We've written before about high hearing aid prices, and the cost benefits to buying online.
In the past, we've cited academic studies and industry-leading research. For this week's entry, we wanted to approach it in a slightly different way. We read recently that hearing aids cost more than their weight in gold, and decided to do some myth-busting.
Hearing aids cost more than gold? That can't be true... right?
In fact, our research revealed that hearing aids are much, much more expensive, on a per-gram basis.
A modern, RIC BTE hearing aid weighs in at about 2 grams. It may wholesale for $500, and resale for $2,500. On a per-ounce basis, that's a staggering $7,200 at wholesale, and $36,000 at resale. For comparison, gold is currently trading around $1,600 an ounce.
In all fairness, this approach penalizes manufacturers for making technological strides to reduce the weight of hearing aids, and increase comfort and satisfaction.
Nevertheless, the conclusion holds: on a per-ounce basis, hearing aids cost twenty times their weight in gold.
In fact, our internet research turned up a long list of luxury items with a lower price-to-weight ration than hearing aids. On this list are caviar, saffron, uranium nuclear fuel, a top-of-the-line artificial heart, and the Space Shuttle Endeavor.
It actually took us a while to identify any substance, manmade or otherwise, with a higher price-to-weight ratio than modern hearing aids. We think contact lenses come close, but they were too light to register on our scale. But we did identify two clear winners. Plutonium is one. The other is a diamond.
Readers, can you help us out with some others?
Clearly, this analysis is overly simplistic. But it's pretty striking nonetheless.
Gold is more expensive than virtually any other good...
...But hearing aids are so much more expensive, we had to put them on a different chart
Comments
That’s kray kray
Hearing Aid Prices are increasing day by day. Last year I purchased a hearing machine for my Grand mother and it was of $150. Please can anyone suggest me suitable hearing aids in low budget.
I’m sure what you say is true Natalie. I would love to be driving a high end Porsche. But my Toyota Camry gets me where I need to go.
Natalie sells hearing aids!
Re: The Hunt for an Affordable Hearing Aid
Being an undergraduate student in Audiology, I have had hands on experience with different hearing aids and have grown to be an advocate for top quality hearing aids. The difference they can make in a person’s life is impeccable and although the prices might seem a little ridiculous, the higher the quality you get, the better results you will receive; “You get what you pay for” (Romano).
Hearing aids are meant to enhance a person’s life and knock down the communication barriers that a persons hearing loss might have caused. If you are getting crappy feedback paired with a receiver that isn’t working to it’s best ability, your just receiving amplified static noise and you’re at dead halt once again. Thus far, many still don’t understand why this “simple” instrument is so expensive, yet, it’s really quite simple. A hearing aid is an exquisite instrument that takes precise measurements and programming to better fit the client’s hearing loss. In overall terms, the hearing aid is made specifically for you and if you are using a hearing aid that can work for anyone, its not really benefitting your own ear’s needs, but just amplifying any sound that come across it. You might as well carry around speakers and amplify everything around you.
Any Audiologist you come across will always recommend the top of the line hearing aid, as it will give you the best results. Although hearing losses vary, you always want to give your brain the best stimuli possible and not all hearing aids will do that. Hearing is one of our five senses that give our lives a difference sense of quality; it would be such misfortune to limit yourself because you thought otherwise.
Sincerely,
Natalie Loyola
Student
Do these aids have algorithms that reduce non speech associated noise ans echos?