JVC EH-Z1500 OTC Hearing Aid: A Real User Review

The JVC EH-Z1500 is an over-the-counter (OTC) hearing aid with an AI-driven app that retails on the company’s website for $800 (it is on sale for $700 at the time of this writing). Introduced in December 2023, the hearing aid has a behind-the-ear (BTE) design, uses a disposable size 312 rechargeable battery, and is suitable for adults with mild to moderate hearing loss.

My experience with the JVC EH-Z1500 hearing aid

As an avid backyard birdwatcher with moderate hearing loss, I need hearing aids to help me sight birds. The sound of a bird's calls directs me to my visual sightings. I'm also interested in new hearing-related technologies and have tried numerous professionally dispensed (prescription) and OTC hearing aids. Two weeks ago, HearingTracker sent me the JVC hearing aids and requested that I provide an independent review. My findings are below.

JVC EH-Z1500 OTC hearing aids were developed jointly by hearing health specialists at Intricon and Tuned, Ltd., a hearing aid technology company (more on this below). Their app uses artificial intelligence (AI) technology to help you set up and adjust the hearing aids to get the best fit. It also offers a hearing check for personalized tuning for Apple and Android smartphones.

What I loved about the JVC EH-Z1500 OTC hearing aids

Drawbacks

Unboxing the hearing aids

As a retired design director, I admit that I'm picky about packaging. Unboxing the JVC EH-Z1500 hearing aids was a little disappointing, as the packaging was unimpressive. I purchased a $100 electric toothbrush last week, and the packaging was better. First impressions of any product start with the packaging. I know it's an OTC hearing aid and the purchase price is $700—but remember the electric toothbrush! That designer succeeded in showing off their product.

Additionally, the small black carrying case, while serving its function of protecting the hearing aids and storing batteries, is also not exactly what most people would call elegant. However, it does fit into your pocket.

The other accessories in the box are what you typically find with OTC hearing aids: assorted ear domes with different-size hearing tubes, a brush with a magnet to pick up the batteries, and a supply of size 312 batteries.

Now for the hearing aids themselves. The housing of the JVC hearing aids is very durable. The design resembles other hearing aids on the market. But if you notice in my closeup picture of the hearing aid battery door below, the design structure in the moulding makes it more durable. I've had other hearing aids where the battery door was so flimsy that it broke only a month after purchase.

Setting up the JVC hearing aid and user controls

The Tuned AI App connects to your mobile phone via Bluetooth. It helps you set up and personalize your hearing aids to your individual needs with an in-app hearing test and self-fitting algorithm.

I found the app and set-up process to be easy and straightforward. After the in-app hearing check, the devices are adjusted to your unique hearing profile. The Tuned AI Hearing Assistant chatbot helps you with calibrating your hearing aids.

Several tutorial videos are available from the app to provide help and should lead you to a fulfilling hearing experience. There are also daily goals and lessons that help you gradually acclimate yourself to wearing the hearing aids. It challenges you to wear your hearing aids every day. If needed, you can get live remote video support from a hearing professional.

Each hearing aid has two onboard control buttons. The single upper button is for changing the program setting. The lower rocker-style control lets you increase or decrease the volume of the hearing aid. There are 10 volume settings: Minimum, Level 2 through Level 9, and Maximum. When you reach the minimum or maximum level, you hear a voice prompt that confirms the setting. At each level between 2 and 9, a confirmation "beep" is heard.

I did have a question about the hearing test, so I contacted a Remote Support specialist through the Tuned App. They answered my question promptly. My question was, during the hearing test, different frequencies are played, and your task is to toggle the volume control to the lowest volume that you can hear. The volume slider on the app is tricky to slide to the lowest volume in a quick manner. Support suggested using the + and - volume buttons to get an accurate setting. This worked better, and I was satisfied with the outcome.

Program Settings

JVC EH-Z1500 hearing aids have four Program Settings for different listening environments. Each time the Program Setting is changed, you hear a voice prompt confirming your selection. The four program settings are:

• Setting 1 (Everyday): Used in most listening situations
• Setting 2 (Meeting): Used for having a conversation or listening to voices
• Setting 3 (Music): Used for listening to music
• Setting 4 (Noise): Used in noisy settings—reduces the amount of low-frequency amplification

Once you get comfortable wearing your hearing aids, you can easily select the appropriate Program Setting for your environment, adjust the volume, mute/unmute, and set the left/right balance right from the app. This avoids the need to constantly make adjustments to the hearing aids themselves.

