The sound tube is proprietary to BTE hearing aids. Both high-power and old-fashioned BTEs are thick sound guide tubes. This hearing aid is bulky because it is integrated with the receiver. This coarse sound tube hearing aid is also called BTE.

Separate the receiver that can be placed in the ear canal from the hearing aid, and connect the hearing aid through a thin circuit connection. In this way, the hearing aid becomes small and delicate. This thin-sound tube hearing aid is also called RIC-type micro version of the BTE.

The receiver has large volume and high power; the receiver has small volume and low power. The same RIC hearing aid can replace up to four different power receivers. Different power receivers are suitable for people with different hearing loss. After a person with moderate hearing loss fits a hearing aid, when the hearing loss drops to insufficient hearing aid power, there is no need to refit the hearing aid, and only need to replace the receiver with a higher power. Due to the limited volume of the earphones that can be accommodated in the ear canal, the larger-powered earphones can only be left in the hearing aid due to their large volume. This is the reason for the existence of bulky BTE machines.

 The RIC machine is small and exquisite in appearance, and the advantage of multi-use of one machine is becoming more and more popular. In 2018, 72% of the hearing aids sold in the United States were thin sound tube RIC machines, and 13% were coarse sound tube BTE machines. The wearers of the current coarse sound tube BTE machines are basically people with extremely severe hearing loss. The vast majority are elderly at home.

Because the image of BTE makes people disgusted with hearing aids, wearing hearing aids becomes a burden. In addition, the high price of hearing aids has hindered the popularity of hearing aids. With the development of technology, the thin sound tube RIC machine external to the receiver will definitely replace the large, thick and unsightly BTE machine. With the integration of Bluetooth technology, artificial intelligence and hearing aids. And people's enthusiasm for TWS true wireless Bluetooth headsets, hearing aids will certainly overturn the high cold hearing aid prices.

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