At Hearing Aid Know, we are often in correspondence with hearing aid users, sometimes we are better at it than others, unfortunately, but we do try to keep up. Spurred by an interesting conversation with a consumer recently, and a parallel but similar conversation with a professional. I decided to write this article. They asked me what was the best hearing aid available? I can't answer that question, because it is the wrong question. Let me explain.
Our Ethos
We do not believe that our job is to tell you or give you our opinion of, the best hearing aid. There are several reasons for that and the first is that at Hearing Aid Know we don't act as influencers or kingmakers by making such statements. We understand that there are many global consumers who read the pages on our site hungry for information. We also understand that those consumers trust us to give honest, unbiased opinions. It is important to us that they continue to trust us to do that. We believe our job is to give honest and clear advice, detailing the good and the bad in order that consumers can make up their own mind.
If we ever tell you product X is the best hearing aid ever, that will probably be a lie. We may tell you that product X is the best hearing aid that brand Y has ever produced, but that is a very different statement.
The second reason is that there is no best hearing aid, there is no singular hearing device that is best for every single consumer. The device doesn't exist. Yes, brand Y may have just introduced product X which is their best hearing aid ever, but that doesn't mean it is the best hearing aid out there or for you. Choosing a hearing aid is a personal process that is dependent on your specific hearing loss and your own perceived lifestyle wants and needs. We can't understand them without sitting with you for a consultation.
The Right Question
The right question is really, what is the best hearing aid for me? The answer to that question is based on several factors. Your hearing loss, your speech perception in quiet and in noise and finally and probably most importantly, your lifestyle needs. In order to try and help you answer that question, we provide as detailed an analysis as possible of the hearing aids that are available in an easily digestible way. We also try to ensure that we cover the functionality of each level of technology so that you can understand what each offers and how it may fit within your budget.
My Personal Best Hearing Aid
For me, my personal best hearing aid would be the one with the Widex Puresound (doesn't work for everyone), oh and with the fabulous Made For Any Phone connectivity and the Tap Control of the Phonak Paradise, oh, oh, and with the Resound rechargeable battery and charger case system from the Quattro, oh, oh, and a cross between the myPhonak, Widex Moment and Smart 3D apps. Oh, Oh, with the new Resound Mic and Receiver In Ear receivers. Oh, oh, needs to look like the Signia Styletto and have the health features of the Livio from Starkey. Oh, oh, could do with the Roger Direct from Phonak as well.
We aren't kingmakers, and we don't ascribe to any one manufacturer, so no, we don't give answers about the best hearing aid, and really you shouldn't trust us if we do, because we probably wouldn't be doing our job as we see it and providing the best service possible to you. Like us on Facebook by clicking the button below to keep up with our latest utterances. Alternatively, if you don't like Facebook, sign up to the newsletter below. It is important to remember, a hearing aid isn't properly fitted unless they do Real Ear Measurement.
