We're transparent in our pricing because we understand that honesty builds trust. If hearing clinics don't reveal their pricing, it's usually because they are on the higher side. Unlike others, we don't rely on opaque pricing and bait pricing (luring people in before revealing pricing and then offering "discounts"). All our hearing aid prices are online, fair and fixed.

If you purchase hearing aids from our clinic, we include with the sale price:

• No-obligation, free trial period of 1 week (on selected models). 

• 5 week full money back guarantee.

• The costs for the hearing aid fitting appointment and two follow-up appointments.

• After these 3 appointments are completed, you are still entitled to Aftercare services for a period of 3 months.

• We also include spare domes, filters and batteries to last you for at least 6 months of use.

• All hearing aids we sell also come with a 3-5 years of manufacturer warranty.

Yes, if your private health fund provides hearing coverage, you may be entitled to a rebate for your hearing aids. The amount provided depends on your specific health fund policy. You will need to speak to your health fund provider first to determine the amount you are entitled to. If you have hearing on your policy, you'll likely be entitled to around $800-1200 towards your hearing aids (total rebate amount for two devices). 

We are not Hicaps registered, therefore, the rebate amount can only be provided from your health fund after the purchase is made from the invoice we provide you.

No, they are not. We charge based on the technology level, not style of device sold. 

Yes - if the hearing aid is produced by Phonak, Oticon, GN ReSound or Widex, we can source it for you! 

You must visit our clinic for a hearing assessment before your trial. Once fitted with hearing aids, you'll have a full week to try the devices at no cost or payment obligation. After the trial is over, you then decide on whether you wish to purchase them, explore other options, or simply return them.

Trials are available for: Aristo, Excellence and Tribe. 

Trials are not available for: Standard, Standard Plus or Custom devices.

If you want to review the companies we work with, they can be found by clicking the links below.

• Oticon

• Phonak 

• GN ReSound

• Widex
  

Yes, there is a difference. A decade ago, we would have said there was minimal distinction among the leading hearing aid manufacturers worldwide. However, industry mergers, volume-based providers, along with pressure to lower production costs, has now resulted in a market flooded with variability in hearing aid quality. This is more to do with reliability/durability and battery technology issues, over hearing-performance differences, although differences definitely exsists in performance too.

With nearly a decade of experience working with every major hearing aid manufacturer in the industry behind us, we know which companies we can trust, and which companies to avoid.

Yes, we sell AI hearing aids at our clinic - they are available in our technology range of Excellence, Aristo and Tribe. 

When you attend your hearing assessment, your audiologist will discuss technology aspects in greater detail, enabling you to make a completely informed decision on your technology choice. That being said, there are some things you can start to think about prior.

Modern hearing aids are now very advanced, acting as mini-computers that isolate speech from background noise. In challenging sound environments, this require advanced processing chips, firmware, and optimized power management. Simply put, more challenging hearing scenarios necessitate higher technology requirements.

For instance, if you are a still a moderately social person, still in the workforce or enjoy time outdoors, you would want to invest in mid to high-level technology available in our Tribe, Excellence, or Aristo AI-powered range.

On the other hand, if you are mostly at home and or not an overly social person, your hearing needs would be less demanding. Examples of these include hearing one-on-one conversations and following TV dialogue. In this case, lower-technology options from our Standard or Standard Plus range, would be suffice.

Absolutely! If you're not entirely satisfied with the initial style of hearing aids, we will offer a second fitting option for your convenience. You will only be charged for any price differences between the hearing aids, with no additional fees involved.

Once your hearing assessment is finalised, we can fit you with hearing aids within 7-8 working days.

If you chosen order is for a custom-made hearing aid (in-the-ear), please note that these are crafted in Sydney or Brisbane, and thus necessitate a longer production time. In most cases these can be fitted within 2.5 weeks.

Devices from other clinics will retain their warranty at our clinic, unless they arrive damaged and out of warranty. In such cases, we may decline acceptance due to repair costs. Nonetheless, we assist clients with warranty repairs for devices not purchased from us, just like those bought at our clinic. If your device is under warranty and has issues, we will strive to provide the necessary service.

Yes, absolutely. We are happy to accommodate individuals who need to travel long distances. If you wish to have your hearing assessment and hearing aid fitting completed in one visit, we simply require a bit of notice to ensure the time is available. 

Yes - we always perform REM when prescribing hearing aids, at yearly review appointments, for new-incoming clients, or when we think you may need it. This is available at both our home-visits and in-clinic appointments using our state-of-the-art wireless REM equipment.

