Phonak vs. Oticon

Comparing the Costs

Neither company advertises its hearing aid prices online. If you’re interested in a product, you’ll be directed to find a professional hearing aid provider in your area to book an appointment. From there, your hearing aid provider will work with you to find which hearing aid model best suits you and your budget. Take a look at our Oticon pricing guide and Phonak cost page for more information on price and how to purchase your hearing aids.

My friend’s father-in-law wearing Oticon

Phonak vs. Oticon: How Do They Compare?

The most significant difference between Phonak and Oticon is the technology under the hood that calculates how much sound is produced at which pitches to address your hearing loss. Both providers have approaches that accurately represent the entire spectrum of speech for soft through very loud sounds. However, Oticon’s approach provides a little more listening comfort. Research has historically shown the two providers’ algorithms are pretty much equal when listening to speech, so you really can’t go wrong.

Beyond providing basic loudness correction for hearing loss, Phonak and Oticon differ significantly in how they approach hearing speech in background noise. Phonak relies on automatic and manually adjusted directional microphones to “zoom” into desired signals. Oticon’s “Open Sound” approach in their OPN generation devices aims to provide an accurate “360” representation of the world that allows the brain to select the signal you want to listen to. I don’t see a significant difference between the two approaches for people with mild to moderate hearing loss in my clinical practice. For those with more severe hearing loss, particularly those with very poor hearing in background noise, the Phonak approach works a bit better for my patients.

To see how these providers compare to other hearing aid brands in the industry, take a look at our top picks for hearing aids in 2024.

Phonak and Oticon Devices

One of Phonak’s BTE hearing aid styles

Both Oticon and Phonak offer hearing aids ranging from IIC (invisible in the canal) to high power BTE (behind the ear). The most popular for both is the RIC (receiver in canal) style that provides a great balance between discretion and functionality. Phonak also offers a unique device called Lyric, which is an “extended wear” IIC. It uses a sealed battery and is placed very deep in the ear canal by specially trained dispensers. After about three months, the device is replaced under a subscription plan. I’ve fit a lot of these in my practice; I’ve found that for folks with mild to moderate hearing loss and the right size and shape ear canal, they work quite well.

My friend’s Oticon hearing aids

Wireless Connectivity

Both Phonak and Oticon offer “Made for iPhone” devices. Android users can also connect to both, but Oticon users will need an intermediary device called the Connect Clip for some incompatible Android phones. In contrast, the Phonak Marvel can connect directly to most Android devices using the “Bluetooth Classic” protocol.

Hearing Assistive Technology

Both Oticon and Phonak allow users to overcome the limitations of distance, reverberation, and background noise; however, Phonak has the edge here. Their Roger system, while quite expensive, is the leader for hearing well in complex listening environments, including educational settings. Both offer equivalent TV streaming devices and smartphone apps.

Our Thoughts on Phonak and Oticon

For the average first-time senior customer, I feel very comfortable recommending either Oticon or Phonak. Both will provide world-class technology and customer service at a fair price. Phonak and Oticon are currently only available through “brick-and-mortar” dispensers, but they offer some level of telemedicine support.

I tend to lean toward Phonak for those with more severe hearing loss since those users nearly always need the more aggressive speech-in-noise approach that Phonak provides.

Did one of these companies pique your interest? Check out our Phonak review and Oticon review for more details on both brands.