The Beltone Serene 4 CIC in review
Could this hearing aid from the Beltone program be the right one for you? In our review of the Serene 4 CIC, we have highlighted the key aspects. Here we get a small, hardly noticeable hearing aid from the budget segment that is worn in the ear. Due to the barely perceptible wearing location in the ear canal, the foundation for good hearing success is laid, as the sound has only a very short distance to travel to the eardrum. This ensures that all tones reach us exactly where we want them to.
The Serene 4 CIC provides sufficient amplification for nearly every hearing need.
Hearing comfort
One of our favorite chapters is hearing comfort, because this is one of the most important topics in conversations with our customers: background noise. Ideally, everyone would just like to hear speech and block out all other sounds. However, it's not that simple. Without noise, our lives would sound very thin and empty. That's why hearing aids are designed to keep sounds at bay as much as possible, but not to eliminate them.
With the Serene 4 CIC, a solid comfort programming by the audiologist is possible. The mandatory noise suppression should activate for anything that has a somewhat consistent hum, such as heating or a range hood. In the case of this device, we would classify the noise reduction as average. It is sufficient if you don’t live in a very noisy environment.
When it comes to wind noise suppression, we are dealing with a relatively simple wind damper. Quick, explosive sounds are detected here, but only moderately reduced. The special design of the Serene 4 CIC proves to be a stroke of luck when it comes to spatial hearing. The microphones are positioned deep in the ear canal, and that's precisely where sound reaches even for normal hearing individuals. Spatial hearing does not need to be artificially recreated; it occurs naturally. We always take a close look at the number of equalizer bands. They are important for adapting the sound of a hearing aid as accurately as possible to the hearing curve. Additionally, speech noise management also takes place within these bands. The Serene 4 CIC has 12 of them. That's okay.
Beltone does not yet utilize artificial intelligence in this version.
Rating Hearing comfort: 2,7
Operation & connectivity
The majority of features are activated automatically by this Beltone model. However, it can sometimes be very useful to slightly expand the range of functions. In our testing, we found out which options we have here. Firstly, we discovered a button directly on the hearing aid. This makes a lot of sense, as it is the easiest and quickest way to make a change. The volume can be adjusted through this, and various hearing programs can also be activated. If someone prefers not to adjust anything directly on the ear, the button can of course be deactivated. We would have liked a remote control, but Beltone does not offer one for this model. So no points here.
We are always pleased when a hearing aid surprises us with a great extra feature. For instance, we would have liked to see voice control at this point. However, it is not currently available in the Serene 4 CIC. If there are sensors in the hearing aid, tap control could be conceivable, which would trigger a specific function by tapping the fingers on the ear. However, this option is not available in the Serene 4 CIC.
In the App Store, we searched in vain for an app for further settings, which we would have preferred to see. A wireless connection to a smartphone or laptop is not possible due to the lack of the necessary hardware components. One should consider carefully whether they can do without this feature, but why not just give it a try.
Rating Operation & connectivity: 2,8
The best alternatives to the Serene 4 CIC
Our database contains 70 reviews of hearing aids with similar technical features to this one (i.e., In the ear (ITE) in sehr kompakter Bauform in Size "", not rechargable, geeignet für Hörverlust-Grad leicht, mittel & stark). Here are the top 3 (Redaktionsstand 02.10.2025):
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Starkey Genesis AI 24 CIC Wireless | Rating: 5 / 5 |
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Starkey Signature Series 24 CIC NW | Rating: 4.5 / 5 |
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Starkey Genesis AI 20 CIC Wireless | Rating: 4.5 / 5 |
Simplicity & security
We continue the test with a brief assessment of how easy everyday use will be. Is it complicated? Do I need to be particularly careful? Or do I not need to pay attention to anything else? We would have wished for the Serene 4 CIC to have a program automation that adapts to the environment by itself. However, that is not the case, so unfortunately, we have to deduct points here. A great feature of this hearing aid is the automatic acclimatization. Especially when someone has been hearing poorly for a long time and then wears a hearing aid for the first time, it is an enormous relief. The volume does not need to be turned up all at once. One can initially start at a lower level, and gradually, almost unnoticed, the amplification approaches the target.
