DON'T Buy Hearing Aids Until You Watch This! | Premium vs. Advanced Hearing Aid Technology 

Attempting to educate myself to help my spouse address a hearing issue, and unfortunately the more I discover, the less I know. Lots of noise out here in the name of hearing clearly.

This falls into the category of why true audiophiles subjectively prefer vinyl records vs. digital formats, even though the digital formats can capture higher effective data rates and never degrade. Vinyl records just sound warmer, smoother, and ethereal. This is most likely a similar issue with hearing aids. Several researchers have suggested that since the analog vinyl records produce sound that mimics the ear drum's response, it is more attuned to HOW we hear, not WHAT we hear. An interesting point...my dad was profoundly deaf in one ear and only had ~20% hearing in the other, and all of that was in the lower octaves. He got new premium hearing aids that were tuned for him. He couldn't hear hardly anything. Going back to the audiologist, I explained what I had evaluated the problem as. (I taught spectrum analysis for several years and had profiled my dad's hearing earlier.) He had zero hearing above 1KHz in both ears. He had about 20% below ~1 KHz in his left ear. His hearing in his right ear was at most 5% below ~800Hz. What had been done with his new hearing aids was an inverse profile of his hearing to "balance his hearing." This focused on the how and not the what. After much discussion and explanation, I had the audiologist cut everything off above 1KHz with a soft gain profile from 400 Hz (semilog) up to 1Khz. Suddenly he could hear far better than he had in years! Why? Because it focused on the WHAT he was hearing. What was happening was the gain on the frequencies above 1KHz was saturating his ear drums with high SPL's that prevented the lower frequencies (which required maximum ear drum compliance) from being transmitted across the ear drum tympanic membrane. Note, that this was way back in 1995. Things have obviously improved greatly since then.

I am getting my hearing aids replaced very soon, great to hear the truth, all l want is to hear, a cell phone costs $600, why should hearing aids cost $6,000.00. Is it a money milking machine for deaf people. thank you for your video.

A couple of questions come to mind in the patients making the decision of which technology they preferred. 1) Were they given the choice before any pricing was mentioned? 2) Was the treatment/fitting the same for both levels, i.e. the amount of time taken for the programming and verification the same in order to assure that their wasn't any apparent difference in the device levels? 3) is there a cost difference in fitting/programming the different levels of technology? 4) What "features" are being eliminated by going to the lower tier of technology?

What a fantastic example of a small-scale, well-designed clinical study presented in a balanced way that consumers can understand. I am a health care researcher and was extremely impressed by how you took the results of a single study and validated the findings in your own group of clients. You were very clear about the limitations of your study, but that does not take away from your findings. I would love to use this as an example of translating evidence into practice in the research class I am teaching this fall. Bravo!

As a pre-teen my father helped clear up these weighty issues with a small bit of advise.... he said.. Whenever a salesman sells you a turd, he most surely will have a gold plated turd for those that want "only the best".. There's always an up sell, and it seems to me that in most cases it comes with diminishing returns and less value for your dollar.

In my country audiologists always start with the question: How much are you willing/able to spend on your hearing aids? Because most people here simply connot afford premium technology. I myself collected money for 2 years to buy me advanced level hearing aids (one per year).

Cliff, thank you for your videos. I’m the only person in my family that is using adaptive technology to help me. I was born hearing but have been deafened over time and these videos significantly helped guide me in my decisions and wished I could have gone to see you in your practice. Thank you for your very educational and informative videos.

2 years ago I tried Costco KS9 120 days (I could have 180) ; It cost $1500 and adjusted by dispenser; then, i switch to $4000 Oticon S3, adjusted by experienced audi, for almost 40 days (out 45 days trail) In the last 5 days I switched from one to another. Both were the same; so, ended up with Costco. My A audiogram curve is down to approximately -75db at both ears. there may be situations that one rides bike so wind is a big factor or one works a warehouse and the 8 hours of noise is a factor. The S3 at 4000$ did not do the trick and S1 was $6500. for me noise usually occurs in restaurant (total of 8 hours a month) or football/basketball games (several times a year). So this $5000 more to S1 not worth the diff. At my home or at my car or walking in the nature with friend Costco was superb.

