The wide range of Signia The headphone range includes, by my count, a whopping 20 different models, but one of the smallest and most discreet is the company’s Silk X line. Currently there are five different submodels within the Silk X Lineup, the most advanced and expensive of which is the Silk 7X, reviewed here. Note, however, that while it’s still actively marketed, Signia says the Silk X line is considered “obsolete technology” and will eventually be phased out in favor of the Silk Charge&Go IX line.
The Silk 7X are a pint-sized powerhouse that sits completely in your ear canal and is virtually invisible, save for the small recovery wires that stick out just above your earlobes. Weighing 1.34 grams each, their weight is kept to a minimum through the use of small replaceable batteries (size 10) instead of rechargeable. Distinguishing the right from the left is easy: the right is completely covered in translucent red plastic, the left in blue. There is no need to look for small R and L signs here. To turn off the aids, open the battery hatch a little. Close it to turn them back on.
Photography: Save Listen
Aside from the color scheme, the headphones themselves may look familiar in design; Specifically, they look a lot like Sony’s CRE-C10 headphones, which launched as part of the first wave of over-the-counter headphones in 2022. Sony’s version is all black but otherwise identical in appearance. That’s for a reason: Signia is Sony’s headphone technology partner and made the C10 (as well as Sony’s E10 model) for the company.
Why would Signia make two versions of the same hearing aid? That’s a complicated question, but the fact of the matter is that Sony’s model is purely over-the-counter, with no visit to the audiologist required (or available), while Signia’s Silk obtain through a professional. This is very important, and the type of hearing aid you buy depends largely on how much grip you want and need.
An example: Sony’s C10s aren’t the easiest to set up (they don’t have a Bluetooth connection), so beginners may get frustrated during the delicate setup process, which is done via high-frequency sound waves emitted by their phone. The C10s also rely on an in-app hearing test to tailor them to your hearing profile. On the other hand, Silk 7Xs are personally configured by an audiologist. The user does not have to do anything except go to the doctor’s office.
Functionally, I didn’t notice any real difference between the two models, although I no longer have the Sony C10 on hand to test them side by side, and I even had the same notes about the default settings making the bass too heavy. in the Silk 7X. There’s no way to make important adjustments in the mobile app (Signia’s AI-powered Signia Assistant is not available on this device), other than adjusting the volume, sliding the balance between “soft” and “crisp,” and making decisions Directional hearing aids that allow you to concentrate on the sounds that originate around you, only on one side or somewhere in between.
Photography: Save Listen