GoKawiilOut of the ear, the hearing aids feature a bulbous design that doesn’t look like it will make for a natural fit, but I was surprised to find they slipped easily into the ear canal, locking snugly into place with a twist. They’re comfortable for long sessions, and they always felt secure, never at risk of being jarred loose. Conversely, the hearing aids are lightly magnetic and will adhere to each other when out of the case and in close proximity. I don’t know yet if that’s a good or a bad thing.
The devices don’t have physical buttons, but they do feature some basic tap functionality, with various combinations of taps controlling volume and environmental scene selection.
Tunability Time
I was excited to discover that Cearvol’s app includes a rudimentary hearing test to tune the frequencies boosted by the device. A sub-10-minute program gradually alters the volume of test tones across various frequencies, and you tap a button to indicate you can hear them. (You can also input an existing audiogram manually.)
After the test and a firmware update, you’re dropped right into the management interface, which features primary colors and large text, clearly designed with senior users in mind. Management here is basic, giving you access to volume controls (individually or synchronized between the two hearing aids) and access to the four scene modes (Indoor, Conversation, Restaurant, and Outdoor). An additional Ambient Aware toggle is a noise cancellation feature for use when streaming media; if you still want to hear your surroundings while listening to music, make sure this is turned on.
Screenshots: Christopher Null
Streaming is a big part of the Cearvol Wave Lite experience, and as Bluetooth earbuds, the units work a lot better than I expected. They won’t win any professional-grade audio awards, but there’s enough bass, and the high-end is crisp enough to make listening to media enjoyable. The noise cancellation works well enough for moderately busy environments, aided by the fact that the hearing aids get plenty loud whether you’re streaming or using them for ambient sound.