How to Choose the Right Hearing Aid

Hearing Aid Prices and the Benefits of Binaural Fitting

The price of hearing aids varies widely, ranging from over a thousand yuan to several thousand or even tens of thousands, with the most expensive models costing around forty thousand yuan per unit. As a result, a common question arises:  If my budget is limited, should I buy one high-quality hearing aid or two cheaper ones?

From the perspective of hearing improvement, if both ears have hearing loss (and there are no contraindications for fitting),  binaural fitting (wearing hearing aids in both ears) is generally recommended .

1. Avoiding the "Head Shadow" Effect

The ears are located on either side of the head. When a sound source is on one side, the head blocks and weakens the sound before it reaches the opposite ear, causing a delay in arrival time—a phenomenon known as the  head shadow effect .

• High-frequency sounds (above 2000 Hz), such as speech and birdsong, are particularly affected, with attenuation reaching  10-17 decibels  due to this effect.

• Even with a high-performance hearing aid,  a single device cannot fully replicate natural binaural hearing , as its sound reception range is limited.

2. Advantages of Binaural Hearing Aids

Compared to wearing just one hearing aid,  binaural fitting offers significant benefits :

① More Accurate Sound Localization – Safer and More Convenient Communication

With two hearing aids, both ears receive balanced sound input. The brain can determine sound direction by analyzing differences in  arrival time, volume, and phase  between the two ears.

• With only one hearing aid , the brain struggles to locate sounds accurately, making all sounds seem to come from the aided side.

• This can be  dangerous in outdoor settings , such as failing to identify the direction of an approaching vehicle.

② Better Noise Suppression – Clearer Hearing

In noisy environments (e.g., restaurants, traffic, social gatherings), the brain uses  differences in loudness and phase  between the two ears to suppress background noise and improve the  signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) .

• SNR  (the ratio of useful sound to interference) is crucial for hearing-impaired individuals—higher SNR means better speech clarity and comprehension.

• Studies show that in quiet settings,  single-ear and binaural hearing aids perform similarly  (though both are slightly worse than natural hearing).

• However, in noisy environments,  binaural hearing improves speech understanding by over 40%  compared to single-ear use.

③ Preventing Auditory Deprivation

If one ear remains unaided, it may gradually lose its ability to process sound—a condition called  auditory deprivation .

• Binaural fitting ensures both ears receive stimulation , maintaining stable speech recognition and preventing hearing deterioration in the unaided ear.

• With proper rehabilitation training, users can  communicate, learn, and live like normal-hearing individuals .

④ Louder and More Balanced Sound

Due to  binaural summation , hearing with both ears provides  ~10 dB better hearing thresholds  than single-ear use, resulting in  greater loudness and sensitivity .

Conclusion: Budget Considerations

If budget is a constraint,  prioritize 2-3 key hearing needs  and choose the  most affordable digital hearing aids that allow binaural fitting .

However, professional fitting is essential —buying cheap, improperly fitted hearing aids may not only be ineffective but could also  cause irreversible hearing damage due to over-amplification .