Test report: Hansaton flow+ 312 M

The Hansaton flow+ 312 M in review

Once again, we focus on a hearing aid from the company Hansaton. This time it is a conventional behind-the-ear hearing aid named flow+ 312 M. It is a small, barely noticeable hearing aid, and it is priced in the entry-level category. It can be used for mild to moderate hearing loss. Let's take a look at what the inside has to offer:

Hearing comfort

The comfort features determine how pleasant hearing is experienced in everyday life. With this hearing aid, we found very few options for comfort adjustment. A classic noise suppression is supposed to reduce annoying background noises to a tolerable level. In the flow+ 312 M, the noise suppression can be adjusted to the customer's preference. We searched in vain for wind management; there is no wind noise reduction here.

While quick, sharp noises are detected, they are only moderately reduced. The hearing aid can automatically orient itself toward the speaker, but we do not receive much additional support for spatial hearing from the flow+ 312 M. The 12 equalizer bands provide a solid basis for programming the flow+ 312 M. As sound enthusiasts, we would love a few more, but for the typical situations we encounter in our everyday lives, one can create quite a reasonable sound image from this.

The signal processing is based, among other things, on typical frequency patterns of speech and noise, but artificial intelligence is still not in use here.

Rating Hearing comfort: 4,0

Hansaton flow+ 312 M:

Operation & connectivity

Everyone has their own individual hearing needs. Therefore, it is advantageous if one can further customize their hearing aids beyond the automatic functions. In the test, we discovered the following access options: The simplest operating option is always a button located directly on the hearing aid. This one has it as well. It can be programmed according to your wishes. Do you want a manual volume control? No problem, the button allows for a stepwise adjustment of the volume. Or do you need different special programs for your professional daily life or your hobbies? These can also be activated through the button. Anyone who wants to keep everything in automatic mode can simply ignore the button or even have it deactivated. We did not find a remote control. That's a shame because we actually think this discreet operating option is quite nice.

Some hearing aids can already be controlled by voice, but this one from Hansaton unfortunately cannot yet. It would be practical when fingers are less mobile or when someone simply likes smart gadgets. Another option to control the hearing aids is a tap control. You simply tap your fingers on your ear, which then triggers a specific function. However, this option is not available in this Hansaton device.

Although smartphone apps are available for many hearing aids today, Hansaton unfortunately does not offer one for its flow+ 312 M yet. If you were looking forward to wireless streaming, we must unfortunately disappoint you, as a wireless module has not been integrated here.

Rating Operation & connectivity: 3,5

Simplicity & security

Now let's take a look at how usage is designed in everyday life. Is the handling easy? Do I get a secure device? We would have liked a program automation in the flow+ 312 M that adjusts itself to the environment. However, that is not available, so unfortunately a deduction here. We are very pleased with the integrated acclimatization manager. It gradually increases the volume of the hearing aid in tiny steps until our target amplification is eventually reached. We can comfortably and gradually get used to the new hearing experiences.

The flow+ 312 M is not rechargeable. It continues to get its power from disposable batteries of size 312, which need to be changed every few days.

We also take a look at the robustness of the casing and discover in the data sheet the protection class IP 68. This means that dust cannot penetrate at all, and water only becomes dangerous after prolonged immersion. A protection against contact is also included.

Rating Simplicity & security: 3,0

Hansaton flow+ 312 M:

Extras

Before we come to the conclusion, let's take a look at the extras: A special tinnitus program can be programmed on request in the flow+ 312 M. This allows stimulating, pleasant sounds to be generated that distract from the tinnitus when it is particularly strong. We find this very useful and are happy to award extra points.

Unfortunately, there is no remote adjustment option. So anyone who needs optimization and wants to change their hearing aid settings will have to visit a hearing professional.

There are no sensors in this flow+ variant, so the popular health tracking cannot be offered. For instance, daily steps are counted. As mentioned, this hearing aid does not have this function. The hearing aid also does not include additional functions such as special assistance systems, a fall alarm, or speech translators. This is not a major issue, as it does not affect the important hearing functions.

Rating Extras: 3,3

Conclusion: Hansaton flow+ 312 M

This test device ends up in the lower rankings overall and lacks some features. We give it a rating of 3.58. This is acceptable for less demanding listeners, but for a very active lifestyle, we recommend a hearing aid with more extensive comfort features.

 

Our Hansaton flow+ 312 M review was created on March 30, 2021 and lastly updated on September 8, 2022. The overall rating of 3,58 is composed of: »Hearing Comfort (40% weighting): Rating 2 | »Operation & Connectivity (28% weighting): Rating 2.5 | »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

What does the Hansaton flow+ 312 M cost?

The flow+ 312 M from Hansaton is currently offered by providers in a rough price range of approximately between €1.00 and €700.00. You should consider this price in relation to the test score of 3.6 (sufficient). And for example, also in relation to the star rating in the area of noise suppression in our tests (a good 4 out of 5 stars). You can find all comparison values in the Hearing Aids Comparison.

How well does one hear with the Hansaton flow+ 312 M?

The flow+ 312 M from Hansaton achieves a score of 4.0 (sufficient) in the test area of hearing comfort. In the area of noise suppression, the hearing aid receives a good 4 out of 5 stars. For wind noise suppression, it is rated 'total failure' because it does not have this feature. The hearing aid shows 12 different equalizer bands in the test, which can be adjusted by the hearing care professional to the individual hearing ability (current top models achieve 24).

For whom is the flow+ 312 M from Hansaton suitable?

This hearing aid is aimed at people whose hearing loss is mild to moderate. This so-called "fitting range" is loosely defined by Hansaton. A good local hearing care company can immediately determine after a professional hearing test whether this behind-the-ear hearing aid is suitable for you.

How big is the Hansaton flow+ 312 M?

We have categorized all hearing aids on the market into four size classes, from XXS (virtually invisible) to M (rather large). The Hansaton flow+ 312 M has a size classification of XS, which means it is quite small compared to other hearing aids.

 

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