Test report: Bernafon Alpha 9 ITE HS

The Bernafon Alpha 9 ITE HS in review

Die Technik dieses Gerätes wurde vom Bernafon Alpha XT abgelöst und ist daher nicht mehr ganz aktuell. Wir haben deshalb eine Abwertung in der Gesamtnote vorgenommen.

What hearing comfort does the Alpha 9 ITE HS offer? How is it operated? Is it worth purchasing? You will find answers to these questions in our review of this hearing aid from Bernafon. First, the basics: It is worn in the ear, and thanks to its direct placement in the ear canal, sound can easily travel towards the eardrum. This is important because only in this way can a truly good, broadband sound be produced.

The Alpha 9 ITE HS is a small hearing aid of excellent quality that can cover both mild and more severe hearing needs. Read on for more details:

Hearing comfort

At least as important as speech understanding is hearing comfort. After all, our environment should sound as realistic and pleasant as possible. So let's take a look at noise management: In this model, which Bernafon offers here, the manufacturer provides the customer with comprehensive noise management. Naturally, noise suppression is integrated to soften tiring background noises. In the Alpha 9 ITE HS, it does this remarkably well, and significantly more so than in most other hearing aids. This device can detect wind and somewhat reduce the noise.

Once you've experienced impulse sound suppression in a hearing aid, you don't want to give it up. The Alpha 9 ITE HS has such a feature and can therefore handle all short and intense sound events effortlessly. This includes, for example, dishes clattering in the kitchen or footfall sounds on a hard floor. Typically, as a normal hearing person, you don't think about spatial hearing. With this hearing aid, we don't have to either. A sophisticated system of directional microphones and binaural wireless networking generates a 3D effect that closely resembles natural hearing. A brilliant listening experience is also based on the number of frequency bands. The more bands there are, and the narrower the individual frequency channels, the better the hearing aid can be tailored to individual preferences. Here, we have as many as 24 bands. This not only allows for creating a fantastic sound impression; it also enables very precise speech and noise suppression.

By the way, you might find that with this Bernafon device, the sound is perceived as clearer and more natural, especially in noisy environments. This is likely due to the implemented artificial intelligence. The hearing aid has already been trained with millions of real sounds, leading to significantly improved distinction between speech and noise.

Rating Hearing comfort: 1,5

Operation & connectivity

The majority of hearing aids automatically adapt to their surroundings. However, it can sometimes be very practical to be able to make adjustments oneself. After all, the hearing aid does not know how you are feeling at the moment. We looked at what control options the Alpha 9 ITE HS has to offer: First, we discovered a button directly on the hearing aid. This is very useful because it is the simplest and fastest way to make adjustments. The volume can be adjusted through this, and different hearing programs can also be activated. If one prefers not to adjust anything directly at the ear, the button can of course be disabled. We do like the small remote controls, and we found one for this model. This allows for discreet minor adjustments to the volume or sound.

Some hearing aids can already be controlled by voice, but this one from Bernafon unfortunately cannot yet. That would be practical when fingers are not as nimble anymore or if one simply enjoys smart gadgets. In addition to buttons or remote controls, some hearing aids also have a tap control. This means you can just tap your ear briefly, and the device switches. However, we do not have this feature with Bernafon, as it would have required specific sensors.

In the App Store, we also find a suitable application from Bernafon. The app for the Alpha 9 ITE HS is not among our highlights but has everything you need for your hearing systems. You no longer need headphones here, as it has a wireless option and can transmit sounds directly from the smartphone to your ears – provided the smartphone is equipped with 2.4 GHz LE technology.

Rating Operation & connectivity: 2,0

Bernafon Alpha 9 ITE HS:

Simplicity & security

Another point on our checklist is handling. Does everything work easily and reliably? What does the hearing aid offer to ensure safe use in everyday life? The Alpha 9 ITE HS performs exceptionally well in situation recognition. Those who want a comprehensive and powerful full automation in their hearing aid and prefer to make as few adjustments as possible will be well served here. The adaptive algorithms untangle the individual sound events in the environment and present the soundscape clearly and precisely. Some people have difficulty getting used to it, but this hearing aid makes it easy for us to cope with the new volume. There is a familiarization manager that gradually introduces us to the required target amplification. The duration can range from a few weeks to several months, which can be individually adjusted. The individual steps are so small that you hardly notice there has been a volume increase.

