The Bottom Line:The Stealth SSA is not the device we had hoped it would be. The uniform amplification ofall sounds in teh room made it impossible to properly hear what was actually important. The hissing noise was distracting and the device uncomfortable. We suggest a real hearing aid.
Reviewed by: Andrew RabadanReviewed on: 4/20/2010 4:07:35 PM
What it claims to do: The Stealth SSA (Secret Sound Amplifier) claims to be a high quality, high performance sound amplifier. The manufacturers boast that this device can be used just like a hearing aid by those who are more self-conscious and would prefer to wear a less noticeable hearing aid. What we found: Unlike the Loud N' Clear, the Stealth SSA uses rechargeable batteries. That is a huge plus for a device that you would probably want to use often. We performed a number of tests on the Stealth SSA. We tried watching television with the volume low, we took the Stealth SSA outside to see if it amplified sounds well, we tried listening in to a phone conversation.... Results were consistently disappointing. As there is no directional amplification, the Stealth SSA amplifies ALL sounds in the room, creating a background noise that makes it very difficult to hear what you want. The bottom line: Though the rechargeable battery is a nice feature, we did not find the Stealth SSA to be very useful. We have heard that some people do find it useful, but to us the background noise made all of the sounds unintelligible.