I can purchase a 55" UHD 4K OLED smart TV for $700. The idea that hearing aids programmed to a person's unique hearing loss profile have to cost thousands per ear is highly suspect. Yes, they are smaller than a TV but they really do not have that much to fit into their footprint limitations, especially when you consider what's crammed into a smartphone, and of course the cost of the materials in a hearing aid is probably a thousand time less than that of a TV. I think someone somewhere around the world will break this artificial logjam and provide hearing aids with all the premium customization level features for well under $1000 for both ears.

Thank you Doctor Cliff for making this high quality content! You are helping people like me make decisions we can live with.

I recently got my ears checked at the audiologist. I'm a candidate for hearing aids. Mild to hearing high frequency, so I'm new to all this.

In my extensive personal layman’s research I feel that very basic core hearing benefits are equal across each level in various models. This is good for extremely mild hearing loss. However when you reach moderate severe or profound you definitely need the features of premium and advanced. At these levels the higher the level the better the fine tuning capabilities exist along with specialized features like noise cancelling and tinnitus masking. I have hearing loss similar to your patient #4 and I require the top tier to achieve the best quality of life possible. I could go with a lower tier and still obtain improved hearing but not at the level that I could with a step up. Also since hearing worsens rather than improves with age it makes sense to purchase the premium level which can later be programmed for hearing that worsens rather than needing to buy another pair prematurely. I am happy with my premium aides but as you stated go with the best you can afford.

Interesting information. I personally like the premium level too. There is usually one feature at that level that is worth the cost to me. One thing that neither study addressed is client satisfaction. If a premium level makes the client happy, then sell them the premium device. (If you make extra money on this, that's even better.) I know you would step down a tier or two if your client couldn't afford the top line - and we like that about you!

Dr. Cliff is absolutely right, do not allow the chain-office HA services to robe you. Combine not so called “premium” tech, but advanced category, or basic and make sure the fitting, programming is used along with the “best audiologist practices”. This way one will save money and have the same premium outcome for their hearing loss addressed.

As an audiologist, if I were one, I would also ask my patient, what their lifestyle tends to be and then make the judgement whether any extra features would make a difference to that persons lifestyle, in real terms. Just a thought.

In February, I settled on the middle tier of the Octicon Opn S got the minirite R. I was already cringing at the almost $4,000 price tag but wouldn't go a tier lower and couldn't go a tier higher. My audiologist recommended a Starkey brand (the brand they favor) and a h.i.s. recommended the Oticon Ruby. Inheritance money I had at the time is the only reason I have these today. Had I not, I would have financed the Oticon Ruby or the Opn S3 (depending on the price) and left it at that. I did see there were differences between the three on the tech sheet, but not really enough to spend more money on the top tier offered imo. The audiologist didn't really explain thigs like this video did, but I wouldn't have been able to go up a tier anyways. I honestly wasn't looking for any bells an whistles, I just wanted to hear. In all honestly, my Apple Earbuds Pro are my go to when listening to youtube videos or fb lives or my usb headset. The hearing aids just don't sound as good for those things. Informative video Dr. Cliff.

I'm in New Zealand & each quality step increase costs an extra $2000, fyi Also l am a woman & l find your factual, straight talking approach very, very appealing. fyi

Why do you make more money selling premium devices? Why is the business model setup that way? Doesn't this invite a conflict of interest? Are there hardware differences between these technology levels or are the added features turned on and off by software or by an EPROM for example? Do the higher prices of premium devices represent higher manufacturing costs or are the higher prices market driven?

U r so honest and kind to people can't afford expensive hearing aid great thanks I learn lots from your vedeio

So, what you’re saying is that it comes down to features. If you like one over the other due to design, color or features, get that one, because not only are you getting the same quality in hearing improvement, but you’re getting what you want in features as well.

I was tested at a hearing aid center as I have a pretty good loss of hearing at 75. When I was asked to go outside and see how they sounded with street noise and speaking with people, they were lousy, and 42

Thank you for your informative video. I’ve just ordered my first pair of hearing aids so I’m trying to educate myself about the technology available.

I wonder if asking them why they chose that level would have clarified the results. Perhaps it was primarily the extra automatic features that made the difference rather than the hearing benefit.

Very interesting video. During a testphase I was able to hear differences between premium and advanced level (Phonak Audeo P90 vs P70). P90 performed much better in (for me) rare situations with very high background noise. In (for me more) common hearing situations (group talk, video conference, phone call, single talk) the difference between P90 and P70 was noticeable but both levels performed not far from each other. Price difference per device in Germany was about 600$. It took me a while to come to a decision. At the end I decided for P70. And I am extremely satisfied. But if my hearing loss increases I tend to go and pay for premium because the difference in performance will most probably have higher benefits in common hearing situations.

