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Widex SmartRIC — Freehold, NJ
A Different Kind of Widex — Rethought From the Outside In
Unveil New Angles of Natural Hearing
When Widex launched the Allure in March 2025, they rebuilt the hearing aid from the inside out — new W1 chip, new Precision Hearing Technology, new processing capabilities. When they launched the SmartRIC in April 2024, they took a different approach entirely. They rethought the shape.
The SmartRIC is described accurately by independent reviewers as solving a different problem from the Allure. Where the Allure improves what the chip does with sound, the SmartRIC improves where the microphones sit to capture it. An L-shaped body with a 20-degree curvature at the top elevates the device's dual-directional microphones to a position more closely aligned with the natural sound capture geometry of the ear — producing a more natural directional sound field without requiring additional processing to create it.
The result is a hearing aid that is simultaneously Widex's most design-forward, Widex's longest-battery, and the only current Widex device that includes Zen tinnitus therapy. For patients with tinnitus alongside hearing loss, that last point may be the most important sentence on this page.
The L-Shaped Design — What It Does and Why It Matters
Every standard behind-the-ear and receiver-in-canal hearing aid shares a similar geometry. The body of the device wraps over the top of the ear and sits along the back of the ear, with the microphone apertures positioned at the bottom of the device housing. This places the microphones at approximately the lower edge of the ear — the least natural position for directional sound capture, given that the ear's own acoustic geometry is designed to capture sound from the front and sides at the mid-height of the skull.
The SmartRIC's L-shaped design changes this. The 20-degree curve at the top of the device positions the microphones higher and slightly forward — much closer to where the ear naturally receives sound from the acoustic environment. The practical effects are a more natural directional sound capture, better front-to-back spatial awareness, and the physical benefit of being the shortest device in its class despite its distinctive shape.
The microphone apertures are also equipped with covers specifically designed to reduce wind noise and handling noise — the sounds that occur when the hand brushes the hearing aid or when wind crosses the microphone. For active patients and outdoor enthusiasts, this is a meaningful practical improvement over uncovered microphone apertures.
PureSound and ZeroDelay — The Widex Foundation
The SmartRIC runs on the Widex MOMENT platform — the same processing foundation that powered Widex's previous flagship. This means the SmartRIC delivers PureSound and ZeroDelay — Widex's defining sound philosophy — in full.
ZeroDelay processes sound in 0.5 milliseconds, the fastest processing delay in the hearing aid industry. At that speed, the processed output from the hearing aid and the natural sound entering through the ear's venting merge without the distortion that slower processing creates. The result is the same PureSound natural listening experience that defines the Widex brand — the absence of the slightly artificial quality that many patients notice in other platforms.
What the SmartRIC does not have is the Allure's W1 chip and Precision Hearing Technology — the newer, more powerful processing platform that earned the Allure a HearAdvisor 4.7/5 A Grade and a top 15% ranking. The SmartRIC's MOMENT platform is capable and field-validated, but for patients whose primary priority is the most current and most independently verified processing available from Widex, the Allure is the right recommendation. For patients whose priorities are the L-shaped design, the 37-hour battery, or Zen tinnitus therapy — the SmartRIC addresses those priorities more completely.
Zen Tinnitus Therapy — The Feature the Allure Does Not Have
This is the SmartRIC's most clinically significant differentiator in the current Widex lineup and worth being explicit about.
Widex's Zen program — the brand's celebrated fractal tone tinnitus therapy — is available on the SmartRIC. It is not available on the Allure platform. For patients who want Widex's approach to tinnitus management alongside hearing loss treatment, the SmartRIC is currently the only Widex RIC option that provides it.
Widex Zen generates fractal tones — mathematically structured, non-repeating sound patterns — that provide the auditory stimulation used in tinnitus habituation approaches without the risk of becoming mentally irritating or predictable over time. Fractal tones do not have the same tiring effect as repetitive or musical loops because they never repeat exactly, allowing the brain to habituate to their presence rather than focusing on them.
Zen is delivered through the SmartRIC and managed through the Widex app, with the tone style, volume, and program available for adjustment between appointments. For patients participating in a structured tinnitus management program, Zen provides the in-ear sound therapy component that supports the counseling and habituation work done in the clinic.
If tinnitus management is a clinical priority alongside hearing loss — and Widex's approach to tinnitus is part of what brought a patient to consider Widex — the SmartRIC is the correct device recommendation in the current lineup.