The Alpha 9 ITE HS is not rechargeable. It continues to get its power from disposable size 312 batteries, which need to be changed every few days.

We had a carefree everyday life during our test due to the IP-68 certification. This indicates that the hearing aid is particularly well protected against dust and water. We walked through the rain and afterwards took out the hearing aids with wet hands - no problem at all. However, the water resistance really only refers to fresh, natural water and not to foamy bathwater or saltwater.

Rating Simplicity & security: 1,8

Extras

Sometimes, hearing aids have additional functions that can be quite useful. Let's see how it is with this Bernafon device: A special tinnitus program can be programmed on request in the Alpha 9 ITE HS. This allows for the generation of stimulating, pleasant sounds that distract from the tinnitus when it is particularly strong. We find this very useful and are happy to award extra points.

Bernafon is keeping up with the times and offers a future-oriented feature with the remote adjustment service. Busy people with little time can contact their audiologist online and have their hearing aids reprogrammed. Hearing aid users who have a longer commute to the specialty store also benefit from this special service.

This Alpha 9 variant does not have sensors, so the popular health tracking feature cannot be offered. For example, steps are counted throughout the day. As mentioned – this hearing aid does not have this function. In conjunction with a smartphone, the Alpha 9 ITE HS surprises us with a few nice lifestyle features. It is definitely worth getting thoroughly familiar with the app and utilizing the offered assistance programs.

Rating Extras: 1,8

Conclusion: Bernafon Alpha 9 ITE HS

Abschließend lässt sich sagen, dass es sich bei diesem Gerät um einen echten Allrounder handelt, der uns mit seiner Komfortausstattung überzeugt und mit der Note 2,41 ein gutes Gesamtergebnis erzielt. Wer auf Spitzentechnik verzichten möchte, aber trotzdem einen bequemen Höralltag wünscht, der ist hier an der richtigen Stelle.

 

Our Bernafon Alpha 9 ITE HS review was created on May 25, 2023 and lastly updated on June 25, 2024. The overall rating of 2,41 is composed of: »Hearing Comfort (40% weighting): Rating 4.5 | »Operation & Connectivity (28% weighting): Rating 4 | »Simplicity & Security (17% weighting): Rating 4.5 | »Extras (15% weighting): Rating 4.5 | Learn more about our evaluation criteria and testing standards in How We Test..

 

 

 

FAQ

Wie groß ist das Alpha 9 ITE HS von Bernafon?

Da eine Größe in Millimetern nicht erklärt, wie groß ein Hörgerät wirkt, haben wir die Größenanmutung in Klassen unterteilt. Klasse "XXS" ist praktisch unsichtbar, Klasse "M" hat die größte Anmutung. Das Alpha 9 ITE HS von Bernafon befindet sich in der Größenklasse S. Man könnte es also als bezeichnen.

Wie ist der Preis des Bernafon Alpha 9 ITE HS?

Alpha 9 ITE HS von Hersteller Bernafon wird von Hörakustikern in Deutschland momentan in einem Preisrahmen von ca. ab 3.000,00 € angeboten. Um die Preis-Leistung zu beurteilen, sollten Sie die Gesamt-Testnote von 2.4 (****) mit ins Auge fassen.

Wie gut hört man mit dem Bernafon Alpha 9 ITE HS?

Bernafon Alpha 9 ITE HS bekommt von uns eine Note für den Hörkomfort von 1,5 (****). Das Bernafon-Hörgerät bekommt für seine Unterdrückung von Windgeräuschen das Prädikat . Die Lärmunterdrückung des Gerätes erreicht . 24 Frequenzbänder sind in diesem Hörgerät separat für die Verarbeitung von Tonlagen einstellbar (Top-Werte der aktuellen Spitzenmodelle: 24).

Für wen ist das Bernafon Alpha 9 ITE HS geeignet?

Wenn Ihr Hördefizit ist, könnte das Bernafon Alpha 9 ITE HS für Sie geeignet sein. Dieser sogenannte "Anpassbereich" des Hörgerätes wird vom Hersteller festgelegt und hat unter anderem mit der Verstärkung des Hörgerätes zu tun. Ob das Gerät tatsächlich für Sie geeignet ist, kann nur ein Hörakustiker/in vor Ort bei Ihnen sinnvoll beurteilen, nachdem ein ausführlicher Hörtest durchgeführt wurde.

 

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