Beltone Hearing Aid Reviews From an Audiologist in 2025

Beltone offers high-tech prescription hearing aids and accessories for people with all levels of hearing loss.

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SeniorLiving.org Rating:
4.3 of 5
See Pricing Links to Beltone
Brad Ingrao
Dr. Brad Ingrao, Audiologist Read About Our Panel of Experts

Beltone, a technologically-advanced hearing aid manufacturer, offers three hearing aid models for mild to severe hearing loss and one model for severe to profound hearing loss. Their products have won several awards in recent years, including a 2023 CES Innovation Award for technology,1 an Edison Award in 2017 for their smartphone apps,2 and a Big Innovation Award in 2020 for their Android streaming technology.3 That just goes to show the high quality of Beltone’s products.

The folks at Beltone were kind enough to send me some hearing aids to inspect. I’ll talk about each one separately, but in general, they’re all well-built hearing aids with world-class technology. Read on to learn about my experience with Beltone and who these hearing aids are best for.

Brad Ingrao
Expert Insights
From Dr. Brad Ingrao, Audiologist
My first job in audiology in 1992 was for a small, independent private practice. We were a “multiline” office, which means we represented all major hearing-aid manufacturers. At that time, there were two main brands selling hearing aids in our market: Miracle-Ear and Beltone. I had the opportunity to meet and become friends with the owner of the Beltone franchise near us, which gave me a good perspective on the brand and their products. Beltone’s technology has evolved and improved since being acquired by Great Nordic (GN), and the company’s hearing aids now have many similarities to ReSound devices.

How Does Beltone Rank?

Beltone offers reliable and competitively priced hearing aids. The introduction of smartphone apps and accessories such as remote controls has made it even easier for older adults to control and manage their hearing devices. Beltone’s proprietary software, however, can make it difficult to get your hearing aids adjusted or repaired without sending them back to the manufacturer. If you want some other great options, check out our review of the best hearing aids available this year.

We may receive compensation from the brands listed here. The compensation we receive from our partners impacts the products and services shown here, but it does not impact our ratings in any way. Our ratings are chosen through comprehensive research, clear methodologies, hands-on testing, and input from our team of experts.
SeniorLiving.org Rating:
4.8 of 5
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SeniorLiving.org Rating:
4.7 of 5
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SeniorLiving.org Rating:
4.3 of 5
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Call for best price: Call to Order: 855-922-3431

Pros About Beltone

  • Beltone hearing aid centers are located in 49 states. Each facility is owned by members of the communities they serve
  • Beltone hearing aids are technologically advanced and include custom-made solutions
  • Hearing aids are available for one-sided hearing loss as well as mild to severe and severe to profound hearing loss
  • Tinnitus tools are accessible
  • Beltone accessories and smartphone apps are effective and easy to use, even for less tech-savvy older adults
  • The Beltone Hearing Foundation donates free hearing aids to qualifying individuals. Applications are done in person at Beltone Hearing Care Centers

Cons About Beltone

  • Beltone hearing aids can be adjusted only by a Beltone specialist. That means not every audiologist will be able to adjust your settings or make changes
  • Must visit a Beltone office in person to purchase
  • Hearing aid prices are only provided in person to customers at Beltone Hearing Care Centers, which may not be conveniently located close to your home

Beltone Hearing Aid Lineup

Beltone hearing aids can only be purchased in person at their proprietary facilities. You can, however, take a free hearing test online on Beltone’s website. You can also fill out a lifestyle questionnaire and chat with a Beltone professional about it online before booking an appointment.

Taking Beltone's online hearing test

Taking Beltone's online hearing test

Beltone offers several types of hearing aids. In this review, I’ll cover three of their latest options. As you read about my experience and choose a model, I’d recommend focusing on these key factors: price, device style, battery type, available features, compatibility with your smartphone, and the level of hearing loss they’re suitable for.

Beltone Serene

The Serene is one of Beltone’s newest offerings. It’s available in the following styles:

  • microRIE (receiver-in-ear)
  • Receiver in ear (RIE)
  • Behind the ear (BTE)
  • Custom completely-in-canal (CIC) and in-the-canal (ITC)
  • Custom rechargeables (earbud style)

Beltone Serene can be tailored to address hearing loss ranging from mild to severe. Serene styles include rechargeable and disposable battery options. The microRIE is Beltone’s smallest rechargeable hearing aid to date.

Serene’s natural sound quality sets it apart, as it reduces extraneous background noise, enabling the wearer to home in on conversations. These devices are also easy to use for streaming. Simply double-tap your hearing aid to stream audio, including incoming calls, from your smartphone or tablet directly into your hearing aids.

