Hearing Aid Styles
Every Major Hearing Aid Style, Matched to You
Precision Hearing fits every major hearing aid style in San Antonio, TX — from near-invisible in-canal devices to powerful behind-the-ear systems and the popular receiver-in-canal models. Because we're manufacturer-independent, your style is matched to your audiogram, your daily listening, your dexterity, and your budget rather than a sales contract. Drs. Joseph Pratt and Nathan Ortiz, both US Navy veterans, walk through every trade-off so you choose with full information.
Which Style Fits Your Hearing Loss and Lifestyle
The right hearing aid style depends on your degree of hearing loss, your ear anatomy, your dexterity, and how visible you want the device to be. Our Navy-veteran Doctors of Audiology walk through every trade-off so you leave confident in your choice.
Receiver-in-Canal (RIC)
The most popular hearing aid style today. A small housing sits behind the ear and sends sound through a thin wire to a speaker placed in the ear canal. RIC devices are lightweight, discreet, and offer excellent sound quality with Bluetooth streaming and rechargeable battery options — suitable for mild to severe hearing loss. Their comfortable, low-profile design makes RIC a go-to choice for active San Antonio patients who want both performance and discretion.
Behind-the-Ear (BTE)
The most powerful hearing aid style. The housing sits behind the ear and delivers sound through a tube to a custom earmold or dome. BTE devices offer the longest battery life, the most amplification, and accommodate advanced features including Bluetooth streaming — making them ideal for moderate-to-profound hearing loss and an easy-to-handle option for patients who prefer a larger, more durable device.
In-the-Ear (ITE)
Custom-molded to fill the outer ear bowl, ITE hearing aids suit mild to severe hearing loss. Their larger shell is easier to handle and insert — a practical advantage for patients with arthritis or reduced dexterity — and they can include volume controls, directional microphones, wireless connectivity, and rechargeable battery options.
In-the-Canal (ITC)
Custom-fit to sit partially inside the ear canal, ITC hearing aids are smaller and more discreet than ITE models while still accommodating directional microphones and wireless features. They work well for mild to moderate hearing loss and are a popular choice for San Antonio patients who want a low-profile device without sacrificing connectivity or manual controls.
Completely-in-Canal (CIC)
Fitting entirely inside the ear canal, CIC hearing aids are very discreet with only a small removal handle visible at the opening. They're a popular choice for mild to moderate hearing loss when cosmetic appearance is the priority. Their compact size limits some advanced features, but many CIC models from the manufacturers we carry still support Bluetooth connectivity.
Invisible-in-Canal (IIC)
The smallest hearing aid available, IIC devices sit deep inside the ear canal and are virtually invisible to others. Best suited for mild to moderate hearing loss, they're removed daily with a small pull string. Candidacy depends on ear canal anatomy — your Doctor of Audiology will confirm fit during your evaluation. If maximum discretion is your top priority, this is the style to explore.
30-Day Hearing Aid Trial Period
Every set of hearing aids fitted at Precision Hearing in San Antonio, TX comes with a 30-day trial period. Wear your devices where life actually happens — at work, around the dinner table, on a job site, and out across San Antonio. Real-world listening is the only test that counts. If they aren't the right fit within 30 days, bring them back so we can adjust them, exchange them for a different model, or explore another option together.
Reconnect With the Sounds You Love — Book Your Visit
Trusted by San Antonio's working adults and veterans for unhurried, audiologist-led hearing care built around your life.
Serving San Antonio & the surrounding area
Visit Us in San Antonio
Our Babcock Road office is both a full hearing clinic and the home base for our mobile hearing team — bringing audiologist-led care to San Antonio patients and on-site to local employers.
- Fax: (210) 695-4705
- Veteran-owned & US Navy-trained audiologists
- Doctor of Audiology care at every step
- Fully ADA-accessible office
“They took the time to actually explain my hearing and never pushed me toward anything. As someone still working full-time, I appreciated how thorough and unhurried the whole visit was. Easily the best hearing care experience I've had.”— Verified Google Review
Precision Hearing
Hearing Clinic Mobile Hearing170 Babcock Rd, San Antonio, TX 78201
| Monday | 8:30 AM - 4:00 PM |
| Tuesday | 8:30 AM - 4:00 PM |
| Wednesday | 8:30 AM - 4:00 PM |
| Thursday | 8:30 AM - 4:00 PM |
| Friday | 8:30 AM - 4:00 PM |
| Saturday | Closed |
| Sunday | Closed |
Hearing Aid Styles FAQs
Common questions about hearing aid styles in San Antonio — which sit deepest in the canal, where rechargeable options fit, CROS/BiCROS systems, and how our doctors help you choose.
Invisible-in-canal (IIC) and completely-in-canal (CIC) hearing aids are the smallest and most discreet styles we fit at Precision Hearing. They sit deep in the ear canal and are virtually undetectable to others, with only a tiny removal handle visible past the canal opening.
Both styles work well for mild to moderate hearing loss. Their small housings mean less room for a directional microphone or aggressive noise reduction, and very small batteries can mean more frequent changes.
ITC and ITE styles sit higher in the canal and ear bowl, are easier to handle, and accommodate more amplification — appropriate for more severe hearing losses, with larger batteries that last longer or rechargeable options.
Rechargeable hearing aids are available across most RIC, BTE, and ITE styles from the manufacturers we work with. ITC models are beginning to offer rechargeable options as battery technology improves. CIC and IIC styles generally still rely on disposable zinc-air batteries because the housings are too small to hold a rechargeable cell.
For many San Antonio patients — especially those who travel often, have reduced dexterity, or simply prefer the simplicity of an overnight charger — a rechargeable RIC ends up being the most practical choice. Your Doctor of Audiology walks through the battery trade-offs for each style that matches your hearing loss. Call (210) 695-4708 to discuss which option fits your routine.
CROS (Contralateral Routing of Signal) hearing aids are designed for patients with single-sided deafness or hearing loss in one ear only. A microphone on the non-hearing side picks up sound and wirelessly transmits it to a receiver worn on the better ear — so conversations coming from your weaker side are no longer missed.
BiCROS systems add amplification for patients whose better ear also has some hearing loss. The manufacturers we work with offer CROS- and BiCROS-compatible models. If you've been told one ear is unaidable, call (210) 695-4708 and ask about candidacy.
At Precision Hearing, style selection is a clinical decision, not a sales process. Your Doctor of Audiology reviews your audiogram to establish the degree and shape of your hearing loss, then factors in your daily listening environments — meetings, restaurants, family at home, the phone — along with your dexterity, your preference for visibility, and your budget.
Because we work independently with a curated list of leading manufacturers, we match a style to your life rather than steering you toward whatever a single company offers. Every recommendation is followed by a careful fitting and Real Ear Measurement verification so the style you choose actually performs. Call (210) 695-4708 to get started.