Test report: Phonak Terra RIC-312

The Phonak Terra RIC-312 in review

To create a hearing aid test report, we closely examine the hearing aids and, if possible, wear them ourselves for a while. This time it was the Terra RIC-312 from Phonak, a device for the budget-conscious, which can compensate for mild to profound hearing losses. The Terra RIC-312 is a small hearing aid that sits behind the ear. With the receiver (= speaker) that sits directly in the ear canal, it already meets the basic requirements for decent sound.

Hearing comfort

We all agree that speech understanding is the most important task of hearing aids. From our experience in the hearing acoustics retail business, we also know that hearing comfort is at least equally important. It is about processing background noise in a way that does not hinder speech understanding while still creating a natural sound image. In testing the Terra RIC-312, we found very few options for influencing comfort. Let's take a look at the individual features:

Of course, this Phonak device has noise suppression, as this is now standard. Noise suppression means that uniform and rather monotonous sounds (e.g., air conditioning, vacuum cleaner...) are dampened. Here, the noise suppression works rather averagely, but it is somewhat modifiable.

A filter for rattling, popping noises is not present here – unfortunately no point for that. We sorely missed a wind noise suppression feature. Those who are often outdoors may find the clearly audible wind noises quite disturbing. We also look at the number of equalizer bands: Phonak offers 8. We are not really happy with that; the options for sound design are quite limited. But it is sufficient for good speech understanding. The device recognizes whether the microphones should transmit everything or focus forward. This can help in conversation situations but does not replace true spatial hearing.

One component in the signal processing of the Terra RIC-312 is artificial intelligence. The influence is positive, as many customers find conversations in noisy situations significantly more relaxed.

Rating Hearing comfort: 4,2

Operation & connectivity

Basically, the hearing aids work fully automatically, and this is also the mode that most people prefer. However, sometimes it is quite useful to switch to another hearing program in a difficult situation or simply adjust the volume. That's why we take a quick look at the operating options of the Terra RIC-312. A very quick way to correct the volume is the small button on the device. It is easy to feel, and you can adjust it louder or quieter in several steps. Additional programs for special hearing situations can also be activated with it. Those who want to do without the button can simply have it deactivated. A discreet way to change the hearing aid is the remote control. It fits in any pocket. If the person you are talking to speaks too softly again, just one or two clicks are enough to adjust the volume. Additional hearing programs for listening to music or driving can also be activated with the remote control.

For some time now, there has been a trend to adjust hearing aids louder or quieter via voice commands. The idea is really good, but Phonak has not yet reached that stage with this device. Don't be too concerned about it; this feature would be nice, but it is not essential. Tap Control would also have been an interesting function. With this, you could change the function with a quick tap on the ear. But that's not available here in the Terra RIC-312 yet.

Quickly adjusting the volume via the app - unfortunately, that's not possible with the Terra RIC-312. There is no app available for that. However, this is irrelevant if you are not a smartphone user anyway. The Terra comes with a 2.4 GHz antenna and allows us to enjoy binaural phone calls. This even gives us an advantage over normal hearers. We find that good and are happy to give points.

Rating Operation & connectivity: 2,5

Simplicity & security

An important factor for the acceptance of a hearing aid is its everyday usability. This includes, for example, automated functions as well as robustness and user-friendliness. Unfortunately, the Terra RIC-312 does not have a powerful situation automation. We have to settle for a few standard settings. Active hearing aid users will surely encounter limitations here. The adjustment to the new hearing sensation is supported by this device with a fully automatic acclimatization manager. It adjusts the amplification in hardly noticeable steps until my hearing loss is completely compensated. I don't have to do anything other than wear my hearing aids regularly.

We regret that the Terra RIC-312 does not have a rechargeable battery but operates with hearing aid batteries size 312. This is not particularly problematic, but one should remember to carry spare batteries. On the other hand, this hearing aid does not need to be charged daily; it runs for a longer time on a single battery.

The Terra is nearly dust and water resistant and, with its IP 68 classification, is certainly well protected against external influences.

Rating Simplicity & security: 2,5

Extras

Manchmal gibt es in den Hörgeräten noch Zusatzfunktionen, die ganz nützlich sein können. Mal sehen, wie das bei diesem Phonak-Gerät ist: Da wäre z.B. eine Tinnitus-Option interessant. Leider haben wir im Terra RIC-312 keine Möglichkeit entdeckt, um den Tinnitus zu lindern.

Ein schönes Feature wäre ein Fernwartungsservice, um sich vom Hörprofi auch dann helfen zu lassen, wenn man gerade nicht ins Geschäft kommen kann. Aber leider gibt es das hier nicht, also gibt es auch keinen Extrapunkt. 

Manche Hörgeräte können bestimmte Gesundheitsdaten tracken. Allerdings braucht es dazu spezielle Sensoren im Hörgerät, die wir beim Terra RIC-312 leider nicht haben.  Dieses Phonak-Hörgerät hat keine weiteren Lifestyle-Optionen an Bord. Anderswo gibt es Sprachassistenten oder Erinnerungsfunktionen, aber zum guten Hören braucht man das nicht. Es hätte das Produkt nur etwas cooler gemacht. 

Rating Extras: 4,0

Conclusion: Phonak Terra RIC-312

Mit der Endnote 3,39 behauptet sich dieses Modell im mittleren Bereich. Es hat eine ganz passable Komfortausstattung mit an Bord, die für die typischen Alltagsmomente reicht und ein zufriedenstellendes Hörerlebnis schafft.

 

Our Phonak Terra RIC-312 review was created on April 10, 2024 and lastly updated on January 2, 2025. The overall rating of 3,39 is composed of: »Hearing Comfort (40% weighting): Rating 2 | »Operation & Connectivity (28% weighting): Rating 3.5 | »Simplicity & Security (17% weighting): Rating 3.5 | »Extras (15% weighting): Rating 2 | Learn more about our evaluation criteria and testing standards in How We Test..

 

 

 

FAQ

Wie groß ist das Terra RIC-312 von Phonak?

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 Terra RIC-312 von Phonak befindet sich in der Größenklasse S. Man könnte es also als bezeichnen.

Wie ist der Preis des Phonak Terra RIC-312?

Terra RIC-312 von Hersteller Phonak wird von Hörakustikern in Deutschland momentan in einem Preisrahmen von ca. zwischen 700,00 € und 1.300,00 € angeboten. Um die Preis-Leistung zu beurteilen, sollten Sie die Gesamt-Testnote von 3.4 (***) mit ins Auge fassen.

Wie gut hört man mit dem Phonak Terra RIC-312?

Phonak Terra RIC-312 bekommt von uns eine Note für den Hörkomfort von 4,2 (**). Das Phonak-Hörgerät bekommt für seine Unterdrückung von Windgeräuschen das Prädikat . Die Lärmunterdrückung des Gerätes erreicht . 8 Frequenzbänder sind in diesem Hörgerät separat für die Verarbeitung von Tonlagen einstellbar (Top-Werte der aktuellen Spitzenmodelle: 24).

Für wen ist das Phonak Terra RIC-312 geeignet?

Wenn Ihr Hördefizit ist, könnte das Phonak Terra RIC-312 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.

 

Compare hearing aids: discover all other current reviews now

Find and sort all currently listed hearing aids now. You have full access to all filters, allowing you to quickly view the top hearing aids at a glance.

Compare Hearing Aids Now