Hear.com Horizon Go IX Expert Review

The Hear.com Horizon Go IX is a premium behind-the-ear prescription hearing aid priced at $5,500, earning an A grade with a SoundScore of 4.16 out of 5 in HearAdvisor's lab testing. This 2024 release ranked #14 out of 34 prescription hearing aids tested, placing it in the top 38% of its category.

In our testing, the Horizon Go IX demonstrated notable strengths in speech understanding, scoring well above the category average in both quiet and noisy environments. The speech-in-noise performance was particularly impressive at 1.18 points above average—a meaningful advantage for users who struggle in challenging listening situations like restaurants or group conversations.

However, the device showed some trade-offs. Own-voice comfort measured below average, likely due to the closed sleeve coupling required to meet prescriptive targets. Music streaming quality, while good in initial fit, was also slightly below the category average overall. Feedback handling remained solid, though marginally below the excellent scores achieved by some competitors.

At this price point, buyers should be aware that several alternatives in the same premium tier outperformed the Horizon Go IX, including the Oticon Intent (4.70) and Phonak Sphere Infinio (4.64). Value-conscious shoppers may also consider the Rexton Reach R-Li T80 at Costco, which achieved a higher SoundScore of 4.54 at just $1,499.99. The Horizon Go IX is best suited for users prioritizing speech clarity who are purchasing through hear.com's service model.