The Serene 4 CIC is not rechargeable. It operates with size 10 hearing aid batteries. Disadvantage: The batteries are disposed of after use. Advantage: Daily charging of batteries is not necessary; the hearing aid runs continuously for several days on one battery.
We had a carefree daily life in our test due to the IP-68 certification. This indicates that the hearing aid is particularly well protected against dust and water. We marched through the rain and then removed the hearing aids with wet hands - no problem at all. However, the water resistance only applies to fresh, natural water and not to foamy bath water or seawater.
Rating Simplicity & security: 3,0
Extras
The finale belongs to the extras, meaning small additional functions that could earn the hearing aid some extra points: Here we noticed the tinnitus option. If desired, one can have a special tinnitus program set up. This applies a gentle noise to the ears when needed to distract from the annoying tinnitus a bit. The sounds can be tailored to personal hearing preferences.
What about remote maintenance? Such online services save a trip to the specialist store, as you can directly contact an acoustic professional through the app. Unfortunately, we did not find anything like that for the Serene 4 CIC. Too bad, that would have been a great additional tool.
Some hearing aids can track certain health data. However, this requires special sensors in the hearing aid, which we unfortunately do not have in the Serene 4 CIC. The device from Beltone focuses on essential hearing functions and does not offer extras like voice assistants or translation functions. While that would have been fun, it is not necessary for a good listening experience.
Rating Extras: 3,3
Conclusion: Beltone Serene 4 CIC
With a final grade of 2.85, this model holds its ground in the mid-range. It has a quite decent comfort feature set on board, sufficient for typical everyday moments and creates a satisfactory listening experience.
Hearing aid prices vary greatly. But does it really make a difference to you how much you invest in your hearing? We explain the difference: Hearing aid costs
Top alternatives in the same price range
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Our Beltone Serene 4 CIC review was created on July 16, 2024 and lastly updated on November 20, 2024. The overall rating of 2,85 is composed of: »Hearing Comfort (40% weighting): Rating 3.5 | »Operation & Connectivity (28% weighting): Rating 3.5 | »Simplicity & Security (17% weighting): Rating 3 | »Extras (15% weighting): Rating 3 | Learn more about our evaluation criteria and testing standards in How We Test..
FAQ
How large is the Serene 4 CIC by Beltone?
Since a size in millimeters does not explain how large a hearing aid appears, we have divided the size perception into classes. Class "XXS" is practically invisible, class "M" has the largest perception. The Serene 4 CIC by Beltone is in the size class XS. So it could be described as quite small.
What is the price of the Beltone Serene 4 CIC?
The Serene 4 CIC from the manufacturer Beltone is currently offered by hearing care professionals in Germany within a price range of approximately between €1,300.00 and €2,000.00. To assess the value for money, you should consider the overall test score of 2.9 (satisfactory).
How well can you hear with the Beltone Serene 4 CIC?
The Beltone Serene 4 CIC receives a rating for hearing comfort of 2.7 (satisfactory) from us. The Beltone hearing aid is rated 'usable' (2 out of 5 stars) for its suppression of wind noise. The noise suppression of the device achieves 3 out of 5 stars. 12 frequency bands are individually adjustable in this hearing aid for processing sound levels (top values of current flagship models: 24).
Who is the Beltone Serene 4 CIC suitable for?
If your hearing deficit is mild, medium, or severe, the Beltone Serene 4 CIC might be suitable for you. This so-called "fitting range" of the hearing aid is determined by the manufacturer and is related to the amplification of the hearing aid, among other things. Whether the device is actually suitable for you can only be sensibly assessed by a hearing care professional on-site after a detailed hearing test has been conducted.
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