MDHearing Review: What You Need To Know (2024)

MDHearing is a direct-to-consumer manufacturer of budget-friendly hearing aids. It runs an online hearing clinic, so customers don’t have to visit a physical location to get a hearing test, connect with a hearing care professional and buy hearing aids. However, MDHearing’s device selection is limited, as it only makes and sells four models of hearing aids.

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MDHearing Hearing Aids

• Designed by doctors and registered with the FDA
• Online ordering, free shipping, and low monthly payment plans make shopping a breeze
• Arrives at your door assembled with everything you need for a successful 45-day trial
• Team of dedicated licensed hearing professionals available every step of the way

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On MDHearing's Website

Key Features

• MDHearing hearing aids come with a noise reduction feature that filters unwanted background noise to help the wearer hear more clearly.
• The hearing aids also feature feedback cancellation capabilities for an improved hearing experience.
• Wearers can adjust their hearing aid sound with a volume dial on the device, and the most advanced model can be controlled via a smartphone app.

MDHearing was founded in 2009 by a board-certified ear, nose and throat physician and hearing aid expert, with the goal of improving access to high-quality hearing aids and care by making them affordable. MDHearing sells hearing aids are customizable, as well as a model that’s considered “one size fits most,” meaning it’s not customizable but can accommodate the hearing needs of most people with mild to moderate hearing loss. The company offers services online, including hearing tests, consultations with hearing care professionals and hearing aid purchases.

• Cost: Before applying any promotional pricing, a pair of MDHearing hearing aids costs between $999.98 and $2,399.98, depending on the model you choose. Customers can also purchase a single hearing aid if they only experience hearing loss or difficulty in one ear.
• Size and style: Three MDHearing hearing aid models are behind-the-ear (BTE) hearing aids and one is an in-the-ear (ITE) hearing aid. The MDHearing AIR is considered “one size fits most” while the MDHearing VOLT MAX is customizable.
• Technology: Depending on the model, MDHearing hearing aids can feature noise reduction and adaptive technology, feedback cancellation capabilities, four sound environment settings, dual directional microphones and more.

MDhearing sells four hearing aid models, three of which are BTE hearing aids and include noise reduction technology, manual volume control, four sound environment settings and feedback cancellation capabilities. (The remaining hearing aid—the NEO—is an ITE hearing aid.) All hearing aids also come with a 45-day trial period, 90-day warranty and free lifetime support.

MDHearing NEO

The NEO is MDHearing’s smallest hearing aid option and the only rechargeable ITE style in its product lineup. Fitting discreetly in the ear, it aims to provide clear sound for every conversation and its simply controls make it easy to use.

MDHearing AIR

The AIR is the most affordable BTE hearing aid model offered by MDHearing, with the fewest features among the models. MDHearing recommends the rechargeable AIR for hearing better in noisy environments, when watching television, during phone calls and overall for more accessible, effective communication.

MDHearing VOLT

The VOLT is a rechargeable BTE hearing aid that lasts up to 20 hours on a single charge. It has two directional microphones—one cancels out distracting background noise while the other amplifies the sound the wearer wants to hear.

This hearing aid is suitable for people with an active lifestyle and travel, according to the company. It may help wearers hear better in noisy places, while watching television or during phone conversations.

MDHearing VOLT MAX

The VOLT MAX is the most expensive of the three BTE models available and has the most advanced features among MDHearing’s options. A single charge of these rechargeable hearing aids can last up to 15 hours. They also come with a portable charging case and a two-year warranty.

Like the VOLT, this hearing aid has two directional microphones that block distracting sounds and highlight the ones the wearer wants to hear. Unlike the VOLT, it also features adaptive technology that detects and adapts to environmental noise changes, as well as a customized sound profile for a more personalized hearing experience. It can connect to a smartphone as well to enable the wearer to control its settings remotely with the MDHearing app.

This hearing aid comes with a one-year extended warranty, lifetime support and access to a hearing care professional who can teach the wearer how to use the hearing aids and answer any questions they may have. The VOLT MAX is ideal for a personalized hearing experience that improves hearing while watching television, during conversations and in noisy places, according to the company.

See a pricing rundown for each MDHearing hearing aid model below, which excludes any promotional pricing that may be available.

• NEO
  • $499.99 for a single hearing aid
  • $999.98 for a pair of hearing aids
• AIR 
  • $599.99 for a single hearing aid
  • $1,199.98 for a pair of hearing aids
• VOLT
  • $799.99 for a single hearing aid
  • $1,599.98 for a pair of hearing aids
• VOLT MAX
  • $999.99 for a single hearing aid
  • $2,399.98 for a pair of hearing aids

A number of accessories are also available on the MDHearing website depending on which hearing aid model you choose.

Hearing loss is one of the most common public health issues worldwide, yet not enough people who may benefit from hearing aids wear them, according to Daniel Coelho, M.D., an ear, nose and throat surgeon at the Cochlear Implant Center at VCU Health. Hearing connects us to our surroundings, friends and family, and evidence suggests that hearing loss can be linked to a decrease in cognitive health and an increased risk of dementia.

The longer people wait to address their hearing loss, the more likely they may experience repercussions like social isolation and fatigue, says Robin Carson, an audiologist at Carson Hearing Care in Fort Worth, Texas.

Dr. Coelho advises that everyone with hearing loss—regardless of its severity or cause—get treatment for it.

Michigan-based audiologist Stelios Dokianakis recommends hearing aids for people who need better and clearer hearing after a hearing test rules out other (often correctable) reasons for hearing problems. Purchasing hearing aids without first completing appropriate tests may leave other potential issues unaddressed—like allergies, sinus problems and fluid in the middle ear—which may affect hearing, explains Dr. Dokianakis.

When you see an audiologist for hearing loss, they take you through a hearing test, explain your results and talk to you about appropriate treatment options, which might include hearing aids, says Jen Thomson, assistant director of audiology for Columbus Speech and Hearing in Ohio.

All hearing aids sold in the U.S. must be registered with the FDA because they’re medical devices, says Thomas Powers, Ph.D. an audiologist and expert audiology consultant for the Hearing Industries Association. For this reason, Dr. Dokianakis believes the brand name “MDHearing” is misleading, as is the company’s “medical-grade hearing aids” claim. “The FDA classifies all hearing aids as medical devices; there is no ‘medical-grade’ specification,” he explains.

Dr. Dokianakis adds that though MDHearing Aid is a low-cost, direct-to-consumer company that has been around for many years, consumers can find better products with more advanced features in the market.

MDHearing isn’t accredited by the Better Business Bureau (which lists the brand as MDHearingAid). It has a B rating with the organization and an average rating of 4.2 out of 5 stars based on 63 customer reviews posted to the BBB website.

Customers on the BBB website complained that they experienced trouble returning hearing aids within their trial periods, problems connecting with customer care and issues with the overall quality of the hearing aids.

One wrote: “I bought some hearing aids. The warranty was for 45 days, and after 60 days, they didn’t work. They sent me another pair, and after two weeks, they didn’t work. I called again and asked for a refund, and they said they would send me another pair. I got the third pair and returned all three sets to them in October 2021. Their product is shoddy. I want a full refund of $643.48. Their warranty is a joke. They send out shoddy aids to replace bad aids. This was all done from March 26, 2021 to March 3, 2022.”

MDHearing has an average rating of 3.9 out of 5 stars based on 106 reviews on the Consumer Affairs website, which hosts many positive reviews.

For example, one reviewer wrote: “My MDHearing aid is the Volt+ and is easy to wear and easy to charge. The price was awesome and the customer service with the online audiologist was outstanding! My aids also came with a bonus charging case, dehumidifier jar and replacement tubes and tips. The company also is available any time you need them. I am well pleased with this product and with MDHearingAid.”

Meanwhile, others experienced mixed results. One wrote: “I was amazed with the increased ability to hear, but I could not get a good fit. Also, the outside noises that I was receiving while in a crowd of people was more than I could handle. I wish that I could have adapted.”