Rexton Hearing Aid Families and Features
Rexton’s current lineup includes four technology families, called MyCore, BiCore, TruCore, and Motion Core, available in several styles.
Below is an overview of the popular features for Rexton’s hearing aids. They are available at the upper level for most models, but many are also available at lower cost levels. Working with your hearing care professional, you can find the right balance of features and price to meet your needs.
Direct Bluetooth Streaming
This feature allows you to stream phone calls and other audio signals from your mobile devices, like Zoom calls or YouTube videos, directly to your hearing aids. No need for headphones or picking up your phone to take a call while driving! This technology also connects to Rexton's Smart Transmitter 2.4 media streamer when you watch TV (more details on this later).
MyVoice
One of the most common complaints I hear from new hearing aid users is that their voices sound “funny.” Depending on the type and shape of your hearing loss, it's possible to resolve this by changing the shape and openness of the dome or earmold. However, if you have hearing loss at all pitches, critical speech information is sacrificed. MyVoice is an algorithm that recognizes the user's voice and makes a few subtle adjustments so that your voice sounds more natural and less occluded.
Voice Ranger
The Voice Ranger enhances speech in every situation. If we strip away the catchy marketing label, this is what's known as an “automatic scene analyzer.” Based on numerous sampled recordings, the hearing aid “listens” to the environment, attempts to categorize it, and adjusts accordingly. This includes categories like quiet, speech only, speech with non-speech noise, speech with other speech noise (the most difficult for most people with hearing loss), wind, or music. Over the years, these systems have gotten quite useful in many environments. Because Rexton is part of the WS Audiology family, they benefit from the R&D of the larger Signia brain trust.
Music Enhancer
This feature maximizes the listening experience for music lovers. Music is one of the most challenging soundscapes for people with hearing aids to navigate. Even though the technology has gotten much better in this department, music and speech are very different, and hearing aids are primarily made for speech. A few programming tricks can improve music quality, which is where the Music Enhancer comes in. This feature makes it easy to access a preset program whenever music is the primary sound or when you select a manual music program. The MyCore line offers up to six manual programs that are great for tech-savvy folks, but they're not necessary to enjoy your music, so don't be intimidated by that feature.
Dynamic Extender
When we fit hearing aids, we always try to make sure that loud sounds are not uncomfortable. In some cases, particularly when listening to or performing live music, a bit more “head room” can decrease distortion and produce a more natural sound quality. The Dynamic Extender provides this extra room for the sound to fluctuate more fluidly. That way, you can enjoy a concert or musical without discomfort.
Reverb Reducer
Reverberation, or room echo, is not only annoying, it significantly reduces our ability to understand speech. Long rooms with high ceilings and hard surfaces are particularly challenging, as they produce a great deal of echo. Rexton's Reverb Reducer identifies the echo and applies some programming and microphone adjustments to reduce reverberation.
XPhone (Cross Phone)
Hearing aids feature an “ear-to-ear” wireless network, which allows your hearing aids to “communicate” with one another. The XPhone feature uses this network to detect when you're on the phone, and it copies the signal from the telephone ear to the other side, allowing you to hear in stereo. Hearing with both ears (binaurally) is a well-established way to improve speech understanding.
Stereo iLock
When listening to speech in a noisy environment like a restaurant, it's very helpful to “zoom in” on specific speakers. Stereo iLock creates a very narrow “beam” of microphone sensitivity, which reduces the adverse effects of background noise and reverberation, so you can focus on the speaker.
Below, we’ll look at Rexton’s four technology families and my recommendations for each based on my personal experience with Rexton.
BiCore
BiCore is Rexton’s latest hearing aid family, available in several styles.
BiCore is great for:
- Seniors who want a custom, rechargeable in-ear model
- Those who want high-tech hearing aids
- Seniors who want rechargeable hearing aids with long-lasting batteries
- Seniors who need hearing aids for complex listening environments
BiCore features:
- Direct streaming for iOS and Android
- Speech Preservation Technology for focusing on conversations
- Binaural link for instant and precise synchronization between both ears
- Bluetooth compatible
- Mobile app compatible
- Rechargeable batteries last up to 89 hours (depending on model)
MyCore
MyCore is available in three technology levels with increasing price points. I'd recommend the MyCore line to:
- Seniors with wiggle room in their budget
- Seniors looking for the most high-tech features
- Seniors who want hearing aids with rechargeable batteries
Rexton's other two technology families are very similar to MyCore. Below are my recommendations and the feature sets for each. Just refer back to the descriptions above for more details on each feature.
TruCore
TrueCore is a solid choice for:
- Seniors who want dust- and water-resistant hearing aids
- Seniors with tinnitus
- Seniors who prefer disposable batteries
TruCore Features
- Voice Ranger
- Reverb Reducer
- XPhone (Cross Phone)
- Music Enhancer
- Tinnitus management
- Durable SecureTec IP67-rated construction (making it dust- and water-resistant)
- Bluetooth compatible
- Mobile app compatible
- Six programs
Motion Core
I’d recommend the Motion Core line to:
- Seniors who don’t need extra bells and whistles
- Seniors who want a simple, straightforward hearing aid
- Seniors who want rechargeable hearing aids
- Seniors who don’t have a smartphone
Motion Core Features
- Automatically adapts to your sound situation
- Durable, practical, and easy to use
- Rechargeable option with up to 61 hours of battery (depending on the model)
- Uses motion sensors to differentiate more than 120 hearing scenarios and adjust accordingly
- Recognizes 20 times more hearing situations than previous Rexton models
