“Cheap Hearing Aids” What You Should Know

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

Regrettably, distinguishing between a thrifty purchase and an item of negligible value is often tricky. This is particularly relevant in the realm of hearing aids.

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” range, not automatically going for the most expensive option. Customers need to be aware that essential information is often excluded from the marketing campaigns of cheap hearing aids.

Cheaper hearing aids are basically only amplifiers

Cheap “hearing aids” generally provide limited functionality, primarily amplifying or reducing overall volume. If you boost 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 moving across the floor.

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

A contemporary state-of-the-art hearing aid, in contrast, does a lot more than just turn up the volume. It reduces background noise while skillfully managing sound and maximizing clarity. Authentic hearing aids are tuned to your distinct hearing requirements, closely simulating natural hearing with greater accuracy.

Hearing aids vs. PSAPs

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 inaccurately sold as hearing aids even though they just amplify sound.

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

They aren’t helpful for the majority of types of hearing loss

The gradual loss of hearing usually involves trouble hearing specific frequencies rather than a sudden total loss. For example, you might have no trouble hearing a man with a low voice, but struggle with a woman’s or child’s voice, finding it challenging to understand.

You get total amplification with cheap hearing aids. However, if you have trouble with particular frequencies, just boosting the volume will be inadequate. Furthermore, turning the volume up significantly to hear the sound of your granddaughter playing on the floor might lead to your adult son’s speech sounding like a roar, potentially adding to hearing loss if exposed to high volumes for prolonged periods.

High-quality hearing aids provide a solution by being programmable to make up for the loss of specific frequencies. 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 a problem

You won’t get a custom fit with cheap hearing aids. Without that custom fit, you’ll generate a feedback loop. As the speaker in your ear wiggles around, the microphone picks up the sound. What does this sound like? An ear-shattering screech.

They typically won’t help you on your cellphone

Functionality is often sacrificed when opting for budget devices, and this is true for many inexpensive hearing aids lacking Bluetooth connectivity. The absence of Bluetooth becomes crucial 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.

On the other hand, 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. These amplifiers were never meant to treat hearing loss. They were made to help individuals who have fairly good hearing hear things a bit louder.

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

Finding quality, affordable hearing aids

Getting affordable quality hearing aids is not difficult. Insurance or other third parties might cover them. There are also affordable brands, leasing plans, and financing options. The first step is to get a hearing assessment if you suspect you may have hearing loss. Schedule an appointment with us so we can help you find the best and most affordable hearing aids for your degree and type of hearing loss.