When Sony entered the over-the-counter listening to help market two years in the past, it did so with a pair of merchandise: the CRE-C10 and the dearer CRE-E10. I used to be dazzled by the minuscule C10—it’s nonetheless one of many listening to help choices I like to recommend probably the most—and assumed the E10 could be much more spectacular. Now that I’ve lastly landed a pair of E10 aids to check, I can guarantee you that the E10 isn’t a lot an improve to the C10 as it’s a wholly completely different class of product with its personal professionals and cons.
Whereas each the C10 and E10 depend on an in-ear earbud-like design conceit, their normal method is significantly completely different. Whereas the 1-gram C10 matches almost solely contained in the ear, invisible sufficient to require a small retrieval wire to take away it, the two.94-gram E10 is rather more bulbous and visual. It seems extra like an ordinary Bluetooth earbud than another listening to help I’ve examined, filling the concha with its rounded physique. Since, because the previous saying goes, all concha will not be created equal, your consolation stage whereas sporting these listening to aids could range significantly. In my ears, the match was comfortable however not tight—snug for sporting for a number of hours however not all day. Sony supplies simply 4 pairs of eartips you possibly can experiment with to assist enhance the match.
{Photograph}: Sony
The opposite large distinction between the C10 and E10 is that whereas the C10 makes use of replaceable listening to help batteries, the E10 encompasses a extra frequent rechargeable battery. The additional measurement of the machine lets the E10 work for as much as 26 hours (with out streaming). The USB-C connectible and Qi-compatible charger supplies sufficient juice for an extra two to a few recharges.
Regardless of their bigger measurement, the CRE-E10 aids don’t function any exterior controls, which is comprehensible as a result of controls could be laborious to entry based mostly on the way in which the aids sit within the ear. As an alternative, all controls are located in Sony’s Listening to Management app (Android, iOS). This is similar app used for the CRE-C10, so I already had it put in, however I bumped into quick issues as a result of the previous aids have been nonetheless registered to the app.
{Photograph}: Sony
To arrange new aids, it’s a must to take away the previous ones from the app. To do this, Listening to Management requires you to enter a code despatched to your registered electronic mail handle. Naturally, I by no means obtained the code, so I couldn’t set up the brand new set of aids. Finally, Sony tech assist instructed me to delete the app altogether and set it up once more with a unique electronic mail handle—maybe not probably the most elegant resolution, but it surely labored to get me up and operating.