Battery Life — 37 Hours, Widex's Longest
The SmartRIC boasts an impressive battery life of up to 37 hours on a single charge without streaming — the longest battery life of any Widex hearing aid. With eight hours of streaming per day, runtime is 27 hours — still a full waking day with meaningful streaming use.
Quick charge: 30 minutes for 8 hours of use. Full charge: four hours.
The SmartRIC launched alongside Widex's first-ever portable charging case — a compact travel charger that holds five additional full charges. That represents approximately a full week of backup charging without access to a wall outlet, making the SmartRIC Widex's most travel-ready hearing aid. For patients who travel frequently, work long hours, or simply want the peace of mind of knowing their hearing aids will not run out of power regardless of circumstances, the combination of 37-hour battery and five-charge portable case is genuinely compelling.
Connectivity and App
The SmartRIC connects to compatible iOS and Android smartphones for direct audio streaming — phone calls, music, and media audio delivered to both hearing aids. The Widex app provides volume control, program switching, Zen tinnitus program management, and SoundSense Learn personalization — the AI system that learns from real-world listening preferences and suggests sound setting adjustments based on how other wearers in similar environments prefer to hear.
The Widex TV PLAY accessory sends television audio directly to the SmartRIC, providing a clean streaming connection from the television without Bluetooth — useful for patients who want direct TV audio without requiring the television to have Bluetooth output.
Five Colors
The SmartRIC is available in five colors: Dark Cherry, Honey Blonde, Rose Gold, Silver Grey, and Tech Black — a palette that leans toward contemporary aesthetics rather than purely skin-tone matching. For patients who want a hearing aid with a distinctive, designed look rather than an invisible one, the SmartRIC's color range supports that preference.
Technology Levels — 440 and 330
The SmartRIC is available in two primary technology levels:
440 — Premium. The full SmartRIC feature set at maximum processing depth — 15 adjustment bands for sound personalization, 11 background sound analysis settings for the audiologist, full wind noise reduction, complete Speech Enhancer, and the complete Zen tinnitus program. For patients who socialize often, travel regularly, and encounter a wide range of listening environments.
330 — Advanced. The main SmartRIC features at a more accessible price point, appropriate for patients with moderate to significant listening demands who want strong natural sound performance without the full premium tier investment.
SmartRIC vs. Allure — Choosing the Right Widex
Both devices share the PureSound ZeroDelay philosophy and the Widex brand identity. The right choice depends on what matters most:
Choose the SmartRIC if — tinnitus management using Widex's Zen program is a clinical priority, you want Widex's longest battery life and best portable charging solution, the L-shaped elevated microphone design appeals to you aesthetically or practically, or you want Widex's natural sound experience at a more accessible price point than the Allure.
Choose the Allure if — you want the most current and most independently verified Widex processing platform, you want the Allure AI option available in November 2026, you want Bluetooth LE Audio and improved streaming quality, or your primary challenge is speech in the most demanding noisy environments where the W1 chip's Precision Hearing Technology provides measurably stronger performance.
Choose the Allure AI if — you want Widex's most current platform with on-demand DNN Clarity Boost and can wait until the November 1, 2026 US launch.
The Fitting — What to Expect at Haynie Audiology
Every SmartRIC fitting at Haynie Audiology follows the same best-practices protocol applied to every device we fit:
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Comprehensive hearing evaluation — complete audiogram confirming the SmartRIC's appropriate fitting range for your hearing loss
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Technology level selection — 440 or 330 matched to your hearing profile, lifestyle, and listening demands
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Real ear measurement verification — probe microphone at the eardrum confirming the SmartRIC is delivering the right amplification for your specific ear canal anatomy. The SmartRIC's elevated microphone position produces a different acoustic capture than standard RIC positioning — real ear verification ensures the amplification is correct regardless of microphone placement
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Zen tinnitus program configuration — selecting and calibrating the appropriate Zen tone style and volume for your tinnitus profile where applicable
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App setup and connectivity — Widex app pairing, SoundSense Learn initialization, TV PLAY setup where applicable
Experience the Widex SmartRIC in Freehold, NJ
Dr. Alexandra Haynie, Au.D., CCC-A, ABA fits and verifies the full Widex lineup — including the Allure, Allure AI, and SmartRIC — at Haynie Audiology & Hearing Associates at 31 West Main Street in downtown Freehold, serving patients throughout Monmouth County including Manalapan, Marlboro, Howell, Middletown, Hazlet, Red Bank, and Aberdeen.
