Open-fit hearing aid that uses a thin plastic wire with a speaker at the end which is placed into the ear canal.

RICs are a type of open-fit hearing aid that uses a thin plastic “micro” tube that extends from the body of the hearing aid (housed behind the ear) over the outer ear and into the ear canal. A small, soft tip sits inside the ear canal without sealing it. This way, air and sound can continue to flow to the ear canal naturally.

Receiver-in-the-canal (RIC) hearing aids—also referred to as receiver-in-the-ear (RITE) or canal receiver technology (CRT)—are smaller than standard BTE models, but are easy to manoeuver and can still house a variety of features. Like standard BTEs, they can be worn comfortably behind the ear. However, unlike regular BTE hearing aids, the RIC’s loudspeaker is located outside the housing and positioned at the end of a thin ear wire, placed near the eardrum. Since generated sound only has to travel a very short distance with lower transmission loss, less sound energy (and battery power) is required to produce a superior listening experience.

Comparing to other models, RIC

• No “plugged up” feeling
• Minimizes sounds of your own voice by allowing sounds to escape ear canal
• Small, virtually unnoticeable casings
• Nearly invisible tubing
• Larger batteries for longer battery life