Hearing Aid Pricing and Models
Hearing loss is caused by many factors, and is much more common of an issue than most Americans realize. There are many degrees to hearing loss. Some individuals only experience hearing loss in one ear, while others are unable to hear without assistance.
Being unable to hear is a serious issue. Not only does it make basic conversations easier, but it is much easier to miss important details, such as hearing warning alarms around the house. The sense of isolation from hearing loss can also lead to other physical and mental health difficulties.
Many individuals who do not experience total hearing loss incorrectly believe they cannot purchase hearing aids. Hearing aids are available for anyone who is hard of hearing. Over the last several years, there have been significant advancement with hearing aid technology. Many companies are producing hearing aids, giving customers plenty of affordable options to choose from. Listed below are five of the best hearing aids for 2021.
Signia Pure Charge&Go X
Signia is one of the older hearing aid companies. They have always stayed on top of the latest technological trends, leading to some of the most effective hearing aids currently on the market. In addition to utilizing new technology, Signa focuses on designing sleek, fashionable hearing aids. Not only are these stylish, but it leads to smaller units, which are less cumbersome to bear. It is also good for anyone who feels self-conscious about wearing a hearing aid.
The newest Charge&Go model utilizes acoustic motion sensors. These sensors are adaptive, changing hearing range based on the level of volume. This makes it easier to pick up background noise, whether you are staying still or on the go. It also boasts a significantly stronger battery love compared to other Signia products, which has been an issue in the past. Finally, it comes with an easy to use rocker switch, allowing you to make subtle volume adjustments without having to login to an app on another device.
The biggest downside to Signia products is the price. The Charge&Go is one of the pricier hearing aids on the market, costing around $1600 to $1700, depending on where you shop.
Phonak Audéo Marvel
Phonak is a smaller company owned by Sonova, one of the biggest manufacturers of hearing products. Phonak often works alongside Sonova to develop additional accessories for their hearing aids. Phonak’s Audéo Marvel gained attention for being the first hearing aid to allow direct-streaming from any Bluetooth device. Previously, this was limited solely to Apple products.
In terms of additional features, it is hard to find a hearing aid with more options. Using a Phonak app, you can directly control volume, directional and focus levels of your Audéo Marvel. There are also options to automatically adjust and optimize settings as volume changes. Another useful feature is you can set up hands-free calling with your phone, allowing you to easily switch from general hearing to phone calls with the press of a button.
There are multiple products in the Audéo Marvel line. The newest ones typically cost around $1400, while the older models are closer to $900 to $1000.
Oticon Opn S
Oticon is a newer hearing aid company, but it has made a splash thanks to their unique Opn line. The Oticon Opn S uses a unique Velox chip to sort between different types of noise. Older Oticon products also had this chip, but the newest model is much more effective, able to distinguish between speech and background noises, automatically adjusting your settings accordingly based on the situation. It also uses OpenSound Optimizer, which cancels out unnecessary sounds and prevents any feedback while you are using your hearing aid.
Oticon hearing aids are fairly expensive, with the Opn S being one of the highest price models. On average, it costs $2500 to purchase a new pair of Opn S hearing aids. While this may seem expensive, for many, the price is worth the higher quality audio filtration.
Widex Moment
Widex is partnered with another hearing care provider, Sivantos. There are many great features to the Widex Moment, including one of the longest battery life of any other hearing aid. A feature unique to Widex products is machine-learning products. This allows the hearing aids to study your listening preferences and when you change the volume levels. Over time, the hearing aids adapt to your changes. Widex products also use fractal tones to minimize negative effects from tinnitus. The hearing aids also utilize ZeroDelay and PureSound technology to provide top of the line sound quality.
Widex Moment originally released around $2000, but as of writing, it is much easier to find on sale. You can expect to pay around $1400 to $1500 on average.
Starkey Livio AI
Many of Starkey’s hearing aids are designed with the elderly in mind. One of the helpful features for seniors is fall detection, which can send out an alert if you suffer an accident and are unable to get up. Another feature aimed at seniors is the Thrive app. In addition to monitoring levels, the app also has components to monitor physical and mental activity.
The Livio AI line of hearing aids were first released at $3500, making it one of the higher costing Starkey products. The price has dropped by over $1000 since then, and depending on your dealer, you may be able to get even more discounts.
