Best Hearing Amplifiers (2022 Reviews Updated)

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Choosing a hearing amplifier can be a daunting task. With so many different devices on the market, each claiming to offer high quality sound and powerful amplification, and boasting lots of unique features, it can be confusing to distinguish between them.

That’s where we come in. After reading hundreds of reviews, and talking to loads of people who use hearing amplifiers on a daily basis, we can recommend the LifeEar Hearing Amplifier. Designed by audiologists, this device represents great value. The sound it produces is clear and sharp, it is easy to use, and comfortable to wear. If you are looking for a hearing amplifier that will provide years of reliable service, day in and day out, this is the one to go for.

Though we don’t normally review devices like this, if you are serious about the sound quality of your hearing amplifier, it is worth reading up on how amplifiers work, to better inform your purchase. Our reviews of headphone amps and DAC amps is a great place to start.
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Comparison Chart

Model	Size	Weight	Power
LifeEar Hearing Amplifier	1 x 0.5 x 0.2 inches	0.8 ounces	6 x Size 10 batteries
Otofonix Hearing Amplifie	0.3 x 0.5 x 1 inches	0.2 ounces	6 x Size 312 batteries
Britzgo BHA-220	0.4 x 0.5 x 1 inches	0.3 ounces	6 x Size 312 batteries
NewEar BTE	0.5 x 0.3 x 1 inches	0.4 ounces	Rechargeable batteries

What is a Hearing Amplifier?

In short, a hearing amplifier, also called a Personal Sound Amplifier, is a small device that sits close to your ear and amplifies ambient noise so that you can hear it. Many people who experience hearing loss, whether this be in specific situations or more generally, choose to use devices like these so that they can hear more clearly.

It is important to note that these devices are not Hearing Aids. Hearing Aids are generally prescribed by your audiologist, and in many cases are specifically designed for the user. In contrast, the devices we are reviewing today do not require a prescription, and are more for the general user than someone with diagnosed hearing loss.

Before getting a device such as this, you should understand the differences between Personal Sound Amplifiers and Hearing Aids. Several authorities caution against prolonged use of devices like this for people with slight hearing loss, because this can actually cause increased hearing loss. Nevertheless, a lot of people continue to use them, and it is possible to do so safely, as long as you follow the FDA guidance on using these devices.

Reviews

When choosing a hearing amplifier, you need to think about your requirements. Some of these devices are designed specifically to reduce wind noise or other ambient sounds, and some amplify sounds more generally. If you have trouble hearing outside, go for a device with good ambient noise reduction. If you find it hard to hear more generally, a wide-spectrum hearing amplifier will be best for you.

Whatever your requirements, however, there are a few things to remember when choosing any hearing amplifier:

• Be aware that there are Several different styles of amplifier – some sit on the outside of your ear, and curl around the back. Others sit quite far down in your ear canal, which improves the sound quality but can be annoying to wear for long periods. It is worth a visit to your audiologist to try a few styles before deciding which is best for you.
• Look for a hearing amplifier with a Telecoil and directional microphones. A telecoil taps into the ambient loop that many public buildings have, allowing you to hear speeches and music directly from the source. Directional microphones greatly improve sound quality by selectively amplifying a portion of the sound.
• Sound quality. Since a hearing amplifier is essentially a small amplifier, you should look for the same things you look for in a stereo amp – crystal-clear sound reproduction. Having spoken to many people using these devices, we can vouch for the fact that all the hearing amplifiers below offer great sound reproduction.
• This is a matter of personal opinion, of course, and to some degree depends on the extent to which you are using your hearing amplifier. If you are spending this much on a device, though, make sure that you are able to wear it comfortably.

Ultimately, there is no substitute for testing these hearing amps yourself. However, you could do worse than checking out these ones:

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LifeEar Hearing Amplifier

This is simply a great all-round hearing amplifier, and is our top pick at the moment. There are many features that set this amplifier apart from the competition, but first and foremost we think that this one has the best sound.

This is not surprising, given that it has been designed in consultation with audiologists. The amplifier is really good at picking out voices from the ambient noise, ensuring that you can hear what people are saying even in the most crowded of rooms. A lot of thought has gone into the technology used by this amplifier, and the twelve band sound processing is great at amplifying precisely what you want to hear, and nothing else.

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Of course, this hearing amplifier also comes with several more advantages:

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• It is really easy to use. The hearing amplifier is operated from just one switch, something that we wish more hearing amplifiers would take on board. In practice, this means that it is really easy to adjust the volume and other settings on the device, so when you move from outside to inside you will not spend valuable minutes fiddling with tiny controls.
• The device is remarkably compact, and the people we spoke to for this review reported that this made it comfortable to wear. If you value a hearing amplifier that is discreet, this is also a great advantage, since people will hardly realize that you are wearing this device.
• As we already mentioned, the sound quality of this amp is great. The twelve band signal processing easily sets it apart from other devices, giving you extra clarity when listening to conversations, and ensuring that you will not miss a word.
• The battery life on the device is good. Whilst some other hearing amplifiers that we have reviewed offer marginal improvements in this area, the battery life of this amplifier is pretty good, especially considering the excellent sound reproduction.