A bigger study is needed. No-fault in recommending premium HA. The patient is free to choose.

My question is about the increase in price charged by the manufactures. If I am correct (please tell me otherwise), the aids have the same hardware installed regardless of the technology level with only difference is the software programming that allows what level of technology can be used. So why charge such a large difference between technology level?

OMG! I love science! This was just a fun video to watch. Thanks for making my morning filled with hypotheticals.

I think those guys went for the premium/better ones because the whole thing about hearing loss is that you are MISSING OUT on what you had before all your life and what everyone else seems to enjoy, especially if you are just on the cusp of being quite young for needing them, like i am at 59 years. So the thought of missing yet another funny throw-away remark which leaves others laughing or getting your spouse to repeat themselves one more time or seeing them try to conceal their annoyance with you makes it worth the extra money, even for a limited difference. So that's why your subjects chose the premium, I think. 😊 The question is then: is there any significant difference between the brands. I have already listened to the Starkey Livio Edge 2400 review - v helpful, thank you.

Love the knowledge you are providing me with my mile to moderate hearing loss. Male with upper range mile loss so I don't always hear or understand the wife (not a joke). Your videos give me a lot to think about from the $849 ($649 until May 15 ) Bose ones to the Costco ones to going to an audiologist to ensure the hearing aid is precisely fitted. I'd tell anyone who is shopping for a hearing aid to listen to a lot of your videos. Thank you so much for the education before I spend hard earned money on a pair.

Based on my own personal experience (as a hearing aid user for the past 36 years), premium technology becomes much more important if the hearing loss is more severe. And the features are also important because if you need hearing aids to be fully productive at work (and that is my case) you really want to have the maximum flexibility and options that premium products offer.

I think it’s kind of scummy how these companies sell you the same hardware( hearing aids )and give you different levels of software instead of just selling you one great product .

I'm an audiologist in New Zealand and the cost difference between advanced premium is thousands of dollars. IMO its not worth the cost. I fit all my hearing aids with REM following best practice guidelines and extensively counsel my patients. I consistently have patients who trial basic vs premium or even compare new aids to their old ones and report having the same usual problems most commonly being hearing in BGN. My experience is that very few are afforded significant benefit from premium devices and that it is simply not worth the cost. At the company I work for we sell hearing aids from $450 for a pair up to $9000 and more often than not the patients who purchase the high technology levels continue to struggle hearing in noisy situations and are generally disappointed in their hearing aids. I also find that private audiology companies are primarily in the business of making as much profit as possible and often show a lot of disregard towards patients. Its extremely disheartening and I struggle with doing my job every day. I always prioritise my patients needs over the companies ambitions and it feels like a constant uphill struggle. Enough so that I'm ready to turn my back on the six years of university study I did and retrain and go into a different career.

Very impressed with the honesty in this study.

Dr. Cliff, Thank you very much for your videos. This is great information. For me the difference is between $1,400.00 for the Kirkland verses $7,400.00 for the Audibel Arc AI recommended by the audiologist. I am on trial with the Audibel for 2 weeks and will compare to the Kirkland as soon as I can get to Cosco. I can afford the Audibel but seriously doubt I will want to pay $6,000.00 for the premium features.

I was watching this video as a potential hearing aid user, but I really enjoyed the description of the study. I'll be showing this video in my AP Statistics classes when we learn about experimental design!

Personal anecdote: my premium gear is worth it. I am thankful for my ability to afford it. I experienced a substantial improvement to my quality of life. And since I have severe hearing loss in my left ear, streaming music through my hearings aids with L/R adjustment was like hearing the music all over again.

You noted price difference between levels at $200 or 500. I am in Canada and the difference is I thousands.

