Your family has been telling you over the last few years you need to get your hearing checked. Since then, you noticed you have been asking people to repeat themselves. You need to really strain to be able to understand conversations. The ringing in your ears appears to be getting louder. It seems like everyone is mumbling to you… It’s hard to admit, but you have finally decided it is time to get hearing aids. That’s when you begin your research on hearing aid prices.

You start looking at newspaper ads, you read the hearing aid offers in the mail, you search the Internet and you ask your friends about their experiences with hearing aids. It seems like there are so many options and price points available. They seem to all look the same, but hearing aid prices vary drastically. Why is that?

“I don’t get it…. They look the same but the high-end costs thousands more?”

“WHAT IS THE REASON FOR SUCH A DIFFERENCE IN HEARING AID PRICES?”

The difference is the computer chip inside each hearing aid. The exact same case is used on entry-level and high-end hearing aids, so the outward appearance is identical. The difference is with the features and technology in the computer chip inside the hearing aid. Let’s say you plan to purchase a new laptop. You go to the retail store and you see 30 different models with a vast array of pricing. They all look similar, will fit easily in your carry-on, open and close the same and have the same basic shape and size. But they vary on processing speeds, memory and software features. In comparison, all hearing aids look the same from the outside, but hearing aid prices may vary due to internal components and features. Today’s hearing aids are similar to laptops and vary in price based on the technology and features of the computer chip inside. Entry-level and high-end hearing aids not only look alike, they are both also 100 percent digital and reprogrammable so they can be modified and adjusted by your local hearing professional based on your needs. They both also can be programmed for almost any degree of hearing loss and can fit in most sizes of ear canals.

“I understand what you are saying now… So entry-level and high-end aids:”

  • Both look the same
  • Both are 100% digital
  • Both are reprogrammable
  • Both work for any degree of hearing loss
  • Both can come in all styles/models

“What exactly then is the difference and why is it worth it to pay more?”

The difference is based on the following technology advances:

  • Voice iQ²
  • PureWave Feedback Eliminator
  • Ear-to-Ear Wireless Communication
  • Binaural Spatial Mapping
  • Spectral iQ
  • MEMS microphones

In the next few blogs, we will take a closer look at each of these components and discuss how they can benefit you as a hearing aid wearer.