Widex Hearing Aid Reviews
Widex offers high-quality hearing aids for all levels of hearing loss and excellent solutions for musicians.
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Widex began making hearing aids in 1956 with a sleek, chrome-cased design. I fit my first Widex aids during graduate school and continued using them in my clinical practice for specialty patients and folks with more typical listening needs.
Widex was the first out of the gate with a commercially viable digital hearing aid, the Senso, in 1995.1 While other manufacturers quickly followed up with their own digital instruments, Widex was unique in that they focused nearly 100 percent of their marketing to this new “best in class” device. The Senso was a major paradigm shift for my patients, as it allowed them to hear a much wider range of sound, including softer sounds. Amplifying these very soft sounds presents challenges, but Widex figured it out and has used this basic algorithm since then. They are also one of the leaders in the use of digital scanning and 3D printing in hearing aids.
Over the years, I've taken advantage of Widex's out-of-the-box thinking for some special populations. In 2012, I fit a private security guard with Widex completely-in-canal (CIC) hearing aids. Using a small remote control, he could point the microphones right, left, front, back, or all around. This allowed him to hear his client, colleagues, and monitor the environment.
In addition to audiology, I've been a serious hobbyist musician since high school. This led me to sub-specialize in hearing loss prevention and treatment for musicians. One of the biggest challenges with hearing aids and music is that digital hearing aids tend to limit the amount of processed sound to optimize battery life. Beginning with their Dream line, Widex has had the widest dynamic range of sound, so Widex is my go-to when I fit a performing musician. This wider range allows musicians to hear their voices and instruments with much less distortion than other products on the market. The evolution of digital processing and move toward lithium-ion rechargeability is narrowing the field, but I still like Widex for this population. Keep reading for a closer look at my personal experience with Widex!
How Does Widex Compare to Other Brands?
While Widex is a great brand, it may not be for everyone. This is especially true if you have a tight budget for new hearing aids. Widex products tend to be more expensive than many of their competitors, and prices can vary substantially from one location to the next. If you want to know exactly how much your hearing aids will cost ahead of time or you’re interested in learning about some less expensive options, view our top affordable hearing aids below.
Widex Hearing Aid Lineup
Widex’s current product lines include Evoke, Moment, and SmartRIC. The Moment is Widex’s newest line, but I’ve fit several Evoke aids. This review will focus primarily on the Evoke and current accessories. I’d like to thank Widex for the images used here.
Widex Moment
Moment is advertised as having extremely fast processing designed to eliminate the tinny sound of wearing a hearing aid. I tried their audio demo but did not hear a marked difference. I suspect this is because I wasn't listening through hearing aids, and I have normal hearing. It will be interesting to see what users say; I'll swing back on this in the future if our readers begin to report notable improvements.
If you’re looking for a behind-the-ear (BTE) hearing aid with rechargeable batteries, Moment may be a great option. Moment is Widex’s first rechargeable BTE model, and they have a run time of up to 37 hours.
Widex Evoke
Widex Evoke is available in all styles from BTE to in-the-canal (ITC). This range of products is appropriate for people with hearing loss ranging from mild to profound. The Evoke hearing aids are wireless and some of them (models marked ”D”) are“made for iPhone,” allowing direct streaming to smartphones and tablets. These direct to iPhone devices are also compatible with the Evoke smartphone app.
FYI: Prices for Widex hearing aids will vary by location, dispenser, and your chosen device. However, they tend to be on the pricier side of the spectrum, with hearing aids costing a few thousand dollars per ear.
Widex Evoke
The non-iPhone versions of the Evoke are compatible with the “Tone Link” app, which uses an ultra-high frequency tone to control the hearing aids.
Evoke aids have a full range of contemporary features, including directional microphones to reduce background noise, frequency lowering (called Audibility Extender) to allow those with very poor high-pitch hearing to access those sounds, multiple programs, and tinnitus management called Zen. More on that later.
Widex Accessories
These hearing aids are compatible with a wide range of accessories collectively known as DEX.
COM-DEX
COM-DEX is a small, wireless “re-broadcaster” that accepts Bluetooth signals from phones, tablets, or other audio sources and converts them to the proprietary Widex wireless protocol. When worn around the neck, this allows you to hear these signals in both ears and be “hands-free” with phone calls. The COM-DEX also receives input from the COM-DEX Remote Mic.
