As hearing aids come in various types, brands and features, it can be confusing to choose the right hearing aid for yourself or a family member. I'll review the top four manufacturers (Siemens, Beltone, Starkey and Phonak) of hearing aids to give you an idea of what they have to offer. Hearing aids are available as analog or digital. Analog hearing aids have been on the market for quite some time but are less popular than digital hearing aids. The latter offer clearer sound quality and can be programmed by a computer to achieve a high level of fine tuning. More people are opting for digital hearing aids as their prices have fallen. There are four custom styles of hearing aids. A hearing aid that can be fitted over the ear and rest behind it is the Behind-the-Ear (BTE). It is the least expensive. The In-the-Ear (ITE) hearing aid sits just inside the ear. The almost invisible In-the-Canal (ITC) hearing aid is fitted a low into the ear. Lastly, the Completely-in-the-Canal (CIC) hearing aid fits deeply inside the ear canal. This type of hearing aid is totally concealed from view and must be fully molded to fit into the ear canal. A hearing professional can assist in selecting the most suitable hearing aid for you. Siemens Hearing Aids Siemens is a well established company in the hearing aid industry with more than 125 years of experience. It is the largest manufacturer of hearing aids in the United States. All Siemens hearing instruments come with a two-year warranty. Seimens hearing aids come in various styles, functions and features. They range from the cheapest Phoenix and Cielo models to the state-of-the-art Artis e2e which has the wireless ear-to-ear capability. Beltone Hearing Aids Beltone is one of the major producers of hearing aids. It is located in more than 1300 areas in the USA with an exceptional reputation in the hearing aid business. Beltone's Belcare is an exclusive aftercare program that provides after sales support to their customers. Beltone professionals are trained to carry out a lifestyle assessment program called Personalized Hearing Health Assessment (PHHA) on their customers to determine the most suitable type of hearing aid. Beltone hearing aids are divided into basic, quality, advantage, and premier categories. Their cheap Edge model has three channels. Beltone's mid-range model is the six-channel Mira. Beltone's top-of-the-line hearing aid is the twelve-channel Oria which also offers many other features not found in other models. Starkey Hearing Aids Starkey Laboratories is the largest producer of hearing aids in the world. Starkey is known to be the first hearing aid company to provide a warranty and free trial period for their hearing instruments. The 3-channel Aspect is the most basic line of Starkey hearing aids. The mid-level Destiny has a range of several models and the top-of-the-line Eli provides wireless capability that is compatible with Bluetooth-enabled phones. Phonak Hearing Aids Phonak is a worldwide manufacturer with headquarter in Switzerland. It produces a range of hearing aids to suit your hearing needs and budget. The 6-channel eXtra model offers a basic entry level hearing aid. The mid-range Valeo and Elva models have 16 channels. The top-of-the-line Savia has 20 channels and advanced features to give the best hearing quality. Phonak also utilizes wireless technology in their hearing aids.
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