The Truth About Cheap “Hearing Aids”

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

Unfortunately, determining whether you’re getting a great deal from whether you’re purchasing a really low-quality device can be challenging. When it comes to hearing aids, this couldn’t be more true.

With hearing aids, the saying “you get what you pay for” rings particularly relevant. This doesn’t necessarily mean picking the top-tier option, but instead, scrutinizing products that boast a price tag too tempting to be legitimate. Companies marketing cheap hearing devices frequently omit essential details about their products that consumers should know about.

They usually just amplify sound

Increasing the overall volume is usually the only thing cheap “hearing aids” are capable of. When you simply amplify everything, the sounds you want to hear better are amplified but so are undesirable background noise you don’t want.

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

Contrastingly, a high-quality, contemporary hearing aid goes beyond mere volume adjustment. It reduces background sound while skillfully managing sound and improving clarity. Authentic hearing aids mimic natural hearing with great accuracy and are custom tuned to your particular hearing needs.

PSAPs vs. Hearing Aids

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

Regrettably, there are many devices out there that are advertised as hearing aids when they’re actually personal sound amplification products (PSAPs), named this because they can only amplify sound.

There are lots of legitimate and reputable providers that comply with appropriate marketing. But you may find some uninformed salespeople or products on Amazon or eBay that deceive consumers into thinking that these devices meet the definition of a hearing aid. You might even find some that claim that they’re FDA-approved when that’s actually false.

They’re not helpful for the majority of types of hearing loss

The majority of individuals who lose their hearing will slowly lose particular frequencies of sound before others. You may have a hard time understanding a small child or a woman, for instance, but you have no problem understanding a man with a low voice.

A cheap hearing device usually results in total volume amplification. But, if you struggle with specific frequencies, just increasing the volume proves insufficient. Furthermore, turning up the volume significantly to hear the sound of your granddaughter playing on the floor may result in your adult son’s speech sounding like a roar, potentially contributing to hearing loss if exposed to high volumes for extended periods.

High-quality hearing aids provide a solution by being programmable to compensate for the loss of specific frequencies. They can automatically adjust the frequency you struggle to hear to one that is more audible, providing a more tailored and reliable hearing experience.

You might get a lot of feedback

You won’t get a custom fit with cheap hearing aids. Without that custom fit, you’ll generate 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 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 absence of Bluetooth is a significant 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 rubbing against the phone, making it even more challenging to hear the person on the other end.

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 transmitted directly into your hearing aids, enhancing clarity and overall communication.

They were never meant to treat hearing loss

The majority of individuals would most likely be surprised by this. These amplifiers were never intended to treat hearing loss. They were designed to amplify sound for individuals who have fairly good hearing.

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

Where can you get quality affordable hearing aids?

There are many ways to get hearing aids affordably. Insurance or other third parties might cover them. You can also find financing possibilities, leasing plans, and more affordable brands. If you suspect you have hearing loss, begin by getting checked out. Call us today for a consultation, we can help figure out what’s best for you, depending on your degree and type of hearing loss, and make sure you land a pair that won’t break the bank!