Customer Reviews

MDHearingAid Acoustitone PRO Hearing Aid

5 star:		(211)
4 star:		(34)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

I am deaf in one ear and have severe hearing loss in the other. My condition is getting worse with time. I have worn hearing aids for fifteen years. For seven years, I have worn a very expensive state of the art aid. I was becoming increasingly frustrated with the inability to hear. I sent the aid in to get it rebuilt and then had it reprogramed to be sure it was in optimal condition. There was little improvement and a $200 bill. I tried another new top of the line hearing aid. It was no help. I decided to order an Acoustitone Pro so I would have a back up. I cannot be without a hearing aid. I was immediately impressed with the Acoustitone and have been wearing it ever since it came. It is better than anything I have tried. I just ordered another one as a back up as I do not want to have to go back to the expensive aid. The expensive aid may have some advantage in certain situations, but overall it is not as good. I wear my own ear mold as the ones that come with the aid made my ear sore. They did, however, work better than my custom ear mold. The problem may be my ear or it might just be a matter of getting used to it. I would caution anyone who has never worn a hearing aid, that there is no such thing as an aid that will restore your natural hearing. If you ever find such a thing, I would be willing to pay dear for it. A hearing aid is like a flashlight. It is terribly inadequate, but indispensable in the dark. You will never stop longing for the breaking of day. The Acoustitone Pro has been a real help to me.

This product is built much better than many hearing aids costing three or four times more.
It works well for me and I'd recomend it to anyone having moderate hearing loss. I'm going to order an extra one, just for a backup.
I'm not sure how it is on batteries but I've been using the Acoustitone PRO for two weeks and haven't had to change batteries yet.
This is the first review I've ever written (for anything!). Hope it's helpful.

Will
Houston, Texas

I'm wearing a [...] Oticon Delta 8000 in my left ear and the [...] Acoustitone in the right ear. There is very little difference in performance. Your instrument is very good. I set the volume manually. The battery lasts longer.

One thing that I will guarantee: The Oticon is not 25 times better than the Acoustitone. Servicing an Oticon is about [...] . I can buy two Acoustitones for the price of servicing the Oticon.

Charles Dailey, D.D.

I have been wearing two hearing aids since my early 30's due to noise induced hearing loss. For many years I had the "Behind the Ear" (BTE) models such as this but eventually went to the "completely in canal" (CIC) aids. So, I have decades of experience with both types. Periodically, I need to send one of the CIC aids to the shop for routine service. As I donated my older BTE aids years ago, I did not have a backup aid to use while the CIC was in the shop (I know, a dumb move not to have kept one of the original BTE's). Of course, buying an aid just as a backup is kind of a luxury given the cost of most aids.

I searched for several years for a backup and finally discovered the Acoustitone PRO. It has a large number of positive reviews. The price is right. It also was not "too cheap" to indicate to me that it was junk. I tried one of the $29 units and got just what I expected - nothing but noise. I ordered this new aid and, as usual, Amazon had it in my mailbox in short order.

Here is what I think of it:

For first time users: Like all hearing aids, and just like eyeglasses, it is going to take some time to become accustomed to the new sounds you hear. I equate it to listening to the world through an AM radio. You hear dishes clanking and silverware bouncing around and just loads more sound that you have not heard in years. It will take your brain a couple of weeks to filter-out and disregard these sounds just as it would for anyone going into a noisy environment. Give it time. I suggest to people to wear the aid during the day with some breaks now and then but also to go home, turn off the TV, read a book and just relax in the quiet with the aid on. Give it two-weeks at least. Of course, I recommend people going to a doctor first for an exam and eventually to a trained audiologist for a real hearing test in a special hearing testing room. I would avoid those mall shops whose goal is to sell you a multi-thousand dollar aid that often ends up in the dresser-drawer. But, if you want to try this, I don't see much harm in it. Keep the volume as low as possible but still able to hear (no blasting) and give it a couple of weeks. This should give you a good idea of how you will do with it. Being able to hear with clarity allows you to be a part of the crowd and a part of family activities. It is worth the effort on your part to do this for your family and friends. Truly, you do not know what you are missing. Hearing your grandchild squeal with laughter is worth a bit of effort on your part. Trust me, I get it. I never could get my grandfather to wear his hearing aids and he missed out on many events.

For the experienced user: The tone quality is very good and the acid test is to sit in a quiet room and listen. You will hear no noise, hiss, static. I will give the designers credit for keeping the signal very clean. I agree with another reviewer that the sound is a bit digital sounding but I don't know if the aid actually is digital or analog. Like anything, it takes a bit to become accustomed to the tone quality. Within a day or so, I had gotten past that and am very comfortable with the aid. The provided ear mold is just "okay" and certainly universal. It does not have a vent which I prefer. Vents not only allow a bit of "breathing" of air in and out of your ear, but they allow a mixing of the ambient sound with the amplified sound which, to me, gives me a better sound quality. People with profound hearing loss probably won't be able to use a vented ear mold due to feedback. It would not matter in this case as I would say this aid is for mild to medium loss. It is not a super powerhouse aid. If you need that, you really should be seeking the help of an audiologist and medical professional. I was fortunate to still have kept my original ear molds from my BTE aids. These fit fine on this new aid and I use those instead of the universal-fit ear mold. Much better performance, comfort, and sound quality. I do not know if there are kits for ear molds but I am sure an audiologist would create one for you for a small fee. Overall, I would give this aid strong marks for the experienced hearing aid user. The switch is a bit odd. Most aids use the battery in/out method for turning it on/off and the switch is for the phone-coil/microphone pickup. With this aid, the 3 position switch is OFF - HIGH FILTER - NORMAL-ON. Supposedly, the high-filter will filter out low frequencies which can be annoying. I prefer the normal-on for the warmer sound quality across the frequency range, but that's a personal choice. Other than the switch, the unit functions identically to any high-end BTE unit. The size is quite compact, light-weight, and inconspicuous. I wore it all week and no one noticed it at the office (and, knowing my office, they would have mentioned it!).

