Jabra Enhance Select 700 review: Still great hearing aids

So, what is it about Enhance Select 700 that makes it 200 better than Select 500? The big sale is a new audio feature called SoundScape Auto Focus. This technology is designed to improve speech intelligibility in noisy conditions, filter out background sounds and automatically prioritize human voices. Autofocus is built into the device and cannot be stopped or adjusted; Jabra describes this technology as dynamic and non-directional, able to pick up sounds even if they’re not generated directly in front of you.

I struggled a bit with autofocus when I first started using the Enhance Select 700, as I had trouble hearing my wife in a restaurant playing loud music over the PA — exactly the scenario the autofocus was designed for. I requested a programming change from Jabra to mitigate this issue, and the new setting was immediately sent to the hearing aids through the Jabra app. I’ve had better luck with them since then, but techniques like this always tend to provide variable results from one environment to another.

Overall, sound quality is up to Jabra’s high standards, but I couldn’t tell any significant difference between the 700 and its predecessor.

Small filters

The only other change to note is a small feature in the hearing aids. The microphones on the Select 700 are now covered with tiny filters that can be changed in the same way as wax guards on hearing instrument receivers, if they become dirty. Since the microphones are located at the back of the hearing aid rather than inside the ear canal, you probably won’t need to change these filters very often, but active users (or anyone who uses a lot of hair products) may find this a useful way to simplify maintenance. To Jabra’s credit, plenty of replacement filters are included in the box, as well as a slew of ear tips in multiple sizes.

The bottom line is that if you’re happy with the Enhance Select 500 (or 300), there’s absolutely no need to rush to upgrade to the Select 700. The same calculations that apply to the decision to purchase the 300 or 500 models still apply as well: At $1,695, the Select 300 is $300 cheaper than the Select 700’s MSRP, and probably Most users with mild or moderate hearing loss will not be. Able to tell the difference between the two experiences. For this reason, the Jabra Enhance Select 300 remains my top choice for over-the-counter hearing aids, as the 700 is a compelling product if price doesn’t matter.