Powell River Hearing

Why do hearing aids cost so much?

This is a question I get asked repeatedly. Hearing aids are essentially small computers in your ears that are constantly analyzing your listening environment fast and precise enough to support the brain in making sense of sound. They are medical devices that are programmed and verified by a qualified hearing health care professional for optimal comfort and safety based on ones own unique hearing loss. Hearing aid technology has realized significant gains since the early 1950’s. In its infancy hearing aids consisted of a basic microphone, amplifier, and speaker. Hearing aids today are much more sophisticated. Scientists are constantly researching and developing new hearing aid technology to help people hear better in the most difficult listening situations and this is what drives the price. Hearing aids are smaller and more discrete then ever before and yet contain the circuitry to provide 2.4 GHz Bluetooth low energy technology for wireless streaming to hearing aids from smartphones, TVs, tablets and more. The built-in signal processor has the capacity to handle more than 1,200 million operations per second. Oticon OpnS technology implements a dual microphone system with sophisticated algorithms to separate background noise from speech cues. This feature alone can reduce listening effort in a noisy restaurant so you can hear more of the conversation. Oticon OpnS technology is a leader in noise reduction capabilities and now offers this technology in a rechargeable option that’s not only better for the environment but also provides ease of use and saves you money on batteries. Not everyone needs the most sophisticated technology to simply hear better and there are hearing aids that fit most budgets. Powell River Hearing is now offering price matching to stay competitive while encouraging consumers to support local business. To learn more call (604) 485-0036 today for a free hearing test and hearing aid consultation.