MaxHear
Built for the moment you're deciding between a $99 handheld unit and your phone
SuperEar Reviews & Alternative: 45 Years, No BBB File
SuperEar has been made by the same company, Sonic Technology Products, since 1981 — "a family and employee owned company since its inception in the hills of Northern California," per its own About page. Forty-five years in, we couldn't find a Better Business Bureau profile for it in either California city it lists as its base. The same company's current product lineup also includes BugBuster pest-control devices and a Katcha Critter Catcher — it isn't a hearing-focused business that happens to sell other things, it's a general gadget company whose oldest product line is a hearing amplifier.
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 a separate handheld unit to carry and charge.
Free to try with no account, no email and no card. Headphones required.
"Didn't think I had a hearing problem. My wife thought otherwise. 😂 I kept saying 'huh?' and turning the TV up. Finally decided to do something about it. I didn't want to spend thousands, so I tried MaxHear first. Honestly, it's helped a lot with everyday conversations."
Mike R., 58 — Austin, TX · MaxHear userWhat SuperEar actually is, and what we could verify
Checked 23 August 2026: the manufacturer's own site, its About page, and the Better Business Bureau directory for both cities Sonic Technology Products lists as its base.
SuperEar's own product pages describe it consistently as a "personal sound amplification product," never a hearing aid, and the current SE5000/SE7500/SE9000HP/SE10 lineup shares one basic idea across all four models: a handheld unit with a microphone you point at what you want to hear, plugged into wired earbuds or headphones. None of the product descriptions we checked mention tone or frequency adjustment, or an automatic shut-off — the control is a single volume dial.
A Better Business Bureau search for Sonic Technology Products, the manufacturer, returned no results in either Grass Valley, CA or nearby Nevada City, CA — the two locations tied to the company's own address and About page. That's a different situation from a poor rating; there's simply no BBB filing to check either way, after 45 years in business.
The finding worth knowing before you buy: this is a gadget company, not a hearing-health company
Sonic Technology Products' current site lists SuperEar sound amplifiers alongside BugBuster pest-control devices, a Katcha Critter Catcher, and a travel accessory called spAIRtray. That's not a side note — it's the actual current product catalog of the company that makes the device you'd be buying for your hearing. SuperEar is the oldest of those product lines, not the company's focus.
What it costs
SuperEar doesn't publish pricing on its own site; figures below are from retailer listings.
| What | Figure | Source |
|---|---|---|
| SuperEar SE5000 | $98.96 | HeyMedSupply |
| SuperEar Plus SE7500 | $67.95 (list $119.95) | Liberty Health Supply |
| BBB record | Not found in either listed location | 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 would apply here anyway, since SuperEar isn't sold or classified as one.
SuperEar vs MaxHear
A handheld unit with one dial vs. a free way to test the same basic idea first.
| What matters | MaxHear Sound amplifier app | SuperEar Handheld PSAP |
|---|---|---|
| Extra hardware to carry | None Uses the phone and headphones you own | Yes A separate handheld unit plus its own earbuds |
| Tone/frequency adjustment | Yes, live Four-band equalizer, changes as you listen | Not described One volume dial, per SuperEar's own product pages |
| BBB record you can check | N/A No purchase, nothing to file | Not found No profile in either city the maker lists as its base |
| Try before you own anything | Yes — free mode, permanently No account, no email, no card | Depends on retailer SuperEar's own site defers to Amazon for purchase |
| Cost | 3 days free to try, then the plan is shown in the app Nothing to buy to find out | $67.95–$98.96 per retailer Medicare pays nothing |
If SuperEar's basic pitch appeals to you — point a mic at what you want to hear, turn up a dial — your phone can already do that, with tone adjustment SuperEar's own listings don't describe, and without a second device to charge and carry.
Why people check MaxHear instead
Chosen from what actually distinguishes SuperEar's product, not a generic list.
Nothing extra to own
MaxHear runs on the phone already in your pocket and the headphones you already have — no second gadget.
A live four-band equalizer
Shape the sound to what actually helps you, and change it in real time as the room changes.
Judge it yourself, for free
You don't need a complaint history to evaluate MaxHear — try the free mode and hear the result directly.
Built around one job
MaxHear's entire purpose is amplifying what you want to hear — not one of several unrelated products.
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 — a handheld amplifier or an app are both the wrong tool here. Go promptly if loss came on suddenly or you have ear pain, discharge, dizziness or ringing.
You like SuperEar's basic idea but want it on your phone
Point-a-mic-and-turn-it-up amplification, with tone control SuperEar's own listings don't describe, and nothing extra to carry.
A ten-minute check before you buy a handheld unit
Do this before spending $67.95–$98.96 on a separate device. 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? If yes, you've learned amplification helps — before spending on a separate handheld unit.
FAQ: SuperEar reviews and alternatives
Is SuperEar BBB accredited?
We couldn't find a BBB profile for Sonic Technology Products, SuperEar's maker, in either city it lists as its base — Grass Valley or Nevada City, California — as of 23 August 2026. That's different from being rated poorly; there's simply no filing to check.
Is SuperEar the same kind of device as an OTC hearing aid?
No. SuperEar is a handheld personal sound amplification product (PSAP) with a swiveling microphone and wired earbuds or headphones, not a wearable in-ear or behind-the-ear device. The FDA's October 2022 OTC hearing aid category, which brands like Jabra Enhance and Audien fall under, doesn't apply to it.
Can I adjust the tone or frequency on a SuperEar?
SuperEar's own product descriptions list a volume dial and a directional microphone, but don't describe any tone or frequency adjustment, or an automatic shut-off, on the models we checked (SE5000, SE7500, SE9000HP, SE10).
How much does SuperEar cost?
Retailer listings we checked put the SE5000 at $98.96 and the SE7500 at $67.95 (marked down from a $119.95 list price) — SuperEar's own site defers to Amazon or a phone line for pricing rather than listing it directly.
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.
Another budget device with a thin track recordRCA reviews & alternative
Different brand, a similar question about what you can actually verify.
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.