FlySound H8 PureHear Pro Review: OTC Hearing Aids Tested in a Noisy Restaurant — With My Dad
I'm standing in a packed food court. Plates banging, cutlery clattering, every table talking at once — the exact environment that makes most hearing aids look useless. And I can hear the person in front of me perfectly clearly. That's the FlySound PureHear Pro H8 doing its job. This is the situation people with hearing loss actually struggle with, and it's the one most reviews quietly skip.
A little while back we reviewed the FlySound H8 and H9 for the first time. FlySound came back and asked if I'd do a proper restaurant test with the H8 PureHear Pro — so that's what this is. Three things today: a quick recap of what the H8 is and why it's different, then I sit down with my dad David, who has genuine hearing loss after 30 years around power stations and heavy machinery, and finally back into a noisy restaurant to walk you through exactly what I was hearing and how the noise reduction behaved. All around Brisbane and the Gold Coast, as always.
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01What Is the FlySound PureHear Pro H8?
The H8 PureHear Pro is an OTC hearing aid for mild to moderate hearing loss — no prescription needed. It's a proper behind-the-ear design, not a cheap sound amplifier dressed up as a hearing aid, and that distinction matters a lot more than the price tag does.
You get up to 60dB of gain with a wide frequency response reaching 8kHz. In plain English: it can lift the softer consonants and fine detail in speech without turning the whole room into a shouty mess. Inside it's running AI-powered noise reduction and multi-channel processing — it listens to what's around you and works out what's constant background noise versus what's an actual person talking, then treats the two differently instead of just making everything louder.
There's an app for a hearing test and a personalised profile, plus mode switching depending on where you are. Bluetooth streaming handles calls and media. The charging case both charges and dries the aids, which is a genuinely handy touch. Battery's been solid — around a full day per charge, with the case giving multiple recharges, so you're looking at days between plug-ins. They're IP68 water resistant too, so sweat and rain aren't a worry. I've had them down at the beach and never thought about moisture once.
02The Food Court Test: Where Hearing Aids Usually Fall Apart
The room I started in was genuinely brutal, and it's worth explaining why. Hard surfaces everywhere — glass, tiles, metal. All of that reflects sound, especially at high frequencies. So instead of noise being absorbed by soft furnishings, it bounces around and builds into one big wash of sound sitting on top of every conversation in the room.
If your hearing is already down a bit, your brain is working overtime in there, guessing at the gaps between words. That's the exhausting part nobody talks about — it isn't that you can't hear, it's that you're constantly reconstructing sentences. Older aids often make it worse, because a louder wall of sound is still a wall of sound.
03Meet Dad: 30 Years Around Power Stations
I wanted someone in this video who isn't me. My dad, David, is exactly who these are built for. He worked in power stations for around 30 years, plus mines and other places with very loud equipment. He's lost certain frequencies, and he lives with tinnitus — constant ringing in the ears.
First thing he noticed putting them on: everything went clear and crisp, and he could suddenly hear things he'd been missing. A dog barked somewhere nearby and he said it sounded like it was inside his head — he could barely hear it before. He also reckons I talk far too fast, which is fair, and said the H8 makes even that clearer and crisper.
The line that stuck with me was about everyone else, not him. It makes life easier for my mum and his friends, because they don't have to repeat themselves and they don't have to be standing right next to him. They can say something from across the room and he answers. From my mum's perspective, he called them a godsend. He's tested a fair few hearing aids over the years, and he rates these right at the top.
04Tinnitus, Modes & the Remote
The tinnitus side surprised me. Dad said that with the H8s in, the ringing steps back — at one point mid-interview he said he didn't have tinnitus at that moment at all, everything was just clear. That's his experience rather than a claim FlySound makes, and it won't be the same for everyone. If tinnitus is affecting your daily life, that's a conversation to have with an audiologist, not a purchase decision on its own.