I think there's actually a simple 'formula' to follow. WRS tells you to what degree aids will help. In quiet. I had in my ears, properly fitted, lowest an highest tier, and were equally (bad, since my WRS is bad, 70, and it's said that WRS is bad if it's not great math test score eg 90+ and I really agree with that) in quiet. However, point is that they were EQUAL. In quiet. NO aids no matter the price will give you more than your WRS (unless you utilize frequency lowering tech when you have completely dead high frequencies, but that again is available in lower tier tech as well as far as I remember) Then you need SNR value. Those who need low SNR, for them low tech aids should work in all environments. As more SNR you need, you need bigger tech. However, important thing is to know that after some point, no tech in aids will help. That's usually around 7-10 since that's lab environment maximum that aids can achieve. If you need more, you need external mics. They also have limit, but they also are closer to the source. They're at theoretical 15db help, in ideal environment. Again, with bad WRS no tech in the world can help you (beside cochlear implant, but for that, 70 is considered too good hearing to be worth risking, since CI OP has some risks) However, with bad WRS any help counts and makes the difference and gives you ability to be under less strain when listening. So even though you'll never get the perfect, it's worth trying. And then the final - if your hearing is so bad (mine is) that you need mics, you'll get better value for money with going lowest aid + mic since you'll work with mic anyway and aid is just a relay. So if money is an issue - that'd be my advice - go for external mic and lowest tech level for aids that can work with those mics, than spending your money on highest aid tech and not getting even close results to those that mics can give you. Yes, highest tech aids will be better for you than lowest tech aids in many difficult situations, but if you need mics for those really difficult - then aid level doesn't matter - if they work with mics, mics do the job anyway. And no aids on ear can catch sounds well in big distances, eg 7m is maximum in ideal conditions. Mic you can put there and move away ;) And above all, own your hearing loss. It's there to stay, it won't go away, and only damage you'll have by hiding the aid is - your low comprehension and many strained relationships because of misunderstanding. Not worth it, put your aids on top of the ear, put your mic in the centre of the table and enjoy a bit less strain when listening. As normal hearing people do :)

We spent $2,800 at Costco for a pair of Resound rechargeable hearing aids,3-4 years ago. It was money well spent for how it worked for hubby with the way it can be controlled on the iphone and how it be used with a mini-microphone ($179). The premium hearing aids are excellent, IF you can also afford a smartphone to use with it. For a low tech person, a basic device might be advised. Just my opinion. For reference, hubby is severely hearing impaired.

I wear hearing aids. My audiologist sells 3 tiers of hearing aids @ about $1000/$2000/$3000 each. The cheaper ones are the basic models with the speakers in the hearing aid behind the ear and a tube running into the ear. The mid range covers all the models from behind the ear w/ the speaker in the ear, to the very tiny ones that are replaced every 3 months at the office and are otherwise worn 24 hours a day. The highest priced ones are the same as the mid range ones but are recommended for the profound hearing loss patients that need something like frequency compression. It also doesn’t matter which brand of hearing aid of the several they offer. The cost also includes 2 office visits a year for cleaning and servicing and 1 comprehensive hearing test a year - for 3 years. Also, at the end of the warranty period, they will send in your hearing aids to be rebuilt at no cost to you. So, yeah, I wear the mid ranged aids. Granted the prices I quoted were as of about 5 years ago, so I don’t know what they are now. On a side note, my hearing is pretty bad. On the day I got my hearing aids, as I left the dr’s office, I started my car and for the first time heard my car’s startup chimes. For a second I thought the car was broken until I realized what it was. All-in-all, they were worth every dime I paid for them.

Nice video Doc...now ita back to dreamin' of hearing sids for me...someday...😎👍

After 6 years of wearing a pair of high quality (Kirkland brand) ReSound hearing aids from Costco, I tried a tried on the Resound Omnia 7 hearing aid (Premium). I noticed a significant improvement in clarity and background noise (tinitus) reduction. Technology has moved forward in 6 years, but I am not sure I can justify the $1700 difference in cost (2 ears) and will most likely purchase the private in house brand "Relate" from my insurer.

This past December I purchased my first hearing aids. I looked over the features and decided that the advanced level fit my life the best. While I've enjoyed a substantial improvement in my hearing, the next pair I will buy will be with premium technology....now that I've gained experience, I believe additional features would be worth it to me. As usual Dr. Cliff, you do a marvelous job of explaining everything and helping we users to make better informed decisions...keep up the good work.

Another important point in this discussion is whether the participants were concerned about the cost of the hearing aids. My assumptions are 1) They knew they were going to spend several thousand dollars for each device; 2) That they were going to pay those costs “out of pocket” anyway and; 3) That they had the financial means to do so. Therefore, paying an additional $200 per device was not a big deal. If these folks were of the “cost conscious” personality, would the results be the same?

