MaxHear
Built for reading your benefit plan before you commit to a tier
Relate Reviews & Alternative: The Floating Number
Relate is UnitedHealthcare's own private-label hearing aid brand — Silver, Gold and Platinum tiers, manufactured by Sonova (the same company behind Phonak, which we cover separately) and sold specifically through UnitedHealthcare Hearing's benefit plan. It isn't bought like most hearing aids: your price depends on your specific plan, your copay structure, and which providers your plan's network includes.
Real reviewers describe that pricing as unpredictable, and describe provider networks that exclude some vendors entirely. 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 benefit plan or network to navigate first.
Free to try with no account, no email and no card. Headphones required.
"I'm still working full time, so I noticed it at work before anywhere else. Meetings with 6–7 people were the worst. Somebody would talk from the other side of the room and I'd miss half of it. I wasn't ready to spend a ton of money on hearing aids. MaxHear seemed like a reasonable place to start."
Susan H., 53 — San Diego, CA · MaxHear userWhat UnitedHealthcare Hearing customers actually say
We read UnitedHealthcare Hearing's PissedConsumer reviews in full — 1.6 out of 5 from 14 reviews, checked 19 August 2026. Because Relate is sold exclusively through this benefit program, reviews of "UnitedHealthcare Hearing" and reviews of Relate itself are largely the same conversation.
In reviewers' own words, on the specific question of price and access:
"They are a shill operation fronting for providers who can charge whatever they want...If they're going to sell their own brand (RELATE) the price of GOLD, SILVER, OR PLATINUM should NOT be a 'floating' number."
Aminata Fry, PissedConsumer — 1 star, 13 March 2025"Costco Hearing Centers are not on the list of approved vendors...they are maximizing profits over benefits to customers."
Anthony L Zpk, PissedConsumer — 1 star, 19 August 2024"UHC will charge you 15%-30% more for the same product bought elsewhere."
GIL B Bis, PissedConsumer — 1 star, 23 May 2024Not every account is negative. One five-star reviewer described genuinely strong post-purchase support: "United Healthcare Hearing reprogrammed my 4 year old hearing aids to accommodate changed hearing, provided free shipping, replaced broken battery door...did All of this at no charge" (Glenford Kgq, March 2023). Another reviewer's complaint wasn't about Relate specifically at all — it described being sold Jabra Enhance devices through the same UHC Hearing program, with "UnitedHealtcare points to Jabra as the problem, and Jabra points back to United Healthcare" when something went wrong (John W Vko, August 2023) — a reminder that UHC Hearing brokers more than one brand, and which one you get shapes who's actually responsible when there's a problem.
The finding worth knowing before you use this benefit: the price isn't really Relate's to set
Relate's own pricing is straightforward on paper — Silver, Gold, Platinum, roughly $1,598 and up per pair through some sellers, well below most clinic-branded Rx devices. What multiple reviewers describe is a gap between that number and what they were actually charged through their specific UnitedHealthcare plan, which depends on copay structure, provider network, and plan year. The Costco-exclusion complaint above is a concrete example: a major retailer isn't in the approved-vendor list, which quietly narrows where a benefit can actually be used.
What it costs
The advertised price and your actual out-of-pocket cost can be two different numbers.
| What | Figure | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Relate, starting price per pair | ~$1,598 | Soundly / retail listings |
| Typical clinic Rx device, for comparison | $6,000–$8,000 a pair | industry pricing guides |
| Reported real-world out-of-pocket (reviews) | up to $4,025 for one pair | PissedConsumer review |
| Reported markup vs. buying elsewhere | 15–30%, per one reviewer | PissedConsumer review |
| 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 — UnitedHealthcare's own Medicare Advantage and other plans are a separate benefit structure with their own rules. Get your specific plan's copay and provider list confirmed in writing before your fitting appointment.
Relate vs MaxHear
A benefit-plan-priced device vs. a free way to answer the first question.
| What matters | MaxHear Sound amplifier app | Relate UnitedHealthcare's private-label brand |
|---|---|---|
| Price you can check yourself | Yes 3 days free, then the plan is shown in the app | Depends on your specific plan Reviewers describe an unpredictable "floating number" |
| Provider/network restrictions | None Works on any phone with the app | Real, per reviews Some major retailers reportedly excluded |
| Who's responsible if something breaks | MaxHear One company, no broker | Can be unclear One review describes UHC and the device maker each blaming the other |
| Hardware required | None Uses the phone and headphones you own | Yes A physical device, sold through your benefit plan |
| Cost | 3 days free to try, then the plan is shown in the app Nothing to buy to find out | ~$1,598+ a pair Exact cost depends on your plan |
If your UnitedHealthcare plan genuinely offers a strong hearing benefit and you confirm the actual copay in writing first, Relate is a real, well-priced-on-paper option. If you first want to know whether amplification helps you at all — before any benefit-plan phone call — that's the question MaxHear answers.
Why people check MaxHear before calling UHC Hearing
Chosen from what actually recurs in the reviews above — not a generic list.
One price, shown in the app
No benefit-plan call needed to find out what something actually costs. MaxHear's plan is shown clearly, after a free trial.
Nothing to check against a network
No provider list to confirm first — MaxHear works the same way for everyone, on the App Store and Google Play.
One company, accountable directly
MaxHear isn't brokered through an insurer and a separate manufacturer — there's one place responsible for the app.
Answer that question first, for free
Test whether amplification helps you at all before using any benefit dollars or copay on hardware.
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. If using a UnitedHealthcare benefit, confirm your specific copay and provider network in writing before scheduling.
You haven't established that you need a fitted device yet
Your struggle is situational, or you'd rather not navigate a benefit-plan call to find out whether amplification helps. Test it free first.
A ten-minute check before you call your benefit line
Do this before scheduling anything through your insurance. 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 a benefit-plan call is an informed decision, not a guess.
FAQ: Relate reviews and alternatives
Who makes Relate hearing aids?
Sonova — the same manufacturer behind Phonak, which we cover separately — builds Relate as UnitedHealthcare's own private-label brand, sold in Silver, Gold and Platinum tiers exclusively through UnitedHealthcare Hearing's benefit program.
Why do reviewers say the price is unpredictable?
Because what you pay depends on your specific UnitedHealthcare plan's copay structure and provider network, not a fixed retail price. Multiple reviewers describe being quoted different amounts than expected, and one described a 15-30% markup over buying the same hardware elsewhere.
Can I use any hearing provider with my UnitedHealthcare Hearing benefit?
Not necessarily. At least one reviewer reported that Costco Hearing Centers were not on the approved-vendor list for their plan. Confirm your specific plan's provider network before scheduling.
Does UHC Hearing only sell Relate?
No. UnitedHealthcare Hearing also brokers other brands, including Jabra Enhance (covered separately on this site), through the same benefit program.
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 benefit-plan call or purchase.
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Stop asking people to repeat themselves
Install MaxHear, connect the headphones you already own, and hear the next conversation clearly.