It’s so sad when someone who’s passionate about music starts to lose their hearing. It’s bad enough struggling to hear your favorite tunes while you’re driving in your car, but the idea of never being able to play an original piece of music again is enough to strike fear into the heart. It will crush your creativity.
But, thank ye gods, there’s a simple solution to remedy such a grotesque scenario. You can invest in hearing aids that have been specially designed with musicians in mind.
These hearing aids not only amplify the sound that reaches your inner ear, but they do so with high fidelity, drawing a highly accurate representation of the sound so that you hear what everyone else hears.
We’ve been checking out some of the best hearing aids for musicians on the market. And after much deliberation we were able to handpick our top 5 favorites to review for you here today.
But we get that choosing a pair can be tricky which is why we’ve also put together a handy buying guide for you that highlights some of the key things to think about before you buy.
Then we’re going to top that off with another handy section where we answer some of your most frequently asked questions on the subject.
And without further ado…
OUR TOP PICK
At first, we didn’t want to make this our number one pick because it's so expensive, but the truth is there’s no other hearing aid out there at the moment that can match the Eargo 5 for its high fidelity reproduction of sound.
And this is arguably the most important factor to consider when buying a hearing aid for a musician. Because a musician who cannot hear their instrument with accuracy will be unable to properly tune it, and as a consequence won’t be able to play anywhere near as well for listeners.
These are FDA registered, medical grade hearing aids, that you can get without having to attend a special clinic. They offer complete personalization specific to your particular hearing loss profile.
And not only do you get superior audio quality, but you also get personalized audio control for up to 3 specialized listening environments
It works in conjunction with the Eargo 5 app, and you can use it to configure volume, treble and bass settings for each ear.
But don’t worry, you don’t need to whip out your smartphone every time you want to adjust the volume, all you have to do is give the hearing aids a little tap, and you’re good to go.
We also love how they don’t look like traditional over-the-ear hearing aids. When people see you with these in, they will simply come to the conclusion that they’re Bluetooth earbuds and won’t automatically assume that you’re hard of hearing.
They’re also incredibly comfortable to wear, and this is thanks to their special patented petal ear tips. They’re nice and small and they allow air to flow through.
The batteries are completely rechargeable and a charging dock is included in the box. And they will last up to a whopping 16 hours on a full charge. Perfect for all day listening.
And if you have any questions at all, you can simply reach out to the manufacturer’s team of hearing professionals. Really good to know. And there’s a 2-year warranty.
If you’re put off by the price, you could consider paying in installments. To do this, simply click on “Check Price” to be taken to the product page and then click on the link to find out more.
Pros:
- Offers high fidelity reproduction of sound
- FDA registered, medical grade hearing aids
- They don’t look like traditional hearing aids
- You get personalized audio control via the app
- Rechargeable with a 16 hour long battery life
- You can configure volume, treble and bass settings
- They feature special patented petal ear tips
- 2-year warranty & excellent after sales support
Cons:
- Premium product at a premium price
EDITORS CHOICE
Now, this is the brand of hearing aid that all the professional musicians use. And if it wasn’t for the particularly steep price tag, we’d have made them our number one pick. They’re amazing - and we’re not exaggerating.
First off, they can produce a maximum output of a whopping 105 decibels SPL.
But they can do way more than merely boost the overall volume of what you hear. They are compatible with both iOS and Android devices, and come packed with handy features.
Some of our favorite features include a personalized hearing experience, boosted soft speech clarity, better localisation of sounds and spatial noise cancellation (should you need it), and open access to speakers.
But that’s not all, you also get a nice bass boost, and a heavenly feedback suppression. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg.
The app is easy to use, and there’s also an automatic phone program for iPhones for taking calls.
You can use them with either disposable or rechargeable batteries. But unfortunately you don’t get any spare batteries in the box.
