Cheap hearing aids! $12!

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coolloser

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I found some insanely cheap hearing aids on a Hong Kong gadget website that I frequent. For $14 I figured that it would be a decent price to pay for a backup pair in case I need to send mine in for repairs. I figured no matter how crappy they are it's better to hear something than nothing!
Anyways, they arrived today and I am quite surprised how well they work, they remind me of the old analog siemens I had growing up ( I now wear digital oticon bte go power)
The background noise isn't that bad at all, I sat outside next to a very busy road having a convo with my sister with them in and she was shocked that I could hear and converse with her! Now this is not to say that I would wear these everyday by any means as the quality is not as good and there is no telecoil feature! There is some nice engrish in the manual, my favourite line being: "Please take out the battery if not use for long time. Otherwise the components will be rotted by the rotten liquid from battery."

Here are the specs
- On/off switch
- Volume Dial
- Mini Microphone
- Battery Cartridge (1 x AG13 cell, included)
- Two sized earbuds for personalized fit
- Max sound output: 129 +/- 5dB
- Sound gain >= 45dB
- Distortion <= 5%
- Frequency range: 300~4000Hz
- Noise <= 23dB
- Current <= 5mA (voltage 1.5V)
Link to "Axon Hearing Aid (V163)"($13.54):
DealExtreme: $13.54 Axon Hearing Aid (V163)
Link to extra batteries (50 pck for $4)
DealExtreme: $4.04 Cell Battery AG13 LR44 (50-Pack)

Here is the "body aid model" ($11.70 )there is no specs listed on the site but in the manual that came with mine, it has this model listed too
- On/off switch
- Volume Dial
- Mini Microphone
- Battery 5#
- Two sized earbuds for personalized fit
- Max sound output: 130 +/- 5dB
- Sound gain >= 45dB
- Total harmonic wave Distortion <= 5%
- Frequency range: 300~4000Hz
- Inpur Noise <= 30dB
- Current <= 5mA (voltage 1.5V):
DealExtreme: $11.70 Axon Hearing Aid (X-136)

There is an ITE model listed as well under a different brand, all I could find out about it is Max output >=110dB (the site calls it "Syrinx" but the picture of the box says "powertone") ($21.12):
DealExtreme: $21.12 Syrinx Hearing Aid/Voice Amplifier (1*AG3)

I'm not sure what batteries the other models take however.

So I thought you guys might benefit from some cheap backup hearing aids or even main hearing aids if you don't have coverage!

I'm gonna bring them into my audi when I see them this week (battery door fell off my right hearing aid and is nowhere to be found! and the other one is breaking, I hate digis for the battery door on/off feature. Bring back the switch!) It'll be interesting to see what they think, maybe they'll order some in for people who can't afford em or loaners hahha.

(I am moderate-severe bilateral btw)
 
Wow 12 dollars! That's crazy! I am guessing you had no probs with payment etc. Was the s+h expensive? That's a pretty good deal for ppl that can't afford ha's and need an ha..even if its not perfect its something! Great find! Good luck getting ur digis fixed!
 
@AliciaM: S+H and handling was free (they do worldwide free shipping)
They take paypal, they did sit in customs for a few days (the packing slip said health/beauty, they probably thought they were meds)
Ya I figured people who can't afford HAs at all would benefit from this for sure!

Luckily I am still able to use my hearing aids (the battery stays in OK without the door) when I called my audis office he was on vacation and the secretaries reaction was pretty funny. She wasn't sure if they had them in stock and was worried that I was gonna go without hearing until he came back, (I calmed her down though)

@Moondancer: Ya I'm a scammer that signed up to alldeaf in 2006 just to post about cheap HAs 2 years later:hmm:
 
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i got one of these a couple of weeks ago, and all i got was feedback out of mine. i can't use it at all. i've bought other stuff at
deal extreme and it was ok for the price. shipping is free but it takes a couple of weeks to get anything.

tonedef
 
It is true that it takes a long time to get anything but can't complain with free shipping :)

Too bad they couldn't work for you, but I guess they are "one size fit all" style as opposed to custom fit......
 
I would think, for the price, that something like this would NOT help the vast majority of the deaf population; they seem to be for hearing people whose hearing is starting to fail them or for hearing hunters who want to be able to hear deer coming down the path earlier than they normally would. :lol:
 
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@Tousi
You're absolutely right, I would NOT recommend them for everyday use, they aren't that good. But I did buy them as a back up pair to have if I need repairs or if I'm ever at the point where I can just not afford hearing aids right away.

I could not handle hearing nothing, I have to have my aural stimuli and these would be better than nothing in my book :D
 
Well, i m in a need of a new hearing aid and im dubious
of that cheapo you are talking about! I would love to buy
hearing aid that cheap, lol! but no thanks cuz like you said
the hearing aid battery door fell off? whoa, the rest of it
could very well fall apart, geez.
I think i will go my local hearing aid dealer and just make
payments on a good brand hearing aid rather than get
a $12 hearing aid that probably will last a couple of months,
lol.
Like you said, they are fine for back up.
 
Defee said:
Well, i m in a need of a new hearing aid and im dubious
of that cheapo you are talking about! I would love to buy
hearing aid that cheap, lol! but no thanks cuz like you said
the hearing aid battery door fell off? whoa, the rest of it
could very well fall apart, geez.
I think i will go my local hearing aid dealer and just make
payments on a good brand hearing aid rather than get
a $12 hearing aid that probably will last a couple of months,
lol.
Like you said, they are fine for back up.
Click to expand...

Yeah, but like the OP said, it could tide you over till you get your new one or whatever....hey, for 12 bucks, I would!
 
LOL, the battery door fell of my $1300.00 Oticon GO Power!! (and the other one is about to come off)

The battery door on the cheapo seems a lot studier because it's not made to let people with reduced mobilty rake it open on a table. Th entire build seems pretty damn good, as I said, they remind me a lot of the siemen analogue ones I had growing up.
 
coolloser said:
(I am moderate-severe bilateral btw)
Click to expand...

I was just about to ask you this question because I didn't see anything about the severity of your hearing loss the first time I read your post. It sounds (no pun intended) like this would be a great backup hearing aid for those who have mild or moderate hearing loss. Even if they last you only a few months' time, it's not as if you couldn't afford to pay $12 for another pair. Great find! :)
 
They are really just amplifiers, right? I should get a couple...
 
@Hear Again. I knew someone would ask about the severity of my loss so I stuck it in there at the end :D

@Tousi. Pretty much but they are a little better, I bought the "Listen in" that they advertise on TV because I saw it for $3 once and those were craptastic compared to these.
 
When I saw the price, the first thing popped in my head was an old fashioned tin horn. That would be the right price for an H.A. in USA.
 
coolloser said:
LOL now I wanna go find a tin horn style hearing tool and buy it!!
Click to expand...

Haha, if you get one of those really big ones, how on earth will you be able to sign while holding that big thing in your ear? :lol: I won't mention the hunter in the woods! :lol:
 
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