Phonak Brio 3: Reviews, Complaints, and Alternatives
Phonak Brio 3 is a series of hearing aids from Phonak, one of the oldest players in the hearing aid industry. You may have heard about Phonak hearing aids and their different lines, and want to buy one. In this article, we will talk in-depth about Phonak Brio 3, including reviews, complaints, and alternatives.
Interested to learn? Let’s dig in!
About Phonak Hearing Aids and The Phonak Brio 3
Phonak is one of the world’s largest and industry-leading hearing aid companies. Established in 1946 in Zurich, the company has been in business for about 75 years.
The brand is known to be reliable, long-lasting, and technologically advanced. However, the brand is also somewhat criticized for its price range. Phonak products are priced at a higher range than similar types of hearing aids.
The Brio 3 series by Phonak was exclusively designed for Costco customers. These hearing aids are only available for purchase at Costco. The series includes a range of receiver-in-canal (RIC), behind-the-ear (BTE), and in-the-ear (ITE) hearing aids. Precisely, there are five types of RIC, two types of BTE, and four types of ITE hearing aids available in the Phonak Brio 3 range.
Phonak Brio 3 Review
Phonak claims the Brio 3 series to be versatile- ‘for those who demand the best hearing performance.’ The company claims that the series delivers the best performance without compromising comfort or style. With various products to choose from, the price has a wide range.
The series offers a lot of options in terms of battery types (rechargeable/non-rechargeable), wireless vs. limitedly wireless, variation in volume and power level switches, and many more. Overall, the Phonak Brio 3 series is fully automatic and works well for mild to profound hearing loss.
Users of the series have expressed satisfaction in the comfortable fit of the products. They have also expressed that their hearing experience has improved after using Phonak Brio 3 series hearing aids. Not all products of the series come with BlueTooth features, but users applaud the ones that do.
Complaints About Phonak Brio 3
Phonak has received some excellent customer feedback for the Brio 3 series, but it has also received a handful of serious complaints.
Even though the series offers a wide price range, it is one of Costco’s most expensive lines of hearing aids. Most products of this line do not come with BlueTooth features, hence have received a considerable amount of negative feedback. Users complain about not being able to stream music, audiobooks, or other forms of audio media.
Even though the line was designed to be comfortable, many users have claimed otherwise. According to some users, the fit might be comfortable- but hearing sounds or receiving phone calls in one ear is uncomfortable. Some have also complained about the quality of phone calls- reporting they are of poor quality and low volume.
Only one out of the 11 types of products of the Phonak Brio 3 series has a rechargeable battery. Most products are not compatible with accessories. The lack of tinnitus-reducing features has also cost Phonak to lose customers.
Best Alternatives
Hearing is one of the five senses that humans rely on the most. So, it’s essential that you pick the best and most suited product if you’re suffering from hearing loss.
Now that we have discussed the few problems Phonak Brio 3 users face, you may want to look into alternatives. NANO is one of the top choices if you’re looking for alternatives. Established in 2017, the brand already has a ton of positive feedback from users.
The brand only offers seven products altogether, but these products will indeed bridge the gap you were facing with the Phonak Brio 3 line. Six out of Nano’s seven hearing aids are BTE type, and the other is CIC type. NANO is yet to present its customers with ITE or RIC type hearing aids. For the time being, you can rely on NANO’s BTE type hearing aids as alternatives to other less-suitable options.
If you’re looking for rechargeable hearing aids, NANO X2R is an excellent choice for you. This is a BTE type hearing aid with four different environmental sound settings. The background noise reduction and feedback cancellation, among other incredible features, are the most impressive ones.
If wireless and Bluetooth connectivity are your primary concern, you should check out the NANO Sigma hearing aid. Sigma is Nano’s first Bluetooth-enabled hearing aid- and it has won the approval of so many users since its release. The updated version of Sigma is the NANO Sigma +. Both of these are behind-the-ear (BTE) type hearing aids.
It is also important to note that NANO focuses on the comfort of its users, which includes their financial comfort as well. NANO products are comparatively way cheaper than the Phonak Brio 3 line (as well as most other hearing aid brands/lines out there). For the price point, nano delivers excellent performance.
Bottom Line
Phonak Brio 3, designed exclusively for Costco, is an average line of hearing aids. The improved sound quality and wide range of products have impressed users. But even though Phonak claims to provide the best hearing experience without compromising comfort or style in the Brio 3 series, many users have disagreed.
We hope this article helped you know in-depth about Phonak Brio 3 review, complaints, and alternatives. Let us know if you have any more questions!
Frequently Asked Question:
Q: Which Phonak hearing aid is the best?
Ans: One of the newest lines, Phonak Paradise, is considered the best Phonak hearing aid line. These products are rechargeable, let you wirelessly stream, and are Bluetooth compatible. The line of products incorporates the latest technologies Phonak has to offer.
Q: How long do NANO Hearing Aids batteries last?
Ans: Nano Hearing Aids batteries last between 3 - 22 days on a single charge. If you use your hearing aid for about 16 hours per day, the charge will last about 5-7 days. The shelf life of the batteries is around three years.
Q: Why are Phonak hearing aids so expensive?
Ans: Phonak is often criticized for being more expensive than the average hearing aid. This is because Phonak uses custom-made technology for each of their lines or series of hearing aids.
