“Cheap Hearing Aids” What You Should Know

There are a couple different ways to interpret the term “cheap hearing aids”. For someone on a small budget, it means “affordability”. Conversely, it indicates low-quality, turning an apparently economical purchase into a not-so-smart decision, epitomized by the adage “You get what you pay for”.

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

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

Cheaper hearing aids are basically only amplifiers

Cheap “hearing aids” usually provide minimal functionality, mainly amplifying or decreasing overall volume. If you boost the volume to hear the TV better, you’ll also get background noises like the dishwasher, a fan in another room, a barking dog, or the sound of your house slippers moving 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, improving the clarity of desired sounds while tuning out background sound. Authentic hearing aids simulate natural hearing with great accuracy and are custom programmed to your particular hearing needs.

Hearing aids vs. PSAPs

The Food and Drug Administration has written guidelines for those who sell hearing devices and have stringent 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 such because they can only amplify sound.

There are lots of legit and reputable providers that comply with proper marketing. But there are some vendors, particularly online, that may 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 FDA-approved.

For the majority of types of hearing loss they won’t be effective at all

The gradual loss of hearing frequently involves difficulty with certain frequencies rather than an abrupt total loss. For instance, you might 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 comprehend.

A cheap hearing device typically results in overall volume amplification. But simply cranking up the total volume will not be sufficient for people who have a tough time hearing specific 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 roaring in your ears.

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

You may get a lot of feedback

Cheap hearing aids are generally not custom fit to your ears. 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 won’t help you on your cellphone

When people are looking for a budget-friendly device, they frequently sacrifice functionality like Bluetooth connectivity. The absence of Bluetooth becomes critical when thinking about 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 rubbing on the phone, or clothing and hair.

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’re not made for individuals with hearing loss

Most individuals would most likely be surprised by this. PSAPs were never designed for individuals with hearing loss. They were made to amplify sound for individuals who have relatively good hearing.

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

Finding quality, affordable hearing aids

Obtaining affordable quality hearing aids is not difficult. They might even be covered by insurance or other third parties. 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 decide what’s best for you, depending on your level and type of hearing loss, and make certain you land a pair that won’t break the bank!