Update: the Sengdong Poco 201 is no longer available. The best alternatives are the Banglijian BLJ-707 and the Neosonic B10. That leaves the review below solely for entertainment purposes.
When you’re looking for hearing amplifiers, the Sengdong Poco 201 is hard to miss. This pair of hearing amplifiers comes in a very sleek case, is competitively priced, and has a noteworthy name. At first sight, these amplifiers look like a no-brainer. When you look at them, it’s hard to find another model that looks this cool.
To get beyond the first impression, we’ll take a better look at the Sengdong Poco 201 in this review. First, I’ll explore the key features of this hearing amplifier, then assess who the Sengdong is made for, and finally work my way through the downsides before I give you a final buying recommendation.
As always, I have summarized my findings in a visual 30-second review. This summary is posted at the bottom of this post, or you can skip the reading and click here.
Links in this article pointing to another website might be affiliate links. If you purchase something on those websites, I may receive a small commission. This doesn’t affect your price nor my review.
Key features of the Sengdong Poco 201
I’ll mention it again, but one of the key features of the Sengdong is its great design. The case looks really cool, and the devices themselves don’t look bad, either. But it’s not just about looks. The case doubles as a charging dock with drying function, making sure you keep your hearing amplifiers in great condition. I’ve never seen this feature before, and I think it’s a great option. The small size of the case also makes it convenient for travel.
The Sengdong Poco 201 is not only rechargeable, but also a completely-in-canal (CIC) model. This means you tuck the amplifiers into your ear, without carrying them around behind your ear. Depending on your preferences, this can be a big plus.
Who is this hearing amplifier for?
With a 35 dB peak gain, the Poco 201 is made for people with moderate hearing loss. This is often the stage where people truly start noticing their hearing loss, which makes this model an option for first-time buyers. The CIC model makes it a subtle choice, though not as subtle as some other CIC models.
How well does the Sengdong Poco 201 work?
The real question is how the Sengdong works when you take it out of the case and pop it into your ear. Unfortunately, this is where things go downhill. The sound quality is fine, but really represents the industry’s low bar.
There are three different listening programs. I’d like to tell you more about these, but it’s more important we move to the next section.
What’s not to like about the Sengdong Poco 201?
If you thought the poor standard of sound quality was bad news, it’s downhill from here. The Sengdong Poco 201 has no volume control. I feel I need to repeat that for emphasis. The Sengdong 201 has no volume control. It literally makes it the only hearing amplifier I know without this function. That alone is a reason not to buy this hearing amplifier, but don’t worry, there are more reasons.
The feedback is below PAR. That doesn’t mean there is no feedback, it just means that it’s so overpowering it overshadows the benefits of using a hearing amplifier. And don’t get me wrong; every hearing amplifier has a degree of feedback. In any other device, I could recommend you to try the amplifiers at a lower volume level, but alas, with the Sengdong you’re stuck with the feedback.
On top of that, there is the horrible sales page. There are plenty of amplifiers sold directly from manufacturers in China and other low-cost countries. None of them make such a mess of their communication as I’ve seen Sengdong do. The Amazon page is riddled with mistakes, typos, and what can only be secret code for insiders. The best possible example is the following passage, which I’ll copy for emphasis:
Because of our staff writing mistake,we need to do a clarification statement this POCO R201 hearing aids have 3 programs,we have corrected on listing but instruction has printed 4 programs,sorry to our customer
A typo on the sales page does not make this a bad hearing amplifier, but at this rate it’s a red flag when it comes to your overall experience.
Hearing amplifiers that are good alternatives
At this point, asking your loved ones to talk a bit louder is a good alternative, but luckily you can get actual hearing amplifiers that do improve your hearing (and all feature fancy things like volume control). If you’re interested in the CIC design of the Sengdong, try the TKING. While it’s not the world’s greatest hearing amplifier, it’s a fine overall device.
If you liked the fancy case of the Poco 201 and you’re feeling wild, take a look at the world’s best hearing amplifier. The Eargo NEO is the fanciest model you can possibly buy, and while the price range is not quite the same as the Sengdong, it does give you everything you need and more. Other models that use a fancy case are the Banglijian BLJ-707 and the Neosonic B10.
For a completely different hearing amplifier that’s totally worth your money, make sure to read about the LAIWEN LW-01. This is our most recommended hearing amplifier, but we have a long list of recommendations.
Should you buy the Sengdong Poco 201?
Absolutely not. In my personal opinion, Sengdong shouldn’t even be selling this monstrosity. I’ll admit their case is great, and I wish they’d stopped there. Even if the sound quality wasn’t barely acceptable, and the feedback problems were gone, the lack of volume control is so shocking that it negates everything else. This is probably one of the worst possible ways you can spend $239.99.
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