Beltone Hearing Aids – Are They Any Good?
First let’s look at who Beltone actually is.
Beltone is one division (out of 4 divisions) of the GN ReSound Group. Information on all four groups can be found here: www.gnresound-group.com/our_brands.html GN stands for Great Nordic, which is based in Denmark, and is one of the largest hearing aid manufacturers in the world. They are the parent company of the GN ReSound Group which includes ReSound and Beltone.
Where Does Beltone fit in this Group?
Beltone is part of a network of dealers around the country. The stores are typically owned by a Beltone dealer who has the rights to sell Beltone hearing aids in a certain geographic area. They are a “captive network”, meaning they typically offer only Beltone brand hearing aids. Beltone offices don’t carry hearing aids from manufacturers such as ReSound, Starkey, Siemens, etc. If you want a Beltone hearing aid you have to get it from a Beltone dealer; if you want to choose from other brands you have to go somewhere else.
What about ReSound Hearing Aids?
ReSound hearing aids are manufactured by the same GN ReSound group. These hearing aids are offered outside of a network. They are dispensed by Doctor’s offices, Audiology clinics and Licensed Hearing Aid Dispensers. Since these offices are not usually part of a network, they can (and typically do) offer hearing aids from more than one manufacturer. This gives potential customers greater choice since they aren’t limited to choosing hearing aids from only one manufacturer. As Great Nordic’s flagship brand, ReSound hearing aids typically get the newest technology advances before the other brands in the group (including Beltone).
Is GN ReSound Group the Only Company to offer Hearing Aids under Different Names?
No, a number of hearing aid manufacturers do this. Miracle Ear hearing aids are manufactured by Siemens; Audibel and Nu-Ear hearing aids are manufactured by Starkey.
So are Beltone Hearing Aids Any Good?
Sure they are. There is nothing wrong with the quality of Beltone hearing aids. They are made using the same components – microphones, computer chips, receivers – as ReSound hearing aids. They are both manufactured by one of the leading hearing aid companies in the world.
Why would I buy a Beltone Hearing Aid instead of a ReSound Hearing Aid?
Beats me. With ReSound you have the same or newer technology. ReSound hearing aids typically cost less (because many places carry them; they compete for your business. You can only buy Beltone hearing aids at one place – the local Beltone dealer). Plus, if you are in an office that carries ReSound hearing aids they probably carry other brands as well. We do. What if you prefer a brand other than ReSound (or Beltone)? We think you should have more choices.
Tags: Audibel, Beltone hearing aid, Beltone hearing aids, Great Nordic, hearing aids, Miracle Ear, Nu-Ear, Resound hearing aid, Resound hearing aids, Siemens, Starkey