Serene is the only hearing aid in Beltone’s lineup that connects to Bluetooth LE Audio and Auracast. Auracast next-generation technology enables users to easily connect directly to public audio sources in places like the airport and lecture halls. No technological skills are needed to use Auracast — your hearing aids and smartphone do the work for you. Auracast also supports connection to Beltone’s new TV-Streamer+ accessory for more comfortable TV watching, even in a group.

Beltone Achieve

The award-winning, rechargeable Achieve is another one of Beltone’s most recent offerings. The hearing aids are available for mild to severe hearing loss in the following styles:

  • MiniRIE (receiver in ear)
  • Receiver in ear (RIE)
  • Behind the ear (BTE)
  • Custom completely in canal (CIC)
  • Custom-made rechargeable (earbud style)

Achieve uses surround-sound technology for crisp, clear sound from every angle, including above, below, behind, and beside you. They rely on a directional microphone system that isolates the sound of human speech from background noise of all types. The result is natural sound, plus easily comprehensible, conversational speech. According to Beltone, the Achieve produces 150 percent sharper speech clarity in noisy environments than their preceding models, such as the Beltone Amaze and the Beltone Imagine. 2

Achieve connects to Beltone’s HearMax app on most iOS and Android devices. You can use the app to adjust your hearing aids and stream media and phone calls.

Achieve can get pricey, but the BTE option is more affordable than the other styles this hearing aid comes in. Beltone doesn’t list prices online, so you’ll need to visit a Beltone office to get accurate estimates. If you have hearing loss in the mild to moderate range and cost is a concern, you may want to consider over-the-counter hearing aids instead of Beltone and other prescription brands.

Beltone Achieve

Beltone Achieve

Beltone Boost Ultra

Patients with severe or profound hearing loss often have to settle for lower-tech solutions, since some manufacturers focus the technologically advanced, bright-and-shiny stuff on the largest segment of the market. Beltone breaks that mold with the Boost Ultra. Sharing technology with the ReSound Enzo, the Boost is best for people with severe or profound hearing loss who want high-level features, great sound quality, and functionality.

These traditional BTE hearing aids come in high power and super power versions. Each requires a custom earmold, which your Beltone dealer can make for you. If you’re looking for a rechargeable hearing aid, you’ll want to consider one of Beltone’s other models, since these use large disposable batteries.

When I ran cochlear implant programs in the past, I fit many patients with the ReSound equivalent of the Boost Ultra. I appreciate the devices’ durability and flexibility.

A closer look at the Beltone Boost Ultra Hearing Aids

A closer look at the Beltone Boost Ultra Hearing Aids

Similar to Achieve, the Boost connects to Beltone’s HearMax app and is compatible with most iPhones and Android devices.

The fact that Beltone hasn’t forgotten the needs of people with more severe hearing loss earns the company points in my book. It also keeps them competitive with the larger players I've reviewed, like Oticon, which also have strong histories of providing help to those most in need.

Need Help Finding the Right Hearing Aid?

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Accessories and Apps

Beltone has several accessories and mobile apps for their hearing aids. The Beltone line uses a 2.4 GHz wireless system to connect to accessories. That’s a very robust and long-range (about 60 feet in most buildings) way to overcome some additional challenges of distance, reverberation, and background noise.

Beltone MyPAL Micro and MyPAL Pro

These small, portable microphones extend your hearing capacity by capturing and streaming sound directly into your hearing aids. The official sound capacity range is 82 feet. I’ve found that depending on certain environmental factors, they’re very reliable up to 60 feet. The remote microphones use the same hardware as the ReSound MultiMic and Mini Mic, and they operate very similarly.

The MyPAL Micro, at $325, has a directional microphone and accelerometer that senses if the microphone is dropped and mutes it before the “clunk” of the floor happens.

The MyPAL Pro, at $400, offers some of the best value in hearing assistive technology. Along with the features mentioned above, it allows for manual adjustment of the microphone’s sensitivity from omnidirectional to ultranarrow. The accelerometer automatically switches to omni when placed on a flat surface.

What makes the device one of my favorite hearing system components is that you can use it as a hub for other technologies. On the bottom of the MyPAL Pro, there are two sockets: one for a standard 3.5 mm audio cable (included) and a three-hole Euro jack. They allow you to connect other audio devices to the MyPAL Pro and then stream to your hearing aids.

Pro Tip:

Pro Tip: Want to learn more about different types of hearing aid accessories? Visit our 2025 guide to hearing aids.

