“Cheap Hearing Aids” What You Should Know

There are a couple different ways to interpret the word “cheap hearing aids”. On the one hand, it indicates affordability, a sensible choice for a budget-conscious person. On the other hand, it indicates low-quality, turning a seemingly economical purchase into a not-so-smart decision, epitomized by the saying “You get what you pay for”.

Unfortunately, deciding if you’re getting a great deal from whether you’re purchasing a really low-quality device can be challenging. This is especially true in terms of hearing aids.

With hearing aids, the axiom “you get what you pay for” rings particularly true. This doesn’t necessarily mean picking the top-tier option, but rather, scrutinizing offerings that boast a price tag too tempting to be authentic. Customers need to be aware that important information is often excluded from the marketing campaigns of cheap hearing aids.

Cheaper hearing aids are basically only amplifiers

Cheap “hearing aids” typically provide minimal functionality, primarily amplifying or decreasing overall volume. If you boost the volume to hear the TV better, you’ll also get background noises including the dishwasher, a fan in another room, a barking dog, or the sound of your house shoes moving across the floor.

The purpose of having a hearing aid is totally defeated if it also amplifies undesirable sound.

A contemporary state-of-the-art hearing aid, in contrast, does a lot more than just crank up the volume. It minimizes background noise while skillfully managing sound and maximizing clarity. Authentic hearing aids are tailored to your distinct hearing requirements, closely simulating natural hearing with increased accuracy.

Hearing aids vs. PSAPs

The Food and Drug Administration has written guidelines for those who sell hearing devices and have strict rules as to what can be called hearing aids.

Unfortunately, many personal sound amplification products PSAPs are wrongly marketed as hearing aids even though they just amplify sound.

Most reputable providers comply. But you may find some uninformed salespeople or products on Amazon or eBay that mislead consumers into thinking that these devices meet the classification of a hearing aid. You might even find some that claim that they are FDA-approved when that’s actually not true.

They’re not inclusive for most kinds of hearing loss

The majority of people who lose their hearing will gradually lose particular frequencies of sound before others. You may have a difficult time understanding a small child or a woman, for instance, but you have no issue understanding a man with a low voice.

A cheap hearing device typically results in total volume amplification. But just cranking up the total volume will not be adequate for people who have a difficult time hearing specific frequencies. Moreover, turning up the volume significantly to hear the sound of your granddaughter playing on the floor may result in your adult son’s voice sounding like a roar, possibly contributing to hearing loss if subjected to high volumes for prolonged periods.

High-quality hearing aids can be programmed to increase selected frequencies providing a much better solution. They can automatically adjust the frequency you struggle to hear to one that is more audible, providing a more tailored and reliable hearing experience.

Feedback can be a problem

You won’t get a custom fit with cheap hearing aids. Without that custom fit, you’ll create a feedback loop. As the speaker in your ear jiggles around, the microphone picks up the sound. What does this sound like? An ear-shattering screech.

They usually don’t have cellphone support

When individuals are looking for a budget-friendly device, they often sacrifice functionality like Bluetooth capability. The lack of Bluetooth becomes crucial when thinking about phone connectivity. Attempting to amplify a cheap hearing aid while on the phone results in capturing not only the caller’s voice but also the sounds of your ear, lips, clothing, and hair rubbing against the phone, making it even more challenging to hear the person on the other end.

On the other hand, digital hearing aids utilize telecoil or Bluetooth technology, establishing a wireless connection between your hearing aid and the phone. This state-of-the-art feature ensures that when your daughter talks on the other end, her voice is sent directly into your hearing aids, enhancing clarity and overall communication.

They aren’t designed for individuals with hearing loss

This might come as a surprise because so many people think otherwise. These amplifiers were never meant to treat hearing loss. They were designed to help individuals who have fairly good hearing hear things a little louder.

Cheap devices may help a little if you only have slight hearing loss. But people who actually need hearing aids won’t find these cheaper devices very helpful.

Finding quality, affordable hearing aids

There are lots of ways to get hearing aids affordably. Insurance or other third parties might cover them. There are also affordable brands, leasing programs, and financing possibilities. The first step is to get a hearing test if you think you might have hearing loss. Make an appointment with us so we can help you find the best and most affordable hearing aids for your degree and type of hearing loss.