Hi my name is Leon I've been wearing hearing aids for years now and my hearing just got worse over time it was very scary until I decided to get a cochlear implant in my right ear I'm glad I did because I had a very good surgeon and of course she is leaving for a new job soon we're going to miss her a lot I'm beginning to get used to my implant it's worth it I wish I had done it sooner it's so lonely and scary when you can't hear not any more

I found premium just gives me less strain to hear in noisy places.

Interesting study for sure. A few observations: 1) Single to noise ratio is usually abbreviated as S/N, and not SIN. Maybe that was just a typo. 2) When you said "measurable difference", I don't think it was measurable as you had to use the user's opinion to determine better, worse, or the same. "Measurable" would mean it could be measured with a device that had a definite output, like a dB meter for example. 3) With only 4 people (n=4) the sample size is really too small to make any kind statistically significant analysis. But certainly a good starting point. 4) Many of us would like to know exactly what is the difference between the higher "technology" vs the lower "technology". Gain, frequencies, separation, S/N, filtering, distortion %, etc. In other words, what does each higher level of "technology" have over the lower levels.

I began wearing hearing aids 30 years ago. My choice buying a hearing aid was cost and expendable replacement due to my working environment. I worked in a power plant with extreme noise, heat and moisture. So I just bought a basic aid that I could turn on and off and replace with a additional pair at low cost. Now I’m retired and I bought a high tech model that I wear almost all the time unfortunately the high tech hearing aid batteries don’t last more than 14 hours. I still have to wear my old aids if I’m using them for a long period of time. Plus hearing aid stores come and go with changing economies.

I am a 67 year old hearing aid user. My experience was much different. I got the highest level Jabra device from Costco. Slightly over $2000. I wore them for over a month before returning them. The technology was so primitive, it was ridiculous. On the devices themselves I could either select to have the buttons control Volume OR Profiles...not both. To do that, and to provide Bluetooth connection to my phone, I had to have this third device hanging from my neck. I found this embarrassing and annoying. In addition, the phone app was useless. There was no way for me to access the EQ settings of each device...for that I had to make an appointment at Costco. As I said I returned them for a full refund. After doing a LOT of research, I now have Blaids X Pro hearing aids. The sound quality is MUCH better, and though I have to connect a small bluetooth adaptor when changing the programming, I do not have to use it for normal use. And the app allows me to access the exact EQ frequencies I want to adjust. The controls on the devices allow me to adjust either volume OR profile. The only downside is they are so small they do not have onboard BT, so no phone connectivity. But since I can now understand speech on my phone, not really a problem. And the kicker was they were less than half the price of the "Premium" Jabras at Costco.

Unfortunately there's another important attribute that's been totally overlooked - something fundamental to uncontrolled capitalism. The product tiers to which you refer are also ensconced in a product packaging pyramid intended to influence a users perception of which product they wish to be seen as choosing. Each purchase becomes a chance to cultivate a preferred personal image. I guarantee that if tier 1 tech is placed inside the physical housing (product shell) of a tier 3 product, and if the tier 3 tech is placed inside the product shell of the tier 1 product, that the results of this study would be considerably different. This is subliminal biasing done by product makers all the time, and it's done specifically to be able to increase profit margins by selling products that may cost the same (or minimally more) to produce, but can be sold for a much larger profit margin. In digital tech, this concept can easily be extended to include a clunkier menu logic or less appealing appearance to the software interface in general. This is done because we know it works - maybe not on all people all the time, but certainly on enough people to make it the default practice for any business where ethics are not aggressively policed. (In theory, licensed "professions" are regulated to enforce ethical practice - this being a founding principle behind the original definition of a licensed profession - but here to, not so much in the US where we pride ourselves on being home to a more wild west notion of "buyer be ware" capitalism.) Anyway, the net result is that the findings of this study are without merit because highly influential confounding variables were not controlled. Oh, and yes, I wear hearing aids. I initially got them so I could hear student questions more clearly in the university lecture halls where I taught research methods. And yes, I knew I was paying too much for the tier 2 products I use, but my design preferences, and ego, simply would not allow me to settle for a lesser product - guilty. Many things about human behavior may be predictable, but if the underlying logic is not understood, our assumptions about cause and effect relationships may be incorrect.

Dr. Cliff Olson What tier level are the hearing Aid at costco?? Thank you. Thank you. 👍👍👍👍

The best advice, if you can hear, is this, go to an audiologist, that, if you can see, uses hearing aids.

