HearAdvisor exists for one reason: to give people objective, science-driven information about how hearing aids, hearables, and related products actually perform. Our scores and conclusions come from controlled lab measurements and standardized listening tests—not from marketing relationships or pay-to-play schemes.
We do not sell positive reviews, better scores, or favorable comparisons. Ever.
How We Choose What to Test
We prioritize products that will matter most to the largest number of people:
- Widely available hearing aids, hearables, and related devices
- Products from manufacturers with significant market share or clinical relevance
- Devices that introduce important new technology or approaches
Our test queue is usually full of these high-priority products, and we work through that queue based on reader impact and lab capacity.
Smaller or niche brands can still be tested, but may wait longer in the queue unless they opt into our paid testing option (explained below). Whether or not a company pays has no effect on how we test, score, or write about their product.
Our Lab Standards
HearAdvisor is a measurement lab first and foremost. Our work is built on:
- Standardized, repeatable test protocols developed by experts in audiology and acoustics
- Objective performance metrics, including but not limited to loudness, clarity, noise performance, and other quantitative measures
- Blind or controlled listening where applicable, to complement strictly objective data
Manufacturers do not get to:
- Change our test methods
- See or edit raw data or scores before publication
- Approve or veto our conclusions
Testing Fees for Lower-Priority Products
We do not charge for reviews or for editorial coverage.
However, for some lower-priority products (typically from smaller brands or products with limited demand), we offer an optional “test and list” pathway. This is a flat lab testing and listing fee (currently $499 USD, subject to change) that:
- Exists solely to cover lab time and operational costs
- Allows smaller companies to shortcut the queue and get tested sooner
- Guarantees the same test protocol, metrics, and scoring we apply to everyone else
Every company that pays this fee must sign a contract stating that:
- HearAdvisor will publish exactly the data measured in the lab, without alteration
- Payment does not guarantee a favorable result or recommendation
- The company cannot prevent publication or demand edits to the data, scores, or conclusions
You cannot buy a good grade or a kind review from us. You can only buy your place in line.
Affiliate Links & How We Make Money
HearAdvisor is adding affiliate links to help support the lab and keep our work sustainable.
When you click a “Buy Now,” “View Price,” or similar link on our site and then purchase a product, we may earn a small commission from the retailer at no additional cost to you.
Key points:
- Affiliate links do not influence testing or scoring. We add affiliate links after testing is completed, and we apply them across the board—whether a product earns an A or an F in our tests, and whether or not the manufacturer has ever paid for testing.
- We link wherever it makes sense. If a product is available through a retailer that offers affiliate programs, we may use an affiliate link. If it isn’t, we’ll still cover it and link to it where appropriate, just without the affiliate component.
- We prefer retailer relationships, not manufacturer influence. Wherever possible, affiliate partnerships are established with retailers, not directly with manufacturers. This helps keep commercial relationships at arm’s length from the lab.
- No “pay to win.”
Affiliate relationships do not determine:
- Whether we choose to test a product
- How we test it
- The score it earns
- How we compare it to alternatives
- Whether we highlight its strengths or weaknesses
Our long-term financial health depends on your trust. If we push bad products or sugar-coat poor performance to protect affiliate revenue, we lose the very thing that makes HearAdvisor valuable.
Review Units, Samples & Returns
To run a lab, we need physical products. We obtain devices via a mix of:
- Retail purchases
- Manufacturer-provided or loaned units
- Units submitted as part of the optional paid testing program
- Friendly practicing audiologists
Regardless of how we obtain a product:
- It is tested using the same lab protocols.
- The manufacturer cannot change or veto the results.
- If a product is returned, given away, or retained for ongoing reference, that does not change the data we report.
Corrections, Updates & Retesting
We strive to be accurate and transparent. If:
- We discover a factual error in our reporting, or
- A manufacturer provides verifiable technical information showing that we mis-measured or mis-stated something
…we will investigate, correct the record where appropriate, and clearly note any material changes to scores or conclusions.
If a product undergoes a meaningful firmware or hardware update that could change performance, we may:
- Retest the product where feasible
- Update our data and commentary
- Clearly explain what changed and why
Awards & Badges
From time to time, we highlight products that perform especially well in our lab with badges and awards (for example, the HearAdvisor Expert Choice badge). As of this writing, around one third of all products tested receive a SoundScore of 4.0 or greater, which is our threshold for awarding the badge.
- Awards are earned, not bought. Awards are based solely on our objective test results and expert assessment. Companies cannot pay to have their products selected for an award, moved up in rankings, or treated more favorably in our analysis.
- Licensing happens only after winners are chosen. Once award winners have been determined based on performance, companies may choose—after the fact—to license our badges (such as the Expert Choice badge) for use on their websites, packaging, or marketing materials.
- Licensing fees don’t affect our decisions.
Licensing fees are paid strictly for the right to display our badge and do not influence:
- Which products we test
- How we test them
- Which products receive awards
- How we score or rank products on our site
We do not sell unearned awards. Our badges are a reflection of how products perform in our lab—not of how much a company spends with us.
Our Promise to You
- We will follow the data, even when it is inconvenient for us or for manufacturers.
- We will keep a clear wall between revenue (affiliate links, testing fees, advertising) and our scientific work.
- We will disclose how we make money and how we test, in plain language.
- We will correct mistakes when they happen and be transparent about what changed.
Our goal is simple: to give you the clearest possible picture of how these products actually perform, so you can make informed decisions with confidence.