There are a lot of places to buy hearing aids. Amazon. Costco. Manufacturer websites. Online retailers with impressive-looking product pages and low prices. So why work with us?
The honest answer isn’t about having the flashiest website or the biggest selection. It’s about what we are, and equally what we are not. We built Hears Hearing & Hearables specifically because of what was broken in the hearing aid industry, and every decision we’ve made since reflects that. This page explains it directly.
If you’ve read our Ethics Series, you already know most of this. If you haven’t, this is the summary version, with links to the full story wherever it matters.
The Short Version: What Makes Us Different
- Not owned by a hearing aid manufacturer
- No private equity or venture capital investment
- No TPA contracts, no non-disparagement agreements
- All major prescription brands carried: Phonak, Starkey, Oticon, Signia, ReSound, Widex, Unitron, Rexton
- OTC lineup: ELEHEAR, Yeasound, LINNER, Sennheiser, Lucid, all clinic-tested
- Transparent unbundled pricing, device cost, and service cost listed separately
- Publicly listed fees since 2012, before it was fashionable or legally required
- Telehealth nationwide licensed audiologist support from anywhere in the US
- In-person care at Hears to U, Hopkins, Minnesota
- Founded and led by an audiologist with 30 years of clinical experience
- No outside shareholders, our interests align with yours, not with investors
- Prescription hearing aid demonstration program; in-person at Hears to U or guided remotely
Why We Built This: The Problem We Were Trying to Solve
In 2012, I started my own audiology clinic in Hopkins, Minnesota, because I kept running into the same problem in every practice I worked in: patients weren’t getting the hearing care they deserved. Not because the clinicians were bad people, most weren’t, but because the system created pressures that worked against patient-centered care.
Manufacturers owned clinics and provided business loans that created undisclosed financial conflicts. Insurance companies partnered with manufacturers to create ‘benefit’ programs that pushed patients toward specific devices regardless of fit. Providers signed contracts with non-disparagement clauses that prevented them from honestly discussing their own experiences. And the whole time, patients had no idea any of this was happening.
In 2021, I launched Hears Hearing & Hearables as an online store to extend that mission beyond Minnesota, to reach patients across the country who deserved the same honest, independent guidance our Hopkins clinic patients received.
What Independence Actually Means, Specifically
We carry all the major brands because your hearing matters more than our margins
We carry Phonak, Starkey, Oticon, Signia, ReSound, Widex, Unitron, and Rexton for prescription hearing aids. For OTC devices, we carry ELEHEAR, Yeasound, LINNER, Sennheiser, and Lucid for OTC. Our recommendations are based on your audiogram, your lifestyle, and your listening needs, not on which manufacturer gave us the best deal this quarter.
We don’t have manufacturer financial relationships that affect our recommendations
No business loans from manufacturers, volume bonuses, or rebates. No advertising payments that create incentives toward specific brands. When we recommend a Starkey Omega AI over a Phonak Sphere Infinio, or vice versa, it’s because of your hearing profile, not our profit margin.
We are not part of any TPA network
We have not signed TPA contracts and do not have non-disparagement or non-interference agreements with any insurance benefit administrator. If you ask us about TruHearing, UnitedHealthcare Hearing, or NationsHearing, we will tell you exactly what we know about how those systems work, including the parts they don’t tell you.
We have no outside investors
No venture capital or private equity. No outside shareholders whose three-to-seven-year exit horizon competes with your hearing outcomes. We fund ourselves through our membership and our sales. The people making decisions at Hears Hearing & Hearables are hearing care professionals, not investment managers.
Transparent Pricing, Since 2012, Before It Was Required
In 2021, the federal government began requiring hospitals to post prices online. According to one study, only 14% of hospitals were initially in compliance. We posted our prices in 2012, nine years earlier, the right thing to do, not because we were required to.
Some of our peers in the audiology community were upset about our decision to post prices. We understood their concerns but disagreed with their reasoning. A patient who knows what something costs before they commit is a patient who trusts you. A patient who discovers the cost after the fact is a patient who feels ambushed.
At Hears Hearing & Hearables, the device cost and the service cost are listed separately, always. You know what you’re paying for the hearing aid. You know what you’re paying for the fitting, the programming, and the follow-up care. No bundled markups. No surprise charges.
This unbundled model also protects you from a specific insurance problem: when providers bundle service into device costs, it often looks to insurers like the device costs more than they’ll pay, leaving you with unexpected bills. With unbundled pricing, both costs are clear to everyone before you commit.
Who We Serve, And How
Online customers nationwide
Through Hears Hearing & Hearables, we serve patients across the United States. We work with you wherever you are. Our telehealth service provides remote consultation, follow-up adjustments, and ongoing support through your hearing aid’s companion app.
Local patients in Hopkins, Minnesota
Our Hears to U clinic in Hopkins, Minnesota, provides in-person hearing evaluations, comprehensive professional fittings with real-ear measurement, hearing aid demonstrations for prescription devices, and ongoing care.
Patients who need local care outside Minnesota
We maintain a growing network of independent audiologists and hearing care professionals across the US who share our commitment to transparency, ethics, and best-practice fitting. If we don’t yet have a provider in your area, we’ll tell you that honestly and help you find the best available option.
