...AND CHEAPER...:

"I'm hopeful that we're going to see breakthroughs in technology and innovation," said Dr. Meaghan Reed, director of clinical audiology at Mass Eye and Ear in Boston. "If I am wearing something that looks more like a Bluetooth ear phone or an Apple Air Pod, that's going to remove the stigma of age... that some people associate with hearing aids."

Hip new designs won't come right away. When stores begin stocking hearing aids for the first time, thanks to a Food and Drug Administration ruling last month to allow retail sales, the big change will be price.

Most people currently pay between $2,000 and $3,000 for medical-grade devices prescribed by specialist physicians called audiologists, a price tag that typically includes multiple office visits for screenings, fittings, and adjustments. Starting in mid-October, the cost of consumer hearing aids purchased in stores or online, with self-operated volume controls, is expected to range from $300 to $500.

That could entice legions of hearing-challenged but budget-conscious adults who now "bluff their way through conversations" at the dinner table or a workplace conference room, Kelley said.

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