Truly, for the price, it's a great deal. I could see this being used not only as a backup aid but as a daily wear aid. The ultimate goal is to be able to hear with clarity, low/no noise, and comfortably. The Acoustitone PRO achieves it all very admirably.

I have a mild to moderate hearing loss in both ears. I have paid $4,000 for top of the line hearing aids and could not wear them because they were uncomfortable and did not improve my quality of hearing or life. I have not worn aids for years due to this problem and the expense of purchasing new ones.
I began wearing one Acoustitone Pro and just ordered another. It is a fantastic hearing aid. I can sit in a restaurant and not be bothered by the noise around me, while hearing what everyone at the table is saying. The shipping and customer service was excellent. Thank you.
Louisville, Colorado

This review is for people who have researched more expensive BTE (behind-the-ear) hearing aids and want to understand how this product compares.
1. These hearing aid has two set amplification programs, "normal" and "high" with a volume control, which will suit most hearing problems but not all. They are not programmable to suit individual needs.
2. They are more bulky than more expensive models which may cause discomfort for some people as well as problems with wearing glasses.
3. They are not non-occlusive like more expensive hearing aids. They come with various sizes of silicone "cups" which must completely occlude the ear canal in order to prevent feedback. Having said that, though, the cups are surprisingly comfortable, though the sound of your own voice is similar to talking while sticking your fingers in your ears.
4. The most expensive contemporary BTE models have a receiver (basically a small speaker) that fits in the ear canal and is connected to the BTE amplifier by a thin, plastic-enclosed wire. These hearing aids have thick tubes that carry sound from the amplifier to the ear canal. This is an older, cheaper technology, but I found the sound quality to be quite good.
5. These do not suppress ambient noise like expensive models. Restaurants and other noisy environments can be a problem.

Conclusion: These hearing aids are an excellent buy for the money and will suit many people very well, though they have their drawbacks. Personally, I am using them as a back-up for my more expensive models. If you are not an experienced user keep in mind that it takes time to get used to hearing aids, so be patient. Also keep in mind that some hearing problems may require medical evaluation prior to jumping into hearing aids as a solution.

My dad bought an $800+ hearing aid (which is what most of them cost)and never wore it. I bought this one for him to try instead because I couldn't stand him constantly saying, "Huh?" Setup was less than five minutes, and now he hears everything clearly. He jokes that things are too clear... he's now able to hear my mom and I nagging him.
I'm a physician, and I know how much people spend on their health care. They should get the best value for their health care dollar, and this product is just as effective (if not more) than traditional overly-priced hearing aids. I will be recommending the Acoustitone to my hearing-impaired patients.

I received this product yesterday and was frankly amazed at its capabilities. After my old reliable Starkey hearing aid gave up the ghost about 3 months ago (I accidently drowned it) I began looking for a replacement. The local audiologist recommended a $2500 behind-the ear unit because of my high frequency hearing loss (sticker shock). I then tried the affordable and disposable Songbird and this worked OK - but I wanted something better. After reading the very positive Amazon.com reviews I decided to try the Acoustitone PRO.

Wow - I was impressed! The instructions were straightforward and it took me no time at all to give it a test drive. The clarity and volume were perfect for me. One of the cool features is the ability to select either a flat setting (hearing loss across all frequencies) or a second setting with amplification of predominantly mid- and high-frequencies. This second setting works well for me - conversations (even whispers) are so much easier to hear. I highly recommend this product.

I purchased this hearing aid for my elderly mother whose hearing tests results showed a medium to severe loss of hearing. We are completely satisfied with the quality of this project and the results it has provided her. I had received an estimate for $5000 for a pair of hearing aids from her doctor. After reading the high reviews here, I decided to take a chance based on the price. My mother could not believe how much this has improved her hearing. In fact, I had to turn down the volume to the low setting because she complained of hearing to much when in a large room or at dinner. I would tell everyone out there who is looking for a hearing aid for themselves or a family member to try this before spending thousands of dollars, we sure are glad we did.

For those who are looking for a quality hearing aid, at a very reasonable cost, this is the one you should purchase. Don't let the low price fool you. I ordered this hearing aid to use with my ear mold although it came with tubing and mold tips you could use in place of a custom ear mold. Without a doubt this aid rivals other behind the ear aids that cost five to six hundred dollars. This Acoustitone Hearing Aid will be a blessing for those who have limited financial resources. I have worn hearing aids for over thirty years and trust me when I say you will love this hearing aid.