Hearing Aids

As an independent hearing clinic we are not owned by a hearing aid manufacturer. This means we are free to choose the most suitable hearing solution for you from a complete range of hearing aid manufacturers.

Tauranga Audiology has a full range of hearing aids from Oticon, Phonak, Resound, Siemens, Unitron, Widex and other hearing aid manufacturers. All the hearing aid brands have a wide range of physical styles, colours, and models. Any manufacturer discounts will be directly passed on to you.

We encourage you to compare hearing aid quotes. When getting quotes ask for the exact make and model, as it is important to compare apples with apples. We can generally offer the same hearing aid for a better price.

Styles of Hearing Aids.

Hearing aids come in all sorts of shapes and sizes with different advantages, depending on features, the size of your ear, dexterity, and hearing loss. We have everything and will help you choose what is best for you.

View Styles

Hearing in noise

The biggest problem people have is hearing in noise. Properly fitted hearing aids restore the high frequencies making voices clearer. Modern hearing aids can also digitally recognise and reduce noise and enhance speech but more of a challenge is when many people are speaking at once, which to person to enhance?

Hearing aid microphones automatically go directional when they detect a noisy situation to focus directly on the person in front in a crowded room and/or search the room for voices, for example playing bridge or around the dinner table. Each brand has different strategies, so it is important for us to advise you from a wide choice.

We have hearing aids that know if you are sitting or moving about, or can adjust themselves for a certain venue such as music at your club (using cell phone GPS) and can tell you where you may have misplaced them. Soon to be announced are hearing aids that can recognise the voice of the person you most want to hear and which direction they are talking from!

Increasingly there is the use of artificial intelligence, we have aids that understand voice commands and translate 27 languages, monitor general health, social interaction, even phone loved ones if you have a fall.

Bluetooth and accessories

Another strategy is to put a microphone close to the person you most want to hear (remote microphone) or connect directly to the device. Most hearing aid models have Bluetooth compatibility, and can pair directly to your cell phone, handsfree answering giving clear reception, and they can also connect to your TV or proprietary landline phones. Many require an Apple phone or an intermediary device, but increasingly they are directly compatible with Android phones more common in New Zealand, but some may require a late model cell phone.

Rechargeable

We also have rechargeable hearing aids using built in lithium batteries but of course you need to remember to pop them in the charger every night.

Remote Programable

We can also remotely program some hearing aids, so you do not need to come in to see us for adjustments. For example, during the Covid-19 lockdown we were able to adjust hearing aids for a man trapped in Australia, using his cell phone App.

Cost of Technology

It is important to understand that these features are to entice you to spend more money. You can trust us to give you honest advice what is best for you, many choices are mutually exclusive. For example, the very smallest aids may sacrifice technical features, ease of use, and are not rechargeable. We negotiate hard with manufacturers to get the best prices, and we keep our overheads low to help you afford a level of technology that helps you the most.