Customer Reviews

The Stealth Secret Sound Amplifier

5 star:		(37)
4 star:		(30)
3 star:		(20)
2 star:		(24)
1 star:		(78)

 

 

No, no I am not so vain that I am ashamed of wearing a hearing aid! I was looking desperately for some item to amplify without spending $2,000 going digital. I had long ago lost all the hearing on one ear after a yellow fever shot, but was able to get by nicely on one ear until recently, when the "good" ear has conked out to the point I can't even hear the vacuum cleaner.

First of all I tried a PSA 8000 amplifier. There was a major problem: the ear nodule wouldn't stay in my ear, it popped out immediately. The only way I can keep the nodule in place is to tape it to my ear with masking tape. Nevertheless, when I am out in the yard, I can hear the phone ringing inside and any other noises. When you are as deaf as I am you are grateful for these sounds, but I balked at walking around the Walmart or wherever with the tape in place because it looked like I had sustained an awful ear injury. Other than the nodule problem, the PSA 8000 works well for amplification..just amplification. It is not a hearing aid per se,but it could definitely have a place in your hearing repertoir if loudness is an issue. (I did not write a separate review for this unit because the merchant I bought it from no longer lists it and it was possibly sold out) It is available on Amazon from other merchants.

OK, now for the Stealth SSA (Secret Sound Amplifier)...This unit, about 2.0 inches long is made to appear like a cell phone jack. You attach the unit with a soft wire that goes over the top of your ear, and you can adjust the tightness easily. The unit has a plug that fits into your ear and you attach one of three soft ear buds, choosing the one that fits best.I use the middle one).

The Stealth comes with a nifty battery charger that charges the lithium battery. A red light goes off when the charge is complete. When the unit is switched to the ON position after the charge, a green light comes on and stays on. You adjust the volume control to the necessary level, then attach the amplifier to your ear using the soft rubber wire. The unit stays in place nicely and doesn't slip at all. The illustration provided with the product shows the unit in an ear at an angle but I found for me straight up and down to be the best fit.

The Stealth amplifies to 50X. I would like the sound to be even louder, but my problem is surely not typical. Nevertheless, I recommend the Stealth. It is very clever and it should be ideal in many situations for people who need amplification. I rather get a kick out of seeing the little green light up there when I'm wearing the unit and being able to recharge the battery is cool. You probably will not be able to hear on the phone when the Stealth is in place unless, of course, you use the other ear. I use a TTY so can't judge this aspect. Also, the Stealth will block sound from a computer earphone, but there should be no problem with speakers.

I definitely recommend the Stealth as a very nice little tool to help your ears do their best. And how I am helped? I can hear microwave popcorn popping, my refrigerator revving up, and of course, the vacuum cleaner. Simple sounds can mean a lot!

I bought this amplifier for my 89 year old mother as other types never seemed to work very long and she had a hard time changing batteries. As this amplifier had a charger like a cell phone, I decided to try it. WELL, mother just loves it. Likes the fact that it looks like a 'bluetooth' and not a hearing device. AND no batteries to change!
Several of her Church friends have now purchased this item too!
Thanks for a great product.
From a happy daughter in Oklahoma.

I'm 62 years old and have been playing loud rock and blues music since I was 13. You can just imagine what that has done to my hearing.

Like most people on the edge of "hard of hearing" (Oh, what a painfully old sounding diagnosis!) I recognize the increasing problem but have no desire to rush off and pay thousands for a prescription hearing aid. But then again fairness to friends and family who no doubt tire of hearing me say "what?" and then having to repeat themselves moved me to do something, and that something proved to be both effective and inexpensive: The Stealth Secret Sound Amplifier.

The SSSA works really well. So well in fact that I need only turn it up about a third of the way. Sound is crisp and unexpectedly natural. Voices are clear. There is no hum. In fact so good is the amplification - and so natural - that I several times have removed it from my ear to see if it is really working. It is. Oh yes, it is! Back in it immediately goes.

Price and effectiveness aside the SSSA has yet other advantages.

