A compressible hearing aid includes an exterior deformable skin which
bounds an internal region which is filled, at least in part, with an
open-cell foam, the foam can be wrapped around or molded to contain an
audio output transducer. The skin is not self-supporting and in response
to applied forces from user's ear canal, the skin and the foam both
deform and readily compress exhibiting a reduced volume. Though
compressed, the foam exerts an outward force against the skin thereby
continuing to form an elongated seal between the skin and the external
periphery of the user's dynamically changing ear canal. As the volume of
the ear canal increases, the skin and open-cell foam expand, exhibiting
an increased internal volume, while maintaining a comfortable seal with
the ear canal. A plurality of external ribs carried on the skin not only
reduces feedback but promotes drying of the ear canal and promotes
retention of the hearing aid in the ear canal.