The earphones and the amplifiers have big differences each other. To begin with, and this is the main distinction, hearing aids are a medical product whose objective is solve or minimize hearing losswhile the Amplifiers are electronic devices whose function is limited to increasing sound. Therefore, very little to see. In the next post we give you more details about the differences between headphones and amplifiers.
own Spanish Agency for Medicines and Health Products highlights this main difference: the hearing aid has a health purpose, therapeutic, while the amplifier serves only to accentuate sounds. Faced with such a different nature, The two products are subject to different regulations, “so the safety, efficacy, quality and information requirements and the valuation and control procedures that apply to both products are different.”
The hearing aid, being a medical product that seeks to compensate for a specific hearing loss, requires a individualized adaptation that must be carried out by a specialist. In the case of a amplifiersubject to the regulations governing electronic devices, It is bought in conventional stores and also online -In the case of hearing aids, they can only be purchased at specialized hearing aid centers.
The AEMPS also warns that the amplifierswhich are sometimes used to capture sounds that are difficult to perceive (for example in hunting or bird watching activities), They should never be used as a solution to hearing loss. It’s more, Prolonged use can even cause hearing damage..
Difference in performance and price
Due to their different purpose, headphones and amplifiers also have a different mechanism, which is reflected in the price. While The hearing aid requires adaptation and monitoring by a professionalwhich will adjust it to the user’s needs, a amplifier does not require any prior testing– They have an on/off button and a volume adjustment. For this reason, an amplifier can be found for less than 100 euroswhile The price of a hearing aid ranges between 600 and 2,000 eurosdepending on model and features.
Consult first with a specialist
At the slightest sign of possible hearing loss, The first step is to always go to a specialist to make us a audiometry. If it is confirmed that we have hearing loss, we will be told which hearing aid is best for us. The process will then continue with the aforementioned trial and adaptation period.
