Inclusion Criteria:  hearing aid candidacy (N2-N7 hearing loss) healthy outer and middle ears ability to complete questionnaires willingness to use smartphone informed consent documented by a signature willingness to wear a binaural BTE fitting willingness to use app and accessories willingness to adhere to COVID protocols  Exclusion Criteria:  contraindications to the MD in this study: known hypersensitivity or allergy to investigational product/earmold limited mobility/not able to attend appointments limited ability to describe listening impressions/experiences inability to produce a reliable hearing test result limited dexterity - to point that participant cannot manage hearing aid insertion/removal known psychological disorders