The Truth About Cheap “Hearing Aids”

There are a couple different ways to think about the term “cheap hearing aids”. 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 example, the word “cheap” indicates low-quality hearing aids.

Regrettably, differentiating between an economical purchase and an item of negligible value is frequently tricky. With regard to hearing aids, this couldn’t be more relevant.

The adage “you get what you pay for” is especially relevant with hearing aids. This doesn’t necessarily imply opting for the top-tier option, but rather, looking closely at products that boast a price tag too tempting to be legitimate. Companies marketing inexpensive hearing devices often omit important details about their products that customers should know about.

Cheaper hearing aids are basically only amplifiers

Amplifying the overall volume is usually the only thing cheap “hearing aids” can handle. If you amplify 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 going across the floor.

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

A modern state-of-the-art hearing aid, in contrast, does much more than simply crank the volume up. It minimizes background noise while skillfully managing sound and enhancing clarity. Authentic hearing aids mimic natural hearing with great accuracy and are custom tuned to your specific hearing needs.

Hearing aids vs. PSAPs

There are strict rules about what an advertiser can call a hearing aid as published by the Food and Drug Administration.

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

There are many legitimate and reputable providers that comply with appropriate marketing. 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 falsely advertise that they are approved by the FDA.

They’re not inclusive for the majority of kinds of hearing loss

The gradual loss of hearing usually involves difficulty with particular frequencies rather than an abrupt total loss. For example, you might have no problems hearing a man with a low voice, but struggle with a woman’s or child’s voice, finding it challenging to comprehend.

A cheap hearing device typically results in total volume amplification. But, if you struggle with certain frequencies, merely boosting the volume proves insufficient. And turning up the overall volume 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 compensate for the loss of particular frequencies. 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 result of poorly fitting hearing aids. As the speaker in your ear jiggles around, the microphone picks up the sound. This will generate a deafening 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 hurdle. With cheaper hearing devices, when you try to amplify phone calls, your device will amplify every little sound, like your ears or lips rubbing against the phone, or clothing and hair.

More advanced hearing aids are digital and use 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, improving clarity and overall communication.

They were never intended to treat hearing loss

The majority of individuals would most likely be surprised by this. PSAPs were never made for people with hearing loss. They were made to help people who have relatively good hearing hear things a little louder.

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

Where can you get quality affordable hearing aids?

Obtaining affordable quality hearing aids isn’t difficult. They may even be covered by insurance or other third parties. You can also find financing options, leasing plans, and more affordable brands. The first step is to get a hearing test if you think you might have hearing loss. Make 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.