Ask HN: What is a good, but inexpensive Hearing Aid?

Unfortunately the terms "inexpensive" and "good hearing aid" are nearly mutually exclusive in many countries. Any company that wants to sell a regulated medical device that's covered by insurance ends up having to go through so many hoops that it ends up being anything but inexpensive. And anyone selling a device intended for hearing correction that isn't getting FDA approval is a very questionable fly-by-night operation.

The recently released Bose SoundControl are $900 for a pair.

Audicus sells their low end device at $1000 for a pair.

Costco sells a device that are about $1200 for a pair.

MDHearingAid is probably the cheapest ($400 for a pair!) but they're not programmable and so of limited utility for serious hearing loss.

You will find budget models from the major hearing aid vendors for around $1200 up for a pair.

I’ve used MDHearingaid.com Air for years. They often run a two for one sale, which is a fair price.

I was disappointed when they basically doubled the price of their newest device after adding a second mic, which provides a forward focus. I know their cost didn’t increase more than $50. But, they still sell the Air model.

The company was founded to provide a quality aid at a reasonable price and hasn’t been convinced to sell out to the cartel yet.

I’m really hoping Apple will do something in this market.