MaxHear
Built for finding out before a membership card and an appointment
Philips Reviews & Alternative: Who Actually Makes It
Philips HearLink is sold exclusively through Costco Hearing Aid Centers in the U.S. — you need a paid Costco membership and an in-person appointment, since there's no online purchase path. And Philips doesn't manufacture them: since 2019, Demant, the Danish company that also owns Oticon (covered separately on this site), builds HearLink devices under a licensing deal with Philips.
Costco's own fitting and 180-day return process is genuinely well-regarded. 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, before any membership or appointment is involved.
Free to try with no account, no email and no card. Headphones required.
"My kids kept telling me I needed to do something about my hearing. I kept saying I was fine. Then one Sunday I realized I had missed half the conversation at the table."
Frank D., 67 — Pittsburgh, PA · MaxHear userWhat HearLink owners actually say
We read the Philips HearLink 2 companion app's most recent App Store reviews in full, checked 19 August 2026. Opinions split sharply between the hardware itself and the app that controls it.
One five-star and two critical reviews, in owners' own words:
"These Philips HearLink2 hearing aids are truly a miracle! And the Philips remote control App is so easy to use."
Pete, App Store — 5 stars, 31 January"Having issues with Bluetooth disconnecting which requires a hard restart to reconnect. Not the most convenient thing of in public."
Ben in San Jose, App Store — 16 February 2025"Occasionally (maybe once a month) I fail to get a connection first thing in the morning. Bluetooth on, full charged phone, fully charged hearing aids. After 2 - 3 tries… finally, a connection."
Terry Nagle, App Store — 7 MayA separate reviewer, JG in Redmond, described buying a second pair after an earlier set: "Second set of hearing aids from Philips. Much less impressed with this one. No support available." Whichever way individual experiences split, the pattern in the complaints is consistent — not sound quality, but the Bluetooth link between the app and the devices.
The finding worth knowing before you book a Costco appointment: "Philips" is a license, not a factory
Philips HearLink devices don't come from a Philips factory. Since 2019, per HearingTracker's reporting, "Denmark-based Demant, the world's second-largest hearing aid manufacturer, makes Costco's Philips-branded hearing aids" — replacing Demant's own Bernafon line at Costco that year. Demant is also the company behind Oticon, which we cover separately on this site under its own name. Because independent lab HearAdvisor hasn't directly tested the current HearLink 9050, reviewers extrapolate from the closely related Oticon Intent, built on similar underlying technology, which scores well above average on both speech in quiet and speech in noise once tuned. That's a reasonable inference, not a direct measurement of the exact device you'd buy.
What it costs, and what buying one actually involves
Costco bundles the device with fitting and follow-up care, the way most Rx pricing does.
| What | Figure | Source |
|---|---|---|
| HearLink 9050, per pair | $1,599 | HearingTracker |
| HearLink 9040 (miniRITE T R), per pair | ~$1,500 | retail listings |
| Where to buy | Costco Hearing Aid Centers only, in person | Costco |
| Requires | paid Costco membership | Costco |
| Trial / return | 180 days | Costco policy |
| Includes | free hearing test, fitting, follow-up visits | Costco policy |
| 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. Philips HearLink prices run noticeably below many clinic-only Rx brands, which is part of Costco's pitch — but the membership fee and in-person-only purchase are real costs and constraints of their own.
Philips HearLink vs MaxHear
A well-regarded fitting process behind a membership wall vs. a free way to answer the first question.
| What matters | MaxHear Sound amplifier app | Philips HearLink Built by Demant, sold via Costco |
|---|---|---|
| First step | Open the app No membership, no appointment | Costco membership + booked appointment No online purchase path |
| Who actually builds it | MaxHear Direct, no licensing chain | Demant Licensed to Philips' name, also builds Oticon |
| Bluetooth/app reliability | Uses your phone's own connection No separate hearing-aid Bluetooth link to drop | Mixed, per reviews Disconnects and self-toggling reported |
| Try before you own anything | Yes — free mode, permanently No account, no email, no card | 180-day trial After purchase, at Costco |
| Hardware required | None Uses the phone and headphones you own | Yes A physical device with its own app dependency |
| Cost | 3 days free to try, then the plan is shown in the app Nothing to buy to find out | ~$1,500–$1,599 a pair Plus membership; Medicare pays nothing |
If you're already a Costco member and want professional fitting at a lower price than many clinic-only brands, HearLink is a genuinely reasonable option. If you first want to know whether amplification helps you at all, that's a faster, free question, and it's the one MaxHear answers.
Why people check MaxHear before booking a Costco fitting
Chosen from what actually recurs in HearLink's own App Store reviews — not a generic list.
Nothing to book first
No Costco card, no scheduled visit. MaxHear's free mode opens straight into live amplification.
No separate hearing-aid link to drop
MaxHear runs through whatever headphones are already connected to your phone — no dedicated device pairing to fail.
Predictable behavior, every time
No firmware quirk to troubleshoot. MaxHear's equalizer — bass, voice, clarity, treble — does exactly what you set it to.
One name, one product
No licensing chain to research before you know who actually built what you're buying.
Which one is actually right for you
Two positions, and a step in between.
A fitted device is the right tool
Your hearing loss is severe or profound, affects one ear only, or is conductive or mixed. Costco's staff are licensed hearing healthcare professionals if you already have a membership; otherwise a local independent clinic works too.
You haven't established that you need a fitted device yet
Your struggle is situational, or you don't have a Costco membership and aren't ready to get one just to test amplification. Test it free first; if the answer is yes, you'll book that appointment knowing more than you do now.
A ten-minute check before you book an appointment
Do this before scheduling a Costco visit. 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 — now booking a fitting is an informed decision, not a guess.
FAQ: Philips HearLink reviews and alternatives
Does Philips make its own hearing aids?
No. Philips-branded hearing aids sold at Costco are built under license by Demant, the Danish company that also owns Oticon, per a partnership that began in 2019 when it replaced Demant's own Bernafon line at Costco.
Can I buy Philips HearLink anywhere besides Costco?
In the U.S., HearLink is sold exclusively through Costco Hearing Aid Centers. You need a paid Costco membership and an in-person appointment — there's no direct online purchase path.
How much does Philips HearLink cost?
The HearLink 9050 runs about $1,599 a pair, with a 180-day Costco return window that includes a free hearing test and follow-up visits.
Is the companion app reliable?
Reviews are mixed. Several describe Bluetooth disconnects needing a hard restart, and one device reportedly turning itself back on after being switched off; other owners report being very satisfied with both the hardware and the app.
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 any appointment or purchase.
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.
Same manufacturer, different nameOticon reviews & alternative
Also built by Demant — sold under its own name instead of through Costco.
Compare other brands
Oticon shares Philips HearLink's manufacturer, and Starkey sits in the same prescription price band. 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.