Eargo 8 vs RCA Micro

The Eargo 8 is a premium-priced OTC hearing aid featuring an invisible-in-ear design with rechargeable batteries, priced at $2,399. In our lab testing, it earned a B grade with a SoundScore of 3.4/5, placing it in the top 71% of the OTC Hearing Aid category. Sound performance presents a mixed picture. The Eargo 8 delivers solid speech-in-quiet performance at 3.1/5, scoring 0.27 points above the category average—making it a reasonable choice for conversational settings without background noise. Own-voice comfort is another strength, measuring 0.69 points above average at 3.2/5, which may appeal to users who are sensitive to hearing their own voice through hearing aids. Feedback handling is strong in absolute terms at 4.2/5, though slightly below the category average. However, the device shows notable weaknesses in challenging listening environments. Speech-in-noise performance is low at 1.2/5, falling 0.27 points below the category average—users who frequently encounter noisy restaurants, busy offices, or social gatherings may find this limiting. Music streaming scored 0.0/5, significantly below the category average, making this device unsuitable for users who prioritize audio entertainment through their hearing aids. The Eargo 8 is best suited for users who prioritize discreet, invisible-in-ear styling and primarily need assistance in quieter conversational settings. However, at this premium price point, buyers should be aware that similarly-priced alternatives and even some lower-cost options may offer comparable or better overall sound performance.

The RCA Micro is a budget-priced behind-the-ear OTC hearing aid released in 2023, earning a C grade with a SoundScore of 2.7/5 in our lab testing. At $399, it sits in the lowest price tier of the OTC category but ranks last among the 65 OTC hearing aids we've tested. In our standardized testing, the RCA Micro shows a significant performance gap compared to category peers. Speech understanding scores are notably low, with speech in quiet at 1.0/5 (1.79 points below the category average) and speech in noise also at 1.0/5 (0.48 points below average). Music streaming scored 0.0/5, falling 1.92 points below the category average—meaning phone audio streaming is essentially non-functional as a feature. The one bright spot is excellent feedback handling at 5.0/5, which is 0.46 points above the category average, indicating stable performance without whistling during normal use. Own-voice comfort is mixed at 2.1/5, sitting 0.41 points below the category average. This suggests wearers may notice some unnatural quality to their own voice during conversations. At this price point, several alternatives deliver substantially stronger performance. The Elehear Beyond, Apple AirPods Pro 2, and Zepp Clarity Omni all fall within the same price range while scoring significantly higher in our testing. The RCA Micro's rechargeable batteries and simple BTE design offer basic convenience, but consumers seeking meaningful speech clarity improvements should consider higher-performing options in this competitive budget segment.