Hero Image (optional)
Expert
Choice
Home/Leaderboard/Review

Hear.com Horizon Go IX Expert Review

Premium RxReleased 2024

HearAdvisor's independent lab evaluation of the Hear.com Horizon Go IX examines this premium behind-the-ear prescription hearing aid through standardized acoustic measurements. Our testing captures speech clarity, noise handling, feedback management, and streaming quality across Initial and Tuned fitting conditions.

See Price at Hear.com
Dr. Steve TaddeiDr. Steve Taddei, Au.D. — Lab Director & Reviewer
Dr. Abram BaileyDr. Abram Bailey, Au.D. — Fact Checker / Editor
How We Test
Hear.com Horizon Go IX Hero
HearAdvisor
Hear.com Horizon Go IX
4.4HearAdvisor SoundScoreGrade A
As it sounds out of the box
Bottom Line

The Hear.com Horizon Go IX delivers strong speech clarity in quiet environments, best suited for listeners prioritizing conversation over music or own-voice naturalness.

Top 47% of Prescription Hearing Aid
Strengths
  • Strong speech in quiet performance
  • Above-average speech in noise+0.61 vs category
  • Solid feedback handling
Drawbacks
  • Own voice sounds unnatural
  • Mixed music streaming quality
  • Premium price at $6,500
Performance Metrics

SoundScore: 5 Acoustic Dimensions

Our testing protocol measures speech in quiet, speech in noise, own-voice naturalness, feedback control, and music streaming quality. The score card below displays how the Horizon Go IX performed on each metric using our standardized 0-5 scale. The purple SoundScore graph is the overall result, and the five graphs after it break it into individual measurements for the selected fit. Each curve shows how scores are spread across all tested hearing aids, and the dot and number mark the score for Hear.com Horizon Go IX.

SoundScore
0
  • 0 products scored from 0.00 to 0.25
  • 0 products scored from 0.25 to 0.50
  • 0 products scored from 0.50 to 0.75
  • 0 products scored from 0.75 to 1.00
  • 0 products scored from 1.00 to 1.25
  • 0 products scored from 1.25 to 1.50
  • 0 products scored from 1.50 to 1.75
  • 0 products scored from 1.75 to 2.00
  • 0 products scored from 2.00 to 2.25
  • 0 products scored from 2.25 to 2.50
  • 7 products scored from 2.50 to 2.75
  • 5 products scored from 2.75 to 3.00
  • 8 products scored from 3.00 to 3.25
  • 18 products scored from 3.25 to 3.50
  • 13 products scored from 3.50 to 3.75
  • 13 products scored from 3.75 to 4.00
  • 16 products scored from 4.00 to 4.25
  • 13 products scored from 4.25 to 4.50
  • 14 products scored from 4.50 to 4.75
  • 3 products scored from 4.75 to 5.00
  • 1 product scored from 5.00 to 5.02
5.02
Choose your fit

Every hearing aid is lab-tested in two states — as it sounds out of the box, and after professional tuning. Switch fits to update the five metric graphs below.

As it sounds out of the box
Speech in quiet
New
0
  • 0 products scored from 0.00 to 0.25
  • 0 products scored from 0.25 to 0.50
  • 0 products scored from 0.50 to 0.75
  • 0 products scored from 0.75 to 1.00
  • 14 products scored from 1.00 to 1.25
  • 1 product scored from 1.25 to 1.50
  • 3 products scored from 1.50 to 1.75
  • 4 products scored from 1.75 to 2.00
  • 6 products scored from 2.00 to 2.25
  • 9 products scored from 2.25 to 2.50
  • 11 products scored from 2.50 to 2.75
  • 5 products scored from 2.75 to 3.00
  • 5 products scored from 3.00 to 3.25
  • 8 products scored from 3.25 to 3.50
  • 14 products scored from 3.50 to 3.75
  • 12 products scored from 3.75 to 4.00
  • 10 products scored from 4.00 to 4.25
  • 4 products scored from 4.25 to 4.50
  • 5 products scored from 4.50 to 4.75
  • 0 products scored from 4.75 to 5.00
5.0

How clearly speech comes through in calm, one-on-one surroundings.

Speech in noise
New
0
  • 0 products scored from 0.00 to 0.25
  • 0 products scored from 0.25 to 0.50
  • 0 products scored from 0.50 to 0.75
  • 0 products scored from 0.75 to 1.00
  • 43 products scored from 1.00 to 1.25
  • 17 products scored from 1.25 to 1.50
  • 11 products scored from 1.50 to 1.75
  • 10 products scored from 1.75 to 2.00
  • 5 products scored from 2.00 to 2.25
  • 7 products scored from 2.25 to 2.50
  • 7 products scored from 2.50 to 2.75
  • 4 products scored from 2.75 to 3.00
  • 4 products scored from 3.00 to 3.25
  • 0 products scored from 3.25 to 3.50
  • 3 products scored from 3.50 to 3.75
  • 0 products scored from 3.75 to 4.00
  • 0 products scored from 4.00 to 4.25
  • 0 products scored from 4.25 to 4.50
  • 0 products scored from 4.50 to 4.75
  • 0 products scored from 4.75 to 5.00
5.0

Speech understanding against loud background noise — the toughest everyday test.

