Beltone Envision Hearing Aids: AI-Driven Technology for a Connected World
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Beltone has joined the artificial intelligence (AI) race with its newest hearing aid, Envision—the latest flagship brand of one of the largest hearing care networks in the United States. Launched in January 2025, Envision is designed for you to hear conversations clearly, feel confident, and ensure that everyday listening is effortless and natural.
Using AI-driven processing, a real-time noise management system, and the latest in Bluetooth wireless connectivity with the smallest behind-ear design available, Beltone Envision hearing aids are engineered to focus on what matters most—speech clarity—while minimizing distracting background noise.
Celebrating its 85th anniversary in 2025, Beltone is the second-largest hearing aid network in the United States, with only slightly fewer retail offices than Amplifon (Miracle-Ear). Chances are that you have a Beltone store near you with 1500+ locations nationwide offering in-person care. With its origins and headquarters in Chicago, Beltone is part of Denmark's GN Group, which also manufactures ReSound and Jabra hearing aids. In 2025, Beltone was recognized by Newsweek as one of the top-three best hearing networks in the United States.
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Essentially, Envision uses the successful previous-generation Beltone Serene technology (launched in October 2023) and adds GN's new AI chip, giving it many new, advanced sound processing advantages.
Beltone Envision's technology shares the same chip as its sister-company's AI-driven device, the ReSound Vivia hearing aid, while Serene shares technology from the slightly older ReSound Nexia. This means Envision has all the advantages of Serene hearing aids, plus it adds:
In short, Beltone Envision is a newer and more advanced platform, which should be especially appealing for users who need top-tier speech clarity in noisy settings, as well as hands-free calling and future-proof features like Auracast that you'll also find in Serene.
Serene remains an excellent mid-tier choice, but it doesn’t offer the same AI-powered processing as Envision. As a side-note, at HearingTracker, we're big fans of "essential" technology when it's fit by professionals who adhere to best practices like real-ear measurement and speech-in-noise testing; that's why we think Beltone Achieve and the newly introduced Beltone Commerce are also exceptional choices for budget-conscious consumers.
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Beltone Envision hearing aids come in two sleek receiver-in-ear (RIE) styles (also known as receiver-in-canal or RIC styles):
There are also options for people with one-sided (unilateral) hearing loss or single-sided deafness (SSD), providing a CROS transmitter that routes sound from the poorer ear to the better ear to ensure all-around audibility.
All models are designed with comfort and discretion in mind, offering a slim, modern appearance that fits comfortably behind the ear. The microRIE even includes tap control features, allowing users to perform simple actions like answering calls with just a tap on the hearing aid.
Beltone Envision is available in three performance tiers—17 (premier), 9 (middle range), and 6 (essential)—so you can choose the right balance of features and price for your lifestyle, as well as 10 color options.
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Although Beltone Envision is currently offered only in RIE styles, we expect that other styles, like custom in-ear or behind-the-ear models, could be added to the lineup in the future.
For those who use telecoil-based assistive listening systems, the RIE with the size 13 battery comes standard with a built-in telecoil, and the other Envision models can access telecoil technology via Beltone’s MultiMic+ accessory.
Below, we take a closer look at the inner workings of Beltone Envision hearing aids.
Envision is Beltone's first hearing aid line that uses artificial intelligence to constantly monitor your environment and adapt to changing soundscapes. What makes Beltone Envision particularly powerful is its dual-chip architecture, a unique hearing aid architecture also employed by Beltone's competitor, Phonak Audéo Sphere. It pairs Beltone’s proven processing chip used in Serene with a separate Deep Neural Network (DNN) AI chip developed by GN that helps the hearing aid learn and adapt on the fly.
DNN is a form of AI that allows the hearing aid to be "taught” to respond better to varied soundscapes in real time. The overall goal is to allow the hearing aid to work similarly to the brain, enabling more accurate representations of sound and better access to speech in noisy situations.
According to GN, the DNN system behind Envision has been trained on more than 13.5 million speech samples and can perform up to 4.9 trillion operations per day. This allows the system to distinguish voices from background noise with remarkable precision. Whether you're moving from a quiet office to a busy street or navigating a noisy party, Envision adjusts dynamically to ensure speech remains as clear as possible.
Unlike traditional hearing aids, which might blunt important sounds along with noise, Envision intelligently reduces unwanted distractions—like the hum of air conditioning, clattering dishes, or wind—while preserving the nuances of speech and other meaningful sounds.
