCentric in price, they offer a great hearing aid experience for a good price.
Should you buy the EarCentric EasyCharge?
That depends. If you’re looking to pay as little as possible for a fine hearing aid, you probably should stick with the EarCentric EasyCharge. If you’re looking for quality or longevity (meaning that your hearing aids will hold up in the coming years), take a look at the alternatives listed above instead. That means the EarCentric definitely has a place in the market, but it’s not worth rushing to the store for.
It depends where you shop. On Amazon, a pair costs $199. On the company website, the same pair is $450. If you want to buy the EasyCharge, I recommend paying as little as possible.
Not really, but it’s possible to buy protection and replacement parts.