Chances are you, or someone you know, has gone to an audiologist because of hearing problems and walked away with the suggestion for hearing aids costing thousands of dollars. And while you’re motivated to hear better, that’s a big expense, especially as it’s not covered by Medicare, and many private insurers will pay for only part of the cost, at best. So are there cheaper, but equally effective, alternatives on the market?

Well, listen up: The FDA just announced their first approval of a hearing aid to be sold over-the-counter, without physician involvement, manufactured by Bose. The hearing aids, not yet available for purchase, will be self-fitted and programmed, and controlled by the wearer, using a mobile phone app to tailor the settings to your particular needs. The FDA found the benefits of the new Bose hearing aids to be comparable to hearing aids prescribed and fitted by professionals, and therefore, this is a huge step forward in making quality hearing aids available for consumers at much cheaper prices. You can read more about the FDA announcement here. And for those of you who can’t wait for these new hearing aids to come on the market, or, who can’t hear when out to dinner at a restaurant with friends, you definitely need to check out the Bose Hearphones, conversation-enhancing minimalist headphones that allow you to zoom in on specific voices in loud environments. Using the Hearphones can be a life-altering experience, and bring you back into those noisy environments you previously shunned.