Sony’s new over-the-counter headphones are affordable and expensive

Hearing aids are expensive, can cost several thousand dollars per ear, and are rarely covered by insurance. Fortunately, the FDA approved access to over-the-counter (OTC) hearing aids earlier this year. Now, we’re seeing relatively affordable options like the new Sony CRE-C10 self-adjusting OTC headphones.

Sony has just announced two expensive headphones that are quite affordable for those looking for a quality headphone. Its first OTC hearing aids are the new CRE-C10 ($1,000) and CRE-E10 ($1,300), which offer many features and are built with the help of WS Audiology.

According to Sony, the CRE-C10 are some of the smallest OTC headphones on the market, offering around 70 hours of continuous battery life per charge, and are a great alternative to others from Bose, Lexie, or Eargo. Users can control it with Sony’s new “Hearing Control” app. This model will be available in late October from Sony, Amazon, hearing professionals and others for $999.

Also, later this year, Sony will launch its CRE-E10 model, which will look and feel like a traditional wireless headset. Like the more affordable model, these have prescription-grade sound, FDA medical device approval, and Bluetooth compatibility. Plus, these earpiece-style OTC hearing aids have a built-in rechargeable battery that lasts around 26 hours per charge. Plus, you can stream music via the iOS app (no Android support) if you want.

Sony’s Hearing App will perform an initial assessment and personalize your hearing, giving users volume controls, and even analyze and optimize sound output based on your environment.

These new OTC hearing aids certainly aren’t cheap, but they are affordable compared to previous options for people with mild-to-moderate hearing loss. The Sony CRE-E10 will set you back $1,299 and will be available later this winter at the link below.