For years, LACE and clEAR were the two research-rooted names in listening training, and people compared them the way you would compare two rival products. That comparison is now out of date. clEAR became Amptify, and Amptify was folded into LACE AI Pro at the end of 2024. Here is the full picture.
There is no LACE-versus-clEAR decision left to make. clEAR, the training program built at Washington University in St. Louis, was relaunched as Amptify. In December 2024, Neurotone AI — the company behind LACE — announced it was acquiring Amptify and folding its content into LACE AI Pro, effective at the end of that year.
The web trail confirms it. clEAR's old site no longer resolves at all, and amptify.com redirects straight to neurotone.com. We checked both on July 11, 2026. Old comparison articles are still in search results, which is why the question keeps coming up.
clEAR was game-based listening training from a Washington University team led by Nancy Tye-Murray, launched as a company in 2016. Its signature idea was training with familiar voices: the games could use recordings of your spouse, your children, or whoever you most wanted to understand.
As Amptify, the program grew into a broader hearing health platform. By the time of the acquisition, Neurotone singled out its cochlear implant content and its communication strategies material as the pieces being brought into LACE AI Pro.
LACE is the most-studied listening training program available, with more than 20 years of research and over 10 published trials behind it. The AI Pro version adapts difficulty to your performance across speech in noise, rapid speech, and memory-based exercises, and it added practice with recorded family voices — the idea clEAR was known for.
It runs on iPhone, iPad, Android, and the web, with both store listings updated in June 2026, and as of April 2026 it supports English, Spanish, French, German, and several other languages. Access is the catch: its own listing says you must be registered by a hearing care professional before you can log in. Neurotone publishes no consumer price; partner clinics list about $499 one-time.
More than 20 years of research, 10+ published trials
Adaptive difficulty; speech in noise, rapid speech, memory exercises
Family-voice practice, carried forward from the clEAR lineage
Provider registration required; about $499 at partner clinics
If you were weighing either program, the path is the same: ask your hearing care professional about LACE AI Pro. If your provider includes it in your care at no extra cost, the strongest evidence base in the category comes with someone tracking your progress.
If what drew you to clEAR was the familiar-voice training, ask specifically about the family-voice feature. That thread of clEAR's work — and its founder, who joined the LACE AI Pro team — now lives there.
Not everyone wants to book an appointment to start practicing. ReDi from MED-EL and WordSuccess from Advanced Bionics are free, work with any device brand, and need no registration. SoundSteps — our app, so we have a stake here — runs in any browser with a free version: word pairs, sentences, conversations, and stories with adjustable background noise, and full access for your first 7 days with no card.
FAQ
No. clEAR became Amptify, and Amptify was acquired by Neurotone AI and folded into LACE AI Pro at the end of 2024. clEAR's old website no longer loads, and amptify.com redirects to neurotone.com.
Historically, LACE offered adaptive speech-in-noise training with the deepest research record in the category, while clEAR offered game-based training built at Washington University, known for using familiar voices like a spouse or child. Today they are one program: LACE AI Pro.
The idea lives on inside LACE AI Pro, which added practice with recorded family voices. clEAR's founder, Nancy Tye-Murray, joined the LACE AI Pro team as part of the Amptify acquisition.
Neurotone publishes no consumer price. Partner clinics list about $499 one-time, and you register through a hearing care professional rather than buying it directly. Some providers include it in a care plan at no extra cost.
Related reading
A fair, factual look at LACE AI Pro before you buy.
What to try if LACE is not the right fit for your listening practice.
Every listening-practice app compared: price, platforms, devices, languages.
A fair roundup of listening practice apps by price, features, and fit.
What the research supports, what varies, and how to judge an app for yourself.
SoundSteps
SoundSteps needs no provider registration. Take the free listening check in your browser and begin today — no card, no appointment.
SoundSteps is designed for hearing training and practice. It is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any medical condition. Consult a healthcare professional for medical advice.
