“Cheap Hearing Aids” What You Should Know

There are a couple different ways to interpret the term “cheap hearing aids”. On the one hand, it signifies affordability, a sensible 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. This is especially relevant in terms of hearing aids.

With hearing aids, the saying “you get what you pay for” rings particularly true. This means weeding out the devices that are priced in the “too good to be true” zone, not automatically opting for the most costly choice. Companies marketing cheap hearing devices often leave out important details about their products that consumers should know about.

Cheaper hearing aids are basically only amplifiers

Cheap “hearing aids” usually provide minimal functionality, mainly 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 slippers going across the floor.

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

On the other hand, a high-quality, modern hearing aid goes beyond simple volume adjustment. It reduces background noise while expertly managing sound and maximizing clarity. Authentic hearing aids mimic natural hearing with great accuracy and are custom programmed to your specific hearing needs.

PSAPs vs. Hearing Aids

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

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

The majority of reputable providers comply. But there are some sellers, particularly online, that may be misinformed about what defines the difference between hearing aids and PSAPs, and consequently, they put out misleading claims about their products. Some even incorrectly advertise that they are FDA-approved.

They aren’t helpful for most types of hearing loss

The majority of people who lose their hearing will gradually lose particular frequencies of sound before others. You may have a hard time understanding a little kid or a woman, for example, but you have no problem understanding a man with a low voice.

A cheap hearing device usually results in overall volume amplification. However, if you struggle with certain frequencies, just boosting the volume proves insufficient. Furthermore, turning up the volume considerably to hear the sound of your granddaughter playing on the floor may lead to your adult son’s speech sounding like a roar, possibly adding to hearing loss if subjected to high volumes for prolonged periods.

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.

You may get a lot of feedback

You won’t get a custom fit with cheap hearing aids. A feedback loop is often the outcome 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 normally don’t have cellphone support

When individuals are looking for a budget-friendly device, they frequently sacrifice functionality like Bluetooth connectivity. When thinking about phone connectivity, the lack of Bluetooth is a major obstacle. Attempting to amplify a cheap hearing aid while on the phone leads to capturing not just the caller’s voice but also the sounds of your ear, lips, clothing, and hair brushing against the phone, making it even more difficult to hear the person on the other end.

More advanced hearing aids are digital and use Bluetooth connectivity to connect directly to your 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

The majority of individuals would probably be surprised by this. PSAPs were never made for people with hearing loss. They were designed to amplify sound for people who have fairly good hearing.

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

There are many ways to get hearing aids affordably. Insurance or other third parties may cover them. There are also affordable brands, leasing plans, and financing possibilities. If you suspect 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 level and type of hearing loss.