How do I know which receiver power my hearing aid has?

It is printed on the receiver itself, usually as a letter or a number near where the wire meets the device body, and it is recorded in your fitting notes. Manufacturers also print a part number. When ordering a replacement, match that part number rather than a description, because the same label means different things at different manufacturers.

Can I fit a more powerful receiver to get more volume?

You can physically attach one on many devices, but it is not a good idea. The device was programmed to deliver a specific output through a specific receiver, and changing the receiver changes that relationship in a way the programming does not account for. If a device is not loud enough, the correct step is to have it reprogrammed rather than to change the hardware.

Are receivers interchangeable between manufacturers?

No. The connector, the wire and the coding differ between makers and frequently between model generations from the same maker. Phonak SDS 4.0 and SDS 5.0, for example, are different fittings from the same manufacturer. Always match the part number printed on the receiver you are replacing.

Why did my receiver stop working?

Before assuming the receiver has failed, check the wax guard and the dome, because a blocked guard is by far the commonest reason a device goes quiet and it takes under a minute to change. If a new guard and a new dome do not restore it, moisture damage and a broken wire are the next candidates, and both usually mean replacing the receiver.

Does receiver power relate to hearing loss severity?

Loosely, and only as a starting point. More severe loss needs more output, which is why the ranges exist. But the selection is made against the shape of a full audiogram rather than a single number, and factors such as the physical fit and the amount of venting also affect how much output is usable. It is a fitting decision, not a lookup.

Receiver power at a 30 dB hearing level

Quick answer

A hearing level around 30 decibels usually falls in the standard (s, or 1) range. This is a trade convention, not a fitting. The real selection is made against a full audiogram in the manufacturer's own fitting software, and power labels are not comparable between brands.

What receiver power means on a receiver in canal device

On a receiver in canal hearing aid, the speaker sits in the ear canal at the end of a thin wire rather than in the body of the device. That speaker is the receiver, and it comes in power ratings. A higher rating can deliver more output, which is what a greater degree of hearing loss requires.

The labels are not standardised. Some manufacturers use S, M, P and UP; others use 1, 2, 3 and 4. Neither set maps onto the other, and the actual output behind any of them is a figure only that manufacturer publishes.

Trade convention Taught everywhere in the clinic and the trade, and published as a standard by nobody. Useful, and not a standard.

A standard (s, or 1) receiver typically covers up to about 55 dB HL.

Receiver power ranges
Power	Typically fitted for	Roughly up to (dB HL)
Standard (S, or 1)	Mild to moderate loss	55
Medium (M, or 2)	Moderate loss	70
Power (P, or 3)	Moderately severe to severe loss	85
Ultra power (UP, or 4)	Severe to profound loss	105

Receiver power labels vary by manufacturer: some use S, M, P and UP, others use numbers 1 to 4. The ranges below are the general pattern, and the actual output of any receiver is a figure only its manufacturer publishes. A receiver is matched to a fitting by an audiologist or by the device’s own fitting software, never by a chart alone.

Replacing a receiver is a repair, not an upgrade

This matters more than anything else on this page. When a receiver fails, the replacement should be the same power and the same length as the one being removed. The power was chosen to match a fitting, and the device was programmed around it. The length was measured for that specific ear.

Fitting a higher powered receiver does not make a device better. It changes what the device delivers relative to what it was programmed to deliver, and the result is not a considered fitting. If more output is genuinely needed, that is a conversation with whoever programmed the device.

Receivers are also handed. A left receiver and a right receiver are different parts, and the part number on the existing one is the thing to match.

Common questions

How do I know which receiver power my hearing aid has?: It is printed on the receiver itself, usually as a letter or a number near where the wire meets the device body, and it is recorded in your fitting notes. Manufacturers also print a part number. When ordering a replacement, match that part number rather than a description, because the same label means different things at different manufacturers.
Can I fit a more powerful receiver to get more volume?: You can physically attach one on many devices, but it is not a good idea. The device was programmed to deliver a specific output through a specific receiver, and changing the receiver changes that relationship in a way the programming does not account for. If a device is not loud enough, the correct step is to have it reprogrammed rather than to change the hardware.
Are receivers interchangeable between manufacturers?: No. The connector, the wire and the coding differ between makers and frequently between model generations from the same maker. Phonak SDS 4.0 and SDS 5.0, for example, are different fittings from the same manufacturer. Always match the part number printed on the receiver you are replacing.
Why did my receiver stop working?: Before assuming the receiver has failed, check the wax guard and the dome, because a blocked guard is by far the commonest reason a device goes quiet and it takes under a minute to change. If a new guard and a new dome do not restore it, moisture damage and a broken wire are the next candidates, and both usually mean replacing the receiver.
Does receiver power relate to hearing loss severity?: Loosely, and only as a starting point. More severe loss needs more output, which is why the ranges exist. But the selection is made against the shape of a full audiogram rather than a single number, and factors such as the physical fit and the amount of venting also affect how much output is usable. It is a fitting decision, not a lookup.

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Last updated 2026-09-17.