MaxHear
Built for reading a "times better" claim correctly
Before You Buy MSA 30X: Reviews & Alternative
In May 2018, the FTC won a $47,203,036 judgment against the companies selling MSA 30X, over TV ads claiming the device was "independently tested" to help people "hear up to 30 times better." The FTC said the defendants lacked adequate evidence for that claim — nearly 3 million units had already sold through 2017, generating $47.2 million in sales — and permanently barred them from making unsupported efficacy claims about any device again. A current retailer listing for MSA 30X we checked still advertises that it "magnifies sound up to 30 times."
MaxHear is a sound amplifier app for iPhone and Android that lets you judge the sound for yourself, for free, using headphones you already own, instead of taking a "times better" number on faith.
Free to try with no account, no email and no card. Headphones required.
"Restaurants were getting rough for me. I could hear everybody talking, just couldn't make out the words half the time. I started sitting really close to whoever I was talking to. Not exactly ideal. MaxHear has made that a lot easier."
Linda S., 63 — Tampa, FL · MaxHear userThe FTC case, and what's still being advertised today
Checked 23 August 2026, against FTC settlement documentation, Hearing Review's coverage of the case, the current MSA 30X BBB profile, and a current retailer listing for the product.
The FTC's complaint named Global Concepts Limited, Inc. (doing business as Global TV Concepts, Ltd.), GCL Product Holdings, LLC, MSA 30X LLC, and the companies' principal, Laurie Braden. TV ads for the $29.95 device claimed it was "independently tested" to help people "hear up to 30 times better," "clearly hear when watching TV at a moderate volume," and hear "without missing a word, in crowded places like movie theaters or restaurants." The FTC said the defendants didn't have the independent testing to back any of it. The judgment totaled $47,203,036, with $500,000 due immediately and the remainder suspended, and the defendants were permanently barred from making unsupported efficacy claims about any device without real scientific evidence.
That settlement is seven years old. A current retailer listing for MSA 30X we checked prices the device at $19.49 and describes it as a product that "magnifies sound up to 30 times" — language that reads the same as the claim the FTC specifically challenged. We can't confirm whether whoever runs that listing today is legally the same entity barred in 2018; the BBB's own MSA 30X profile, based in Van Nuys, CA, lists a business start date of February 14, 2023, which points to some kind of restart rather than continuous operation under the original defendants. What we can confirm is that the "30 times" framing itself didn't go away.
The finding worth knowing before you buy: the number in the name is the same number the FTC challenged
"MSA 30X" isn't a model number picked at random — it's built around the exact multiplier the FTC found unsupported. Whether or not today's sellers are the original defendants, a shopper searching "MSA 30X reviews" in 2026 is looking at marketing built on a claim a federal regulator already tested and rejected.
What it costs
Then and now.
| What | Figure | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Original retail price (2018 case) | $29.95 | FTC settlement documentation |
| Current listing price | $19.49 (list $29.99) | current retailer, checked 23 Aug 2026 |
| FTC judgment (2018) | $47,203,036 | FTC settlement |
| BBB rating | Not Rated, not accredited | Better Business Bureau |
| 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 — not that it applies here, since MSA 30X isn't sold or classified as one.
MSA 30X vs MaxHear
A challenged multiplier vs. a free way to hear the actual difference yourself.
| What matters | MaxHear Sound amplifier app | MSA 30X Clamshell sound amplifier |
|---|---|---|
| "Times better" claim you can verify | None made — test it yourself No number to take on faith | "30 times," per current listing FTC found this specific claim unsupported in 2018 |
| BBB record you can check | N/A No purchase, nothing to file | Not Rated BBB says insufficient information |
| Extra hardware to carry | None Uses the phone and headphones you own | Yes A clamshell unit plus its own earpiece |
| Try before you own anything | Yes — free mode, permanently No account, no email, no card | Depends on retailer Return policy varies by seller |
| Cost | 3 days free to try, then the plan is shown in the app Nothing to buy to find out | $19.49–$29.95 Medicare pays nothing |
A federal regulator has already tested this exact "30 times" claim and found it unsupported once. If you want to know whether amplification actually helps you, MaxHear answers that for free, verified by your own ears rather than a number on a package.
Why people check MaxHear instead of trusting a "times better" number
Chosen from what actually recurs in the research above — not a generic list.
Judge it with your own ears, not a multiplier
No claimed number to take on faith. MaxHear lets you test amplification directly, in your own rooms, in minutes.
One name, one product, no history to untangle
MaxHear is a single app under a single name, with no prior FTC action to research before you try it.
Test it yourself, for free, before spending anything
You don't need to evaluate anyone's advertising claim — try the free mode and judge the result directly.
Nothing extra to own
MaxHear runs on the phone already in your pocket and the headphones you already have.
Which one is actually right for you
One clear recommendation here.
Your hearing loss needs professional care
Severe or profound loss, one-ear loss, or conductive or mixed loss needs a licensed provider, regardless of any device's marketing multiplier. Go promptly if loss came on suddenly or you have ear pain, discharge, dizziness or ringing.
You want to test amplification on evidence you can see yourself
No "times better" number to evaluate, no FTC history to research. Test whether amplification helps you at all, free, right now.
A ten-minute check before you trust a "times better" claim
Do this before ordering based on a marketing multiplier. It costs nothing and gives you your own 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 — on your own evidence, not a claimed multiplier? If yes, you've learned amplification helps.
FAQ: MSA 30X reviews and alternatives
What did the FTC find about MSA 30X?
In May 2018, the FTC won a $47,203,036 judgment (with $500,000 due immediately, the rest suspended) against the companies behind MSA 30X, over TV ads claiming the device was "independently tested" to help people "hear up to 30 times better." The FTC said they lacked adequate evidence for that claim, and permanently barred the defendants from making unsupported efficacy claims about any device.
Is MSA 30X still making the same claim?
A current retailer listing for the device we checked still advertises that it "magnifies sound up to 30 times." We can't confirm whether the business behind today's listings is legally the same entity the FTC sued in 2018 — a BBB profile for "MSA 30X" in Van Nuys, CA shows a business start date of February 14, 2023, five years after the settlement.
Is MSA 30X BBB accredited?
No. The BBB lists MSA 30X (Van Nuys, CA) as not accredited and "Not Rated" — BBB's own language is that it doesn't have sufficient information to issue a rating, checked 23 August 2026.
How much does MSA 30X cost?
A current listing we checked prices it at $19.49, marked down from a $29.99 list price. The original device sold at retail for $29.95 per FTC settlement documentation.
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.
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A different budget amplifier, a different verification problemSuperEar reviews & alternative
No FTC case here — but also no BBB record after 45 years in business.
Compare other brands
RCA and EarCentric sit in the same budget tier, each with its own documented track record.
Stop asking people to repeat themselves
Install MaxHear, connect the headphones you already own, and hear the next conversation clearly.