Hi Len, the MX-RIC is certainly worth the extra cost. The receiver in canal design provides a more natural sound experience. It does this by placing the receiver (or speaker) directly into your ear canal. This is different from other hearing aids where they place the receiver in the hearing aid and then feed sound into your ear through a tube. By placing the receiver in your ear canal, it also helps with providing excellent sound clarity while cutting out the distortion you might experience with tube-based hearing aids.