The Truth About Cheap “Hearing Aids”

There are a couple separate ways to think about the term “cheap hearing aids”. On the one hand, it implies affordability, a wise option for a budget-conscious person. On the other hand, it indicates low-quality, turning a seemingly economical purchase into a not-so-smart choice, epitomized by the adage “You get what you pay for”.

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

With hearing aids, the axiom “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” range, not necessarily opting for the most expensive choice. Customers need to be aware that important information is often left out of the marketing campaigns of cheap hearing aids.

They typically just amplify sound

Amplifying 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 a different room, a barking dog, or the sound of your house shoes going across the floor.

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

On the other hand, a high-quality, contemporary hearing aid goes beyond mere volume adjustment. It expertly manages sound, enhancing the clarity of desired sounds while tuning out background sound. Authentic hearing aids are tailored to your particular 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 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 providers follow the rules. But there are some sellers, especially online, that might be misinformed about what characterizes 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.

For the majority of kinds of hearing loss they won’t be helpful at all

Most individuals who lose their hearing will slowly lose particular frequencies of sound before others. For instance, you might have no trouble hearing a man with a low voice, but struggle with a woman’s or child’s voice, finding it difficult to comprehend.

A cheap hearing device usually results in overall volume amplification. But, if you have trouble with certain frequencies, just increasing the volume will be insufficient. Furthermore, turning up the volume substantially to catch the sound of your granddaughter playing on the floor may result in your adult son’s speech sounding like a roar, possibly contributing to hearing loss if exposed to high volumes for extended periods.

High-quality hearing aids can be programmed to increase selected frequencies providing a much better solution. They offer a more customized hearing experience by shifting frequencies you can’t hear very well to frequencies you hear better.

You may get a lot of feedback

Cheap hearing aids are generally not custom fit to your ears. A feedback loop is often the consequence of poorly fitting hearing aids. The microphone picks up the sound from the speaker in your ear as it wiggles around. This will result in a deafening screech.

They usually don’t have cellphone support

Functionality is frequently sacrificed when choosing budget options, and this holds true for many inexpensive hearing aids lacking Bluetooth connectivity. The lack of Bluetooth becomes critical when thinking about phone connectivity. Attempting to amplify a cheap hearing aid while on the phone results in 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 difficult to hear the person on the other end.

More advanced hearing aids are digital and utilize 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 people would probably be surprised by this. These amplifiers were never intended to treat hearing loss. They were designed to help individuals who have fairly good hearing hear things a bit louder.

Cheap devices might help a little if you only have slight hearing loss. But people who actually need hearing aids won’t find these cheaper devices very helpful.

Where can you get quality affordable hearing aids?

There are many ways to get hearing aids affordably. Insurance or other third parties may cover them. You can also find financing options, leasing programs, and more affordable brands. 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 level and type of hearing loss.

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