Lexie B2 Plus vs Oticon Real

The Lexie B2 Plus is a mid-priced OTC hearing aid that earns an A grade with a SoundScore of 4.4/5, placing it in the top 9% of OTC devices tested in our lab. At $899, this behind-the-ear style device delivers strong performance in several key areas while showing some limitations worth considering. In our testing, the Lexie B2 Plus excels in speech clarity for quiet environments, scoring a strong 4.3/5—significantly above the OTC category average by 1.49 points. Own-voice comfort is a particular standout at 4.8/5, well above the category average by 2.29 points, meaning wearers are unlikely to experience the hollow or booming quality of their own voice that can make some hearing aids uncomfortable. Speech in noise performance scores 2.1/5, which is above the OTC category average by 0.58 points but remains mixed in absolute terms—typical for this device class. Music streaming scores 2.6/5, similarly above average by 0.68 points while remaining modest overall. Feedback handling at 2.8/5 falls below the category average by 1.74 points, which may require attention during phone calls or when wearing hats. The Lexie B2 Plus is a solid choice for users prioritizing speech clarity in quieter settings and natural own-voice comfort. It features rechargeable batteries and streaming compatibility with both iPhone and Android devices. This two-time Expert's Choice Award winner (2023, 2024) competes against devices like the higher-scoring Sony CRE-E10 in its price range, but offers a compelling balance of comfort and core speech performance.

The Oticon Real is a premium behind-the-ear prescription hearing aid released in 2023, currently available at $4,798. In HearAdvisor's lab testing, it earned an A grade with a SoundScore of 4.8/5, placing it in the top 8% of all prescription hearing aids tested and ranking #4 out of 36 devices in its category. Speech performance is a standout strength. Speech in quiet scores an excellent 4.5/5 on initial fit—0.72 points above the category average—while speech in noise scores 3.0/5, nearly a full point above the category average of 1.96/5. While the speech-in-noise result is above average for the category, it remains mixed in absolute terms at 2.9/5 after tuning, reflecting the inherent challenge of noisy environments for all hearing aids. Music streaming quality starts strong at 4.2/5 on initial fit, though it drops to a mixed 2.8/5 after tuning—still slightly above the category average. Feedback handling scores a solid 4.0/5, which is strong in absolute terms, though it falls 0.71 points below the category average of 4.71/5. Own-voice comfort is mixed at 2.4/5, slightly below the category average. The Oticon Real competes directly with other premium devices like the Phonak Sphere Infinio (5.0/5) and Oticon Intent (4.85/5). It offers versatile connectivity with iPhone and Android streaming plus hands-free capabilities, and supports both rechargeable and disposable batteries. This device is best suited for users prioritizing strong out-of-box speech clarity who want a well-rounded premium hearing aid from a trusted manufacturer.