“Cheap Hearing Aids” What You Should Know

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

Regrettably, distinguishing between an economical purchase and an item of negligible value is often tricky. When it comes to hearing aids, this couldn’t be more relevant.

The saying “you get what you pay for” is especially relevant with hearing aids. This means weeding out the devices that are priced in the “too good to be true” zone, not necessarily going for the most expensive option. Consumers need to be aware that essential information is often excluded from the marketing campaigns of cheap hearing aids.

Cheaper hearing aids are pretty much only amplifiers

Amplifying the overall volume is generally the only thing cheap “hearing aids” are capable of. 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.

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

A modern state-of-the-art hearing aid, in comparison, does much more than simply crank up the volume. It decreases background noise while expertly managing sound and enhancing clarity. Authentic hearing aids mimic natural hearing with great accuracy and are custom programmed to your specific hearing needs.

PSAPs vs. Hearing Aids

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

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

There are many legitimate and reputable providers that comply with correct marketing. But there are some sellers, particularly online, that might be misinformed about what defines the difference between hearing aids and PSAPs, and consequently, they put out misleading claims about their products. You may even find some that claim that they’re FDA-approved when that’s actually false.

They aren’t helpful for most kinds of hearing loss

The gradual loss of hearing often involves trouble hearing specific frequencies instead of an abrupt total loss. For instance, you may have no trouble hearing a man with a low voice, but have difficulty with a woman’s or child’s voice, finding it difficult to understand.

You get total amplification with cheap hearing aids. But just cranking up the total volume will not be sufficient for people who have a hard time hearing certain frequencies. And turning up the overall volume could lead to additional damage to your hearing because the frequencies you don’t have trouble with will be roaring in your ears.

High-quality hearing aids can be programmed to increase particular frequencies providing a much better solution. They provide a more personalized hearing experience by shifting frequencies you can’t hear very well to frequencies you hear better.

Feedback can be a problem

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 jiggles around. What does this sound like? An ear-shattering screech.

They usually don’t have cellphone support

Functionality is often sacrificed when choosing budget options, and this is true for many inexpensive hearing aids lacking Bluetooth capability. When considering phone connectivity, the absence of Bluetooth is a significant obstacle. With cheaper hearing devices, when you try to amplify phone calls, your device will amplify every little sound, like your lips or ears rubbing against the phone, or clothing and hair.

More advanced hearing aids are digital and utilize 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, enhancing clarity and overall communication.

They were never meant to treat hearing loss

This could come as a shock because so many individuals think otherwise. These amplifiers were never meant to treat hearing loss. They were made to amplify sound for individuals who have relatively good hearing.

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

Where can you get quality affordable hearing aids?

There are lots of ways to get hearing aids affordably. They may even be covered by insurance or other third parties. You can also find financing options, leasing plans, and more affordable brands. If you think you have hearing loss, start by getting checked out. 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.