MaxHear
Built for finding out before you file an insurance claim
Eargo Reviews & Alternative: The $34 Million Settlement
In April 2022, Eargo settled a Department of Justice investigation into how its customer reimbursement claims were submitted to federal employee health plans, paying the U.S. government approximately $34.4 million. Eargo denied the allegations and the settlement carried no admission of liability — but the company had already stopped accepting insurance as a direct payment method in December 2021, and hasn't resumed it since.
Separately, real BBB complaints from 2025 and 2026 describe recurring battery failures on current-generation devices. MaxHear is a sound amplifier app for iPhone and Android that answers whether amplification helps you at all, for free, using headphones you already own — no insurance claim or battery to fail.
Free to try with no account, no email and no card. Headphones required.
"My biggest problem was soft voices. If someone is talking clearly and facing me, I'm usually okay. Turn around and start talking? Gone. 😅 MaxHear has been helpful with exactly that."
Melissa G., 56 — Las Vegas, NV · MaxHear userWhat Eargo owners actually say
Eargo is A+ and BBB accredited, with 43 complaints filed in the past three years. We read the most recent ones in full, checked 19 August 2026. The dominant theme isn't billing — it's batteries.
In owners' own words, on the recurring theme:
"the battery has failed more times then I can count. Approximately a half dozen times."
BBB complaint — 15 June 2026"I've had to have 5 replacement pairs. The hearing aids last a few months and die."
BBB complaint — 5 September 2025"each aid had to be replaced because it stopped working." Once the warranty had run out, the reviewer says, "I was told I could purchase a replacement for $395."
BBB complaint — 5 May 2026A separate complaint describes the same $395 replacement fee quote after a device failed "within the month following warrantys end" — and a different filer describes being told the company would "follow through" on a promised replacement, then not receiving one (BBB complaint, 14 July 2026).
The finding worth knowing before you file an insurance claim: Eargo already answered that question, expensively
The DOJ's 2022 investigation centered on claims submitted to the Federal Employees Health Benefits program using what the government alleged were unsupported hearing-loss diagnostic codes. Eargo denied wrongdoing, and the $34.4 million settlement explicitly carried no admission of liability — but the practical outcome was concrete: Eargo stopped accepting insurance benefits as a direct payment method starting December 2021, and customer transactions using insurance submitted after the company learned of the investigation weren't recognized as revenue at all. If you're specifically hoping to use insurance to buy an Eargo device today, that path doesn't exist the way it might have before 2022.
Separately, and more recently: Eargo's current parent company, LXE Hearing, announced a wind-down of its U.S. operations in July 2026 — the same event that shapes what we cover on Lexie's own page, and worth reading there for the mechanics and support timeline rather than repeating in full here.
What it costs
Eargo's lineup spans several price points.
| What | Figure | Source |
|---|---|---|
| LINK by Eargo, per pair | $799 | Eargo's own pricing |
| Eargo 6, per pair | $2,250 | HearingTracker |
| Eargo 7, per pair | $2,550 | HearingTracker |
| Eargo 8, per pair | $2,399–$2,699 | HearingTracker |
| Post-warranty replacement (per BBB complaints) | $395 | BBB complaint filings |
| MaxHear | free to find out, then the plan is shown in the app | — |
Original Medicare covers neither hearing aids nor the exams used to fit them, and Eargo does not accept private insurance as direct payment. Confirm what your warranty actually covers and for how long before buying — per multiple complaints, the $395 replacement fee arrives right around when coverage lapses.
Eargo vs MaxHear
A device with a documented battery-failure pattern vs. a free way to answer the first question.
| What matters | MaxHear Sound amplifier app | Eargo 7/8 OTC self-fit hearing aid |
|---|---|---|
| Try before you own anything | Yes — free mode, permanently No account, no email, no card | Trial after purchase Insurance not accepted as direct payment |
| Battery to fail | No Uses your phone's and headphones' own battery | Yes, reportedly repeatedly One BBB complaint describes 5 replacement pairs |
| Lab-measured sound quality | Not lab-tested A general-purpose amplifier, not a clinical device | B–C grade, per model (HearAdvisor) Eargo 7: B, 3.1/5; Eargo 8: C, 2.8/5 |
| Hardware required | None Uses the phone and headphones you own | Yes A physical device with reported reliability issues |
| Cost | 3 days free to try, then the plan is shown in the app Nothing to buy to find out | $799–$2,699 a pair Medicare pays nothing; insurance not billed directly |
If discretion and a familiar invisible-style device matter most to you, Eargo remains a widely used option. If you first want to know whether amplification helps you at all, that's a cheaper, faster question, and MaxHear answers it before you're relying on anyone's warranty terms.
