MaxHear
Built for the moment a top score doesn't mean the product survives
Sony Reviews & Alternative: Top-Rated, Now Gone
The Sony CRE-E10 topped HearAdvisor's independent lab leaderboard — grade A, a perfect 5.0 out of 5 SoundScore, ranked #1 of 63 OTC hearing aids tested, with perfect scores for speech in both quiet and noise. In April 2026, Sony and its manufacturing partner, WS Audiology, discontinued the entire CRE line anyway: the two companies mutually agreed not to renew the 2022 partnership that put the Sony name on a hearing aid in the first place.
Being the best-tested device in the category didn't keep it on shelves. MaxHear is a sound amplifier app for iPhone and Android that lets you find out whether amplification helps you at all, for free, using headphones you already own — nothing riding on one manufacturer's partnership renewal.
Free to try with no account, no email and no card. Headphones required.
"My wife noticed my hearing before I did. She'd talk to me from another room and I'd answer something completely unrelated."
Steve L., 51 — Austin, TX · MaxHear userWhat Sony CRE owners actually say — hardware vs. app
The hardware's lab scores are near-unanimous praise. The app that controls it tells a different story: 2.8 out of 5 on Google Play and 2.6 out of 5 on the App Store for Sony's Hearing Control app, per HearingTracker. We read the App Store's own recent review text, checked 18 August 2026.
Almost nothing negative shows up about the sound itself. What recurs, review after review, is the software layer between you and it.
"Thanks to the Hearing Control app, I can't recreate the settings that produced those beautiful tones between uses of the hearing aids."
GammaDog, App Store — 13 June 2024"The Sony cre-c20 hearing aids might actually be decent for the money, but they are ruined by this atrociously designed App… you are not given any description whatsoever of what the various 'solutions' are in fact doing… Just fantastically bad design and it doesn't appear that anyone at Sony is interested in all of these negative reviews."
SJE456, App Store — 26 April 2026"Every so many days the app logged you out and when you go back in you have to do the set up all over again like your new customer… Sony has not responded to any of these customers on the reviews."
Shasta_Michael, App Store — 4 December 2025Read across enough of these and the shape of the complaint is consistent: the app forces a full reconnect routine after it randomly logs out, tuning presets don't reliably carry over between sessions, and the fine-tuning menu offers no explanation of what each option actually changes — you cycle through them by trial and error.
The finding worth knowing before you look for one: the best-tested device in the category is the one that got discontinued
HearAdvisor's own words on the CRE-E10: "delivers top-tier speech clarity and streaming quality, ideal for listeners prioritizing conversation performance over natural own-voice sound." That's not a marginal result — it's the top score against 62 competing OTC devices. Sony and WS Audiology discontinued it anyway, in April 2026, because the two companies mutually agreed not to renew the 2022 licensing partnership that had put Sony's name on WSA's hardware. WSA says it plans to remain active in the OTC hearing aid market — just not under the Sony brand. Existing owners keep warranty and service support; new buyers are shopping remaining retailer stock of a line that's already closed. Notably, WS Audiology is the same manufacturer behind Signia and hear.com's Horizon line, which we cover separately.
What it cost, and what's actually left to buy
There's no new Sony CRE stock coming — only what retailers still have.
| What | Figure | Source |
|---|---|---|
| CRE-C10 (instant-fit, non-rechargeable), per pair | $999 | Treble Health / retail listings |
| CRE-E10 (self-fit, rechargeable, streaming), per pair | $899–$900 | HearingTracker / Treble Health |
| CRE-C20, per pair | $999 | Treble Health |
| Typical retailer price range | $700–$1,100 | HearingTracker |
| Availability | discontinued April 2026; remaining retailer stock only | HearingTracker |
| Warranty on existing units | honored, per WS Audiology | HearingTracker |
| MaxHear | free to find out, then the plan is shown in the app | — |
Original Medicare covers neither hearing aids nor the exams used to fit them. Shopping around across retailers reportedly saves up to $200 on identical stock, per HearingTracker — useful to know if you're specifically chasing the discontinued CRE-E10's lab score.
Sony CRE vs MaxHear
One is a discontinued product line you'd be hunting for in leftover stock. The other is a live app answering a cheaper question first.
| What matters | MaxHear Sound amplifier app | Sony CRE-C10/C20/E10 Discontinued OTC line |
|---|---|---|
| Currently for sale | Yes, indefinitely App Store & Google Play | Only leftover retailer stock Discontinued April 2026 |
| Lab-measured sound quality | Not lab-tested A general-purpose amplifier, not a clinical device | Grade A, #1 of 63 (HearAdvisor) The hardware itself measured very well |
| Controlling app | Built into MaxHear No separate companion app to log you out | 2.6–2.8/5 on the App Store & Google Play Settings and login issues recur in reviews |
| Hardware required | None Uses the phone and headphones you own | Yes, and no longer manufactured Replacement units get harder to find over time |
| Adjustable by you | Yes, live Four-band equalizer, changes as you listen | Via the Hearing Control app Presets reported not to persist between sessions |
| Cost | 3 days free to try, then the plan is shown in the app Nothing to buy to find out | $700–$1,100 a pair Medicare pays nothing; line is closed |
If you can still find genuine CRE-E10 stock and want the highest lab-measured OTC sound quality available, it's a real, if disappearing, option. If you'd rather not chase a discontinued product to answer "does amplification help me at all," that's the question MaxHear answers today.
