The Truth About Cheap “Hearing Aids”

The term “cheap” carries dual meanings. For anyone on a small budget, it means “affordability”. But we’ve all heard the saying “You get what you pay for”, and in this case, the word “cheap” indicates low-quality hearing aids.

Unfortunately, deciding if you’re getting a great deal from whether you’re purchasing a really low-quality device can be tricky. This is particularly true in the realm of hearing aids.

With hearing aids, the saying “you get what you pay for” rings particularly valid. This means eliminating the devices that are priced in the “too good to be true” range, not necessarily opting for the most costly choice. Customers need to recognize that important information is often left out of the marketing campaigns of cheap hearing aids.

Cheaper hearing aids are pretty much only amplifiers

Increasing the overall volume is generally the only thing cheap “hearing aids” can handle. If you amplify the volume to hear the TV better, you’ll also pick up background noises like the dishwasher, a fan in another room, a barking dog, or the sound of your house slippers going across the floor.

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

A modern state-of-the-art hearing aid, in contrast, does a lot more than just crank the volume up. It expertly manages sound, improving the clarity of desired sounds while tuning out background noise. Real hearing aids simulate natural hearing with great accuracy and are custom programmed to your particular 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 advertised as hearing aids even though they only 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. You may even find some that claim that they are FDA-approved when that’s actually not true.

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

The majority of people who lose their hearing will gradually lose particular frequencies of sound before others. 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.

A cheap hearing device typically results in overall volume amplification. But just cranking up the overall volume will not be sufficient for individuals who have a hard time hearing particular frequencies. And turning the overall volume up could result in added damage to your hearing because the frequencies you don’t have trouble with will be booming in your ears.

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

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. As the speaker in your ear wiggles around, the microphone picks up the sound. This will result in a deafening screech.

They normally don’t have cellphone support

When people are looking for a budget-friendly device, they frequently sacrifice functionality like Bluetooth capability. The absence of Bluetooth becomes crucial when considering phone connectivity. With cheaper hearing devices, when you try to amplify phone calls, your device will amplify every little sound, like your lips or ears brushing 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 speaks on the other end, her voice is transmitted directly into your hearing aids, enhancing clarity and overall communication.

They aren’t designed for people with hearing loss

This may come as a shock because so many people think otherwise. These amplifiers were never intended to treat hearing loss. They were designed to help people who have relatively good hearing hear things a little louder.

If you have very mild hearing loss then cheap devices may help a little. But they won’t be of much use for individuals who actually need hearing aids.

Finding quality, affordable hearing aids

Obtaining affordable quality hearing aids isn’t difficult. Insurance or other third parties may cover them. You can also find financing possibilities, leasing plans, and more affordable brands. The first step is to get a hearing assessment if you suspect you may have hearing loss. Call us today for a consultation, we can help figure out what’s best for you, depending on your level and type of hearing loss, and make sure you get a pair that won’t break the bank!

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