Own voice
0
  • 0 products scored from 0.00 to 0.25
  • 1 product scored from 0.25 to 0.50
  • 4 products scored from 0.50 to 0.75
  • 2 products scored from 0.75 to 1.00
  • 3 products scored from 1.00 to 1.25
  • 2 products scored from 1.25 to 1.50
  • 9 products scored from 1.50 to 1.75
  • 9 products scored from 1.75 to 2.00
  • 13 products scored from 2.00 to 2.25
  • 7 products scored from 2.25 to 2.50
  • 12 products scored from 2.50 to 2.75
  • 12 products scored from 2.75 to 3.00
  • 11 products scored from 3.00 to 3.25
  • 4 products scored from 3.25 to 3.50
  • 7 products scored from 3.50 to 3.75
  • 1 product scored from 3.75 to 4.00
  • 3 products scored from 4.00 to 4.25
  • 2 products scored from 4.25 to 4.50
  • 7 products scored from 4.50 to 4.75
  • 1 product scored from 4.75 to 5.00
5.0

How natural your own voice sounds while wearing the aids, without a boomy, plugged-up quality.

Music streaming
0
  • 0 products scored from 0.00 to 0.25
  • 0 products scored from 0.25 to 0.50
  • 0 products scored from 0.50 to 0.75
  • 0 products scored from 0.75 to 1.00
  • 0 products scored from 1.00 to 1.25
  • 0 products scored from 1.25 to 1.50
  • 1 product scored from 1.50 to 1.75
  • 2 products scored from 1.75 to 2.00
  • 4 products scored from 2.00 to 2.25
  • 4 products scored from 2.25 to 2.50
  • 6 products scored from 2.50 to 2.75
  • 2 products scored from 2.75 to 3.00
  • 6 products scored from 3.00 to 3.25
  • 7 products scored from 3.25 to 3.50
  • 6 products scored from 3.50 to 3.75
  • 6 products scored from 3.75 to 4.00
  • 14 products scored from 4.00 to 4.25
  • 7 products scored from 4.25 to 4.50
  • 3 products scored from 4.50 to 4.75
  • 1 product scored from 4.75 to 5.00
5.0

Sound quality of music streamed to the hearing aids over Bluetooth.

Feedback handling
0
  • 0 products scored from 0.00 to 0.25
  • 0 products scored from 0.25 to 0.50
  • 0 products scored from 0.50 to 0.75
  • 0 products scored from 0.75 to 1.00
  • 0 products scored from 1.00 to 1.25
  • 0 products scored from 1.25 to 1.50
  • 0 products scored from 1.50 to 1.75
  • 1 product scored from 1.75 to 2.00
  • 1 product scored from 2.00 to 2.25
  • 0 products scored from 2.25 to 2.50
  • 3 products scored from 2.50 to 2.75
  • 0 products scored from 2.75 to 3.00
  • 0 products scored from 3.00 to 3.25
  • 2 products scored from 3.25 to 3.50
  • 1 product scored from 3.50 to 3.75
  • 6 products scored from 3.75 to 4.00
  • 13 products scored from 4.00 to 4.25
  • 6 products scored from 4.25 to 4.50
  • 16 products scored from 4.50 to 4.75
  • 62 products scored from 4.75 to 5.00
5.0

Resistance to the whistling and squealing caused by acoustic feedback.

Lab Assessment

How the Horizon Go IX Performed in Independent Testing

The Hear.com Horizon Go IX is a premium prescription behind-the-ear hearing aid released in 2024, listed at $6,500. In HearAdvisor's lab testing, it earned an A grade with a SoundScore of 4.4/5, ranking #17 among 36 prescription hearing aids tested.

This device demonstrates particular strength in speech clarity. Speech in quiet scored a strong 4.0/5, which is +0.72 points above the category average. Speech in noise performance also exceeded the category average by +0.61 points, though at 2.6/5 the absolute score remains mixed—meaning it handles challenging listening environments better than many competitors but still has room for improvement in demanding situations.

The most notable limitation is own-voice comfort, scoring 1.8/5—a low result that falls 0.95 points below the category average. Users sensitive to how their own voice sounds may find this particularly noticeable. Feedback handling is strong in absolute terms at 4.4/5, though it sits slightly below the category average by 0.31 points. Music streaming performance is mixed at 2.7/5, essentially matching the category average.

At this price point, the Horizon Go IX faces stiff competition. Same-price alternatives like the Phonak Sphere Infinio (5.0/5) and Oticon Intent (4.85/5) deliver higher overall sound performance. Budget-conscious shoppers might also consider options like the Rexton Reach R-Li T80 at Costco, which achieves a higher score at a lower price. The Horizon Go IX is best suited for those prioritizing speech clarity who can accept the own-voice trade-off and prefer the hear.com service model.

