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 maneuver and can still house a sorts of features. Like standard BTEs, they can be worn comfortably behind the ear. However, unlike regular BTE hearing aids, the RIC’s loudspeaker or “receiver” is located outside the housing and positioned at the end of a thin ear wire, placed near the ear drum. 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.
Design-wise, RIE hearing aids sit behind the ear. Traditionally, microphones in the main body of the hearing aids send sounds down through a thin, virtually invisible tubing, curving discreetly around the back of your ears, into a receiver covered with a comfortable dome. The dome-covered receiver sits in your ear canal. That is why Receiver-in-Ear hearing aids also belong to the ‘in ear’ hearing aids category, i.e., the sound processing takes place in your ear.