Why is REMS important? REM effectively measures a hearing aid's performance by evaluating the sound it's producing at the persons eardrum in real-time which also factors in the acoustic coupling and accounts for the persons ear canal's unique resonance - allowing audiologists to provide tailored frequency-specific amplification that directly targets the user's hearing loss at each frequency. This ensures sound is delivered where it's needed, and not, well, where it is not.  This results in a more natural sound and improved hearing. REM is the most vital procedure we perform as audiologists.

REM is the main reason why over-the-counter and on-line sold/self programmed hearing aids are inferior to prescription based hearing aids.

People can expect to get 4-7 years of use from hearing aids. However, this will depend on the amount of care they receive and the environments in which they are used in.

The recent MarkeTrak 2023 consumer survey of 10,000 hearing aid users, suggests most people use their hearing aids on average for 4-5 years.

As of March 2026, according to "HearAdvisor lab" , which is an independent hearing aid performance-tester (free from affiliation with any hearing aid companies) the worlds best hearing aids for hearing speech in noise are rated from the best to the 3rd best as:

• Phonak Infinio Sphere

• Oticon Intent 1 

• Starkey Evolv AI 2400 

(www.hearingtracker.com/hearing-aids/best-hearing-aids-background-noise) 

At Southern Hearing Excellence, we can provide 2 of these 3 devices.

Audiologists will nearly always agree that the advantages of custom devices are far less than that of receiver-in-canal devices, and the only real advantage of these devices lies in management (ease-of-use), along with cosmetics (less visible devices).

That being said, customs are shaped to fit the user's ear shape, therefore, they generally fit very well, and are often a great choice for the very elderly, or those with dexterity issues. 

Therefore, if optimal hearing (especially in noisy environments) is your main goal, we always recommend receiver-in-canal hearing aids over customs (unless management is a primary concern).

The advantages of rechargeable-hearing aids over battery-hearing aids are that they are easier to manage, because you don't have to insert small batteries into them weekly. For people with dexterity issues, this is a clear advantage. Because of this reason, approximately 90% of hearing aids we sell are now rechargeable.  Furthermore, they are more environmentally friendly, with no constant e-waste being produced. 

However, there are some advantages of battery-operated hearing aids over rechargeable. If you are someone always on the go, or travels often, battery operated hearing aids may be a better option for you, as you don't need to worry about charging every 14-20 hours - i.e. grey nomads. Just throw a packet of batteries in your bag and you're good to go for a month!

This is a complex one, which gives hearing aids an unfair stigma. The primary reason many individuals fail to wear hearing aids comes down to 2 key reasons - first-time users who prematurely discontinue hearing aid usage due to adapation problems, along with hearing expectations not matching chosen hearing aids.

In relation adaptation problems, this poses a problem more frequently in people who have left treatment of hearing loss too late in life. In these people, problems are usually overcome, however, they do have more issues and require stricter, regular hearing aid use that the average hearing aid user. With this in mind, if motivation isn't there for these people, they will stop wearing them. This is only overcome through regulary daily use, which allows the brain to correctly go through the adaptation process that comes with neuroplasticity. In audiology we call this the "acclimatation period". During the acclimatation period, the person may find certain sounds (particularly high-frequency sounds) overwhelmingly loud and intrusive, expressing "these hearing aids are just too tinny" or "they simply don't sound right" or "all I hear is noise". 

Alternatively, other common reasons for non-use is when people do not match hearing expectations with hearing aid technology purchases. For example, if people expect to only hear better in one-on-one situations and follow dialogue on the TV more easily, they do not require high-end technology hearing aids. However, if people expect to hear well at restaurants, cafes, and business meetings, they will require higher levels. For this reason, it's important to ensure hearing expectations match hearing aid budgets. 

In summary, by selecting the appropriate hearing aids tailored to your hearing needs, and consistently using them from the outset, these challenges are nearly always be overcome.

Some individuals with mild hearing loss may not need to wear hearing aids constantly, opting to use them primarily during social interactions or in environments where speech understanding is challenging, such as background noise environments. However, research shows that 80% of people who are prescribed hearing aids should wear them daily for at least 7 hours. Those with moderate to severe hearing losses should be wearing them even longer, around 12-14 hours per day.

Modern hearing aids are more waterproof than most people think. For example, nearly all hearing aids are now IP68 rated, meaning they can withstand being submerged in fresh water up to 1 metre deep for 60 minutes. However, this protection does not extend to chlorinated or salty water, which can damage them. In essence, nearly all hearing aids are designed to withstand rain, brief dips in water, and unintentional splashes, without damage. 

You'll spend around $80-100 per year on batteries (Private clients).

If you are eligible for the HSP program, your batteries are always supplied free of charge.