Why people check MaxHear instead of hunting for discontinued stock
Chosen from what actually recurs in the reviews and reporting above — not a generic list.
Nothing to discontinue
Sound quality alone didn't keep Sony's CRE line on shelves. MaxHear isn't hardware tied to a licensing partnership between two companies — it's an app that stays where you already have it.
The sliders stay exactly where you left them
Multiple App Store reviews describe losing tuned presets between uses. MaxHear's live equalizer — bass, voice, clarity, treble — is adjusted in the moment, with a simple reset if you overshoot.
One app, not a hardware-plus-app pairing to keep in sync
No separate device to reconnect after a random logout. MaxHear runs on the phone in your pocket with whatever headphones already connect to it.
Nothing to run out of stock
No dependency on leftover retailer inventory of a closed product line. The free mode is simply there, indefinitely.
Which one is actually right for you
Three honest positions, not two.
Your loss is beyond what a self-fit device covers
Severe or profound loss, one-ear loss, or conductive/mixed loss needs a professional. Go promptly if loss came on suddenly or you have ear pain, discharge, dizziness or ringing.
You can find genuine stock and accept it's a closed line
Its lab scores are the best in the category, warranty support continues, and you're comfortable buying a product with no future models or firmware roadmap coming.
You'd rather not chase discontinued hardware
Your struggle is situational, or you want to know whether amplification helps before hunting retailer stock of a product the manufacturer already walked away from. Test it free first.
A ten-minute check before you hunt for discontinued stock
Do this before searching retailer listings. It costs nothing and gives you your own answer.
Write down your three hardest moments
The restaurant table, the phone call, the TV at family dinners. Specific beats "I can't hear well."
Grab headphones you already own
Wired or Bluetooth, whatever you have — no new hardware needed to test the question.
Start in a quiet room, level low
The app opens quiet on purpose — you set the level, with one person talking to you.
Then test your actual worst room
The kitchen mid-cooking, or a café at lunch. That's the situation you're really solving for.
Judge it on one thing
Are you asking people to repeat themselves less? If yes, you've learned amplification helps — and you can decide on discontinued hardware with that answer already in hand.
FAQ: Sony hearing aid reviews and alternatives
Are Sony hearing aids discontinued?
Yes. Sony and its manufacturing partner, WS Audiology, discontinued the entire CRE-C10, CRE-C20 and CRE-E10 line in April 2026, mutually agreeing not to renew the 2022 partnership that brought the products to market. Some units may still be found at retailers while stock lasts.
Why did Sony discontinue a #1-rated hearing aid?
Independent lab testing (HearAdvisor: grade A, #1 of 63 OTC devices) wasn't the issue — the discontinuation followed a business decision not to renew the Sony/WS Audiology licensing partnership. WS Audiology has said it plans to stay in the OTC hearing aid market, just not under the Sony brand.
Will Sony still honor warranty and service on hearing aids I already own?
Yes, per WS Audiology's statement to HearingTracker: existing purchasers continue to receive warranty and service support even though new sales have stopped.
What's wrong with the Sony Hearing Control app?
It holds 2.6 out of 5 on the App Store and 2.8 out of 5 on Google Play, per HearingTracker. Recurring App Store complaints describe forced re-logins, tuning presets not persisting between sessions, and a fine-tuning menu with no explanation of what each setting changes.
Can an app replace a hearing aid?
No, and MaxHear doesn't claim to. It's a sound amplifier app, not a medical device, and isn't authorized as a hearing aid. Its purpose is answering whether amplification helps you at all, for free, before you spend anything on hardware.
Related reading
See Voice Focus, the equalizer and Ear Guard inside the app
A walk through the four screens that do the work, in the order you'll meet them.
Free to tryWhat's free forever, and what Premium adds
The exact limits of the free mode, and what unlocks with the 3-day trial.
Same manufacturer, different storyhear.com & Horizon reviews & alternative
Also built by WS Audiology — sold through a referral network instead of a co-brand.
Compare other brands
Audien and Oricle sit in the same self-fit OTC category, each with its own story once you read past the star count. We're building an honest page for each.
Stop asking people to repeat themselves
Install MaxHear, connect the headphones you already own, and hear the next conversation clearly.