The DNN and enhanced speech-in-noise system can be activated via the app by the hearing aid user when needed, putting AI to work in the toughest hearing environments. Once activated, the DNN chip helps prioritize speech over noise, seamlessly integrating with the person’s perception of their environment.
One of Envision's standout features is its real-time noise management system. Traditional noise reduction systems often make sounds seem flat or remove important environmental cues, but Envision’s AI-driven approach keeps sounds lively and natural, according to GN.
It uses a four-microphone binaural beamforming system to sharpen voices even in loud places and extends this directional processing into the lower frequency ranges. Although lab tests show that Envision significantly improves speech clarity, real-world experiences may vary depending on ear tip choices, environmental noise, and the user’s specific hearing profile.
Beltone Envision is among the first hearing aids to fully embrace the new Bluetooth® Low Energy (LE) Audio standard, offering seamless, high-quality streaming across compatible iOS and Android devices. LE Audio represents a major leap forward from older protocols like Made for iPhone (MFi) and Android ASHA, providing broader compatibility and better energy efficiency.
With Beltone Envision, making and receiving calls is easy.
Of course, wireless streaming, remote controls, and hands-free features vary slightly depending on the model and the smartphone you're using, so it’s always a good idea to check Beltone’s device compatibility guide.
Apple and Windows 11 PCs can also pair directly with hearing aids using Bluetooth LE Audio. Finally, some newer Android phones allow users to change the hearing aid presets in the phone's native settings.
At present, GN's latest hearing aids, like Envision and Commence, are the only hearing aids fully activated to receive Auracast broadcasts (i.e., no future firmware updates are needed like for other "Auracast-ready" hearing aids). These hearing aids are opening up a future where users can easily connect to public audio broadcasts without needing to pair individually. We think Auracast has amazing potential to change not just how people with hearing loss view accessibility with hearing aids, but how all people view any audio products with Auracast capabilities.
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Auracast adoption is still in its early phases, and it will take several years before it is widely available in public venues such as theaters, sports bars, arenas and stadiums, airports, lecture and symphony halls, and places of worship. However, Beltone’s forward-looking inclusion of the Auracast Assistant in the HearMax™ app makes it easy for users to find and connect to available broadcasts today.
The microRIE model is equipped with an internal lithium-ion rechargeable battery that offers up to 30 hours of use. Heavy audio streaming is likely to bring the typical battery life closer to 24 hours, which is still impressive for everyday users. GN says if you stream music, podcasts, or phone calls for half your day, you can still expect around 20 hours of battery life.
And if you need a quick top-up? A 10-minute fast charge can give you nearly 3 hours of extra listening time.
The Envision portable charger is solidly built with clear LED indicators showing the charge status. It connects via a USB-C port for easy and reliable charging. Plus, the charger’s internal power bank provides up to three additional full charges on the go—perfect for traveling.
The only downside? The portable charger is a little larger and heavier than some competing RIC models.
The disposable battery models will typically get 6-10 days of battery life for the size 312 and 6-14 days for size 13 RIEs.
With all models, battery life will vary depending on factors such as your hearing loss, streaming, environmental noise levels, age of the devices, and more.
The Beltone HearMax™ app lets you control your hearing aids from mobile devices. It's compatible with Apple Watch®, and both iPhone and Android smartphones.
HearMax is an intuitive companion for Envision hearing aids. It offers seamless control over sound settings and personalization. You can adjust the volume of environmental and streamed sounds, switch programs, and fine-tune settings like noise reduction and speech focus.
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Sound Enhancer is particularly useful for adjusting the hearing aids for speech focus, noise reduction, and wind noise. The Find My Hearing Aid function can also tell you where your hearing aids were last connected to your smartphone or tablet. Additionally, Remote Care is also offered in the app, allowing your hearing care professional to speak with you and/or make basic adjustments and updates to your devices, possibly saving you an office visit.
With Beltone Envision, users get a powerful blend of AI technology, smart connectivity, stylish design, and robust battery life—all crafted to make hearing and connecting simpler and more natural than ever before. Whether you're navigating a bustling street or enjoying a quiet night at home, Envision helps you stay engaged with the world around you.
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Karl Strom ist der Chefredakteur von HearingTracker. Er war Gründungsredakteur von The Hearing Review und berichtet seit über 30 Jahren über die Hörhilfenindustrie.