The search for the best hearing aid starts with which hearing aid model you want to buy. Below are the different models of hearing aids and the abbreviations that are often mentioned:

•   - In the ear hearing aid (ITE)
•   - Behind the ear hearing aid (BTE)
•   - The receiver in the ear hearing aids ( RIC aids / or RITE (in-ear loudspeaker)
•   - Lyric

We will discuss these 4 models one by one  below. This will make it easier to find the best hearing aid.

In-ear hearing aids

In-ear hearing aids are called ITEs. These hearing aids are custom made. The hearing care professional makes an impression of your ear canal and this is sent to the hearing aid manufacturer. Every brand has in-ear hearing aids. An in-the-ear hearing aid is placed in the ear and is minimally visible to the outside world. The in-ear headphones are also available in an extremely small size. When there is enough space in your ear, they can make a hearing aid very small and very deep in your ear. There is then a drawstring with which you can easily remove the device from the ear. They call this CIC. Complete in the canal. An example of such a hearing aid is the Starkey Evolv AI 2400 CIC - Bluetooth.

•   - Cosmetic beautiful / less visible
•   - Sound is close to your eardrum, which gives a natural sound
•   - You are not bothered by wearing glasses
•   - You prevent irritations behind the auricle
• Reduced by wind noise

Disadvantages in the ear:

•   - An in-ear hearing aid can break down faster because all electronics are built in a shell and therefore a bit more vulnerable.
•   - The is often very small, which can make maintenance difficult if you have less feeling in your fingers
•   - If you produce a lot of earwax, the filter is quickly clogged and you have to replace it regularly.
•   - The small hearing aid has a small battery that will drain faster

The receiver in the ear hearing aids (RIC instruments/RITE (In-ear loudspeaker)

The RIC devices are also hearing aids that sit partly behind your ear. However, there is no connection hose attached to it, but a thin electronic wire. We are going to explain this to you first. Lesson in between!In order to bring sound to your ear canal, and then to be able to hear you properly, it is necessary that the sound is collected is transported by the hearing aid (behind the ear) to your ear canal. With BTE hearing aids, this is done through the connection piece. This is a tube through which sound can pass. The sound then travels through the tube to the custom earmold and is then released into your ear canal near your eardrum.  The RIC hearing aids are also behind your ear but have a different way of transporting sound. Here is another connection piece. A so-called loudspeaker. You should see a RIC device as a sound installation with speakers. The hearing aid is the sound system and the wire to your ears is the box that reproduces the sound in your ear. An example of a receiver in the ear is the Starkey Livio ai 2400 ric.  

•   - No loss of sound
•   - The hearing aids are often very small
•   - The hearing aids are available in a rechargeable version
•   - The RIC devices can now also be adapted for severe hearing losses
•   - There are countless possibilities in terms of connectivity with your mobile phone
•   - The wearing comfort is experienced as very pleasant

Disadvantages of RIC devices:

•   - The speaker that disappears in the ear can sometimes get clogged with earwax.
•   - The RIC devices are often a bit small, so you have to be able to handle them well