sablescort
New Member
- Joined
- May 1, 2003
- Messages
- 3,504
- Reaction score
- 0
$12? That thing would just fall apart one second after its turned on.
Enough said. Cheap is cheap
Enough said. Cheap is cheap
Cheap hearing aids! $12!
- Thread starter coolloser
- Start date
efigalaxie
New Member
- Joined
- Jul 18, 2013
- Messages
- 11
- Reaction score
- 0
cheap tech
Don't be so sure about them falling apart... In the late 80s to early 90s, I participated in a pilot program with a hearing aid manufacturer that was developing a new shell material for their CIC and ITE HAs. I had some issues related to not enough power for my loss. So I got to go to the manufacturing facility. I got to watch them make the HAs. I was left in the office alone. On the top of a pile of papers where I couldn't help seeing it was the materials price sheet. These were analogs. The HAs I has normally sold for $1000 each. The parts cost was between $50 - $100 depending on the particular aid. I can see in an Asian country, them able to do a low end HA for that. That is the dirty little secret. Analog HAs are dirt cheap to make. I had one of the Radio Shack Science Fair 150 in 1 project kits. One project was an analog hearing aid circuit. This was very very effective. I could build one using wire wrap for $20 or so. The most premium part of any HA is the miniaturization. Even digital HAs could be done using a small pc and a standard amplification circuit. The microphone is plugged into the pc. The Mic sound is run through sound processing software on the pc. The line out from the pc feeds an analog amp. That is what is going on in the digital HA. The amplification stage isn't digital, it is the processing stage. The reality is there is NO justification for the expense of the HA. If Phonak sold their top of the line HA for $500 each through the Audi, they would be selling to the Audi for $250. The Audi gets the 100% customary markup. Everyone would STILL be profiting. Don't naysay me. I know what I am talking about. I have seen the price list once upon a time. I understand what is in them. I am a electronics technician.
However, like anyone else, I pay through the nose. There isn't much choice. With gov't regulations, it keeps an opportunistic HA manufacturer from swooping in. With a bit of research, I could program my own HAs. My old Audi let me look through and play with the software. (he retired...was my Audi since 1976)
Don't be so sure about them falling apart... In the late 80s to early 90s, I participated in a pilot program with a hearing aid manufacturer that was developing a new shell material for their CIC and ITE HAs. I had some issues related to not enough power for my loss. So I got to go to the manufacturing facility. I got to watch them make the HAs. I was left in the office alone. On the top of a pile of papers where I couldn't help seeing it was the materials price sheet. These were analogs. The HAs I has normally sold for $1000 each. The parts cost was between $50 - $100 depending on the particular aid. I can see in an Asian country, them able to do a low end HA for that. That is the dirty little secret. Analog HAs are dirt cheap to make. I had one of the Radio Shack Science Fair 150 in 1 project kits. One project was an analog hearing aid circuit. This was very very effective. I could build one using wire wrap for $20 or so. The most premium part of any HA is the miniaturization. Even digital HAs could be done using a small pc and a standard amplification circuit. The microphone is plugged into the pc. The Mic sound is run through sound processing software on the pc. The line out from the pc feeds an analog amp. That is what is going on in the digital HA. The amplification stage isn't digital, it is the processing stage. The reality is there is NO justification for the expense of the HA. If Phonak sold their top of the line HA for $500 each through the Audi, they would be selling to the Audi for $250. The Audi gets the 100% customary markup. Everyone would STILL be profiting. Don't naysay me. I know what I am talking about. I have seen the price list once upon a time. I understand what is in them. I am a electronics technician.
However, like anyone else, I pay through the nose. There isn't much choice. With gov't regulations, it keeps an opportunistic HA manufacturer from swooping in. With a bit of research, I could program my own HAs. My old Audi let me look through and play with the software. (he retired...was my Audi since 1976)
Sarfarigirl2011
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Jun 24, 2010
- Messages
- 2,902
- Reaction score
- 45
LOL my old right Siemens aid did that when I was in middle school! (I have an analog Siemens too and wearing one in my left ear)