The Truth About Cheap “Hearing Aids”

The term “cheap” carries dual meanings. For someone on a small 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 adage “You get what you pay for”.

Regrettably, distinguishing between a thrifty purchase and an item of negligible value is often tricky. With regard to hearing aids, this couldn’t be more true.

With hearing aids, the axiom “you get what you pay for” is particularly valid. This means weeding out the devices that are priced in the “too good to be true” zone, not necessarily going for the most expensive option. Companies marketing inexpensive hearing devices often leave out essential details about their products that customers should know about.

Cheaper hearing aids are basically only amplifiers

Increasing the overall volume is generally the only thing cheap “hearing aids” are capable of. If you boost 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 going across the floor.

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

A contemporary state-of-the-art hearing aid, in contrast, does a lot more than just turn the volume up. It expertly manages sound, enhancing the clarity of desired sounds while tuning out background noise. Authentic hearing aids are tuned to your particular hearing requirements, closely mimicking natural hearing with greater accuracy.

Hearing aids vs. PSAPs

The Food and Drug Administration has written guidelines for companies who sell hearing devices and have strict rules as to what can be called hearing aids.

Unfortunately, many personal sound amplification products PSAPs are falsely marketed as hearing aids even though they just amplify sound.

There are many legit and reputable providers that comply with proper marketing. But there are some vendors, especially online, that may be misinformed about what defines the difference between hearing aids and PSAPs, and as a result, they put out misleading statements about their products. Some even falsely advertise that they are FDA-approved.

For most kinds of hearing loss they won’t be effective at all

The slow loss of hearing usually involves difficulty with particular frequencies rather than a sudden complete loss. For example, you might have no problems hearing a man with a low voice, but have difficulty with a woman’s or child’s voice, finding it difficult to understand.

You get total amplification with cheap hearing aids. But, if you have trouble with certain frequencies, just boosting the volume proves inadequate. And turning up the overall volume could result in additional damage to your hearing because the frequencies you don’t have trouble with will be roaring in your ears.

High-quality hearing aids can be programmed to boost selected frequencies providing a much better solution. They can automatically adjust the frequency you struggle to hear to one that is more audible, delivering a more customized and effective hearing experience.

You may get a lot of feedback

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. What does this sound like? An ear-shattering screech.

They usually don’t have cellphone support

When people are looking for a budget-friendly device, they often sacrifice functionality like Bluetooth capability. The lack of Bluetooth becomes critical when thinking about phone connectivity. Trying to amplify a cheap hearing aid while on the phone leads to capturing not only the caller’s voice but also the sounds of your ear, lips, clothing, and hair brushing against the phone, making it even more difficult to hear the person on the other end.

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

They were never meant to treat hearing loss

This might come as a shock because so many individuals think otherwise. PSAPs were never made for people with hearing loss. They were designed to help people who have relatively good hearing hear things a bit louder.

If you have very mild hearing loss then cheap devices may help a little. But they won’t be of much help for people who actually need hearing aids.

Where can you get quality affordable hearing aids?

There are lots of ways to get hearing aids affordably. They might even be covered by insurance or other third parties. You can also find financing options, leasing programs, and more affordable brands. If you think you have hearing loss, begin by getting checked out. Schedule 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.