Hearing aids have come a long way from the clunky, whistling devices your grandparents might have worn. Today’s models sit discreetly behind your ear, pack serious technology into a shell no bigger than your thumb, and process sound thousands of times per second. Oticon, a Danish company with over a century of hearing-care experience, has been at the forefront of that evolution.
If you wear an Oticon behind-the-ear (BTE) hearing aid, or you’re thinking about getting one, understanding how each part works gives you a real edge. You’ll troubleshoot faster, clean more effectively, and get better performance out of your device day after day.
The good news is that these devices are far less complicated than they look from the outside. Every piece has a clear purpose, and once you know what each one does, the whole system clicks into place. Let’s break it all down.
Oticon Hearing Aid Parts Diagram & Details
The diagram shows a standard Oticon behind-the-ear hearing aid viewed from the side, with labeled callouts pointing to each major component. The body of the device is a slim, curved housing designed to hook over the top of your ear and rest snugly against the back. From the top of the housing, a thin sound tube extends forward and curves downward to deliver amplified sound directly into your ear canal. The lower portion of the housing contains the battery compartment, complete with a small nail grip for easy opening.
Along the rear face of the device, you can see the push button used for volume and program control, along with an optional LED indicator that provides visual feedback on settings and battery life. Two small microphone openings sit at the very top of the housing, positioned to capture sound from your environment as naturally as possible.
Each of these six parts plays a specific role in how the hearing aid picks up, processes, and delivers sound to your ear. Here’s what every component does and why it matters to your everyday listening experience.
1. Microphone Openings
Perched at the very top of the hearing aid housing, the microphone openings are where everything begins. These tiny ports allow environmental sound to enter the device, and their placement at the highest point of the casing is intentional. Positioning them here helps the hearing aid pick up sound the way your natural ear would, capturing voices, music, traffic, and other audio from the direction you’re facing.
Most Oticon BTE models use a dual-microphone setup behind those openings. That means two microphones work together to identify where sound is coming from and separate speech from background noise. This is the technology that makes it easier to follow a conversation in a busy restaurant or hear your friend on a windy sidewalk.
Keeping the microphone openings clean is one of the simplest things you can do to protect your hearing aid’s performance. Even a small buildup of dust, moisture, or earwax residue around these ports can muffle incoming sound and make everything seem quieter or distorted. A gentle wipe with a dry, soft cloth each evening goes a long way.
2. Thin Tube
Running from the top of the housing and curving down toward your ear canal, the thin tube is the delivery route for amplified sound. After the hearing aid’s internal processor does its work, the boosted audio signal travels through this narrow, flexible tube and into your ear. Its slim profile is one of the reasons modern BTE hearing aids look so discreet compared to older models.
The tube is made from a soft, medical-grade material that holds its curved shape but still flexes comfortably as you move your head, chew, or talk. At the end of the tube, a small dome or earmold tip sits inside your ear canal to create a secure, comfortable fit and direct the sound exactly where it needs to go.
Over time, thin tubes can stiffen, yellow, or develop tiny cracks from daily wear and exposure to body oils and moisture. When this happens, sound quality drops and the tube may even slip out of position more easily. Most audiologists recommend replacing the thin tube every three to six months, though your mileage will vary depending on climate and how much you perspire.
3. Push Button
Located on the back face of the housing, right where your fingertip naturally lands, the push button is your main hands-on control. A quick press lets you cycle through different listening programs your audiologist has set up for you. These programs might include a general everyday setting, a focused mode for noisy environments, a music listening profile, or a telecoil mode for use with hearing loops.
Beyond program switching, the push button can serve as a mute toggle and a volume adjuster, depending on how your hearing care professional configures it. Some users prefer a single short press to shift programs and a long press to mute, while others like a press-and-hold action for volume changes. The beauty is that it’s customizable to your habits.
That said, if you find yourself pressing the button repeatedly throughout the day, it might be worth scheduling a follow-up appointment with your audiologist. Frequent manual adjustments can signal that the automatic settings need fine-tuning, and a quick reprogramming session could make a big difference in your comfort.
4. LED (Optional)
Sitting just below the push button on certain Oticon models, the LED indicator is a small light that communicates status information at a glance. When you press the push button, the LED may flash a specific color or pattern to tell you which listening program is active. It can also display your current volume level through different flash sequences, so you always know where your settings stand without guessing.
Perhaps its most practical function is battery monitoring. A steady green light might tell you the battery is healthy, while an orange or red flash warns you that power is running low and it’s time to swap in a fresh cell. For rechargeable Oticon models, the LED typically indicates charging progress when the device is docked in its charger.
Worth noting: the LED is labeled “optional” because not every Oticon BTE model includes one. Some of the smaller, more cosmetically focused designs skip the light to save space and keep the housing as streamlined as possible. If your device doesn’t have an LED, you can usually check battery and program status through the Oticon companion app on your smartphone instead.
5. Battery Drawer
At the bottom of the hearing aid housing, the battery drawer is a small hinged compartment that holds the device’s power source. For models that use disposable zinc-air batteries, you simply open the drawer, drop in a fresh battery (typically size 312 or 13, depending on the model), and close it. The drawer’s hinge is engineered to hold the battery firmly in place so it doesn’t rattle or lose contact during wear.
What many people don’t realize is that the battery drawer doubles as your on/off switch. When the drawer is fully closed, the circuit completes and the hearing aid powers on. Cracking it open, even slightly, breaks the circuit and shuts the device off. This means you don’t need a separate power button, and opening the drawer at night is one of the easiest habits to build for extending battery life.
Moisture is the battery drawer’s biggest enemy. Sweat, humidity, and even condensation from temperature changes can corrode the battery contacts over time. If you live in a humid climate or tend to perspire a lot, storing your hearing aids in a dehumidifying case overnight will protect those tiny metal contacts and help your batteries last closer to their full rated lifespan.
6. Nail Grip
Right next to the battery drawer, you’ll find a small, textured ridge called the nail grip. Its purpose is straightforward: it gives your fingernail a place to catch so you can pop the battery drawer open without struggling. That might sound like a minor detail, but anyone who has tried to pry open a tiny compartment with sweaty or lotion-covered fingers knows how frustrating it can be.
The nail grip is especially valuable for people with reduced dexterity, arthritis, or limited fine motor control in their fingers. Because hearing aid users span every age group and ability level, Oticon designs this feature to be as accessible as possible. The ridge is pronounced enough to feel with your fingertip, even if your sense of touch isn’t what it used to be.
If you still find the nail grip difficult to use, ask your audiologist about battery drawer opening tools. These inexpensive, pen-sized accessories give you extra leverage and a larger grip surface, making the daily battery swap quick and painless. Some users also find that keeping their fingernails trimmed to a short, even length makes catching the nail grip much more consistent.
