Update: the HiiBaby Siemens Lotus Touching hearing amplifier is no longer available. The best alternative is the Laiwen LP01 or the Neosonic B10.
The HiiBaby Siemens Lotus Touching is a complete hearing aid alternative with a few neat features that might just make you forget that they only cost a fraction of FDA-approved hearing aids. That means the real question when it comes to the HiiBaby Siemens Lotus isn’t about cost, but about performance. Does this Hiibaby hearing amplifier also give you a fraction of the performance of ‘real hearing aids’ or is it the steal it promises to be?
In this review, we’ll take a good look at the different features of the HiiBaby. We’ll see how it performs, what it might be missing and how it lives up to expectations. Before ending on a specific recommendation for people looking to get hearing amplifiers, we’ll give you alternatives for the HiiBaby. As always, you can find our visual 30-second review at the bottom of this page.
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Key features of the HiiBaby Siemens Lotus Touching
One of the most noteworthy features of the HiiBaby is a pair of very small dials that’s located on a control panel between the power button and the volume buttons. These dials allow you to finetune the frequency and the volume of the hearing amplifier. By finding just the right settings on these dials, you can create exactly the right type of hearing aid for you. The downside to this is that it may take some adjustments before you find the right setting but for someone who likes to control their devices, it’s a great setting.
Who is the HiiBaby for?
The HiiBaby Siemens Lotus Touching hearing amplifier is perfect for people who like to be in control. The fine-tuning options on this model trade the convenience of other devices for a very customizable experience. Instead of choosing from a set amount of settings, you can change the frequency to your liking and experiment with the best settings for you.
How well does the HiiBaby Siemens Lotus Touching work?
Aside from the key feature of finetuning your frequency and volume, the HiiBaby has a few other features that are worth discussing. The digital sound processing feature used to be a distinguishing feature for hearing amplifiers but has now become the new baseline. The same goes for the noise cancelling feature, which works well, but doesn’t add any ‘wow’ to the model.
The size of the device is a neat extra. With a whole series of ‘Lotus’ products from HiiBaby, this ‘Touching’ model is the smallest. It can work with other ‘behind-the-ear devices’, but that depends on the exact model of the other device that you’re using. The device’s moisture-proof features help protect the electronics from sweat (not from showers).
The HiiBaby Siemens Lotus Touching works with a type 13 battery.
What’s not to like about the HiiBaby?
Unfortunately, this list is pretty long. While the hearing amplifier works alright, we’ve seen that it doesn’t have any spectacular extras. If it stopped there, we would be left with a hearing amplifier that does what it’s supposed to, without any bells and whistles.
There are more concerns than the absence of bells and whistles, however. First, while the single channel processing works, it is outdated, even in its quite modest price range. In the same category, you’ll be able to find a similar hearing amplifier that works as well as the HiiBaby and offers better sound quality – for a better price.
Second, the HiiBaby tends to pick up high-end frequency noises. This isn’t uncommon. When it comes to age-related hearing loss, high-end frequencies are the first to go. It therefore makes sense that hearing amplifiers focus on these high-end frequencies. Still, even with the fine-tuning options that the HiiBaby offers, it’s too common a complaint to overlook.
The last downside of the Hiibaby is the customer experience. While the name ‘Siemens’ is generally a well-trusted brand, HiiBaby cannot live up to the same standards. If there is a website for HiiBaby, it’s impossible to find, all the information about the hearing amplifiers is riddled with spelling errors, and there is no clear guarantee or customer service contact point. These customer experience features don’t affect the hearing amplifier itself, of course. They do impact your overall experience, and the competition for the HiiBaby has a much better grip on that overall experience.
Alternatives for the HiiBaby Siemens Lotus Touching
Speaking of that competition, there are some good alternatives for the HiiBaby that don’t have as many downsides. They will hover around the same price point but work just as well and offer a better customer experience.
The NeoSonic B10 should be your first consideration. It offers a great hearing aid alternative for a good price. The Laiwen LP-01 is a little cheaper and resembles the Siemens more.
If price is a concern, the Banglijian BLJ-109 offers a better overall experience for about half the price of the Siemens Hiibaby. Like the Siemens, it won’t be known for bells and whistles, but it’s a fine budget model.
For more alternatives, we have a put together a comparison article that compares all hearing amplifiers for less than $200.
Should you buy the HiiBaby Siemens Lotus Touching?
Probably not. In all fairness, most owners of the HiiBaby are fairly content with their hearing amplifier. It’s better than poor hearing and cheaper than getting the doctor’s official hearing aids. And the reviews on Amazon aren’t all that terrible (read more about why you can’t trust reviews about hearing amplifiers). But when you’re looking to buy a brand-new hearing amplifier, settling for the HiiBaby Siemens Lotus Touching would be a shame. It’s outdated, offers a poor customer experience, and seems to be lost in the wrong price category. When the alternatives are overall cheaper and better, the special fine-tuning option does very little to redeem this model. Should you decide to be stubborn and purchase this model, remember that it doesn’t come in a pair so you’ll have to buy two.
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