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 signifies affordability, a smart choice 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” implies low-quality hearing aids.

Unfortunately, determining whether you’re getting a great deal from whether you’re getting a really low-quality device can be difficult. With regard to hearing aids, this couldn’t be more relevant.

The saying “you get what you pay for” is especially potent with hearing aids. This means weeding out the devices that are priced in the “too good to be true” range, not automatically going for the most costly option. Companies marketing inexpensive hearing devices often omit important details about their products that customers should be aware of.

They often just amplify sound

Cheap “hearing aids” generally offer limited functionality, mainly amplifying or reducing overall volume. If you amplify the volume to hear the TV better, you’ll also get background noises like the dishwasher, a fan in a different room, a barking dog, or the sound of your house shoes moving across the floor.

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

A modern state-of-the-art hearing aid, in contrast, does much more than just turn the volume up. It expertly manages sound, improving the clarity of desired sounds while tuning out background noise. Real 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 written guidelines for those who sell hearing devices and have stringent rules as to what can be labeled hearing aids.

Sadly, there are many devices out there that market themselves as hearing aids when they’re technically personal sound amplification products (PSAPs), named such because they can only amplify sound.

There are lots of legit and reputable providers that comply with correct 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 statements about their products. You may even find some that state that they’re FDA-approved when that’s actually false.

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

Most people who lose their hearing will gradually lose specific frequencies of sound before others. You might have a difficult 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 typically results in overall volume amplification. But, if you have trouble with certain frequencies, just increasing the volume proves insufficient. Furthermore, turning the volume up significantly to hear the sound of your granddaughter playing on the floor might lead to your adult son’s voice sounding like a roar, possibly contributing to hearing loss if subjected to high volumes for prolonged 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, delivering a more tailored and effective hearing experience.

Feedback can be an issue

You won’t get a custom fit with cheap hearing aids. 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 typically won’t help you on your cellphone

When people are looking for a budget-friendly device, they frequently sacrifice functionality like Bluetooth capability. The absence 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 sophisticated 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 sure you will hear your daughter’s voice on the phone.

They were never meant to treat hearing loss

This could come as a shock because so many people think otherwise. These amplifiers were never meant to treat hearing loss. They were made to amplify sound for people who have fairly good hearing.

If you have very slight 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. They may even be covered by insurance or other third parties. You can also find financing options, leasing plans, and more affordable brands. If you think you have hearing loss, start 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.