“Cheap Hearing Aids” What You Should Know

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 individual. Conversely, it indicates low-quality, turning a seemingly economical purchase into a not-so-smart choice, epitomized by the saying “You get what you pay for”.

Regrettably, differentiating 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 especially potent with hearing aids. This means eliminating the devices that are priced in the “too good to be true” zone, not automatically going for the most expensive choice. Consumers need to recognize that essential information is often left out of the marketing campaigns of cheap hearing aids.

They usually just amplify sound

Amplifying the overall volume is generally the only thing cheap “hearing aids” can handle. If you boost the volume to hear the TV better, you’ll also pick up background noises including the dishwasher, a fan in a different room, a barking dog, or the sound of your house shoes moving across the floor.

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

On the other hand, a high-quality, modern hearing aid goes beyond simple volume adjustment. It decreases background noise while skillfully managing sound and improving clarity. Authentic hearing aids simulate natural hearing with great accuracy and are custom tuned to your specific hearing needs.

PSAPs vs. Hearing Aids

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

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

There are many legitimate and reputable companies that comply with correct marketing. But there are some vendors, especially online, that may be misinformed about what characterizes the difference between hearing aids and PSAPs, and as a result, they put out misleading statements about their products. You may even find some that claim that they’re approved by the FDA when that’s actually not true.

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

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

A cheap hearing device usually results in total volume amplification. But just cranking up the overall volume will not be adequate for people who have a hard time hearing certain frequencies. Furthermore, turning up the volume considerably to catch the sound of your granddaughter playing on the floor might lead to 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, delivering a more tailored and reliable hearing experience.

Feedback can be an issue

Cheap hearing aids are usually not custom fit to your ears. A feedback loop is often the consequence of poorly fitting hearing aids. 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 people are looking for a budget-friendly device, they often sacrifice functionality like Bluetooth connectivity. The lack of Bluetooth becomes critical when considering phone connectivity. 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.

More advanced hearing aids are digital and utilize Bluetooth connectivity to connect directly to your phone. This advanced feature ensures that when your daughter speaks on the other end, her voice is transmitted directly into your hearing aids, enhancing clarity and overall communication.

They were never intended to treat hearing loss

The majority of individuals would probably be surprised by this. PSAPs were never designed for people with 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 they won’t be of much help for people who actually need hearing aids.

Finding quality, affordable hearing aids

Obtaining affordable quality hearing aids isn’t hard. Insurance or other third parties might cover them. 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 get the best and most affordable hearing aids for your degree and type of hearing loss.