The Phonak Virto Marvel 50 312 in review
Dieses Hörgerät ist schon ein wenig älter und entspricht nicht mehr der neuesten Technik. Deshalb hat die Gesamtnote eine Abwertung bekommen.
Phonak offers the Virto Marvel 50 312, a discreet hearing aid that is worn in the ear. It is a mid-range hearing aid suitable for mild to moderate hearing loss. Due to its quite comfortable position at the front of the ear canal, it ensures that sound reaches the eardrum without loss.
Hearing comfort
First, we looked at the comfort features. The better these are, the easier and more pleasant the listening experience becomes. With this hearing aid, we find only the absolutely necessary elements regarding hearing comfort. The traditional noise suppression reduces uniform, unimportant sounds slightly. In the Virto Marvel 50 312, ambient noise is reliably recognized but only moderately reduced. We searched in vain for wind management; there is no wind noise reduction here.
Unfortunately, we did not find a blast filter that responds to short, loud noises. Spatial hearing requires a bit of practice with the Virto Marvel 50 312. However, the adaptive microphone system provides quite good support in social situations. A few more frequency channels would be desirable, but the existing 12 channels can work quite well.
An exciting topic in audiology is the use of artificial intelligence, but this is not yet implemented in this Phonak model.
Rating Hearing comfort: 4,8
Phonak Virto Marvel 50 312:
Operation & connectivity
The majority of functions are automatically activated by this Phonak model. However, it can be quite useful to have the option to extend the functionality a bit. In our tests, we found out what options we have here. Usually, there is a button on the hearing aid, and we found one on the Virto Marvel 50 as well. It can be configured as a volume control or program selection button and can be deactivated if desired. Those who prefer not to touch their ear to adjust the volume will appreciate the optional remote control. This allows for convenient and discreet adjustments to the hearing aid.
We always enjoy being surprised by a hearing aid with a great additional feature. For example, we would have liked to see voice control at this point. However, this feature is currently not available in the Virto Marvel 50 312. Tap Control would have also been an interesting function. With this, you can change the function with a quick tap on the ear. But this is not yet available in the Virto Marvel 50 312.
As expected, we find a suitable application for the smartphone. Here we are dealing with a powerful app that trusts its user and provides an extensive toolbox. The Virto Marvel 50 comes with a 2.4 GHz antenna and allows for binaural phone calls. This even gives us an advantage over normal hearing individuals. We appreciate this and are happy to give points.
Rating Operation & connectivity: 1,8
Phonak Virto Marvel 50 312:
The best alternatives to the Virto Marvel 50 312
Our database contains 10 reviews of hearing aids with similar technical features to this one (i.e., In the ear (ITE) in mittelgroßer Ausführung in Size "", not rechargable, geeignet für Hörverlust-Grad leicht & mittel). Here are the top 3 (Redaktionsstand 02.10.2025):
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Widex Magnify 60 ITE 312 XP | Rating: 3 / 5 |
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Widex Magnify 100 ITE 312 XP | Rating: 3 / 5 |
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Phonak Virto Marvel 90 312 | Rating: 2.5 / 5 |
Simplicity & security
We are of course also interested in how quickly one can adapt to the Virto Marvel 50 312 and how easy daily use is. The Virto Marvel 50 312 features an extensive set of saved listening situations. When a typical pattern is recognized, the hearing aid automatically activates the correct setting. We give it a big plus point for the automatic acclimatization assistant. It gradually increases the starting volume in very small steps until my hearing goal is achieved. This significantly eases the adjustment to the new sound.
We regret that the Virto Marvel 50 312 does not have a rechargeable battery, but instead 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 battery.
Unfortunately, this hearing aid has no special protection against dust or moisture intrusion; at least there is no certification that defines the robustness of the device. It may not be so suitable for an active everyday life.
Rating Simplicity & security: 3,0
Extras
Finally, let's take a brief look to see if there are any extras available: A special tinnitus program can be programmed into the Virto Marvel 50 312 upon request. This allows for the generation of stimulating, pleasant sounds that can distract from the tinnitus when it is particularly severe. We find this very useful and are happy to award extra points.
An online contact option to the audiologist via the app would be very helpful. This is quite common today and provides assistance with small adjustment problems. Unfortunately, Phonak does not offer this and thus does not earn any extra points.
Many hearing aids today still come with a few health functions. However, since the Virto Marvel 50 312 does not have any special sensors for that, we cannot present any particular features here. Phonak's device focuses on essential hearing functions and does not offer extras like voice assistants or translation features. While that would have been enjoyable, it is not necessary for a good hearing experience.
Rating Extras: 3,3
Conclusion: Phonak Virto Marvel 50 312
In the overall view, this device ranks towards the bottom and gives us hardly more than a solid basic equipment. Of course, with this device, one can understand speech, just like with all hearing aids, but not much is done to alleviate listening effort. Our overall grade: 4.78. Please always relate this grade to the price range of this hearing aid.
Top alternatives in the same price range
Which devices in a comparable price range currently show the best technical performance? Here are the current top 3:
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Philips HearLink 3050 MNR T R | Rating: 4.5 / 5 |
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Audio Service G8 8 Mood R LI T 8 | Rating: 4.5 / 5 |
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Audio Service G8 8 Mood R LI 8 | Rating: 4.5 / 5 |
Our Phonak Virto Marvel 50 312 review was created on August 10, 2020 and lastly updated on February 18, 2025. The overall rating of 4,78 is composed of: »Hearing Comfort (40% weighting): Rating 1.5 | »Operation & Connectivity (28% weighting): Rating 4.5 | »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 noticeable is the Phonak Virto Marvel 50 312 to others?
It is in size class S, so it appears medium-sized. We primarily focused on the perception from outsiders.
What is the cost of the Phonak Virto Marvel 50 312?
The price range in which the Phonak Virto Marvel 50 312 is approximately offered in Germany is between €2,000.00 and €2,500.00. The performance of the device corresponds to the price. In the test, it achieved an overall rating of 4.8 (poor).
Is the Phonak Virto Marvel 50 312 suitable for my hearing loss?
This in-ear hearing aid is suitable for mild to moderate hearing loss. You can compare other hearing aids from this fitting range with the Virto Marvel 50 312 from Phonak: Hearing Aid Comparison.
How good is hearing with the Phonak Virto Marvel 50 312?
This in-ear device received a performance rating of 4.8 (poor) in the "Hearing Comfort" category. Important for hearing comfort is also noise suppression. Here, the Virto Marvel 50 312 from Phonak receives 3 out of 5 stars. For reducing wind noise, it receives our designation of 'total failure', as it does not have this feature. The signal processing in this hearing aid takes place in 12 different adjustable channels (the best hearing aids currently have 24 channels).
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