I’ve used this feature on ReSound hearing aids to allow people to listen to MP3 players, hearing assistive devices in theaters, or, in the case of students, take advantage of district-owned FM systems like the Phonak Roger that uses a Euro plug.

The MyPAL Pro also has a telecoil to allow for connection to wide-area “hearing loops” found in auditoriums, airports, and houses of worship. Even if you have a smaller hearing aid without a telecoil, you can take advantage of this very effective technology that helps with distance, reverberation, and background noise.

Beltone TV Link 2 and TV-Streamer+

These devices connect to televisions and other audio-producing devices by streaming sound directly to your hearing aids. TV-Streamer+ is currently compatible only with the Beltone Serene. This device costs $400.

The devices are easy to connect to your hearing aids, and they support both analog and digital inputs. Streaming reduces the negative effects of distance and reverberation on speech understanding. For people with different volume preferences than their partners, families, and friends, the TV Link 2 and TV-Streamer+ allow you to hear clearly when the TV speakers are very low or even muted.

Beltone Direct TV Link 2

Beltone TV Link 2

Beltone Phone Link 2

Beltone hearing aids stream to most iOS and Android devices. The Phone Link 2 converts the Bluetooth signal from your phone to the 2.4 GHz signal of your hearing aids. That allows you to hear hands-free in both hearing aids and controls the basic functions of the hearing aid.

Learn More:

Learn More: Looking for a device that will be compatible with your phone? Check out our list of the best made-for-iPhone hearing aids and best Android-compatible hearing aids.

It also functions as a basic remote control you can use to adjust your hearing aids and change programs. You can also use it to stream stereo audio from your phone.

Beltone Phone Link 2

Beltone Phone Link 2

Beltone Remote Control 2

With this small remote, you can adjust hearing aid volume and switch streaming devices. It’s helpful for people with dexterity problems or who require assistance in daily living, since it allows a caregiver to easily control the hearing aids.

Beltone Remote Control 2 front

Beltone Remote Control 2

HearMax Smartphone App

As the Beltone hearing aid lineup has evolved, so has their smartphone app, HearMax. The app is a user-friendly, intuitive, and discreet way to control Beltone hearing aids. Once connected, it provides basic volume control and program-selection control. It also allows you to fine-tune your hearing aids in specific settings and adjust the “mixing” of input from accessories such as the MyPAL microphone or TV Link 2. The updated user interface is attractive, and I like that the tinnitus management is integrated.

HearMax Welcome Screen

Compare Beltone to Other Providers

HearMax Noise Filter

Selecting hearing aid programs with HearMax

Fine tuning the noise reduction settings in HearMax

Fine tuning the noise reduction settings in HearMax

Selecting and adjusting accessory mixing in HearMax

Selecting and adjusting accessory mixing in HearMax

HearMax’s built-in Tinnitus management program allows you to find the right sound to distract yourself from bothersome tinnitus

HearMax’s built-in tinnitus management program allows you to find the right sound to distract yourself from bothersome tinnitus

Beltone HearPlus App for Apple Watch

This is an exclusive app for the Apple Watch, allowing you to control all hearing aid functions from your wrist.

HearPlus TV Link

HearPlus TV Link

Beltone Tinnitus Calmer App

This app offers sound therapy and relaxing exercises to calm tinnitus, and it’s one of the best and most effective apps for tinnitus. A trial of the app (or the ReSound version) has been part of my standard protocol for tinnitus patients regardless of their hearing aid brand. It’s logical, easy to use, and based on solid tinnitus research very similar to the Progressive Tinnitus Management program developed by the Department of Veterans Affairs.4

If tinnitus is a major issue for you, I’d recommend checking out our list of the best hearing aids for tinnitus.

Tinnitus Calmer Homepage

Tinnitus Calmer homepage

Tinnitus Calmer Dashboard

Tinnitus Calmer dashboard

Tinnitus Calmer Meditation

Tinnitus Calmer Meditation

Tinnitus Calmer FAQs

Tinnitus Calmer FAQs

Customer Service and Follow-Up Care

Through the HearMax app, you can send a request to a hearing-aid specialist to reset your hearing aids and get help without leaving your home. I’m a big fan of in-app support, because it makes receiving care much more convenient. That kind of support has become more of the norm in recent years. Even OTC providers we’ve reviewed, such as Jabra Enhance, offer virtual care.

Brad Ingrao
Expert Insights
From Dr. Brad Ingrao, Audiologist
Beltone offers their own single-brand locations. Some are corporate-owned, and some are franchises. In my experience, the franchises often have a bit more of a personalized feel, as the owners are usually members of the communities they serve.