Couldn’t agree more. I always say to get the best technology that you can personally afford. Good video.

Hello doc my name is gene. I am 65 years old I have working still shops most of my life. Hunted most of my life. Been around a lot of noise shooting guns. Working in a steel shop beating on metals welding and grinding I'm sure you've heard this before . I wanted to commend you on your test that you have done. Because I can afford any hearing aids much less the good ones. Single father of two . One of them is 17 the other one is 19. I took an early retirement at 62 because I needed a steady income coming in. It wasn't because I could afford it. it was because I needed to do this it was because I needed to get a second job so I can afford to take care of my family by myself. I work for a farmer take care of his ranch for him. I guess what I'm getting at is every penny I save I spent on my kids.i wouldn't have it any other way. It's 1:00 in the morning somewhere around there I have to go to work in the morning but I was working on a pair of hearing aids that were given to me. And I went online to try to figure out how to fix them . Needless to say I pushed them side and said forget it. I mean I'm a fitter welder and a ranch hand LOL. I guess what I'm trying to say is thank you for being so honest and so sincere. I would like for you to know there is very few doctors out there like you. I wish you the best in your practice. It's pretty obvious you will go far. Bless you and your practice. Because there's nothing like hearing your children say good morning Dad have a good day dad. Most of all when they say I love you Dad. Thank you for the video. I will share it several times I'm sure.

I'm hard of hearing. I read lips. This combined with my limited hearing, I usually understand everyone. Now, with everyone wearing masks, I'm missing alot. I want to get hearing aids, but am not sure I can use them at my work because I work in a noisy manufacturing environment that requires ear plugs. Do they make a hearing aid for people like me?

What a great Video Cliff. Trying the best to justify why you reccomend Premium and analysing your potential personal bias in the process. A single blind is difficult, as all it takes is a slip like 'I think you'll like these' comment from you for the wearer to create an opinion. I have been using Costco hearing aids as they were the first in Australia to to sell at a relistic margin. Im 60 and on my 2nd pair in about 5 years now using KS 8.0 and tbh not really satisfied. So have started looking at Premium. But to digress, great video and you appear to have integrity and honesty. 👏well done.

It depends on the patients life style... If they are home bodies and don't go anywhere then the basic is sufficient. If that person goes bowling and to church once a week that's a different story.

I wish: 1) there was a way to "test drive" hearing aids; this is the only industry that literally ask you to spend thousands of dollars without being able to try working aids to compare different model to see what you like better 2) there was a better way to compare hearing aids from different manufacturers. more info that allowed for comparing options between different manufactures. standardized terms so you know if you are comparing apples to apples or apples to oranges. trying to compare different aids (without being inside the industries) is like trying to teach a college class Japanese using an English to Japaneses dictionary; you could do it, but the results wouldn't be very good.3) more open pricing; this is one of the most secretive pricing industries there is 4) better ways to compare your hearing aid provider. the layman doesn't even understand what the hearing aid provider should be doing (I have only learned about best practices, since watching some of your videos). so many belittle their competitors but don't help you understand what they are providing. patients often don't understand what is available, what are the advantages vs price.

I’m on my 3rd set of hearing aids of all ranges and prices that I’ve had I’m the last 6 years. The only thing that is common to all of them in all price ranges is that they are all predictably unpredictable. Don’t count on any of them working as designed at any time repetitively ever. Bluetooth technology is for the most part is a scam. None of the apps accurately control them no matter what ear they are indicating is performing. I’m convinced that hearing aid designers have never worn hearing aids so they have no relationship to our point of view. About 3 or 4 days after getting new ones they all start having problems. The stress on my life and my wife’s life is totally unacceptable. It takes two people at home to repetitively fix them and repeat trips to the audiologists to have hearing aids. It’s almost not worth having them. If you are retiring. Soon plan on having hearing aids as your new job.

Thanks for the thoughtful study. If I understood correctly there wasn't a hardware difference between the advanced and premium devices, only a software programming difference - is that correct? If so why does simply using a different program raise the cost of the aids $200-$500 each? Since you mentioned computers, the difference in cost between them is based on hardware sophistication not software; they all run the same operating systems and programs. It would also be interesting to hear you say more about the differences are between premium and advanced aids.

