Choosing the right hearing device is crucial to your health and well-being, as hearing has a profound impact on mental stability, physical safety, and social interactions. A hearing aid and hearing amplifier are two types of devices to enhance listening ability. In this blog, the key differences between hearing aids and hearing amplifiers are emphasised.
What is a Hearing Amplifier?
A hearing amplifier is a wearable electronic hearing device that helps to enhance the sound around you is also called a personal sound amplification product (PSAP). It has a microphone through which it picks up sound, and the amplified sound is then sent to your ears by a speaker. People can use this device to listen to the sounds more clearly as well as loudly without a doctor’s recommendation.
Who should use a Hearing Amplifier?
A hearing amplifier has been designed for people with normal listening ability, not for individuals having hearing loss. When you attend a lecture or a stage performance, if the speaker is at a distance, you may use the hearing amplifier for your ease. Individuals with minor hearing impairment can also use the hearing amplifier to get a better listening experience.
What is a Hearing Aid?
A hearing aid is an electronic device that helps to restore the hearing ability of individuals suffering from hearing loss by amplifying specific frequencies. It has been designed in different shapes and sizes to treat mild to severe hearing loss. Hearing aids can be implanted through surgery or can be removable. It can also be customised to fit the range of hearing loss of the user.
Who should use a hearing aid?
A hearing aid is suitable for individuals who have been diagnosed with hearing loss. Various types of hearing aids are available to trigger different ranges of hearing difficulties and requirements. Healing aids are essential for sensorial, conductive, or one-sided hearing loss.
Also Read: Top 8 Hearing Aid Apps to improve sound quality and comfort
Difference between hearing aid and hearing amplifier
Hearing aid and hearing amplifier are both designed to amplify sound, but there are several differences between these hearing devices, and the differences are as follows:
- Customised fit- Hearing aid can be customised according to a person’s hearing ability. Hearing aids are available in various shapes, styles, sizes, colour, and types. On the other hand, hearing amplifiers are usually available in a “one-size-fits-all” design. Amplifiers are not able to adjust to a person’s unique needs and preferences.
- Prescription – A prescription from an audiologist is needed to purchase a hearing aid, but a hearing amplifier does not require a prescription to buy, and a hearing amplifier can be purchased from an online or offline store.
- Regulation- Hearing aids are being regulated by the FDA; on the contrary, hearing amplifiers do not need any such regulations. The FDA ensures the safety as well as the effectiveness of hearing aids.
- Sound quality- Hearing aids offer high-quality and customizable sound. A hearing amplifier is not customizable and can not provide the quality sound that hearing aids can.
- Various features- Hearing aids are designed with noise cancellation features, directional microphones, and feedback cancellation, but these features are not available in hearing amplifiers.
- Expensive- A Hearing aid is more expensive than a hearing amplifier
What is the right choice for you?
The hearing aid and hearing amplifier both help to improve listening capability, but they serve different purposes. A hearing amplifier picks up the sound around you, but a hearing aid enhances the specific frequencies.
If you are facing hearing difficulty or mild hearing impairment, then a hearing amplifier can be the right choice for you. If you have been diagnosed with hearing loss, then you should use hearing aids per the recommendation of an expert. Hearing aids help to participate in social conversations or listen to sounds for individuals with mild to severe hearing loss.
Learn More: Top AI Hearing Aids 2025: Smart Features & Models
You need to be aware of the fact that Hearing aids are medical devices regulated by the FDA and provided through licensed hearing care experts or clinics. Hearing aids are designed to address a specific type of hearing difficulty, but hearing amplifiers are not a medical device
Notably, using hearing amplifiers for a long time can worsen your hearing capability, as they can not provide the necessary sound as well as amplification that you need to restore your hearing. You need to contact an audiologist and must undergo different tests to evaluate the severity of your hearing loss.
A hearing aid is designed with the latest features to meet your unique needs and preferences, but you can not get the features in hearing amplifiers.
You need to consider those factors before selecting the hearing device. It will be beneficial to use a healing aid prescribed by a licensed hearing care clinic if you have hearing difficulty. You can use amplifiers if you just want to hear sound with more clarity.
If you can not decide which is the right hearing device that suits your hearing difficulty, then you can contact the expert audiologists at Aural Care, one of the best hearing care providing clinics in Kolkata. Our team of specialists and expert audiologists is dedicated to providing service to restore your healing ability. We use advanced equipment and the latest technology to test the range of your hearing loss. Our experienced audiologists recommend high-quality hearing aids that suit your listening ability and preferences.
Contact us today to learn more about personalized hearing experiences.
Conclusion
A hearing aid and hearing amplifier are both effective devices to enhance your hearing ability; hearing amplifiers only enhance sound, while hearing aids serve to treat your hearing loss. Several factors, such as severity of hearing loss, budget, features, and personal preferences need to be assessed properly before purchasing a hearing device. A hearing aid is prescribed by a professional after assessing the range of hearing loss, but anyone can purchase a hearing amplifier as per their preferences.
Follow us on
- Facebook: facebook.com/AuralCareKolkata
- Instagram: instagram.com/auralcareofficial
- You tube: youtube.com/@AuralCareOfficial