There is also technical support available on the Beltone website for all of their hearing aids and product lines, as well as app support and support for accessories. Beltone also aims to answer many frequently asked questions on their website.

If you have a specific question that cannot be answered with the information available online, you can always send a message via the company’s Contact Us page. There is also a toll-free number available.

Beltone vs. the Competition

If you’re not sure which brand of prescription hearing aids is best for you, make sure to ask the hearing care provider you’re seeing if they carry a full range of products rather than only one or two brands. Also mention any underlying conditions you have that may impact upon your hearing, such as tinnitus (ringing in the ears). Many hearing aid brands, including the ones we’ve mentioned, provide access to tinnitus tools. Beltone connects to a tinnitus relief app, whereas Signia provides tinnitus tools that are built into your hearing aids.

Brad Ingrao
Expert Insights
From Dr. Brad Ingrao, Audiologist
In 2000, Beltone was acquired by the Great Nordic (GN) group that had previously purchased ReSound, another provider I’ve reviewed. The move allowed Beltone to take advantage of GN’s research and development initiatives.

One thing to note is that Beltone’s proprietary software can make it difficult to get your hearing aids adjusted or repaired without sending them back to the manufacturer. The GN group also owns ReSound, another high-tech hearing aid brand. Hearing aids from both brands are technologically advanced and produce superior sound. Unlike Beltone, which has a proprietary software that requires programming only by a Beltone professional, ReSound hearing aids can be programmed and maintained by most audiologists who are familiar with the brand. This may make maintenance and repairs easier. If you want options that may be easier to maintain, check out these best hearing aid alternatives we have reviewed below.

Feature Beltone Signia Oticon ReSound
Prescription needed Yes Yes Yes Yes
Styles available RIC, microRIC, BTE, ITE, CIC RIC, BTE, ITE, ITC, CIC, IIC, instant-fit miniRITE, BTE, miniBTE, ITE, IIC, CIC, ITC Mic-in-Helix, microRIE, RIE, BTE, ITC, ITE, IIC, CIC
Hearing loss level treated Mild to profound Mild to profound Mild to profound Mild to profound
Access to tinnitus tools Yes Yes Yes Yes

Check out our video below on choosing a hearing aid to learn more about top brands.

 

Our Methodology

For this review, we took Beltone’s Serene, Achieve, and Boost Ultra hearing aids out for a test-drive. We unboxed, set up, and wore each style individually so that we could share firsthand knowledge about their sound quality, ease of use, and fit. We also researched models and took patients’ experiences into account.

We kept these attributes in mind during testing:

  • Sound: Beltone’s hearing aids provide sharp, crystal-clear sound quality for all levels of hearing loss. This includes the Rely hearing aids, their lowest-priced offering, and the Boost Ultra hearing aids, which are designed in two power levels for severe and profound hearing loss.
  • Ease of setup and use: We found that unboxing, charging, and setting up the hearing aids was fast and easy. Connecting to both apps was quick, and the instructions provided for doing so were easy to understand and follow.
  • Price: Beltone’s hearing aids can get pricey, which may be an obstacle for seniors on a budget. We liked that the Rely hearing aids were relatively affordable, and, like Beltone’s other models, came with a one-year warranty.
  • Styles: Beltone offers a good range of hearing aid styles, so seniors can opt for the level of discretion they’re most comfortable with.
  • Battery type: We like that Beltone hearing aids have rechargeable and disposable battery options. Both types have pros and cons, so seniors can decide which is best for them.
  • Convenience: There are many Beltone locations, but some people will have to travel long distances to get to one. This is an area where Beltone falls short, especially for rural consumers.

Final Thoughts

Beltone hearing aids are a good fit for most people with hearing loss. As with any hearing aid brand, your success is much more about the relationship you foster with the dispenser and the amount of mental calisthenics you’re willing to do to maximize the benefit of your hearing aids.

Beltone offers state-of-the-art hearing aids and accessories for all levels of hearing loss. The company’s long history in the local business community allows them to stay relevant in changing times and offer both face-to-face and remote care. If there is a Beltone dealer in your area, I certainly feel it’s worth a look!

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Written By:
Dr. Brad Ingrao
Audiologist
Read About Our Panel of Experts
As a practicing audiologist since the 1990’s, Brad Ingrao, AuD has fitted thousands of hearing aids to seniors and people of all ages. Brad is the Official Audiologist for the International Committee on Sports for the Deaf and a well-known… Learn More About Dr. Brad Ingrao