Hearing Aid Prices

Hearing aid technology levels are arbitrary levels set by suppliers and hearing aid retailers separate hearing aids into different performance and hearing aid price categories. Different manufacturers have different levels and some have fewer or more levels. At Value Hearing, we use 5 different levels to group different manufacturers’ technology. They increase in price as they go up towards premium.

A Note about Government Level Hearing Aids

Generally, those hearing aids are provided free of charge to pensioners under the office of Hearing Services Voucher scheme.

Is a Higher Technology Level Better Quality Than a Lower one?

In essence NO. Although there are certainly quality differences between different manufacturers, there is no quality difference between levels.

To clarify, quality in this instance pertains to reliability and the quality of the parts used in the hearing aid.

All hearing aids in a particular manufacturer’s range actually use exactly the same parts, chip, speakers, microphone, etc. as any other level in that range.  What happens in the factory is that a whole slew of blank slate hearing aids of the exact same quality is produced. One of the steps in the process is then to load software onto that blank slate. The software is what determines the features of the hearing aid, not the hardware parts.

So an essential level of one manufacturer has the same parts as the premium level. The only difference is that the software on the premium model unlocks a lot more features and performance than found in the essential level.

One manufacturer, Unitron, actually allows users to have their hearing aid technology upgraded to a higher level in the clinic, by simply paying an upgrade fee. This is something we hope to see other manufacturers take on board as well.

Are you saying that all manufacturers’ hearing aid technology is equal?

No, definitely not! Most manufacturers develop their own chips and there are some big differences in capability between these chips. These relate to what is possible with the software, which relates to how well they perform in different situations.

Different manufacturers have different focuses when developing their software. This however is a topic for another post.

Technology Levels Can Be Abused!

Some retailers use technology levels to fool consumers. What they do is assign a technology level such as Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum, or Diamond and then combine that with the Manufacturer’s name. An example would be Resound Gold or Bernafon Silver. These tactics make it very difficult for the consumer to price shop as such a product does not exist anywhere outside the retailer making these assignments. Always make sure you know the exact manufacturer model when quoted on hearing aids to avoid being tricked into expensive pricing.

We have caught on to what models fit with which ranges though, so feel free to contact us if you have a hearing aid with such a designation, that you want more clarity on.

Which Technology Level Is Right For Me?

The question of which hearing aid is best for me is one that we see more often than we’d like. The reason this is so pervasive has to do with how hearing aids are often selected.

Traditionally hearing aids are selected by hearing professionals based on your hearing ability in QUIET, your lifestyle, and your budget. Ironically traditional testing, which is still widely employed “forgets” about assessing an individual’s hearing ability in noise and using that as part of the selection process.

The result of this hearing aid selection process is that people often end up with hearing aids that work well in quiet, but has very mixed results in noise. Some people end up overpaying significantly for their hearing aids as they get sold on all the bells and whistles on account of having an active lifestyle (read – they actually go out for meals at times).

We have been assessing our client's ability to hear not only in quiet but also in noise, since 2009. Doing this has helped us refine a unique hearing aid selection process, not currently used anywhere else. Our process allows us to not only match your test results to a hearing aid that will work in quiet but also match it to a hearing aid that will at the same time work well for you in noise. It helps us find your "just right" solution without over- or underprescribing. Due to the number of hearing aid brands we carry, we can then find the best value product in our range that will deliver you optimal performance at the best value.

If you are interested in going through our unique process, then book your appointment today.

If you've been shopping around for hearing aids and are perhaps feeling overwhelmed with the number of options out there, then you may like to read our comprehensive Hearing Aid Buyers Companion. It's packed full of useful information and advice to make sure the hearing aids you choose will work well for you now and into the future, without costing a fortune.