The Truth About Cheap “Hearing Aids”

The word “cheap” carries dual meanings. For somebody on a small budget, it means “affordability”. But we’ve all heard the saying “You get what you pay for”, and in this case, the word “cheap” indicates low-quality hearing aids.

Regrettably, distinguishing between an economical purchase and an item of negligible value is frequently tricky. This is particularly relevant in the realm of hearing aids.

With hearing aids, the axiom “you get what you pay for” is particularly true. This means weeding out the devices that are priced in the “too good to be true” zone, not necessarily going for the most costly choice. Consumers need to be aware that essential information is often left out of the marketing campaigns of cheap hearing aids.

Cheaper hearing aids are pretty much only amplifiers

Cheap “hearing aids” usually provide minimal functionality, mainly amplifying or reducing overall volume. When you just amplify everything, the sounds you want to hear better are amplified but so are undesirable background sounds you don’t want.

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

A modern state-of-the-art hearing aid, in comparison, does much more than just turn up the volume. It expertly manages sound, improving the clarity of desired sounds while tuning out background sound. Authentic hearing aids are tailored to your particular hearing requirements, closely mimicking natural hearing with greater accuracy.

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 technically personal sound amplification products (PSAPs), named this because they can only amplify sound.

Most reputable companies comply. But there are some sellers, particularly online, that might be misinformed about what defines the difference between hearing aids and PSAPs, and consequently, they put out misleading claims about their products. Some even inaccurately advertise that they are FDA-approved.

They aren’t helpful for the majority of types of hearing loss

The majority of people who lose their hearing will gradually lose particular frequencies of sound before others. For instance, you might have no problems hearing a man with a low voice, but struggle with a woman’s or child’s voice, finding it difficult to understand.

You get total amplification with cheap hearing aids. But simply cranking up the total volume will not be sufficient for people who have a difficult time hearing specific frequencies. Moreover, turning the volume up substantially to catch 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 extended periods.

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

Feedback can be a problem

You won’t get a custom fit with cheap hearing aids. Without that custom fit, you’ll create a feedback loop. 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

Functionality is frequently sacrificed when opting for budget devices, and this holds true for lots of inexpensive hearing aids lacking Bluetooth capability. The lack of Bluetooth becomes crucial when considering 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 against the phone, or clothing and hair.

In comparison, digital hearing aids use telecoil or Bluetooth technology, creating a wireless connection between your hearing aid and the 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 intended to treat hearing loss

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

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

Where can you get quality affordable hearing aids?

There are many ways to get hearing aids affordably. They may even be covered by insurance or other third parties. There are also affordable brands, leasing plans, and financing possibilities. The first step is to get a hearing assessment if you think you might have hearing loss. Make an appointment with us so we can help you get the best and most affordable hearing aids for your degree and type of hearing loss.