The Truth About Cheap “Hearing Aids”

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

Regrettably, distinguishing between a thrifty purchase and an item of negligible value is often challenging. This is especially true in the realm of hearing aids.

The adage “you get what you pay for” is particularly relevant with hearing aids. This means weeding out the devices that are priced in the “too good to be true” zone, not automatically opting for the most expensive option. Companies marketing inexpensive hearing devices often leave out important details about their products that customers should be aware of.

Cheaper hearing aids are pretty much only amplifiers

Increasing the overall volume is typically the only thing cheap “hearing aids” are capable of. When you just amplify everything, the sounds you want to hear better are amplified but so are undesirable background sounds you don’t want.

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

Contrastingly, a high-quality, modern hearing aid goes beyond simple volume adjustment. It skillfully manages sound, improving the clarity of desired sounds while reducing background noise. Authentic hearing aids are tuned to your distinct hearing needs, closely mimicking natural hearing with better accuracy.

PSAPs vs. Hearing Aids

The Food and Drug Administration has written guidelines for companies who sell hearing devices and have stringent rules as to what can be labeled hearing aids.

Unfortunately, many personal sound amplification products PSAPs are incorrectly sold as hearing aids even though they just 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 believing that these devices meet the definition of a hearing aid. Some even inaccurately advertise that they are FDA-approved.

They’re not inclusive for the majority of kinds of hearing loss

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

You get overall amplification with cheap hearing aids. However, if you struggle with certain frequencies, just increasing the volume will be insufficient. Moreover, turning the volume up significantly to catch the sound of your granddaughter playing on the floor might lead to your adult son’s speech sounding like a roar, potentially contributing to hearing loss if exposed to high volumes for extended periods.

High-quality hearing aids offer a solution by being programmable to make up for the loss of specific frequencies. They provide a more personalized hearing experience by shifting frequencies you can’t hear very well to frequencies you hear better.

Feedback can be an issue

Cheap hearing aids are typically not custom fit to your ears. Without that custom fit, you’ll create a feedback loop. The microphone picks up the sound from the speaker in your ear as it wiggles around. What does this sound like? An ear-shattering screech.

They normally don’t have cellphone support

When people are looking for a budget-friendly device, they frequently sacrifice functionality like Bluetooth capability. When thinking about phone connectivity, the absence of Bluetooth is a significant obstacle. With cheaper hearing devices, when you attempt to amplify phone calls, your device will amplify every little sound, like your lips or ears rubbing on the phone, or clothing and hair.

More advanced hearing aids are digital and use Bluetooth connectivity to connect directly to your phone. This advanced feature ensures that when your daughter talks 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

The majority of individuals would probably be surprised by this. These amplifiers were never intended to treat hearing loss. They were made to help people who have fairly good hearing hear things a little louder.

If you have very mild hearing loss then cheap devices might help a little. But individuals who actually need hearing aids won’t find these cheaper devices that helpful.

Finding quality, affordable hearing aids

There are many ways to get hearing aids affordably. They might even be covered by insurance or other third parties. There are also affordable brands, leasing plans, and financing possibilities. If you think you have hearing loss, begin by getting checked out. Make an appointment with us so we can help you find the best and most affordable hearing aids for your level and type of hearing loss.