You've been to a few chain retailers, an audiologist or two, and have been told you need technology that is "Top-of-the-Line". You have to try to swallow spending over $4000 an aid on hearing instruments, or try to buy a personal sound amplifier for $200 off an ad you saw on Facebook. Is there really no middle ground between $8,000 and $200, or is someone taking you for a ride? Who are Top-of-the-Line hearing aids made for?
Let's begin with the good news. Your hearing will not "slide" into that $4000 an aid range if you don't do something about it. It may slide to the point of needing a new set one day down the road, but worse hearing doesn't mean higher prices.
Most higher end (Big 7) manufacturers don't just sell one "Top-of-the-Line" product. In fact, it's usually and entire group of hearing aids with different batteries, sizes, and custom features. There is never a "best" hearing aid. There is always a "best" fit. That being said, Top-of-the-Line hearing aids are usually the best fit for similar types of people.
1. High Fidelity Audio Quality
The most obvious person who has "top-of-the-line needs" is a musician, audio engineer or audiophile. Most of these people would notice the difference between a decent hearing device and true premium technology. Top-of-the-line hearing aids are frequently the only ones in their brand who have extended bandwidth, or higher high-frequency sound. This makes everything go from clear but flat, to rich and full. It's the different between listening to a live concert on your tablet and attending that concert.
2. Handles
Top-of-the-line hearing aids also have the highest "handle" count in their brand. These are the points of adjustment for your audiologist or hearing aid dispenser. Musicians and audio engineers need what is referred to as "flat" hearing, or hearing that is equal loudness at each frequency, so they can get an objective ear for the audio they are working with. The more handles in a hearing instrument, the closer we can match to targets, and the closer we can match targets, the more your hearing will become objective and flat. Outside of people who work with audio, there are times where people with a less common etiology for their hearing loss and an "unusual" audiogram shape may need Top-of-the-Line for the same reason. If your audiogram is not a smooth line and looks more random, Top-of-the-Line may be the only way you can be fit to your prescription, as the fitting formula and real-ear may struggle to approximate you into a lower tech fit.
3. Speech in Noise
If you do not struggle in all types of background noise, quiet or loud, then Top-of-the-Line is not necessary for you. These hearing aids always have the most advanced background noise reduction, and are made to automatically cut out noise in any environment. This is perfect for people who struggle in many types of environments, but who cannot keep up with adjusting the hearing aids every time they change their environment. With that being said, you also want to ensure you'll use the background noise reduction to its fullest. If you severely struggle in background noise, but are only really in it during special occasions, then you may do better by getting a mid-level hearing aid and a separate external microphone for a few hundred bucks more, and using that microphone as your "background noise reducer" in that special occasion.
4. Echoic Areas
There is a specific population that always sees benefit in Top-Of-The-Line technology, and that is anyone who frequently works in an echoic area. This can include in subway systems, megachurches, malls, conference rooms, or large university classrooms. Echo is a very difficult thing to process out, as hearing aid are always on the lookout for speech sounds. Again, this can be important or unimportant depending on what you do. If you're a pastor who has 500 congregants all talking in a room with high ceilings and stained glass walls, you may want to look into Top-of-the-Line.
5. Acclimatization and AI
The last population that may want to look into Top-of-the-Line hearing aids are people who are active in different acoustic environments, but may not have the capacity to make any manual adjustments. Most Top-of-the-Line hearing aids use Artificial Intelligence or "Acclimatization" to teach the actual instrument the person's preferences. In extreme cases, these technologies can be perfect for someone who has no dexterity or no ability to change any settings.