On the modes — indoor, outdoor and restaurant — he found them very adaptable and well suited to each environment. He switches with the remote most of the time, which lives in his pocket and means he can change modes on the move without pulling a phone out. The app he uses for fine control and tuning. Both work; the remote just wins on convenience for someone who's out and about.
Calls and music were an easy yes for him too. His words: you're walking along, you answer your phone, you talk, and people think you're absolutely crazy — but you don't have to do anything else. It just works.
05Back to the Restaurant: What Restaurant Mode Actually Does
Back in the noise, I set them to a mode built for it — restaurant, via the app or the button. Here's what I noticed straight away: the constant background roar steps back. It's still there, you still know you're in a busy place, but it's like someone has nudged the fader down a couple of notches.
At the same time, the voice of the person across from me comes forward — more focused, locked into the centre. That's the AI noise reduction making a decision: this is the voice we care about, this is the general mush, push it down. It's the difference between hearing everything and hearing the thing you're actually trying to hear.
Dad backed this up independently. He said you definitely need the restaurant mode in a busy place — without it, it just becomes overwhelming. Select the right mode and you can actually enjoy the environment instead of enduring it.
06Sudden Sounds: Plates, Cutlery & Coffee Grinders
This is the thing I always pay attention to in a cafe, because it's where cheap amplifiers really hurt. Plates clanking, someone dropping cutlery, a coffee grinder kicking in — with a bad device, those land like a slap in the ear.
With the H8, those sounds are still audible, but the harshness gets toned down quickly. You know something happened, you're not cut off from the room, but it doesn't feel like a sharp shock. That's the balance you want, and it's harder to get right than it sounds.
07Walking Around: Outdoor Mode in the Shopping Centre
Mode switching is dead simple — there's an M button on the aid itself. Press it and you're back to home mode. Press again for outdoor, again for restaurant. No phone required, which matters when you're mid-conversation.
Walking through a shopping centre with them in, all the different sounds come through, but the balance shifts with the mode you're in. Outdoor mode pulls external voices back so the world isn't shouting at you. Restaurant mode pushes the person talking to you up front. It reads as one device behaving differently in different rooms, rather than three different volume settings, and that's the whole point.
Compared to chip amplifiers and older aids I've tested, the H8 does a notable job of keeping the person you're talking to on top of the mess. Not perfect — you still miss the odd word — but you're not lost in the conversation the way you might have been before.
08H8 vs H9: Which One Should You Get?
The H9 Nature Pro is the other model in the range, and it's a different shape for a different person. It looks like a modern fitness earbud rather than a classic hearing aid, and it's the one I still lean on for streaming and long walks. Everything in this review about restaurant noise and conversation clarity applies to both — the difference is style and use case.
Dad's take on the H9 was about the water. He does a lot of motorcycle riding, canoeing and paddle boarding, and reckons being able to take them out on the water — phone in a waterproof pouch, still able to talk to people — is fantastic.
| PureHear Pro H8 | Nature Pro H9 | |
|---|---|---|
| Style | Classic behind-the-ear | Modern sporty earbud look |
| Best for | Parents and grandparents who want it to just work | Streaming, all-day wear, active use |
| Speech in noise | ✓ Same AI noise reduction | ✓ Same AI noise reduction |
| Modes | Indoor · Outdoor · Restaurant | Indoor · Outdoor · Restaurant |
| Control | Pocket remote + M button + app | App-led |
| Andy's pick for | Handing to mum or dad | Running, riding, paddle boarding |
⚙Full Specs
The Verdict & Who It's For
The big thing for me, after the restaurant test and after watching Dad wear these for days, is that they're not just making the world louder — they're actively trying to make speech easier, and specifically in the hard environments where hearing loss actually bites. Restaurant mode does something real. The sudden-sound handling is well judged. The pocket remote means Dad isn't fumbling for a phone mid-conversation. And the tinnitus relief he described was the genuine surprise of the whole shoot.
