“Cheap Hearing Aids” What You Should Know

There are a couple different ways to think about the term “cheap hearing aids”. For somebody on a tight budget, it means “affordability”. But we’ve all heard the saying “You get what you pay for”, and in this example, the term “cheap” indicates low-quality hearing aids.

Regrettably, distinguishing between an economical purchase and an item of minimal value is often challenging. With regard to hearing aids, this couldn’t be more valid.

With hearing aids, the saying “you get what you pay for” rings particularly relevant. This means eliminating the devices that are priced in the “too good to be true” range, not necessarily opting for the most costly option. Customers need to recognize that essential information is frequently excluded from the marketing campaigns of cheap hearing aids.

They typically just amplify sound

Boosting the overall volume is usually the only thing cheap “hearing aids” can handle. When you merely amplify everything, the sounds you want to hear better are amplified but so are unwanted background noise you don’t want.

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

A contemporary state-of-the-art hearing aid, in contrast, does a lot more than just turn the volume up. It minimizes background sound while expertly managing sound and enhancing clarity. Authentic hearing aids mimic natural hearing with great accuracy and are custom tuned to your specific hearing needs.

Hearing aids vs. PSAPs

There are strict rules about what an advertiser can call a hearing aid as written by the Food and Drug Administration.

Sadly, there are many devices out there that are advertised as hearing aids when they are actually personal sound amplification products (PSAPs), named such because they can only amplify sound.

There are lots of legitimate and reputable companies that comply with correct marketing. But there are some sellers, particularly online, that may be misinformed about what defines the difference between hearing aids and PSAPs, and as a result, they put out misleading claims about their products. You may even find some that state that they’re approved by the FDA when that’s actually false.

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

The slow loss of hearing frequently involves difficulty with particular frequencies rather than an abrupt total loss. For example, you might have no trouble hearing a man with a low voice, but struggle with a woman’s or child’s voice, finding it difficult to understand.

A cheap hearing device typically results in overall volume amplification. However, if you struggle with specific frequencies, just boosting the volume proves inadequate. And turning up the overall volume could result in added damage to your hearing because the frequencies you don’t struggle with will be booming in your ears.

High-quality hearing aids provide 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.

You might get a lot of feedback

You won’t get a custom fit with cheap hearing aids. Without that custom fit, you’ll generate a feedback loop. 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 don’t have cellphone support

Functionality is frequently sacrificed when choosing budget options, and this holds true for lots of inexpensive hearing aids lacking Bluetooth capability. The absence of Bluetooth becomes critical when considering 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 brushing on the phone, or clothing and hair.

On the other hand, digital hearing aids utilize telecoil or Bluetooth technology, establishing 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 people would most likely be surprised by this. PSAPs were never designed for people with 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 people who actually need hearing aids won’t find these cheaper devices that useful.

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 options. The first step is to get a hearing assessment if you suspect you may have hearing loss. Call us today for a consultation, we can help figure out what’s best for you, depending on your degree and type of hearing loss, and make sure you land a pair that won’t break the bank!