Pros:
- Max output of 105 dB SPL
- Works with iOS & Android
- Packed with great features
- Personalized hearing experience
- Boosted soft speech clarity
Cons:
- This is not the brand’s most recent model
- Premium product at a premium price & you can’t pay in installments
BEST VALUE
For those of you who simply don’t have thousands of dollars to spend on a hearing aid, this is perhaps your next best option, costing under $200.
What first impressed us for mid priced hearing aids such as these, is that it features high fidelity sound gain, so you can hear your instrument exactly how everyone else hears it.
This is thanks to the advanced 12-channel digital sound process tech. It’s an upgraded DSP chip, which works way better than regular analogue devices. Perfect for when you’re tuning your instrument.
And it eliminates any unwanted background noise too, which is very nice.
But that wasn’t all that impressed us. We were also blown away by the epic runtime of a full 70 hours on a full charge. That’s nearly 3 whole days. Not bad at all for just 2 to 3 hours of charging time.
The charging box itself is pretty cool too. It doubles as a lightweight (2.8 grams) portable carry case that you can easily fit into your pocket and take with you anywhere. You can also use it as a portable charger. And there are LED lights on the charging box to let you know just how much is remaining.
We also love just how easy it is to operate. You don’t need to pair it up with any smartphone apps or anything like that. All you have to do is double click the hearing aid to achieve your desired volume.
And they look super cool too. Being in-ear hearing aids rather than over-the-ear ones, they look more like earphones than an actual hearing aid. Which is great if you’re still self conscious about your hearing loss.
Pros:
- They’re very reasonably priced
- They provide high fidelity sound
- Eliminates any background noise
- Impressive 70 hour battery runtime
- Has a portable charger and carry case
- Incredibly easy and intuitive to use
- Look like earbuds not hearing aids
Cons:
- Some customers have complained about loud feedback, but if you use the accompanying guidance this can be avoided
RUNNER UP
You know what? It’s not very often that hearing aids get a 4 star average customer rating on Amazon. But these ones do.
When you put them in, you’ll soon be hearing sounds you never knew you were missing.
It comes with a special intelligent programming chip. This is designed to divide sounds to different channel frequencies. And this not only reduces feedback, echoing and static, but it also serves to improve overall processing and greatly reduce any unwanted background noise. Perfect for musicians who need to concentrate on the music they make.
It features 8 different volume levels, from basic which is great for normal conversation, all the way through to scenarios where trying to hear someone in a noisy and crowded place like a party or gig. There’s also a memory function to keep your most comfortable volume setting. No wonder they’re a bestseller!
Each hearing aid features two microphones for better sound capture, and it comes with a selection of different sized ear caps and you simply choose that type that’s the most comfortable for you.
They’re simple and straightforward to use, and you’ll soon get to grips with them. There are also 2 buttons on the back of the hearing aid that you can use to adjust the volume or the mode. You press it for one second to adjust the volume, 2 seconds to switch the mode, or 5 seconds to switch it on or off.
They’re completely rechargeable and come with their very own small, portable charging dock. When fully charged, these hearing aids have a whopping 15 hour working runtime. The charging dock can be charged up in less than 4 hours and it can provide 5 full charges before it needs to be charged up again.
Check out the product page for a video demonstrating how to use the hearing aid.
It’s available in two different color options, black or white.
Pros:
- Great customer ratings for a hearing aid
- 2 microphones for greater sound capture
- Reduces unwanted background noise
- 8 volume levels for different scenarios
- Saves your favorite volume level to memory
- There’s a selection of different sized ear caps
- They’re rechargeable with great battery life
Cons:
- Not suitable for those with severe or profound hearing loss, just for those with mild to moderate hearing loss
RUNNER UP
Talking about flying off the shelves!
These hearing amplifiers are a prominent best seller with the leading online retailers. And on Amazon they have earned well over 2,000 individual customer ratings, where the majority of customers have left a full 5 star rating.
