Advice

Phonak E50 or E70: what does the price difference really change?

The difference is not about quiet settings

In a quiet room or face to face, both devices do the same job. The difference shows up in difficult listening situations, the ones with noise around you.

Dynamic versus fixed noise reduction

The E70-R reduces background noise dynamically, in real time, where the E50-R applies a fixed reduction.

Soft or distant speech

The E70-R also brings out soft or distant speech better: that is what counts in a lecture, in a meeting or at the theatre.

Voices coming from different directions

It handles voices coming from different directions better. The typical example is a conversation while walking beside a road: with an E70-R, following the exchange takes less concentration effort.

Listening fatigue

In fact, the least visible benefit is the one that counts most. Following a conversation in noise is tiring, and that fatigue is paid for at the end of the day. Reducing listening effort changes something other than sound quality alone.

In practice, how to choose

If your difficulties are limited to quiet settings and face-to-face conversation, the E50-R is enough. If they show up at the restaurant, in meetings or at family meals, the gap is justified.

Where this comparison comes from

This comparison was drawn up by our hearing care professionals on the previous generation, the Audéo Infinio Ultra R (I50-R and I70-R). The Audéo EON R, presented on 14 September 2026, keeps the same levels at the same prices, and the logic of the gap between levels 50 and 70 is unchanged.