It's no secret that there is a hearing aid Mafia made up by a group of licensed specialists who by law are the only people allowed to dispense "professional" hearing aids. The Food and Drug Administration regulates the industry which only makes things worse for the consumer in terms of out of pocket expense. I bought this LifeEar unit to test a theory that I had regarding the industry and I'm glad that I did.
I'm a 42yr old male. I had an unsuccessful middle ear surgery on my right ear to correct a moderate hearing loss problem (worst decision of my life). The surgery left me 90% deaf in that ear. At my local ENT center, I purchased a top of the line hearing aid which cost me a whopping $2500 (no insurance help - thanks!). After my 30 day trial period, I returned the unit because I could not justify the expense. My main complaints with the hearing aid were that it was not user adjustable, the sound quality was poor and that I had to return to the hearing center every time I needed to make an adjustment. I made four "programming" visits in 30 days and still could not get the unit to work as expected based on the expense.
I decided to purchase this LifeEar Hearing "Amplifier" (note that they cannot legally call it a hearing aid) to see what the comparative differences were. I should note that my review is based on swapping out the earpiece supplied by LifeEar to the custom mold that was made at my ENT center which cost me $50. I would recommend doing the same if possible as the custom molds reduces the amount of feedback in the earpiece. With that said, the LifeEar earpiece works well and is not a poor design by any means – I simply have a custom piece so I use it instead.
Here are the results:
The sound quality of the LifeEar is better than the expensive, custom tuned, multiple-microphone hearing aid. It has plenty of power for me with my major hearing loss. There are 10 levels of volume and I usually keep mine set on a volume setting of 8 or 9 (for reference, my 70yr old Father with age related hearing loss tried it and he preferred a much lower setting of around 3-4). I love the fact that I can easily adjust the volume which was my #1 complaint with the $2500 hearing aid. The 4 different program settings do work. I prefer the standard #1 setting where everything is amplified, but the other settings do help cut down on the white noise and/or amplify the high pitches (depending on which you choose). Wind noise is much less of an issue with the LifeEar compared to the $2500 hearing aid. Battery life is exactly 6 days for me which is about the same as the other unit.
The fit is very comfortable although the tubing does stick out a little more than the expensive custom unit. I’m sure that I could order a proper size replacement tube, but it doesn’t bother me a bit and it’s very comfortable. I wear my LifeEar 16 hours every day and I forget that I’m wearing it.
To summarize, the LifeEar has far exceeded my expectations so far. After forking over $2500 for a so called “professional” hearing aid that was a disappointment, I knew there had to be a better option. I ordered the LifeEar for no reason other than to compare it to the one that I had returned. Having this unit confirms all my suspicions that the professional hearing aid industry is rigged. There is absolutely no reason to pay $2500 or more for a hearing aid that will not do the job that the LifeEar will do. I can’t wait to go back to my ENT center and give them a piece of my mind for trying to rip me off.
Customers also viewed these products
Page 1 of 1 Start overPage 1 of 1
Product Description
BE YOU AGAIN
Empower Hearing Amplifiers help improve speech intelligibility, increase your confidence, and reduce fatigue associated with the inability to hear what you want—leading to an improved quality of life. This means no more asking people to repeat themselves, turning the TV up and up, or misunderstanding loved ones in cases where there is more than one person in the room.
Empower Hearing Amplifiers do more than ‘turn the volume up’, they enhance the world around you discreetly. The 12 band digital sound processing focuses on voices while simultaneously reducing background noise.
The sound level and amplification program is adjustable via a single switch—and the Empower Hearing Amplifiers are already assembled. No need to fiddle with putting complicated devices together.
SLIM PROFILE
Designed to get out of the way. Others won’t notice the device and you’ll forget you’re wearing anything at all. You’ll be able to present to a group with regained confidence.
CLEAR AMPLIFICATION
Fully engage and be you again. Sophisticated all-digital sound processing selectively amplifies voices so you won’t miss a single word in a conversation again.
LAYERED NOISE REDUCTION
Be a part of the conversation and connect deeply. Advanced noise reduction features automatically tune out background noise so you can focus on what really matters. You’ll be able to conserve mental energy and enjoy the world around you.
FINALLY, EASY HEARING
Empower Hearing Amplifiers arrive at your door assembled and ready to go. No need to fumble with putting anything together. Empower Hearing Amplifiers are simple but so powerful—we know you’ll be happy.
What's In The Box?
- Empower BOOST assembled with Tubing and Tip
- Carrying Case
- Size 10 Zinc-Air Batteries
- Cleaning Brush and Wire
- Power Tip for increased volume if needed.
Reviews with images
Join the Hearing World Again
I read the reviews on the device and did a little research on hearing aids and hearing amplifiers and wanted to try this device for my 93 year old mother who has old age diminished hearing loss. My Dad had always spent at least 5k on her hearing aids and I almost did too when I took her to an audiologist. My rationale was if the devices could be transferred to my husband who has hearing loss or just ignoring me but since neither really had a medical indication for a hearing aid, I decided to try this product. IT WORKS AND IT CAN CHANGE YOUR LIFE SO YOU CAN BE PART OF THE HEARING WORLD AGAIN. Thank you people who write comments! People read them and obviously businesses also understand their value.