One it is rechargeable. Plug it in for a couple of hours and it is ready to go again. The instructions say four hours, but I have found that thus far the charging/ready light has always gone out in less than an hour. Note: This was after a couple of hours use, not when the unit's battery was completely run down.

Two the SSSA appears to be a blutooth phone. I'm cool with that. True hearing aids seem to me to go with canes and phony choppers sitting in a glass of water. I'm not quite ready for that yet and thankfully need neither.

As you can tell I am very pleased with product. Indeed I could not be more so. Or, for that matter, more surprised by how well it works.

If your hearing is 'on the edge' as mine is the Stealth Secret Sound Amplifier is definitely worth giving a try.

I purchased the item for my Mom. She did not like the size (to big), the fact that it did not stay in place easily (fell off frequently) and that there was a lot of static. We returned the item and am still waiting for a refund, even acknowledgement that the returned item was received by the company. I'm watching my credit card to be sure I receive the credit. Poor company communication

1. Amplifies every single thing - stealth mode filter does not work selectively as advertised. Like someone said earlier you can hear sound of your own breathing, wind, tap water and all white noise that interfere with hearing clarity. So usability is nil, once the novelty wears off.
2. Have given an extra star only because as a pure amplifier, the volume is pretty good.
3. Do not believe that TV can be ON in a non-disturbing volume, if you are wearing this - just does not work. There are bandpass amplifiers that do this reasonably well - but expensive ($100+)
4. If you notice the amount of positive 5 star ratings in the beginning, I feel that it is a targeted push to negate the effect of lower star ratings - but there is a possibility that I am mistaken. (Do refer to comments to this feedback, I do not wish to take off credit where credit is due, if it does help people with hearing levels lower than mine - I am an average hearer - 7/10)

Note Dec 2009: The average rating has now gone down - as opposed to a consistent 5 star rating through last year! This can imply a lot of things!

Really decent small audio amplifier.

I've been 'hearing challenged' most of my adult life. I've used ultra expensive hearing aids down to cheap crappy amplifiers.

While this is no hearing aid, it is clearly the BEST inexpensive amplifier I've found. Bonus points for being 'cool' as in looking like a bluetooth headset. DOUBLE BONUS POINTS for being rechargeable and including a charger. You just don't find this in hearing products, especially in this price range.

The amplification is not LOUD, rather just enough to be helpful. It seems to have some kind of background noise filtering that I don't oft find in this product segment. So the sound you get is cleaner somehow than anything I've found in this price range (less than $500).

Additional 'not like anything else' feature - a fully charged battery (rechargable) lasts a lot longer than most single-use HA batteries. And recharging is very fast, with LEDs to let you know when it is done charging.

Highly recommended :-)

I got this for my mom....they were excited...then the got it all plugged in and the thing never charged...no green light. Now when you plug in the charge to the stealth the red light comes on.....plug the adapter into the wall to charge....no lights at all. I was disapponted and after talking to many folks these are a hit and miss deal, some work some don'e.
What a bummer.....ended up getting a different type that works for mom and she's happy with that but returning the thing is a hassle so I'm out the $$ too.

I purchased this SSA for my mom for Mother's Day. She's 83 and the $4,000.00 hearing aids are not in her insurance or Social Security budget. She loved it. She no longer had to turn up the TV volume. She could hear us talking from across the room without having to repeat it. She loved her new freedom. When her grandkids visited her later that Day, she told them she was waiting for a phone call on her ear phone (i.e.Blue Tooth). STEALTH SECRET SOUND AMPLIFIER Everyone in the family applauded this purchase.

well im gonna tell you the truth im not very satisfied i dont know if i got a bad egg out of the bunch or what but i can only turn it up so loud before it squeals in my ear and the distance of sound isnt as great as i thought it would be definetly wish i would have kept my money truthfully otherwise it came unbroken and with an adapter which is a plus

I bought this for my uncle who's having hearing problem, with the hope that he can watch TV without turning up the volume. But it does not really improve his hearing. I tried it myself and could hear that the sound got amplified but so did ambient noise. The feedback was quite bad that I could hear my own breathing. It's difficult to conduct a normal conversation wearing this device.