The app also allows you to monitor the battery level of each hearing aid at a glance. In my experience with hearing aids, the paper manual that comes with them has the best documentation I've seen in written manuals.

Sound quality and function

The sound from the JVC hearing aids is pretty good for a set of moderately priced OTC hearing aids. Paired-up with the Tuned AI App, the system gives you the ability to adjust and round off the sounds of the hearing aids. You can create tonal presets using the built-in equalizer.

I play an acoustic guitar. With the Tuned AI app equalizer, I was able to remove the tinny sounds characteristic of most hearing aids on the market.

The hearing aids feel very comfortable in my ears. They are lightweight in the ear canals, making them easy to wear all day.

My voice sounds normal when speaking. Changing environments changes the acoustics in the devices, depending on the sound and noise level. Noise can be canceled or greatly reduced using Program 4.

Other product highlights of the JVC hearing aid

In reality, the JVC EH-Z1500 isn’t entirely new. It is manufactured by long-time hearing aid manufacturer Intricon and borrows technology from the company's Lumen hearing aids, combining it with the new FDA-cleared app from Tuned AI, based in Tel Aviv. Although the HearAdvisor Lab has not yet tested the JVC EH-Z1500, the lab has found that the Lexie Lumen hearing aid is a solid performer.

However, the Tuned AI app is touted as being the technological differentiator in this hearing aid; it drives the device with artificial intelligence (AI) and provides its Advanced Hearing Assistant. The app acts both as a problem-solver and a tutor. As I've noted above, it allows you to do the basics, like adjusting the volume and switching programs. But the app also provides you with wearing/listening objectives and bite-sized, personalized lessons designed to pave the road to successful hearing aid use. In this way—if you choose to go through the tutorials—you get daily tips, advice, and instructional videos that help you use the hearing aid more effectively.

Importantly, if you get stuck, the app also allows you to get remote online assistance from a hearing care professional via a video call.

Here are some other points of interest about the JVC EH-Z1500.

BTE form factor: The JVC hearing aid has a behind-the-ear (BTE) design. If you've been researching hearing aids, you've probably encountered both BTE and receiver-in-canal (RIC) devices. So what's the difference between a RIC and BTE? Both have the processing unit located behind the ear. However, as the name implies, RIC hearing aids use a thin wire connected to a speaker (receiver) and dome/ear-tip to generate sound inside your ear canal. In contrast, with a BTE like the JVC device, the receiver/speaker is an integral part of the processing unit (usually making it slightly larger than a RIC), and the amplified sound is transmitted through a tube and then into an ear-tip or earmold in your ear canal. Both can do an excellent job, but RICs are a newer form factor and have now surpassed BTEs in popularity within the traditional hearing aid market.

Bluetooth used for connecting to the App only: The Tuned app is compatible with both Apple and Android devices. Although the JVC hearing aid uses Bluetooth^® (Version 4) to connect with the Tuned app, it does not support phone calls or streaming audio (i.e., you can't stream calls, music, podcasts, etc., from your phone to the hearing aid).

Battery life: JVC reports that the size 312 batteries should last between 3 and 5 weeks before replacement, depending on your usage habits.

Durability: The hearing aids have an Ingress Protection (IP) rating of IP67, which means they are dust-tight and considered water-resistant up to a depth of 3 feet for as long as 30 minutes—although I certainly wouldn't recommend you try this! Most top-shelf prescriptive (professionally dispensed) hearing aids today have an IP68 rating, which is the highest possible for hearing aids.

Warranty and trial period: The JVC OTC hearing aid comes with a 30-day trial period and a 1-year warranty.

Cost and financing: The current advertised cost is $699.99 (regularly $799.99) but financing is also available on the JVC website starting from $63.13/month. The company provides a handy HearingSupport website for questions.

Final Verdict

The JVC EH-1500 is a good, moderately priced OTC hearing aid. The only thing I wish is that it could stream music and take phone calls through Bluetooth, which this hearing aid does not offer. Other than that, I think the quality of the build of this hearing aid is fantastic. I found its sound quality and general usefulness to be good for my moderate hearing loss.

The Tuned AI App that supports the JVC hearing aids is a wonderful teaching tool with a vast library of information.