Hear.com Horizon Go IX Hero
Hear.com Horizon Go IX
VerdictListening TestGraphAudioLab NotesMore
Reliable & Repeatable Lab Results

Quality data starts with quality recordings. HearAdvisor worked with GRAS to build a no-compromise front end so every test is repeatable and reliable.

Learn more
Steve in HearAdvisor Lab

Listen for Yourself

Compare Hear.com Horizon Go IX in a Blind Listening Test

Hear Hear.com Horizon Go IX and competing devices recorded under identical acoustic conditions, without seeing which is which. Complete the side-by-side challenge to reveal the products, learn which sound you prefer, and add your anonymized responses to HearAdvisor's research database.

Loading listening test...

Amplification Analysis

Horizon Go IX Insertion Gain Compared to Prescriptive Targets

Real-ear insertion gain reveals how closely a hearing aid's amplification matches established fitting prescriptions. The graph below plots the Horizon Go IX's measured output against target curves across the frequency range.

Graph

Audio Samples

Hear the Horizon Go IX Through Manikin-Captured Recordings

These recordings capture sound processed through the Horizon Go IX as measured in our acoustic test chamber. Compare the aided samples to unaided and reference conditions to evaluate the device's sound processing characteristics.

Hear.com Horizon Go IX Audio Samples

How this hearing aid sounds in our lab scenes. Compare it out of the box and after professional tuning.

Before you listen

  1. Use good-quality headphones.
  2. Take out your hearing aids while you compare.
  3. Play the to set a comfortable level, then leave it.
  4. Switch recordings while it plays. You won't lose your place.
Scene type

Scene type: Conversation

Scene: Cafe 1

As tested out of the box
0:00
–:––

164 lab recordings of this product. They demonstrate relative processing in our lab and cannot predict an individual fitting outcome.

Test Configuration

Documented Settings for the Horizon Go IX Evaluation

Our lab notes record the specific device settings, fitting parameters, and test conditions used during measurement. Review the documented configuration below for full transparency into how this evaluation was conducted.

Lab Notes

Initial fit observations

In initial fit testing with closed sleeve coupling and NAL-NL2 fitting formula, the Horizon Go IX achieved a normalized score of 4.4/5. Speech in quiet started at 3.5/5, with speech in noise at 2.3/5. Feedback handling was excellent at a perfect 5.0/5. Own-voice comfort was low at 1.8/5, a consistent weakness across configurations. Music streaming showed its strongest performance at 4.1/5 in this configuration, well above the mixed category average.

Tuned fit observations

After professional tuning—which maintained the same closed sleeve coupling and NAL-NL2 formula—the normalized score held steady at 4.4/5. Speech performance improved, with speech in quiet reaching 4.0/5 and speech in noise climbing to 2.6/5. However, this came with trade-offs: feedback handling dropped to 4.4/5 (still strong) and music streaming fell to 2.7/5. Own-voice comfort remained unchanged at 1.8/5, indicating this limitation persists regardless of fitting adjustments.

Test configuration

Initial Fitting
Tuned Fitting
Ear Coupling
Sleeve Closed
Sleeve Closed
Receiver
119/16
119/16
Fitting Formula
NAL-NL2
NAL-NL2
Listening Program
Universal (Automatic)
Universal (Automatic)
Volume Setting
Manufacturer defaults
Adjusted to match NAL-NL2 targets at 55, 65, and 75 dB SPL
Software Version
Software v9.11.15.112, SiFit v9.11.15.948
Software v9.11.15.112, SiFit v9.11.15.948
Tuning Adjustments
Programmed to N3 audiogram, Feedback calibrated, Experience Level set at "Experienced", Acclimatization Level set at 100%, Other settings at manufacturer defaults
Programmed to N3 audiogram, Feedback calibrated, Experience Level set at "Experienced", Acclimatization Level set at 100%, Other settings at manufacturer defaults
Notes
n/a
n/a

Popular Comparisons

View all
Hear.com Horizon Go IX
Signia Silk Charge&Go IX
Vs Signia

Hear.com Horizon Go IX vs Signia Silk Charge&Go IX

Compare performance and audio samples
Hear.com Horizon Go IX
Phonak Sphere Infinio
Vs Phonak

Hear.com Horizon Go IX vs Phonak Sphere Infinio

Compare performance and audio samples
Hear.com Horizon Go IX
Rexton Reach R-Li T80 at Costco
Vs Rexton

Hear.com Horizon Go IX vs Rexton Reach R-Li T80 at Costco

Compare performance and audio samples
Stay Updated

Subscribe to our newsletter

HearAdvisor will send out a newsletter once a month to share the latest test results and audio files.

By clicking Sign Up you’re confirming that you agree with our Terms and Conditions.