The Truth About Cheap “Hearing Aids”

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

Unfortunately, determining whether you’re getting a great value from whether you’re purchasing a really low-quality device can be challenging. With regard to hearing aids, this couldn’t be more relevant.

With hearing aids, the saying “you get what you pay for” is particularly valid. This means weeding out the devices that are priced in the “too good to be true” range, not automatically going for the most expensive option. Companies marketing inexpensive hearing devices often leave out essential details about their products that consumers should be aware of.

They typically just amplify sound

Cheap “hearing aids” usually offer 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 a different room, a barking dog, or the sound of your house shoes going across the floor.

If everything is louder, it entirely defeats the purpose of using a hearing aid.

Contrastingly, a high-quality, contemporary hearing aid goes beyond simple volume adjustment. It skillfully manages sound, maximizing the clarity of desired sounds while reducing background noise. Authentic hearing aids are tuned to your specific hearing needs, closely simulating natural hearing with increased accuracy.

Hearing aids vs. PSAPs

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

Regrettably, there are many devices out there that are advertised as hearing aids when they’re technically personal sound amplification products (PSAPs), named such because they can only amplify sound.

There are many legit and reputable providers that comply with correct marketing. But there are some sellers, particularly online, that might be misinformed about what characterizes the difference between hearing aids and PSAPs, and consequently, they put out misleading claims about their products. You might even find some that state that they’re FDA-approved when that’s actually not true.

For the majority of kinds of hearing loss they won’t be effective at all

The majority of individuals who lose their hearing will gradually lose particular frequencies of sound before others. For instance, you may have no problems hearing a man with a low voice, but struggle with a woman’s or child’s voice, finding it challenging to comprehend.

A cheap hearing device typically results in total volume amplification. But just cranking up the total volume will not be sufficient for people who have a difficult time hearing certain frequencies. And turning the overall volume up could lead to added damage to your hearing because the frequencies you don’t have trouble with will be roaring in your ears.

High-quality hearing aids provide a solution by being programmable to compensate for the loss of specific frequencies. They can automatically adjust the frequency you struggle to hear to one that is more audible, providing a more customized and effective hearing experience.

You might get a lot of feedback

You won’t get a custom fit with cheap hearing aids. Without that custom fit, you’ll create a feedback loop. The microphone picks up the sound from the speaker in your ear as it jiggles around. This will result in a deafening screech.

They typically won’t help you on your cellphone

When individuals are looking for a budget-friendly device, they often sacrifice functionality like Bluetooth connectivity. When thinking about phone connectivity, the lack of Bluetooth is a major hurdle. 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 difficult to hear the person on the other end.

More sophisticated hearing aids are digital and utilize Bluetooth connectivity to connect directly to your phone. This state-of-the-art feature ensures that when your daughter speaks on the other end, her voice is sent directly into your hearing aids, improving clarity and overall communication.

They were never intended to treat hearing loss

Most individuals would probably be surprised by this. These amplifiers were never meant to treat hearing loss. They were made to help individuals who have relatively good hearing hear things a bit louder.

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

Where can you get 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 plans, and financing possibilities. The first step is to get a hearing assessment if you suspect you might have hearing loss. Call us today for a consultation, we can help figure out what’s best for you, depending on your amount and type of hearing loss, and make sure you get a pair that won’t break the bank!