Review Of Hearing Aids: Siemens, Beltone, Phonak & Starkey
Posted: Saturday, June 02, 2007
by Alvin Toh
Hearing aids are available in analog or digital version. Analog hearing aids have been on the market for quite some time and are the least expensive type of hearing aids. Today, most hearing aids are digital as these provide better amplification, cleaner sound quality and can be programmed by computer. They are becoming more affordable as their prices have fallen.
This review is focused on the 4 leading manufacturers of hearing aids. Siemens, Beltone, Starkey and Phonak are well known for producing superior quality hearing aids and excellent customer service.
Siemens Hearing Aids
Siemens has been the biggest hearing aid manufacturer in the US for over 125 years. Siemens hearing aids are designed to meet any hearing need and lifestyle. All of them come with a two-year warranty. More channels and features are placed in every Siemens hearing aids as compared to other leading brands. Phoenix and Cielo models are Siemens' most inexpensive line of hearing aids while the Artis e2e model is their top-of-the-line hearing aid with wireless ear-to-ear technology.
Beltone Hearing Aids
Beltone has more than 1300 locations in the United States of America and an exceptional reputation in the hearing aid business. The company has a program called Belcare whereby they provide support for ongoing needs of customers who have purchased a Beltone hearing aid. Beltone hearing ptofessionals are trained to carry out a lifestyle assessment called Personalized Hearing Health Assessment (PHHA) on their customers. This program helps determine which hearing aid is right for individual hearing needs. Beltone hearing aids are available in 4 categories: basic, quality, advantage and premier. The three-channel Edge model is the least expensive. Beltone's mid-range model is the six-channel Mira. Beltone's state-of-the-art hearing aid is the twelve-channel Oria which has many advanced features.
Starkey Hearing Aids
The world's largest hearing aid maker is Starkey Laboratories. They were the first to offer warranty as well as a free trial period. They have many hearing aid models available beginning with the 3-channel Aspect. The mid-level Destiny comes in several models to accommodate your needs. Your Bluetooth-capable phone would work great with the top-of-the-line Eli models with its wireless capability.
Phonak Hearing Aids
Phonak, based in Switzerland, extends its services throughout the globe. You can have your Phonak hearing aid tailored to fit to your hearing needs and lifestyle. The six channel eXtra model is Phonak's basic entry-level hearing aid. The Valeo and Elva models are mid-range hearing aids that have sixteen channels. Savia is the top range model with twenty channels and more features than the rest of their products. Phonak also provides wireless hearing solutions.
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Looking to buy hearing aids? Make sure you compare hearing aid prices and check out daily updated resources on various brands (Phonak, Beltone, Seimens hearing aids, etc) at www.abouthearingaid.com/home
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Top-level comments on this article: (2 total)My dad purchased a pair of Siemens digital in the ear (ITE) hearing aids and they have been a disaster. I was with him when he got the sales pitch from his audiologist and they seemed like a great product. Instead they are so poorly designed that the battery gets stuck inside several times a year needing a trip to the audiologist each time. It's unbelievable that something costing several thousand dollars can be so flimsy in construction. They are certainly not built for elderly hands to be able to easily change the battery (which needs to be done weekly). They are now out of warranty and useless as the battery is stuck inside once again. Dad's going to get a free Veteran's Administration hearing aid instead. There is no excuse for charging so much for such a poor product. Siemens should be ashamed to be taking elderly people's money! Stay away from: Siemens hearing aids - Siemens digital hearing aids - Siemens digital ITE hearing aids - Siemens digital in the ear hearing aids -First off, there's nothing "audiological" about a hearing aid. There's nothing in audiology or, by extension, medicine, that defines a hearing aid. A hearing aid is an acoustical device, a P.A. (public address) system on a small scale. PA systems are designed by electrical engineers. The test run by the audiologist is calibrated in "decibels of hearing loss" Hearing aids, pa sysytems, and all loudness measurements are calibrated in "decibels of sound pressure level". They don't mix because each type has a different "zero" value. Your hearing aid cost was a fraction of what you paid for the instrument. The majority of the cost was the "labor" that the audiologist performed in fitting the aid and servicing it after the sale. You probably have some type of in- the- ear (ite) hearing aid because of vanity concerns. If your audiologist knew what the needs of your ear was, they could never fit an ite, because they would know that it wasn't loud enough, and, because of your dexterity issues, it'd be difficult to handle. It's not Siemens fault, they only built the aid. Your audiologist, with all the diplomas on the walls, recommended it and mis-applied its use. George Gaenslen Hearing aid dispenser Houston Texas
Regarding the Phonak FM models with the remote "mic": This device is so poorly designed that it is an insult. The user interface is arcane, confusing. Small buttons that are hard to access are used to cycle awkwardly through senseless icons. There should be a hard button to mute or turn off the microphone when the wearer is making distracting noises (like doing dishes). We have had two version and each on-off switch was IMPOSSIBLE for my elderly father. One may argue that the electronics are helpful (I am unimpressed by them, but I'll leave that aside) but there is no doubt that the design is abominable, engineers gone mad with NO understanding of the human interface. My elderly parents don't use it - it's just too much of a nightmare. I'm a total computer geek and find it frustrating. I think it's easy to pick it up, and in a quick, cursory session, to be impressed by any hearing improvement; hence some of the positive reviews. But I'd like to talk to these earlier enthusiasts after a couple of weeks of wrestling with the device. I emailed the company and their customer service was arrogant and condescending.
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