There are only a handful of manufacturers of hearing aids operating in Europe. Most of them have offices in the UK. True ‘Hearing aids’ are devices where a suitably qualified person fits them. It is possible to buy hearing amplifiers on-line, but this is risky, often fraught with problems and seldom leads to success. The reason for this is that, for most of us, hearing aids take a while to get used to. So it helps if someone is at hand to make fine tuning adjustments, especially in the first three months. Phonak, Siemens, Oticon, Unitron, Widex, GN Resound and Starkey are the manufacturers that you will tend to hear about the most. They have almost the entire market share.
So to choose a manufacturer: – well, there are historical and market performance indications one can consider and gather information about on the internet that may influence you. For example, one manufacturer does have an outstanding reputation for producing hearing aids for hearing impaired children, etc. However, in reality, most consumers will be ‘recommended’ a make by a retailer for less-than-scientific, often commercial reasons. It’s fair to say that most hearing aid retailers are heavily biased towards one or two manufacturers. Even the smaller independents will usually have a current preference. So it is likely, if you go to one provider only, you may receive a biased recommendation. Does it matter? Probably not. In all fairness, the manufacturers mentioned already are all at least ‘good’ at what they do. And most modern hearing aids are of high quality. In the same way, most mobile phones are pretty good these days. At this time, we can say that:
PHONAK have a dominant market share (and Unitron is part of the same group). They have an impressive range of FM add-on listening devices (1), they are innovative in terms of Bluetooth connectivity (to mobiles, iPads, etc) and their CROS devices are quite superb (for users with one dead ear (2).
SIEMENS have always been prominent in the UK, winning a larger part of the NHS contracts in previous years. Of note is their revived recent interest in the private UK sector, which may mean better deals and you being offered Siemens more often. Siemens hearing aids are certainly of excellent build quality. The MiniTek remote control and streaming device is arguably the best add-on in the market.
OTICON, like Widex and Phonak, have long benefited from a high-end reputation. At its start, Oticon dominated the important receiver-in the-ear market. There is no question that their in-the-ear aids are very well made. Their Bluetooth accessories ConnectLine are probably the most complete range – this includes the Connectline MIC, a Bluetooth tie clip that can be worn on the lapel of say, the spouse, who can then speak directly into the wearer’s hearing aids, even in another room.
UNITRON is generally speaking, a safe choice, as it shares many of the qualities of Phonak, but with a lower price tag.
WIDEX has probably the most enviable historical reputation. Their hearing aids tend to have a somewhat mellower sound quality than most others, and the Clear Passion model is probably the most attractive in terms of aesthetic appearance.
GN RESOUND has a great history of innovations. The first open-ear aid (the type preceding receiver in the ear) was launched by Resound, and their receiver-in-the-ear aids continue to be of superior design.
STARKEY had a strong presence in the UK when analogue technology was the main form of hearing aid amplification. Their more recent digital hearing aids are of great quality. Of note, are the touch-sensitive controls and the TV streamer accessory SurfLink that needs no additional boosting device.
In Summary, each professional will have their own reasons for recommending a particular manufacturer. In the main, it doesn't really matter that much, so long as you are comfortable with your choice of provider, and are given ample time to test and evaluate your new hearing device.
It is fair to point out, that each manufacturer’s product has its own distinct ‘character’ (their particular method of amplifying and compressing background noises) and because we each respond differently to new (or different) amplification, it is quite impossible for any hearing professional to select an ‘ideal’ manufacturer for you.
We appreciate that each make has its own qualities, but it’s pretty much impossible to say which is best in any situation. Once you have tried one, and given some feedback, it may be possible to select the perfect manufacturer / or it may be easier to draw conclusions about which is suitable and which is not.
Also, to make an informed decision about the long term cost of owning a certain brand, please refer to our ONGOING COSTS section, and, if you wish to be a very well-informed consumer, then get at least 3 quotes before you decide anyway.
