Stennheiser, Germany’s Headphone Maker Targets the US Hearing Aid Market

Posted on July 6, 2023 by admin

Germany’s well-known headphone maker, Stennheiser is targeting the US Hearing aid market by introducing their first two hearing aids in July 2023. The products will be over-the-counter, and will be called All-Day Clear and All-Day Clear Slim, and will be available starting mid-July, 2023, and will cost about $1,400 and $1,500. All-Day-Clear look similar to other over-the-counter hearing aids, and we will try to evaluate them through beta testing when testing is available. Those two products are expected to help Sennheiser gain a significant market share of the multi-billion dollar US Hearing Aid market.

Stennheiser All-Day-Cear Over-the-Counter Hearing Adis

Over-The-Counter (OTC) Hearing Aids are a Reality, starting This Week

Posted on October 17, 2022 by admin

In her weekly newsletter, our Congresswoman Anna Eshoo reminded us that hearing aids are now available over the counter without a prescription or exam. The ability to buy over-the-counter hearing aids is going to save hearing-loss patients an average of $3,000 per pair. Eshoo first voted for this policy in 2017; it took five years for this to become a reality, so we are grateful for the speed with which the FDA and our House of Representatives conduct business. HLAA provides an OTC Tips Sheet for patients, from this link.

Wearing Required Masks Can Make You Lose Your Hearing Aids

Posted on November 26, 2020 by admin

And if you also wear glasses it is even worse. There are some tactics that will prevent or minimize the likelihood of loss. And if you have hearing aids that are fully into the ear, for example, the Eargo models, there is very little likelihood that you would lose them. But if you are wearing a style that doesn’t have ear loops, such as the Milwaukee Face Shield Gaiter 4223R, you only have to worry about your glasses. Alternatively, you could purchase a NeoSensory Buzz hearing aid, which is worn on your wrist.

Are OTC Hearing Aids Satisfactory?

Posted on September 29, 2020 by admin

There is a growing volume of OTC (over-the-counter) hearing aids. These OTC products are virtually always considerably cheaper than the prescription (non-OTC) ones (that always involve an audiologist). Before the emergence of these new models, many deaf or hard-of-hearing people refrained from purchasing hearing aids because they were too expensive. However, in 2016 the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced important changes in the law that made these OTC permissible to sell, and at considerably lower prices.

Size matters. As people age, they not only may become hard of hearing but also may have less nimble fingers, so tiny (especially in-the-ear) hearing aids may not be advisable (unless it uses Bluetooth so can be adjusted from their cellphone). Actually, it would be better for them to ignore their vanity and buy larger hearing aids so that others know that they are hard of hearing and speak louder. And it is generally easier and cheaper to make larger hearing aids.

A bunch of “big hat no cattle” low-priced hearing aids and PSAPs (personal sound amplification products) brands have full-page splashy advertisements in magazines and newspapers (sometimes only once or twice, then gone). We personally had an experience with the now-defunct Soundhawk, which suffered from poor customer service, lack of Bluetooth (which, combined with microscopic buttons, made adjustment impossible). Here are some (there are others whose absence from the list does not imply they are inferior) that have been around long enough that buyers can expect to receive satisfactory after-sale support: