Together with HearAdvisor, HearingTracker has completed testing of 24 pairs of hearing aids being sold online at Walmart. Full write up to hit HearingTracker imminently. I had to share some early data though
PS. These devices are for no worse than mild to moderate hearing loss. SoundScore also reflects a target hearing loss of mild sloping to moderate.
Walmart offers a large selection of over-the-counter (OTC) hearing aids. In this article, the HearAdvisor independent lab reviews the features, performance ratings, and prices of Walmart hearing aids and provides clear recommendations for purchase.
The tested with closed or even power domes score higher then those tested with open domes. And their intentions are to have this information used for marketing purposes by those HAs with higher scores. I am disappointed with their testing setup and their published results without also noting this where it is quickly obvious to viewer.
HAs with occluded earbuds styles should by design rate higher then others with their testing criteria.
The HAs tested with closed or even power domes score higher then those tested with open domes.
Openness is a factor for SoundScore absolutely, but it’s by no means the only factor. Here are the results of all products tested by HearAdvisor thus far, but dome type.
Openness is a factor for SoundScore absolutely, but it’s by no means the only factor. Here are the results of all products tested by HearAdvisor thus far, but dome type.
You didn’t read the FAQ on our leaderboard page did you?
Wow, I see a lot of changes since I first looked at the FAQ. I appreciate much, a lot, of what I read. I noticed how you rated an occlusive effect in the fitting results.
And, the below statements are black and white. Especially with all but two open domes, it seems. Many of the prescription HAs tested had ear tips that let little air out. There are more open and more closed gradients of the results in the dome types tested. They are not all “all open-fit”.
What about “open-fit” vs “closed-fit” hearing aids?
“Open-fit” hearing aids are hearing aids that leave your ear canal open. All of the prescription devices tested to date by HearAdvisor are considered open-fit hearing aids. “Closed-fit” hearing aids are those that seal off your ear canal with either a tight custom mold or rubber / silicone ear tip that lets little to no air in or out. Devices such as the Sony CRE-C10, Jabra Enhance Plus, and Apple AirPods Pro 2 are considered closed-fit devices.
The open-fit configuration has several implications for sound quality, benefit with hearing aids, sound localization, and hearing in noise:
…This is followed by a nice list and description of benefits and consequences of open-fit HAs;
Which, if it was clarified above that there are gradients in the prescription HAs it would be more consistent with your tests.
Auckland, New Zealand
