The Truth About Cheap “Hearing Aids”

The word “cheap” has dual meanings. On the one hand, it indicates affordability, a smart option for a budget-conscious individual. But we’ve all heard the phrase “You get what you pay for”, and in this example, the word “cheap” suggests low-quality hearing aids.

Regrettably, differentiating between an economical purchase and an item of minimal value is often tricky. With regard to hearing aids, this couldn’t be more relevant.

The saying “you get what you pay for” is particularly potent with hearing aids. This means eliminating the devices that are priced in the “too good to be true” range, not automatically opting for the most costly choice. Companies marketing cheap hearing devices often omit important details about their products that consumers should be aware of.

They typically just amplify sound

Cheap “hearing aids” generally provide minimal functionality, mainly amplifying or reducing overall volume. If you amplify 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 slippers moving across the floor.

If everything is louder, it completely defeats the purpose of having a hearing aid.

A modern state-of-the-art hearing aid, in contrast, does much more than just turn up the volume. It reduces background sound while expertly managing sound and maximizing clarity. Genuine hearing aids are tuned to your specific hearing requirements, closely mimicking natural hearing with better accuracy.

PSAPs vs. Hearing Aids

There are stringent rules about what an advertiser can call a hearing aid as published by the Food and Drug Administration.

Unfortunately, many personal sound amplification products PSAPs are incorrectly sold as hearing aids even though they only amplify sound.

Most reputable companies follow the rules. But you might 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 may even find some that claim that they’re FDA-approved when that’s actually false.

For most types of hearing loss they won’t be helpful at all

Most people who lose their hearing will gradually lose particular frequencies of sound before others. For instance, you might have no trouble hearing a man with a low voice, but struggle with a woman’s or child’s voice, finding it difficult to understand.

A cheap hearing device usually results in total volume amplification. However, if you have trouble with specific frequencies, merely boosting the volume will be inadequate. And turning up the overall volume could result in additional damage to your hearing because the frequencies you don’t struggle with will be booming in your ears.

High-quality hearing aids offer a solution by being programmable to make up for the loss of specific frequencies. They can instantly adjust the frequency you struggle to hear to one that is more audible, delivering a more customized and reliable hearing experience.

Feedback can be a problem

Cheap hearing aids are generally not custom fit to your ears. A feedback loop is frequently the consequence of poorly fitting hearing aids. The microphone picks up the sound from the speaker in your ear as it wiggles around. This will result in a deafening screech.

They normally don’t have cellphone support

When people are looking for a budget-friendly device, they often sacrifice functionality like Bluetooth capability. When considering phone connectivity, the lack of Bluetooth is a huge hurdle. With cheaper hearing devices, when you attempt to amplify phone calls, your device will amplify every little sound, like your lips or ears brushing on the phone, or clothing and hair.

In comparison, digital hearing aids use telecoil or Bluetooth technology, creating a wireless connection between your hearing aid and the phone. Overall communication and clarity will be improved so you can be certain you will hear your daughter’s voice on the phone.

They were never intended to treat hearing loss

Most individuals would most likely be surprised by this. PSAPs were never designed for people with hearing loss. They were made to amplify sound for people who have fairly good hearing.

Cheap devices might help a little if you only have minor hearing loss. But they won’t be of much use for individuals who actually need hearing aids.

Finding quality, affordable hearing aids

There are lots of ways to get hearing aids affordably. They might even be covered by insurance or other third parties. You can also find financing options, leasing programs, and more affordable brands. The first step is to get a hearing assessment if you suspect you might have hearing loss. Make an appointment with us so we can help you get the best and most affordable hearing aids for your degree and type of hearing loss.