My friend who is a hearing aid user told me exactly what you said in regards to premium and advanced. There's many price ranges out there, but typically they do the same thing is what she was saying. She also said to be careful because some places will try to upsell you. I'll be going to another Audiologist that works at my ENT's office for my hearing aid consult, but then also go to Costco for another consultation before I make my budget decision.

Thanks!

Hi. I gave this a lot of thought. I conclude there is a sure-fire way to convince your critics. Say you make a net profit on the advanced of X dollars. You could price the premium to yield a net profit of no more than X. That will stifle your professional critics. What say you on this?

Wow, a lot to learn about hearing aids. Thank you💕👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼

I have a question about hearing aids in the pool. I take water aerobics ( no head in water) I don't even get my hair wet! I don't wear my hearing aids in pool but I can't hear our instructors comments either. Is there a hearing aid that is in the canal (less noticeable ) that I can get instead of the traditional one . I have a signa that's 3 yrs. old. But I can't hear with these very well. I have tinnitus too. I don't know if these were programmed right!! I just want to hear clear and not delayed sounds! Do I need these adjusted OR new ones ? I'm live in Fairfax VA. Help me please! Find a knowledgeable dr. Of audiologist. Thank you. Susan

In my family two people could wear the exact same pair of shoes but they will always choose the more expensive ones as much better because they paid more. Spoiled? Pride? Result of living in a affluent society. No wonder the younger generation wants things given to them. The harder you have to work the more you value the dollar made and spend wisely.

If you are an attorney and concerned about both hearing and people seeing your hearing aid, where you need to listen in a hard surface courtroom and constantly on the phone, what type of hearing aid and brand would you recommend?

What a cool study, Cliff! 😎 I realize that a larger test group would be better, but I still think it was a smart study to try. And now you can feel more comfortable in the choices YOU are making! 😁

i have had 8 pairs of expensive aid--just recently bought a $100.00 pair-- they work as good as the expensive ones--33 percent hearing loss--i do not wear them all the time because the increase noise bothers me--only want them for speech--the 100 bucks ones are good enough

Cost of inputs vs price to clients: What is the cost difference to program for “premium” vs “basic” technology? Does the cost difference justify the price difference? …..or is it merely economic opportunism in the guise of professionalism?? Why doesn’t the ethics discussion consider this? Kudos to you for creating this small scale experiment and publishing 👍 …i do however wonder if you considered other explanations for subjects choosing the higher cost option. Eg, premium tech might have been chosen because of actual but subtle aural benefits however it might also have been chosen because of preconceived but unjustified perception of “quality linked with price”, or because of a “fear of missing out” on suggested tech benefits even when no aural benefits were apparent.

I wish I could find someone like you down here in Florida. There are way too many sharks out there not interested in the patient but only on their pockets.....

I have bi lateral hearing loss.Costco couldnt help me

Thank you for this information. I was really confused on what was the difference in the two. I have to pay out of pocket for my hearing aids. Thanks for your amazing videos

Thank you so much. I am so happy to have found your videos! I need to get a new set of hearing aids. They will be my 2nd set ever. I purchased my first set about 4 years ago at age 54. Sadly, three weeks ago my covid mask knocked one out of my ear on vacation. I had no idea until it was long gone. So I now find myself needing to start over. I am actually glad because I was not happy with my first set. $4000 for the pair!!! Initially I think I was, but over time they seemed to help less. SO NOW where to start? I am trying to decide if going to Costco is a good place to start or if it is better to find a new audiologist. I WISH you were in the Atlanta area because I would Love to visit you. Thank you so much for your highly informative videos! They are really helping me figure this out.

Man, that was some serious audiologist wonkyness! I wonder how many people stuck it out to the end. (I did.) It would be interesting to see this done double-blind with more people.

interesting look at individual preferences. Well thought out with tiny sample size.

LUXATO Neckband Hearing Amplifier is the best for conversation

I am wanting not just the heating improvements but premium features like streaming music at a high quality. That to me makes premium hearing aids a better choice on the surface.

Using a Case Study from 7-years ago, without the advancements of current technology is basically a mute point. My suggestion after wearing hearing aids for over 30-years, purchase what you feel helps your the most, within your budget. At the end of the day, hearing aids you don’t like, you don’t wear…

Very interesting, should definitely look to do this with a much larger sample size. Big as you can. And review the questions.

I like that this is exactly the video I was looking for this week and it’s here now !!

