Linner Nova Deluxe Hero

Linner Nova Deluxe Expert Review

Budget OTC
Released 
2023

Summary

The Linner Nova Deluxe is a budget-priced OTC hearing aid that earned a B grade in HearAdvisor's lab testing, placing it in the top 52% of the OTC hearing aid category. At $299, it represents one of the more affordable options in the direct-to-consumer hearing aid market.

In our lab testing, the Nova Deluxe demonstrated above-average performance in speech intelligibility metrics. Speech in quiet scored notably higher than the category average, and speech in noise performance also exceeded typical OTC results. Feedback handling was excellent, earning a perfect 5.0/5 score with no stability issues detected during standardized challenge motions.

The primary weakness identified in testing was own-voice comfort, which scored significantly below average due to pronounced occlusion effects from the closed dome coupling. Users may notice their own voice sounds boomy or hollow—a common trade-off with more occluding ear tips that can otherwise improve audibility. Music streaming was not available for testing on this device.

The Linner Nova Deluxe may appeal to budget-conscious consumers prioritizing speech clarity over streaming features. However, shoppers in this price range should also consider alternatives like the Elehear Beyond, which scored substantially higher overall, or the JLab Hear OTC for comparable pricing with different performance characteristics.

In the initial fit condition with closed domes, the Linner Nova Deluxe showed strong speech performance, scoring above the category average for both quiet and noisy listening environments. Feedback handling was excellent at 5.0/5, indicating stable operation without audible squealing during our standardized tests. However, own-voice comfort was a significant weakness at 0.50/5, well below the category average of 2.51, suggesting noticeable occlusion that may make the user's own voice sound unnatural. The overall fit score of 2.25/5 fell below average for the category.

The tuned fit condition maintained identical settings to the initial fit, with closed dome coupling retained. Performance metrics remained unchanged across all measured categories, indicating the device offers limited adjustment flexibility within HearAdvisor's fitting protocol. Speech scores held steady, feedback handling remained excellent, but the own-voice occlusion issues persisted at 0.50/5. The lack of improvement between conditions suggests the Nova Deluxe may have fewer tunable parameters compared to more advanced OTC devices.

Lab Review Scores

B
SoundGrade
Initial Score
3.4
Tuned Score
3.4
Speech in quiet
best
3.1
5.0
Own voice
best
0.5
5.0
Speech in noise
best
1.8
5.0
Feedback handling
best
5.0
5.0
Music streaming
best
0.0
5.0

State-of-the-art Acoustic Laboratory

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
Graph

Lab recordings

Adjust volume to make "No hearing aids" as loud as it would be in the real world, without hearing aids. Remove hearing aids while auditioning. High-quality headphones will improve results!
Linner Nova Deluxe Lab

Lab notes

Initial Fitting
Tuned Fitting
Ear Coupling
Initial Fitting
Closed Dome
Tuned Fitting
Closed Dome

Specs

Visible in Ear
Visible in Ear
Rechargeable Batteries
Rechargeable Batteries
iPhone Streaming
iPhone Streaming
Android Streaming
Android Streaming
Hands-Free
Hands-Free