We offer prescription hearing aid demonstrations, try before you commit
One of the most common frustrations in hearing aid buying is committing thousands of dollars to a device you’ve never actually worn in your real life. We offer a solution that most online hearing aid providers don’t: a guided prescription hearing aid demonstration program.
For patients visiting our Hears to U clinic in Hopkins, Minnesota, we fit you with demo devices from multiple manufacturers and technology levels, and you wear them in your actual life for up to a week before deciding. No pressure. No obligation to buy. Just real-world experience with real devices in the environments that matter to you.
For online customers, our telehealth consultation process guides you carefully through selection before purchase, so you’re not buying blind, and our return window gives you a real-world trial once the device arrives.
The demo program is for prescription hearing aids only. For OTC hearing aids, Minnesota’s 45-day return window serves the same purpose: a genuine, real-world trial built into the purchase.
A demo can rule out the wrong device before you invest thousands. It can show you what you didn’t know was possible. And it can give you the confidence that the device you choose is genuinely the right one for your hearing, not just the one that looked best on a spec sheet.
What Amazon Doesn’t Know, And Why It Matters
Amazon can ship a hearing aid to your door. What Amazon cannot do is tell you whether that hearing aid is appropriate for your degree of hearing loss, program it to your audiogram, guide you through the acclimatization process, troubleshoot why it sounds tinny in restaurants, or tell you honestly when your situation requires more than an OTC device can provide.
We can do all of those things. Not because we’re bigger than Amazon, we’re not, not even close. But because Hears Hearing & Hearables was built by an audiologist with 30 years of clinical experience, and because hearing care is not a product category. It’s a health journey that requires professional guidance, honest information, and someone who helps when something isn’t working.
That’s what we offer. That’s what Amazon doesn’t.
What Our Patients Say
“They go the extra mile to help and work with you. I live in Maryland and received great advice for my problems. I wish that this service was available in my area.” — Bernard, patient from Maryland
You can find more patient reviews on our website.
The Membership: How It Amplifies What We Can Do
Hears Hearing & Hearables operates a membership model, though membership is never required to shop with us. Here’s why membership matters:
- Better pricing through collective buying power, the more members we have, the more leverage we have to negotiate better prices from manufacturers, and we pass those savings directly to members
- Early access to promotions and new product launches before they’re available to the general public
- 5% off all professional services on every visit
- Access to member-only pricing and rewards
- A collective voice, our membership base helps us advocate for better hearing care coverage, push back against industry monopolies, and support independent audiologists who are trying to do the right thing
We believe that an educated, engaged community of patients is one of the most powerful forces for change in the hearing aid industry. That’s what our membership is building.
Ready to Get Started?
Whether you’re just beginning to explore your hearing options, upgrading from a previous device, navigating an insurance benefit, or looking for an honest second opinion, we’re here.
- Take our free Hearing Handicap Screening Test a good first step if you’re not sure where your hearing fits
- Browse our OTC hearing aid selection
- Browse our prescription hearing aid selection
- View our transparent Provider’s Fees on their pages before committing to anything
- Schedule a telehealth consultation
- Visit us in person at Hears to U, Hopkins, Minnesota
- Contact our team with any questions
No pressure. No hidden agendas. Just help finding what actually works for your hearing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Hears Hearing & Hearables owned by a hearing aid manufacturer?
No. We are completely independent, not owned by or financially affiliated with any hearing aid manufacturer. We carry all major brands and recommend based on patient need, not manufacturer relationships.
Do you take insurance or Medicare?
Medicare does not cover hearing aids. Many Medicare Advantage plans offer hearing benefits through third-party administrators (TPAs), programs that often come with restricted device choices and limited follow-up care. We can help you evaluate whether your plan’s TPA benefit or independent purchase gives you better value. HSA and FSA funds can be used for both OTC and prescription hearing aids purchased from us.
Do I need to be a member to shop?
No. Membership is never required to shop at Hears Hearing & Hearables. Anyone can browse and purchase. Membership provides additional benefits, better pricing, early access to promotions, 5% off services, and supports our broader mission of making hearing care more accessible and transparent.
Can I get professional support if I’m not in Minnesota?
Yes. Our telehealth service provides remote audiologist consultation, device programming, and follow-up support nationwide. For patients who need in-person care outside Minnesota, we maintain a network of trusted independent providers and can help connect you with someone in your area.
How is your pricing structured?
All pricing is unbundled; the device cost and service cost are listed separately so you know exactly what you’re paying for. Our Provider Fees are publicly listed on our website before you commit to anything. No bundled markups, no surprise charges. We have operated this way since 2012.
What makes you different from other online hearing aid stores?
Most online hearing aid stores are either manufacturer-owned, TPA-affiliated, or carrying a limited selection that reflects commercial relationships rather than patient needs. We carry all major brands, have no manufacturer financial relationships that affect our recommendations, maintain no TPA contracts, and have no outside investors. Our prices are transparent and publicly listed. And we’re led by a licensed audiologist with 30 years of clinical experience, not a marketing team or an investment group.