I live in the UK where healthcare is free and we're provided low to mid level devices on the NHS We are though able to pay privately for the best available. I'm under 40 and relatively wealthy so decided that an upgrade would be beneficial as I'd get many years use of the premium device. In my opinion, the money I spent gave a marginal increase in sound quality but no real improvement in volume.

I'd be interested to see APHAB and SADL on these folks for each device. Also, a larger sample size would be preferred.

i really think people dont understand that what they mean by premium technology is not how the hearing aids work but the featured you get, premium aids do alot more than just help you hear.......its like buying a car with a higher trim

Thanks for this an enjoyable watch

Dr. Cliff, I'm very impressed by the intelligence behind your reasoning. Now, if you could only be in Tennessee 🙂

So premium aides are what tier? Advanced are what tier? I am confused…new to aids & currently trying one - tier 2

Well done Doc.

For my mom, the difference in price between advanced and premium is $800. That is an acceptable difference in price for here. However, the difference in the basic was almost $3000. Is the difference in quality between basic, standard and premium justified? She has moderate to severe hearing loss overall, and severe loss with background noise. The cost for her hearing aides is $6100.

Nice, thoughtful research design with a clear presentation. Also an important question for our family which we were struggling to find unbiased evidence for. Thanks for sharing! Two questions: 1) are there physical differences between the devices? Are tier 1 devices more stylish or comfortable? I.e. might people prefer them for non-functional reasons? 2) Wouldn't a two tailed hypothesis test be appropriate here? Under the null that participants' eventual choices were truly random, the types are arbitrary. Following your example, we could have just as easily characterized the result as flipping a coin 4 times and getting all tails. So, under the null, I think we want to calculate the probability that everyone chooses the same type (all heads *or* all tails, all tier 1 *or* all tier 2) rather than everyone chooses a particular type. The p-value would be 2 x [ ( 1 / 2 ) ^ 4 ] = 1 / 8 = 0.125.

What are best practices? I have worn hearing aids for over 15 years, but have never heard of best practices.

I was diagnosed with sudden sensory neural hearing loss in my right ear. I am really struggling with background and distorted sounds. I have a hood hearing aid but I am still not satisfied. I tried a bone conduction ear phone and I could hear perfectly. Of course it was through Bluetooth and my IPhone so there was no background noise. Could you explain about the difference in bone conduction hearing aides and who would benefit from this type and why most audiologist do not talk about this type of hearing aide?

This industry must stop hiding services in the cost of the product it sells. Only then will the public see realistic, competitive fees and prices.

Have another test done, with 2 devices again, but both the same tech and model. That would be more accurate. You'd be surprised what feedback you'd get. Did that for a product tasting that we were developing, and each liked one over the other, despite all samples being the same. That weeds out the psychological factor from such tests.

I live in Australia, and I'm a pensioner. I have moderate hearing loss. Every 5 years I am eligible for a free pair if what you would call Level 5 hearing aids. As the level goes up, so does the cost: Level 4 - $AU690 for each hearing aid Level 3 - another $690 per hearing aid Level 2 - another $150 per hearing aid Level 1 - another $620 per hearing aid Level 1+ (AKA Performance Plus) - another $1,000 per hearing aid. These are all Siemens Signia range hearing aids In these circumstances, which pair would you recommend?

I wanted to respond to Costco Kirkland heading aids. I have those. I do not think it is the hearing aid. I think it is the charger. However, I have had them just stop. Then I use the charger. So ?

Premium and Advanced are just words, manufactures can give you whatever with whatever description they want, it means nothing without concrete data to tell consumers what they are getting. So these kind of descriptions empower sellers but do nothing whatsoever for consumers.

you say the only reason to drop dwon in technology level is cost/affordability...that is not true. One solid reason to drop is if there was no improvement in hearing by using the higher technology. There should be a way to "test out" the different levels of technology before a patient decides which one performs better.

Hi Dr. Cliff, have you fitted many of the Phonak Paradise UP model hearing aids yet? I’m using the calm setting vs using autosense. However I’m seeing fluctuations in volume with the Bluetooth when listening to RU-vid or music . It will start out loud and clear for the 1st 10 seconds or so then decrease to 1/4 or 1/2 then volume.it’s frustrating and I have tried 2 different devices and they both produce the same results. Any insight is greatly appreciate. Perhaps I have a bad hearing aid and need to replace before my trial expires?