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• Very few. If you are looking for a hearing amplifier that offers superior sound quality, this is the one to go for.

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Otofonix Hearing Amplifier

This is also a great hearing amplifier, and only beaten to the top spot in our review because of the marginally better sound quality of the LifeEar device.

This amplifier more than makes up for this minor disadvantage in other ways, however. The focus here is on flexibility, so you are able to use this device in a vast variety of different situations, whether you are walking on the beach and need to cut out the wind noise, or are attentively listening to a quiet conversation.

The amplifier offers 10 different volume levels, and 4 memory programs. All of this flexibility is accessed via an intuitive and easy to use set of controls, so changing between programs for different situations is really easy.

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In addition, this hearing amplifier has several big advantages:

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• This hearing amplifier is fully digital. This technology offers great advantages over more traditional analog amplification, because it can selectively amplify certain parts of the sound spectrum.
• It also offers Digital Noise Reduction. The way in which this amplifier cuts out ambient noise is among the best we have heard, and makes it especially suited to outdoor activities. If you like to go for long walks on the beach, this is the perfect hearing amplifier for you.
• The battery life on this hearing amplifier is simply great – among the best of the devices we have tested. It uses the standard size of battery for hearing devices, but manages to wring longer battery life out of them than many comparable devices.
• Though this device does not use directional microphones, it still achieves great isolation of conversational sound. This is largely due to the noise reduction circuitry it incorporates, and the people we spoke to for this review reported that it deals with busy parties very well.

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• Very few. Some people reported that this hearing amplifier was a little uncomfortable when worn for long periods, but on the other hand others said that it was comfortable. We guess it depends on the shape of your ears!

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BritzGo Digital Hearing Amplifier

This is a surprisingly high-tech device for the price. It is fully digital, and in incorporating this technology achieves a sound quality on a par with hearing amplifiers costing several times the price.

Perhaps the biggest advantage of this hearing amplifier is the really long battery life. In truth, we have never tested a hearing amplifier which lasted for this long on one set of batteries. We are told by BritzGo that this is due to the amplifier being fully digital, which draws less current than comparable analog hearing amplifiers.

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In addition, this amplifier comes with some great features:

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• This hearing amplifier has been designed to be extremely discreet. BritzGo seem to understand than many people are embarrassed to get their first hearing helper, and have cleverly designed this amplifier to mainly sit behind your ear, hiding it from sight.
• Another innovative advantage of this hearing amplifier is that it can be used in either ear. Many people like to swap the ear that their hearing amplifier is in depending on the situation – when driving, for instance – and the fact that this one can be adapted in this way is great.
• The battery life of this hearing amplifier is 500 hours or longer. This is the longest battery life we have encountered in such a device, and really takes the hassle out of using it.
• This hearing amplifier comes with a 1 year no hassle warranty, so if you encounter any problems you can simply return it.

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• Very few. If you are looking for a hearing amplifier with an extremely long battery life, this is the one for you.

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NewEar BTE

This is a solid, affordable hearing amplifier that performs well in most respects. In truth, for the price of this device you will be hard pushed to find a hearing amplifier that offers better sound quality or ease of use.

The major advantage of this hearing amplifier, though, is that it is rechargeable. This mean that, if you get into the habit of recharging it every night, it will never run out of juice at the wrong moment. In addition, the fact that it is rechargeable will eventually save you a fortune in buying hearing aid batteries, which can be both expensive and hard to find.

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In addition, this amp has these great features:

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• This hearing amplifier, whilst not being the best looking of the ones we have reviewed, is nicely discreet. Though the brown / peach color of its casing does not look good on its own, when you are wearing the amplifier this tone helps it to blend in.
• The amplification circuitry on this hearing amplifier is fully digital, which allows it to offer exceptional battery life and also clearer sound quality than analog models.
• The noise reduction on this hearing amplifier, whilst not the best we have heard, is solid. It can be defeated by strong winds or other excessive ambient noise, but in most situations it is more than advanced enough to offer good quality sound.

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• None, for the price. If you are looking for a hearing amplifier that is rechargeable, and therefore will save you a lot of money on batteries, this is the one for you.

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Conclusion

So which to choose?

Well, of course, your choice of hearing amplifier is yours alone. Nothing can replace trying these products for yourself, and working out which one sounds the best, and is the most comfortable, for you. All of the devices we have reviewed today are great in their own way.

There has to be a winner, though, and in our opinion the best hearing amplifier around at the moment is the LifeEar Hearing Amplifier. Designed by audiologists, this device represents great value. The sound it produces is clear and sharp, it is easy to use, and comfortable to wear. If you are looking for a hearing amplifier that will provide years of reliable service, day in and day out, this is the one to go for.