Yeasound RIC800 – Yeasound, a subsidiary of Yealink, is pushing back against the over-the-counter hearing aid trend with two behind-the-ear (BTE) models: the AI-enhanced RIC800 and the Apple-compatible RIC700. In testing, the RIC800’s noise reduction and speech-focused features
While much of the over-the-counter hearing aid market has swung toward newer in-ear designs, a new brand called Yeasound is making a quieter case for the older behind-the-ear (BTE) style—arguing that it can still carry genuinely modern features.
Yeasound is relatively new, but it’s not a newcomer to hardware. It’s a subsidiary of Yealink, the Chinese telecom producer that has been making headsets and phone hardware for 25 years. That matters. because it shapes how the brand shows up: not as an experiment on the sidelines. but as a product that tries to look and behave like consumer tech.
Right now, Yeasound’s BTE hearing aids come in two versions. The higher-end model is the RIC800, and it’s the one tested. It includes AI-powered noise reduction, an automatic speech-focusing system, and support for Android in addition to iOS. The lower model, the RIC700, is Apple-compatible only.
The two units otherwise look essentially identical, even weighing the same. In testing. a single unit measured 2.76 grams—only slightly heavier than some BTE options the tester already favored. like the Jabra Enhance Select 700. Physical controls are minimal: each device has two buttons on the back. Those buttons mainly control volume separately for each ear. but they can also be used to interact with phone calls through a streaming connection.
The app is where most users will spend their first minutes. Yeasound’s iYeasound mobile app presents a simplified home screen built to put the “essentials” front and center. It starts with an in-app hearing test designed to establish a baseline for how frequencies are adjusted. The test itself was described as expedited compared with others on the market—delivering pings of various frequencies and volume to each ear—while skipping the lengthy. unnecessary pauses that can stretch other tests into 10 minutes or more. Yeasound’s test can be finished in about five minutes.
The results are plotted on a traditional audiogram for posterity. In testing. the results came out slightly more aggressive than the tester’s canonical audiogram suggests. though they were close enough for an OTC product and an informal in-home test. But the app isn’t built for people who already have an audiogram ready: it can’t be imported. and the hearing test results can’t be manually edited beyond taking another test.
Once the audiogram is loaded, the app’s main screen offers five environmental modes: Adaptive, General, Noisy, Music, and Outdoors—each largely self-explanatory. Volume controls for each ear sit beneath the mode selector.
What’s missing at first glance is noise cancellation. There are no noise cancellation options on the main mode screen. To find those controls. users have to go into the Sound Setting system. which is unique for each of the five modes except Adaptive. In those settings. users can roughly adjust low. mid. and high frequencies. choose one of three noise reduction levels. and pick between an all-around microphone. a forward-facing mode. and a tighter focus mode.
Adaptive mode is where the RIC800’s AI features come in. If Adaptive is enabled, the extra controls described above disappear. With Adaptive on, volume is the only modification offered. That trade-off felt liberating to some degree in the way it simplifies decision-making. but in testing the preference leaned toward the General mode—because manual fine-tuning was described as more effective than the algorithm.
The differences showed up most clearly when noise cancellation was pushed to its maximum level. General mode produced less hiss than Adaptive mode, which was called out as a noticeable issue when volume rises. General also felt less boomy, particularly when testing with closed ear tips. With open ear tips, the two modes were about a draw.
Ear tips themselves are part of the package. Open, closed, and hybrid ear tips are included in the box in various sizes so users can experiment.
In the end, the review’s verdict isn’t hype—it’s a workable win with some texture. The units’ audio assistance was described as effective but imperfect. Mid-level frequencies were felt as a little muddy and muffled. and that problem spread—at a smaller degree—to lower-frequency tones. Noise cancellation, though, was surprisingly good, and the devices can be pushed to very loud levels without introducing significant distortion.
For Yeasound. that’s the core message behind its BTE push: even as the market keeps sprinting toward smaller in-ear designs. there’s still room for a behind-the-ear approach—especially when the tech isn’t just marketing. but something users can turn on. test. and adjust through a real app experience.
Yeasound Yealink behind-the-ear hearing aids RIC800 RIC700 over-the-counter hearing aids AI noise reduction speech focusing iYeasound app Android support iOS compatible audiogram test