Why people check MaxHear before ordering an Eargo
Chosen from what actually recurs in Eargo's own BBB complaints — not a generic list.
Nothing to fail
MaxHear runs on your phone's own battery — no separate hearing-aid battery to replace or troubleshoot.
Nothing to warranty
No physical device to fail once coverage lapses, because there's no hardware.
No claim to file
MaxHear's free mode has no billing process, insurance or otherwise, to navigate.
Nothing to wait on
The free mode works the moment you open the app — no follow-through required from anyone else.
Which one is actually right for you
Three honest positions, not two.
Your loss is beyond what a self-fit device covers
Severe or profound loss, one-ear loss, or conductive or mixed loss needs a professional. Go promptly if loss came on suddenly or you have ear pain, discharge, dizziness or ringing.
Discretion matters most and you accept the battery-reliability risk
The invisible-in-canal design is genuinely popular. Budget for the possibility of paid replacements, and confirm exact warranty terms before your trial period ends.
You haven't established that you need a fitted device yet
Your struggle is situational, or you want to know whether amplification helps before spending on hardware you'll pay out of pocket for. Test it free first.
A ten-minute check before you order
Do this before adding anything to a cart. It costs nothing and gives you a real answer.
Write down your three hardest moments
The restaurant table, the phone call, the TV at family dinners. Specific beats "I can't hear well."
Grab headphones you already own
Wired or Bluetooth, whatever you have — no new hardware needed to test the question.
Start in a quiet room, level low
The app opens quiet on purpose — you set the level, with one person talking to you.
Then test your actual worst room
The kitchen mid-cooking, or a café at lunch. That's the situation you're really solving for.
Judge it on one thing
Are you asking people to repeat themselves less? If yes, you've learned amplification helps — without a battery, a warranty, or an insurance claim involved.
FAQ: Eargo reviews and alternatives
What was the Eargo DOJ settlement about?
In April 2022, Eargo paid the U.S. government about $34.4 million to resolve a Department of Justice investigation into how customer insurance reimbursement claims were submitted to the Federal Employees Health Benefits program. Eargo denied the allegations, and the settlement included no admission of liability.
Does Eargo accept insurance?
Not as a direct payment method. Eargo stopped accepting insurance benefits directly in December 2021, following the start of the DOJ investigation, and that policy has continued since.
Are Eargo hearing aids reliable?
Reviews are mixed. Recent BBB complaints describe recurring battery failures, in one case up to five replacement pairs, and a $395 fee to replace a device once its warranty has lapsed.
How much do Eargo hearing aids cost?
From $799 for LINK by Eargo up to $2,699 for the Eargo 8, per HearingTracker and Eargo's own pricing.
Can an app replace a hearing aid?
No, and MaxHear doesn't claim to. It's a sound amplifier app, not a medical device, and isn't authorized as a hearing aid. Its purpose is answering whether amplification helps you at all, for free, before you spend anything on hardware.
Related reading
See Voice Focus, the equalizer and Ear Guard inside the app
A walk through the four screens that do the work, in the order you'll meet them.
Free to tryWhat's free forever, and what Premium adds
The exact limits of the free mode, and what unlocks with the 3-day trial.
Eargo's own current sister brandLexie reviews & alternative
Now under the same parent company, with a much more recent story of its own.
Compare other brands
Relate and Audien sit in the same self-fit category, each with its own separate story. We're building an honest page for each.
Stop asking people to repeat themselves
Install MaxHear, connect the headphones you already own, and hear the next conversation clearly.