COM-DEX Remote Mic
The Com-Dex Remote microphone clips onto the person speaking and wirelessly transmits their voice to your COM-DEX, and then to your hearing aids. This position minimizes background noise and reverberation to improve speech understanding. It's very easy to use and provides a fairly affordable solution to the biggest problem people with hearing loss have. This accessory offers up to eight hours of streaming time.
TV-DEX
The TV-DEX base connects to your TV’s audio output and transmits to the TV-DEX pendant, which you wear around your neck or place nearby on a table or chair arm. I’ve used this accessory with many of my patients with success. Depending on the connections of the TV, it can be a little tricky to get working, but Widex provides good support for both the dispenser and the end user.
Quick Tip: Check out our in-depth guide to hearing aids to learn everything you need to know before purchasing a pair.
As with other TV streaming devices,2 TV-DEX overcomes the negative effects of distance, reverberation, and background noise on speech understanding.
TV-DEX
RC-DEX
The RC-DEX is a small, simple remote control used to adjust the volume and program settings of your hearing aids. It's about the size of an automobile key fob, and I haven’t had any significant issues with them over the years. This same functionality is available in a smartphone app, which I'll talk about in a bit.
RC-DEX Remote
TV Play
Widex's next-generation TV device is called TV Play. It's built on the 2.4 GHz wireless platform and is currently compatible with Evoke and Moment hearing aids.
Widex TV Play
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Smartphone Apps
Widex provides several ways for tech-savvy users to interact with their hearing aids. Made for iPhone devices have dedicated apps that allow users to not only control volume and select programs but also fine-tune and save custom programs. I have used the Evoke app with patients and just test-drove the demo mode of the Moment app for this review. My user perception is a bit skewed since I’m somewhat of a superuser, but in my clinical practice, my patients have found the Evoke app to be well-designed and reasonably intuitive.
In running through the demo version of the Moment App, it appears to be very similar to the Evoke App in terms of functionality, so I expect it to have the same positive user response.
Widex Evoke App
Widex Evoke App
Widex Moment App
Widex Moment App
The rest of the Widex line can use the Tone Link App, which communicates to the hearing aids using an ultra-high frequency chirp. This app provides basic volume, program control, and program selection.
Widex Tone Link App
Widex Tone Link App
Tinnitus Management
Widex provides a toolkit called Zen in most of their hearing aids, including the current line, to address tinnitus. Their approach is a well-researched balance of education, sound therapy, and relaxation. The idea of Zen is not to mask tinnitus but to provide an alternate sound that elicits a neutral or positive emotional response to counteract the negative emotion usually tied to tinnitus. I like Zen because the user can select different sounds and adjust them depending on the quality and loudness of tinnitus at any given time. Zen can be activated and adjusted from within the hearing aid-specific app or in a standalone Zen app.
FYI: Living with tinnitus? Visit our list of the best hearing aids for tinnitus to find the right device for you.
Widex Zen App
Remote Care
Like other manufacturers, Widex offers the ability for your hearing care professional to make adjustments remotely. Their approach is a little different in that they require a dedicated programming interface (Remote Link) which your dispenser loans you. Customers can ask about remote assistance at the consult or fitting, and they’ll be provided with the Remote Link at the fitting. After a few remote adjustments, the fitting is “dialed in,” and the Remote Link is returned.
I like the fact that this provides a greater degree of fitting options, but I do find the logistics of the device a bit cumbersome.
Widex Remote Care
The Big Picture
Widex remains one of the major players in hearing aids internationally. Even after their recent merger with Signia, another provider I’ve tested, into WS Audiology, the Widex brand remains and is expected to for the foreseeable future. I’ve always found their products to be well-built, reliable, and very effective at addressing a wide range of hearing loss. They have all the features that I look for, including direct streaming to the iPhone in some models, wireless accessories, frequency lowering for high-frequency losses, and telecoils. They excel in app development both in terms of functionality and design. Their inclusion of remote assistance earns them good marks as well.
As mentioned earlier, Widex is my go-to for performing musicians, but I am also comfortable with them for anyone with hearing loss from mild to profound. They should certainly be on the list to check out for both first-time and experienced hearing aid users.
Visit our list of the top hearing aids for seniors to find out how Widex compares to other popular companies.
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