The Truth About Cheap “Hearing Aids”

There are a couple different ways to interpret the word “cheap hearing aids”. For someone on a tight 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, differentiating between a thrifty purchase and an item of negligible value is frequently tricky. When it comes to hearing aids, this couldn’t be more true.

With hearing aids, the axiom “you get what you pay for” rings especially true. This doesn’t necessarily imply picking the top-tier option, but rather, scrutinizing products that boast a price tag too appealing to be genuine. Companies marketing cheap hearing devices frequently omit important details about their products that customers should know about.

They often just amplify sound

Amplifying the overall volume is typically the only thing cheap “hearing aids” can handle. If you boost the volume to hear the TV better, you’ll also pick up 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 completely defeats the purpose of having a hearing aid.

On the other hand, a high-quality, modern hearing aid goes beyond mere volume adjustment. It minimizes background noise while skillfully managing sound and enhancing clarity. Authentic hearing aids mimic natural hearing with great accuracy and are custom programmed to your specific hearing needs.

Hearing aids vs. PSAPs

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 sold as hearing aids even though they just amplify sound.

Most reputable providers follow the rules. But you might find some uninformed salespeople or products on Amazon or eBay that mislead consumers into thinking that these devices meet the definition of a hearing aid. You might even find some that state that they are approved by the FDA when that’s actually not true.

They aren’t inclusive for most types of hearing loss

Most people who lose their hearing will gradually lose specific frequencies of sound before others. You may have a difficult time understanding a small child or a woman, for instance, but you have no issue understanding a man with a low voice.

You get total amplification with cheap hearing aids. But simply cranking up the overall volume will not be adequate for people who have a difficult time hearing particular frequencies. Moreover, turning up the volume 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 adding to hearing loss if subjected to high volumes for extended periods.

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

You may get a lot of feedback

Cheap hearing aids are generally 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. 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 frequently sacrifice functionality like Bluetooth connectivity. When thinking about phone connectivity, the absence of Bluetooth is a major hurdle. With cheaper hearing devices, when you try to amplify phone calls, your device will amplify every little sound, like your ears or lips brushing on the phone, or clothing and hair.

In comparison, digital hearing aids utilize telecoil or Bluetooth technology, creating a wireless connection between your hearing aid and the phone. Overall communication and clarity will be enhanced so you can be sure you will hear your daughter’s voice on the phone.

They’re not made for people with hearing loss

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

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

Where can you get quality affordable hearing aids?

Obtaining affordable quality hearing aids is not difficult. Insurance or other third parties may cover them. You can also find financing options, leasing programs, and more affordable brands. If you suspect you have hearing loss, begin by getting checked out. 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.