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

Regrettably, differentiating between a thrifty purchase and an item of negligible value is often tricky. This is especially relevant in terms of hearing aids.

With hearing aids, the axiom “you get what you pay for” rings particularly valid. This means eliminating the devices that are priced in the “too good to be true” zone, not necessarily opting for the most costly choice. Companies marketing cheap hearing devices often omit essential details about their products that customers should know about.

They typically just amplify sound

Amplifying the overall volume is typically the only thing cheap “hearing aids” are capable of. If you amplify the volume to hear the TV better, you’ll also pick up background noises like the dishwasher, a fan in a different room, a barking dog, or the sound of your house slippers moving across the floor.

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

A contemporary state-of-the-art hearing aid, in comparison, does much more than just turn the volume up. It minimizes background sound while expertly managing sound and maximizing clarity. Real hearing aids simulate natural hearing with great accuracy and are custom tuned to your particular hearing needs.

Hearing aids vs. PSAPs

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

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

There are lots of legitimate and reputable providers that comply with correct marketing. But you might find some uninformed salespeople or products on Amazon or eBay that deceive consumers into thinking that these devices meet the classification of a hearing aid. You might even find some that state that they are FDA-approved when that’s actually false.

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

The majority of people who lose their hearing will slowly lose specific frequencies of sound before others. For example, you may have no trouble hearing a man with a low voice, but have difficulty with a woman’s or child’s voice, finding it difficult to comprehend.

You get total amplification with cheap hearing aids. But, if you struggle with particular frequencies, just boosting the volume will be 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 booming in your ears.

High-quality hearing aids provide a solution by being programmable to compensate 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 effective hearing experience.

You may get a lot of feedback

Cheap hearing aids are generally not custom fit to your ears. A feedback loop is frequently the result of poorly fitting hearing aids. 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 normally won’t help you on your cellphone

When people are looking for a budget-friendly device, they often sacrifice functionality like Bluetooth connectivity. The absence of Bluetooth becomes critical when considering phone connectivity. Attempting 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.

In contrast, 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 enhanced so you can be certain you will hear your daughter’s voice on the phone.

They’re not made for people with hearing loss

The majority of individuals would probably be surprised by this. PSAPs were never made for individuals with hearing loss. They were designed to amplify sound for individuals who have relatively good hearing.

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

Where can you get quality affordable hearing aids?

There are many ways to get hearing aids affordably. Insurance or other third parties might cover them. There are also affordable brands, leasing programs, and financing possibilities. The first step is to get a hearing test if you think you might 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!

Call Today to Set Up an Appointment