The Truth About Cheap “Hearing Aids”

There are a couple different ways to interpret the term “cheap hearing aids”. For anyone on a tight budget, it means “affordability”. On the other hand, it implies low-quality, turning an apparently economical purchase into a not-so-smart choice, epitomized by the saying “You get what you pay for”.

Unfortunately, determining whether you’re getting a great deal from whether you’re purchasing a very low-quality device can be tricky. This is especially true in the realm of hearing aids.

With hearing aids, the saying “you get what you pay for” is particularly relevant. This means weeding out the devices that are priced in the “too good to be true” range, not automatically opting for the most expensive option. Consumers need to be aware that essential information is frequently left out of the marketing campaigns of cheap hearing aids.

Cheaper hearing aids are basically only amplifiers

Cheap “hearing aids” typically provide minimal functionality, primarily amplifying or reducing overall volume. If you boost the volume to hear the TV better, you’ll also get background noises including the dishwasher, a fan in another room, a barking dog, or the sound of your house slippers going across the floor.

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

Contrastingly, a high-quality, modern hearing aid goes beyond simple volume adjustment. It minimizes background noise while expertly managing sound and maximizing clarity. Genuine hearing aids are tuned to your distinct hearing needs, closely simulating natural hearing with better accuracy.

PSAPs vs. Hearing Aids

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 incorrectly marketed as hearing aids even though they only amplify sound.

The majority of reputable companies follow the rules. But you may find some uninformed salespeople or products on Amazon or eBay that deceive consumers into believing that these devices meet the definition of a hearing aid. You may even find some that claim that they’re approved by the FDA when that’s actually not true.

They aren’t helpful for most types of hearing loss

The majority of individuals who lose their hearing will gradually lose particular frequencies of sound before others. You may have a hard 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 simply turning up the total volume will not be sufficient for people who have a hard time hearing particular frequencies. And turning up the overall volume could lead to additional damage to your hearing because the frequencies you don’t struggle with will be booming in your ears.

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

You might get a lot of feedback

Cheap hearing aids are usually not custom fit to your ears. 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. This will result in a deafening screech.

They normally won’t help you on your cellphone

Functionality is often sacrificed when opting for budget devices, and this holds true for many inexpensive hearing aids lacking Bluetooth connectivity. The lack of Bluetooth becomes crucial when thinking about phone connectivity. With cheaper hearing devices, when you attempt to amplify phone calls, your device will amplify every little sound, like your ears or lips rubbing on the phone, or clothing and hair.

More advanced hearing aids are digital and use Bluetooth connectivity to connect directly to your phone. This state-of-the-art feature ensures that when your daughter talks on the other end, her voice is sent directly into your hearing aids, improving clarity and overall communication.

They’re not made for people with hearing loss

The majority of people would most likely be surprised by this. These amplifiers were never meant to treat hearing loss. They were made to help individuals who have relatively good hearing hear things a bit louder.

If you have very slight hearing loss then cheap devices might help a little. But individuals who actually need hearing aids won’t find these cheaper devices very helpful.

Finding quality, affordable hearing aids

Obtaining affordable quality hearing aids is not hard. Insurance or other third parties might cover them. 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 level and type of hearing loss.