At first we thought their popularity was down to the rock bottom price tag, but when we looked into it, we saw that it has a lot more going for it than just that...
With these high quality digital hearing amplifiers, you can hear every note crisp and crystal clear.
Moreover, if you’re playing at a gig and are close to an amp, you don’t have to put up with any obnoxious feedback. This is thanks to its unique noise reduction feature which ensures that you only hear what you want to hear and no nasty static or buzz.
It comes with not one pair, but 3 pairs of batteries. And better yet, these batteries feature low energy consumption, which means that they can last way longer than regular hearing aid batteries.
They’re also very lightweight and comfortable to wear. You also get a choice of different ear domes in the box, and you simply wear the ones that fit the best. You may even forget you’re wearing them.
And they couldn’t be any easier to use. There’s no set up or tuning required. There’s simply one on or off button and one volume button.
We were also very reassured to learn that they come backed by a lengthy 2-year satisfaction guarantee.
Pros:
- Bestseller with online retailers
- Bargain affordable price point
- Hear everything crystal clear
- No annoying feedback noise
- Batteries designed to really last
- They’re comfortable to wear
- Couldn’t be easier to use
- 2-year satisfaction guarantee
Cons:
- Not rechargeable, you will have to buy more batteries
- Customer reviews have been quite mixed with only about 42% of customer leaving 5 star reviews
Best Hearing Aids For Musicians Buying Guide
As promised, here’s your buying guide. We’re just going to walk you through some of the key things to think about before you buy.
Word of Caution
Sometimes when you search for hearing aids for musicians on the big online retailer websites you’re presented with many high fidelity noise reducing ear plugs rather than high fidelity hearing amplifiers. So please be careful that you don’t inadvertently end up buying the wrong product.
Acoustic or Electronic Listening
What products you can use to listen to your music depend very much on the type of music. If you make electronic music, you have a greater range of potential products available to you , since you can invest in-ear monitors rather than traditional hearing aids or amplifiers.
High Fidelity
For those who don’t already know, a gadget that offers high fidelity means that it will reproduce sound with little or negligible distortion.
This means that a hearing aid with high fidelity will make your music sound exactly the same for you as it does for everyone else, which is key (excuse the pun).
Hearing Protection
For those who like to play live gigs, it’s important that you don’t make your hearing loss any worse than it already is. And that means ensuring that the noise level of your hearing aid is not too loud.
No Buzz Or Amp Feedback
Moreover, if you are positioned close to an amp, you don’t want any nasty buzz or feedback hurting your ears, so that’s something to look out for as well.
Background Noise Cancellation
And when you’re preparing for a set and getting everything ready, you need to really focus on tuning in the equipment, in which case you’ll need your hearing aid to drown out irrelevant background noise.
Batteries & Battery Life
We favor rechargeable batteries over traditional ones, simply because it means you haven’t got to work so hard at tracking battery life, or buying news, or always carrying spares.
If you do decide to go with rechargeable batteries, be sure to check out how long they can be expected to last on a full charge. Ideally to last from breakfast right the way through to supper, you should look for hearing aids with a battery life of about 16 hours or so.
Value for Money
Few things vary as much in price as hearing aids. Even within our own shortlist we’ve got some that cost about $3000, and others that are way more affordable at about $20.
How much you spend on hearing aids depends on how much disposable income you have and how passionate you are about being able to hear well. Luckily some retailers make it possible for consumers to pay in installments, and this is something that’s certainly worth considering.
But if you are limited to a much stricter budget, please be sure to check the prices as you go along.
Frequently Asked Questions
What hearing aids do professional musicians use?
We are pleased to report that many professional musicians use one of the products in our shortlist, specifically our number two pick, the Oticon Opn 1 miniRITE 64 Channel.
It comes packed with some really great features, such as a very high volume boost, an accompanying smartphone app, a personalized hearing experience, and boosted soft speech clarity, to name just a few.