Eargo Plus Online Invisible Hearing Aid Review - 7 Pros and Cons

Dr. Clifford Olson from Applied Hearing Solutions in Anthem Arizona, discusses the Pros and Cons of Eargo Plus Online Invisible Hearing Aids in this Pro Review.

[oldgoat]

I saw this video and it was educational. I had hearing problems, so I went to a Audiologist. I was tested and prescribed hearing aids. I have Unitrons with bluetooth for use with my Android. I have had them now for 10 months. They cost a bit, but being a Vetran, I only had to pay for one and Medicare paid for the other. I can get new ones or update each 3 years. The warranty is three years on the item complete. I saw the Audiologist in the first three months weekly for adjusting and answering any questions. My three year warranty covers anything with them, repairs and complete replacement parts, in batteries batteries. Now I see the Dr. Every six months for follow-up. He said call him anytime I need help of accessories. He even have me His cell # to call him anytime. This is the way to go in my opinion as you so well stated. Excellent videos, as I watched them all and I know now I did right. Thanks for educating the public.

[WJCarpenter]

This is the kind of review that I like to see (for just about anything). Most of it is pretty objective facts, and helps me decide about something. Kudos, and thanks for taking the trouble to do the homework and make the video.

[rossreview]

I am researching the purchase of my first pair of hearing aids. Fun fun fun. The audiologist says I am at the edge of really needing them. I have the loss in the high frequency range, the loss that comes with age. I appreciated the maintenance and repair comments. Your battery charger will probably fail before the hearing aid battery, so you will be buying a $400 charger. We are all test subjects as this industry grows and gets better. Because of it's infancy, the products may have growing pains. Eargo should know this and have excellent customer service because there will be problems.The ability to return the devices after 45 days (less fee) adds trust. I want Eargo to work. I want something easy and simple for the first pair. Your review confirmed what I have been reading. Eargo is novel, less expensive, corrects in the most common frequency ranges, and will reply to your phone call or email.
On another note, I was told it was a 6-8 week wait to see the audiologist at the big discount membership store. To hell with that! It makes me wonder how many weeks for a service appt.

[stephenfurlong]

Dr. Olson, thank you for a very thorough review. I am a retired biomedical scientist so I appreciated your approach to the review and the data you provided. My initial interactions with the company are consistent with what you described and I believe that their devices would provide me with some benefit. What I found particularly helpful, though, was your comparison of the eargo device with prescription in-ear hearing aids. I had a hearing test last week and have mild to moderate high frequency hearing loss, so potentially in the sweet spot for eargo. However, the data you showed makes me think that, if I'm ready to take the plunge for hearing aids, I should at least research what my experience would be with prescription devices. Since there is such a big price difference, in the end I may go with eargo even if they aren't perfect for me. Alternatively, in the short term, I may just turn the TV up a little more and pretend I don't hear my wife's complaints! :-)

[richardrinebold]

Dr. Olson, thanks for the very informative Eargo evaluation, I am presently working with my local hospital audiologist to see what he can offer for something comparable to Eargo, time will tell the outcome.
Richard

[jayedg]

Excellent review and brought up extensive issues that we don't really consider long term. Thank you so much for your presentation.

[setnistone]

Super helpful. Thank you. I friend has them and I was considering a purchase. I do have a larger deficit in my left ear aid have moderate to severe high-frequency loss. Put it this way, if I'm not wearing my hearing aids a flock of birds can land at my feet and I would not hear them. I've owned Recon, Oticon and now Kirkland. The main reasons for me not to purchase, no adjustment for different loss in each ear, and no follow up, I get adjustments yearly... You might mention they are not Bluetooth nor do the offer telecoil

[johnschnorr]

Well done Dr. Olson. This was a well balanced, scientifically based review. I found it very helpful!

[mustdeliver]

Very good review. My understanding is that the rechargeable battery in the Eargo has a service life of about 2.7 years and they are not replaceable. If that is the case, then one is looking at an expenditure of ~ $2000 every two and a half years. That to me is a big con which should be in your pros and cons list.

[jimdavis]

You Rock Doctor. Great review of over the counter aid that have been on the market for years. Always Best to been seen by a Hearing Care Professional Before Purchasing any Device. Never know if there is a Medical problem that need Addressed.

