Lizn Hearpieces: A Review

Score: 6/10

The Lizn Hearpieces aim to merge the functionality of hearing aids with that of earbuds, marketed as distinctive 'earpieces' by the Danish company, Lizn.

Founded in 2015, Lizn initially struggled to launch their combination device, which they eventually abandoned in 2020. However, the company bounced back, and a refreshed model has reached the US market in recent weeks.

Design and Fit

The Lizn Hearpieces are the sole product of the company, clearly influenced by professional audio equipment. They boast a unique, bulbous design that’s immediately noticeable. If chosen in the graphite or ruby red hues, the units can be quite bold. What I reviewed were sand-colored, which were less striking.

Weighing 4.58 grams each, the Hearpieces are heavier than many other models on the market. They come with four sizes of ear tips; the medium size was suitable for me.

The real challenge lies in fitting the entire unit comfortably into the ear. The device must be carefully rotated and positioned: one part tucked behind the tragus and filling the concha. As someone likely with smaller ear canals, placing these units proved challenging, and discomfort escalated with time. The devices lack physical buttons, relying on tap gestures that add to ear irritation.

App Functionality and Modes

Lizn offers an application that controls the devices intuitively, centered around two modes. The Lizn mode enhances hearing by boosting ambient sound and offers three speech clarity presets: Soft, Medium, and Bright. While there’s minimal variation among them, I favored the sharper sound in Bright mode for dialog.

As earbuds, the devices utilize Bluetooth for streaming, featuring Dimmed and Transparent modes. Transparent lets ambient sounds in, whereas Dimmed provides basic noise reduction, though not significant enough to block out all external noise.

Sound Quality and Conclusion

The sound quality of the Lizn mode is mixed but acceptable, providing a straightforward ambient boost without specific frequency adjustment capabilities. This universal increase in external sound clarity can result in a somewhat muddled audio experience, but it is free from static interference unless played at high volumes.

As music streaming devices, the Lizn Hearpieces shine more than typical hearing aids, though they still lack active noise cancellation. In environments with significant background noise, even the Dimmed mode offers limited relief. For example, on a recent flight, the loud engine noise overtook the audio output.

Battery and Final Thoughts

The Hearpieces are stored and charged in a compact case, offering up to 21 hours of use based on the mode. In practice, I observed slightly longer battery life than the advertised five to six hours in Earphone mode and six to seven hours in Lizn mode per charge. However, the units tend to turn off when not in the case, and discomfort limits how long they can be worn continuously. Reconnecting them was occasionally tricky, typically requiring placement in the case to resume functioning.

Although the Lizn Hearpieces present a compelling concept with respectable sound performance as hearing aids and music devices, comfort is a significant drawback. I struggled to use them for long durations, such as watching a full-length film or wearing them throughout a workday.