Test report: ReSound Key 3 61-DRW

The ReSound Key 3 61-DRW in review

Diese Technik ist nicht mehr ganz aktuell. Wir nehmen daher eine Abwertung in der Gesamtnote vor.

ReSound offers the Key 3 61-DRW, a hearing aid of very small size that is worn behind the ear. It is an affordable hearing aid suitable for moderate, stronger, and changing hearing losses. The direct orientation of the speaker into the ear canal ensures that sound reaches the eardrum without loss.

Hearing comfort

Good speech understanding is standard in modern hearing aids. Equally important is hearing comfort. Only when the ratio of speech transmission to the level of background noise is right will hearing be perceived as pleasant. Therefore, let's take a look at the comfort features: The Key 3 61-DRW offers only the absolute essentials regarding hearing comfort. Normal ambient noises like street noise, the sound of a vacuum cleaner, or that of a fan should be dampened by traditional noise suppression. In this ReSound hearing aid, there is only a minimal basic reduction. A certain tolerance for noise is expected from the wearer here.

Unfortunately, we did not find a burst filter that responds to short, loud noises. For active outdoor enthusiasts, we always find wind noise management useful. While this device has one, it is not very effective. It cannot be individually adjusted either. A natural spatial hearing is lacking in this device, which certainly presents some challenges in everyday life. Directions can no longer be reliably discerned. Those with limited vision should consider choosing a different hearing aid. The number of equalizer bands is very important for adapting to hearing needs. The 61-DRW provides only 8 and does not allow for many fine-tuning options in the long term.

An exciting topic in hearing acoustics is the use of artificial intelligence, but this ReSound model does not yet implement it.

Rating Hearing comfort: 5,0

ReSound Key 3 61-DRW: For some situations, it makes sense to have a custom hearing program set up. It makes a difference whether my conversation partner is sitting directly across from me or if I want to understand the events on a distant stage. Your hearing care professional can assist you with that.

Operation & connectivity

The majority of functions are automatically activated by this ReSound model. However, it is sometimes very useful to be able to expand the functionality a little bit. In our test, we found out what options we have here. Usually, there is a button on the hearing aid, and we found one on the Key 3 as well. It can be configured as a volume control or program selection button and can also be disabled if desired. A remote control is available for the Key 3 61-DRW. It's quite handy, fits in your pocket, and offers a volume up and down option as well as various hearing programs.

Voice commands are a fairly new way to operate hearing aids. However, in this model, we do not yet have this feature. That's not a big deal - the main thing is that you can hear well. If there are sensors in the hearing aid, a tap control could be possible, which would trigger a specific function by tapping your fingers on your ear. However, this option is not available in the Key 3 61-DRW.

For better usability, the manufacturer also provides us with an app for smartphones. The ReSound app for Key 3 61-DRW is quite comprehensive: You can not only change the volume but also truly influence the sound and various noise parameters. For our digital everyday life, a streaming option would be nice. The present device fulfills our wish and comes with a 2.4 GHz radio module. This allows you to send phone calls and sounds directly from your smartphone to the hearing aids.

Rating Operation & connectivity: 1,8

Simplicity & security

Usability is the next aspect we want to focus on. This is about practicality and the question of how easy and safe it is to navigate life with the hearing aid. An automatic situation detection is only rudimentarily integrated in the Key 3 61-DRW. We often have to rely on the manual options and adjust our hearing aid to the environments ourselves. We give a big plus point for the automatic acclimatization assistant. It raises the starting volume in very small steps until my hearing goal is reached. This makes it significantly easier to get used to the new sound.

The Key 3 61-DRW is not rechargeable; it is powered by hearing aid batteries. In contrast to a rechargeable battery, it does not have to be charged daily; however, the size 312 battery needs to be replaced after a few days.

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

Rating Simplicity & security: 2,8

ReSound Key 3 61-DRW: Finally, being able to watch a movie on TV in a relaxed manner again - that’s what many hearing aid users wish for. Key 3 is compatible with the smart TV adapter from ReSound. It transmits the television sound crystal clear and lossless directly into your Key 3 hearing aids.

Extras

Lastly, we are interested in whether there are some additional goodies: A special tinnitus program can be programmed upon request in the Key 3 61-DRW. 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.

A real added value is the remote maintenance service. There is no longer a need to go to the specialist shop to change the hearing aid settings; you can directly contact the acoustician through the app. Then, you can upload the new data package to the hearing aids via a cloud service. This is exactly what we expect from a modern hearing aid.

If ReSound had integrated motion sensors into this hearing aid, individual health tracking could even be possible. However, this is not the case here. These points are lost in the rating for the Key 3 61-DRW. The hearing aid also foregoes additional functions such as special assistance systems, a fall alarm, or language translators. This is not a big deal, as it does not affect the important hearing functions.

Rating Extras: 2,5

Conclusion: ReSound Key 3 61-DRW

With an overall grade of 3.35, this model positions itself in the middle range. It has a fairly decent comfort feature set on board, sufficient for typical everyday moments and creates a satisfying listening experience.

 

Our ReSound Key 3 61-DRW review was created on November 29, 2021 and lastly updated on August 7, 2025. The overall rating of 4,03 is composed of: »Hearing Comfort (40% weighting): Rating 1 | »Operation & Connectivity (28% weighting): Rating 4.5 | »Simplicity & Security (17% weighting): Rating 3.5 | »Extras (15% weighting): Rating 3.5 | Learn more about our evaluation criteria and testing standards in How We Test..

 

 

 

FAQ

How noticeable is the ReSound Key 3 61-DRW to others?

It is in the XS size category, so it appears quite small. We primarily considered the impression it gives to outsiders.

What is the price of the ReSound Key 3 61-DRW?

The price range in which the ReSound Key 3 61-DRW is approximately offered in Germany is between €700.00 and €1,300.00. The performance of the device corresponds to this price. In the test, it achieved an overall rating of 3.4 (satisfactory).

Is the ReSound Key 3 61-DRW suitable for my hearing loss?

This behind-the-ear hearing aid is suitable for mild, moderate, or severe hearing loss. You can compare other hearing aids from this fitting range with the Key 3 61-DRW from ReSound: Hearing Aid Comparison.

How good is hearing with the Key 3 61-DRW from ReSound?

This behind-the-ear device received a performance rating of 5.0 (poor) in the area of "hearing comfort." Important for hearing comfort is, among other things, noise suppression. Here, the Key 3 61-DRW from ReSound only achieves 1 out of 5 stars. For wind noise reduction, we rate it as 'moderate' (only 1 out of 5 stars). The signal processing in this hearing aid occurs in 8 different adjustable channels (the best hearing aids currently have 24 channels).

 

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