The catches, honestly: these are OTC devices for mild to moderate hearing loss, and they are not a substitute for an audiologist. Even in restaurant mode you'll still miss the odd word — it's better, not magic. You have to switch modes for it to work properly; leave it in the wrong one in a busy room and it'll feel overwhelming, which is a small learning curve for anyone who just wants to put them in and forget about them. And this is a follow-up test focused on noisy environments, not a twelve-month durability report — for the full app walkthrough and the original H8 vs H9 breakdown, my first review covers that ground.
Who's it for? If you turn the TV up higher than everyone else, you're saying "sorry, what was that?" more often than you used to, and cafes and restaurants feel like a wall of sound — these are worth a serious look. The H8 is the one I'd hand to a parent or grandparent who's comfortable with the classic behind-the-ear look and wants something that just works. The H9 is the better call if you want a modern sporty style, you stream a lot, and you're wearing them all day.
$Where to Buy + Giveaway
Any purchase through these links supports the channel at no extra cost to you. Got a question about a specific situation — restaurants, driving, watching TV, walking on the beach? Drop it in the comments on the video and I'll do my best to answer, and I'll bring Dad back in for a proper Q&A if you want the real user perspective. For more real-world tech reviews, subscribe to MrYouWho on YouTube — who tests it for you? MrYouWho.
?Frequently Asked Questions
Do hearing aids work in noisy restaurants?+
Better than they used to, if you use the right mode. In a busy food court the FlySound H8's restaurant mode pushed the constant background roar back and brought the voice in front of me forward, so the conversation sat clearly in the centre. You still miss the odd word — it's an improvement, not a miracle — but you're not lost in the conversation the way you would be with an older aid or a basic amplifier.
What is the FlySound PureHear Pro H8?+
It's an over-the-counter (OTC) hearing aid for mild to moderate hearing loss, in a classic behind-the-ear design. It delivers up to 60dB of gain with frequency response up to 8kHz, runs AI noise reduction and multi-channel processing, and has indoor, outdoor and restaurant modes you can switch with a button on the aid, a pocket remote, or the app.
Do you need a prescription for the FlySound H8?+
No — it's an OTC device, so no prescription is required for mild to moderate hearing loss. That said, if you have sudden hearing loss, ear pain, dizziness or anything that feels more serious, see a doctor or audiologist first. An over-the-counter hearing aid is not a diagnosis, and severe hearing loss needs a professional.
Can hearing aids help with tinnitus?+
My dad has tinnitus after 30 years around loud machinery, and he found the ringing stepped back noticeably with the H8s in — at one point during filming he said it wasn't there at all. That's his personal experience, not a medical claim, and it won't be the same for everyone. If tinnitus is affecting your daily life, talk to an audiologist about it properly.
How long does the FlySound H8 battery last?+
Around a full day of use on a single charge, with the case providing multiple recharges on top — so realistically days between plugging in. The case also dries the hearing aids as well as charging them, and the aids are IP68 water resistant, so sweat, rain and beach days aren't a problem.
FlySound H8 or H9 — which should I buy?+
Both use the same noise reduction and the same modes, so speech clarity is comparable. Choose the H8 if you want the classic behind-the-ear hearing aid look and simple operation with the pocket remote — it's the one I'd hand to a parent or grandparent. Choose the H9 Nature Pro if you'd rather a modern sporty earbud style, you stream a lot of music and calls, and you're active — running, riding, paddle boarding.
Are OTC hearing aids good enough, or do I need to see an audiologist?+
For mild to moderate hearing loss — the kind where you're turning the TV up and asking people to repeat themselves — OTC aids like the H8 can make daily life a lot easier without spending thousands. But they're self-fitted from an app-based hearing test, not a clinical assessment. If your hearing loss is severe, came on suddenly, affects one ear only, or comes with pain or dizziness, see a professional.
Affiliate Disclosure: This article contains affiliate links. As a FlySound affiliate we may earn a commission from qualifying purchases at no additional cost to you. All opinions are based on hands-on real-world testing. This article is not medical advice — the FlySound PureHear Pro H8 is an over-the-counter device for mild to moderate hearing loss, and severe cases need a doctor or audiologist.