[andreravenelle]

Extremely helpful and well done as I navigate the new world of hearing devices. Kudos

[Bowbender]

In Eargo's information they state a number of recharge cycles for which the non-replaceable batteries are rated. Running the math, I found that, assuming a daily recharge, the cycle count and the warranty come out pretty close to equal. Thus I concluded with heavy daily usage, I would indeed be "on my own" after the warranty period. Your Real Ear Measurment crush the value of this product to most of us out there seeking hearing help. Thank you for your thorough performance review.

[williamconstantine]

As an Eargo customer, I know for a fact that you can buy one device as a replacement for $ 295.00 a piece .

[roncicotte]

I found this review very helpful. I have been considering a hearing aid for a few years now, but am only now getting serious about the research. I know I have a certain amount of high frequency hearing loss roughly equivalent in both ears which I think is quite typical for someone of my years (75). My reluctance has been the expense. While I appreciate the skill and training of a licensed ENT professional I can't get my insurance company to cover the expense in spite of the fact that I have been paying my premiums regularly for decades.

The other factor is that I can't seem to find a device with all of the features that I think should be possible given the technology available today. Specifically I'm looking for a device that combines the most desirable features of both high fidelity earbuds with hearing aid quality amplification including :

- Bluetooth compatibility with a smartphone app with a diagnostic setup and an auto adjust feature.
- Bluetooth link to a smart TV to allow for silent listening through the device.
- Noise cancellation with adjustment to gradually adjust the input of the ambient sound.
- Rechargeable batteries that last at least 12 hours on a given charge.
- They should also be as small and inconspicuous as possible.

From my research so far, I guess I'm looking for a menage a trois between the latest Nearheara IQ Buds Max with Boost ($499) in the form of the Eargo Plus ($2500), and the professional quality of a $6k professional hearing aid like a Starkey or Oticon.

A lifetime guarantee or at least reasonable insurance fees that would cover malfunction or loss (at least the first time). I know I'm dreaming but the manufacturer of such a device would become for hearing aids what Apple and Samsung are to Smartphones, IMHO.

[josephkalman]

Excellent presentation that changed my mind how to approach getting my hearing aids.

[johnprtl]

It would be great if you could evaluate the new Eargo Neo. They’ll be available at the end of Jan 2019. They claim to address several of the issues that you brought up in this review. Thanks for all your help to make us more informed consumers; it’s really appreciated.

[nabilbarhumi]

Doctor Cliff AuD is a great resource that would be even more helpful if it also covered discussion of other parameters of the reviewed items, such as:
-How natural sounding they are on a scale of 1-10,
- How prone they are to cause “hearing fatigue” due to artifacts introduced in D/A conversion (such as jitter) on a scale 1-10,
- DAC chip specs of the reviewed model (bit length, sampling rate, S/N ratio, frequency range, etc.).
-Sound quality compared to a reference or SOTA model.

[internetsystem]

Excellent Review !, there is alot of echo when you use telephone handset, you can't talk as echo is very high. Other than that, it seems to be good pair. 2nd thing is when you charge them you don't see if the charging is really charging it, . I found it next morning that it was not charged. other time, i found that after 3 hours, one side battery was dead.

[khackney]

As a person with moderate to more than moderate hearing loss - I have tried the expensive audiologist referred ones. I had the starkeys for almost 3 years. Yes, I know I need more than just amplification. The customizable ones never really came out right for me, and every time I had an office visit it was another $65. Which would be ok if it really made a difference. I never had the chart like yours with the different colors and how close are we getting to repairing? My hearing loss.
These did not have any sort of trial period, once you drive it off the lot, its yours- good bad or ugly. They probably had a standard 1 yr warranty....but if anything major happens, you get to pay the full cost of replacing them.
I am going to try the new eargo neos and see if they are remotely functional.
While I found the video extremely helpful and unbiased- I do not think it is accurate for a person with normal hearing to try them and decide if they are good or not....
I'm curious what the 'assymetrical' test was. Mine is currently 50% in the left and 35% loss in the right; they knew this when I asked if it was even an option...
Only Sam's has ever been deterred by the disparity.
If they don't work, I haven't lost anything.

[themucklerfamily]

Very nicely done Dr. Olson. Your review was well balanced and truly aided me in my hearing aid search. Thank you!!!