So what is it about the Enhance Select 700 aids that makes them 200 better than the Select 500? The big sell is a new audio feature called SoundScape Auto Focus. This technology is designed to improve speech clarity in noisy conditions, filtering out background sounds and automatically prioritizing human voices. Auto Focus is integrated into the hardware and can’t be toggled off or tweaked; Jabra describes the technology as non-directional and dynamic, able to pick out voices even if they aren’t being generated directly in front of you.
I struggled a bit with Auto Focus when I first started using the Enhance Select 700, as I had trouble hearing my wife in a restaurant playing loudish music over the PA—exactly the scenario Auto Focus was designed for. I requested a programming change from Jabra to mitigate this issue, and new tuning was promptly pushed to the hearing aids through Jabra’s app. I’ve had better luck with them since, but technologies like this always tend to provide variable results from one environment to the next.
Overall, audio quality is otherwise up to Jabra’s high standards, but I wasn’t able to tell any dramatic difference between the 700 and their predecessor.
Tiny Filters
Photograph: Chris Null
The only other change of note is a minuscule feature on the hearing aid hardware. The microphones on the Select 700 are now covered with tiny filters that can be changed the same way the wax guards on the hearing aid receivers are changed, in the event they become dirty. Since the microphones are located on the backs of the hearing aid instead of inside the ear canal, chances are you won’t need to change those filters very often, but active users (or anyone who wears a lot of hair product) may find this a helpful way to streamline maintenance. To Jabra’s credit, tons of replacement filters are included in the box, along with a copious number of ear tips in multiple sizes.
The bottom line is that if you’re happy with your Enhance Select 500 (or 300), there is absolutely no need to rush to upgrade to the Select 700. The same calculus that applied to the decision of whether to purchase the 300 or 500 models also still applies: At $1,695, the Select 300 are $300 cheaper than the Select 700’s MSRP, and most users with mild or moderate hearing loss probably won’t be able to tell the difference between the two experiences. For that reason, the Jabra Enhance Select 300 remains my top pick for over-the-counter hearing aids, with the 700 making for a compelling product if price is no object.
