White Label Hearing Aids: Audiology Now Article
August 20, 2025
The Sound of White – Behind the White Label
This article was originally published in Audiology Now, by Melissa Chandler, Professional Services Manager – Audiology Specsavers.
In case you have not heard the term before, ‘white labelling’ refers to the labelling of a product with a retailer’s own brand and logo while the products themselves are not manufactured by that retailer but sourced through a third party. White-label products are part of our everyday experience as a consumer – think Woollies- and Coles-branded supermarket products or hotel-branded soaps and hair products. Even less tangible products like digital marketing and banking services can be white labelled, so it is no surprise that white labelling has also found its way into the hearing aid market. But what does this mean for you as a clinician? Wasn’t it hard enough to keep up with the features, software and connectivity of all the known brands without having clients present with mysterious white-labelled products, expecting you to be the expert on these as well? This article aims to explore, demystify and simplify the experience of dealing with white-labelled devices for you, to enhance the experience for you and your client.
Why ‘white label’?
As Simon Sinek says, let’s start with the why. Why do white-labelled hearing aids exist? Hearing aids in Australia are known to carry a high consumer and wholesale price tag, and with only a small number of suppliers for retailers to choose from (even less if you only count the parent companies), there is limited ability for retailers to differentiate themselves based purely on product alone. If, instead, a retailer (we will refer to all clinics as ‘retailers’ for simplicity) uses wholesale suppliers’ products, which are manufactured by well-known brands but supplied with a cheaper wholesale price due to the lack of branding on the product, they may be able to include or exclude certain features on the inside as well as on the outside, or to simply re-badge an existing product to maintain the same features as the branded version.
Adding the retailer’s own branding instead of the wholesaler’s brand to the devices means that the retailer can establish or potentially strengthen their own brand and reputation, create a point of difference between the product and the service, and initiate a seamless connection between their product range and their in-house tools, rather than relying on tools supplied by the wholesaler.
Consumers benefit from the option of white-labelled hearing aids because they are usually more affordable. White-labelled devices have also eased the cost of entry into the hearing aid market, which may mean that more people can access the technology they need sooner rather than waiting years.
Challenges of white-labelled devices
There can also be some challenges for both retailer and client when it comes to the provision of white-labelled devices. As a retailer, there may be a perception of reduced choice, especially if the ‘home brand’ is not as broad as other branded products. Clients may also question product transparency, especially if they are brand loyal or are shopping around.
There is also an added layer of complexity to the client’s decision-making when they try to compare ‘apples with apples.’ For clients, choosing a white-labelled product has, in some instances, meant that ongoing support requirements for that product can only be accessed from the original retailer. This poses challenges if the client wishes to change retailer after buying their devices, or if that retailer is no longer operational in that location.
There may still be a perception among some retailers that white-labelled device software is ‘locked’ so that clinicians cannot access the settings to help the client, although this is no longer the case. If a client attends a clinic which doesn’t have access to the white-label device software, this can cause delays and inconvenience until it can be obtained and any adjustments made.
Other challenges for clients can be that retailers use several suppliers for their white-labelled products, and supply arrangements may change behind the scenes, despite the brand of device remaining similar or the same to the client. This can mean that replacing a lost white-labelled device may not always result in an exact match due to changes in the portfolio behind the label.
If you work with white-labelled products regularly, your expertise and familiarity will be unmatched, and you can share this knowledge with consumers. If you don’t, the challenge is knowing how to respond professionally when faced with having to explain retailers’ white-labelled products. Accessing information about them may not be as easy as accessing branded product information.
Creating a white-label product
To create a white-labelled device, a wholesaler usually requires a certain volume of orders to support these dedicated products and make it a viable business proposition. For smaller retailers, this may not be feasible, so white-labelled hearing aids are usually only found in larger retailers with the sale volumes to support them.
Clinical implications
All this talk about retailer and consumer pros and cons may leave you feeling a little unseen as the humble clinician in the middle, trying to navigate your way through this multi-brand, white-labelled landscape. But you are seen! White labelling also impacts clinicians—both those who don’t regularly work with the product and those who do. Not knowing what device is its matching pair can cause confusion, uncertainty and anxiety for both you and your client, and this is something we would all like to avoid.
Tips and tricks
Knowing the actual supplier can give you guidance on what software to connect the device to, what consumables may work with it (e.g., receivers and domes) and who you could contact for technical support. There will often be some overlap in the ranges.
One way to find out which manufacturer is behind the white label is to use the HSP Schedule. You can search for whatever information you have, e.g., the label on the device itself, and it will show you who the registered manufacturer is.
Sometimes, white-labelled devices will connect to the ‘parent’ branded software, even if you haven’t seen them there before. If you know the supplier, it can be worth trying to connect the device to the branded software before sourcing other software.
The one exception to using the HSP Schedule is Specsavers, as they are registered with HSP as both a retailer and manufacturer. To get this information, contact the Specsavers professional services team directly ([email protected]) and provide the device number (e.g., Advance 671, Advance 480). They will email you the correct software to download and let you know which supplier to contact for further information.
White label in the Australian market
Which retailers use white-labelled devices today? Amplifon, Hearing Australia and Specsavers all have them in their product range. Costco was one of the first to offer a hearing aid under their Kirkland brand but have since removed this option in favour of only offering branded devices.
The table below provides a guide to current devices and their suppliers, but these may change in the future:
White-Label Hearing Device Table
| RETAILER | WHITE-LABEL DEVICE | MANUFACTURER | SOFTWARE |
| Amplifon | Ampli | GN Hearing | WS Amplifon Connexx |
| Amplifon | Ampli-connect | GN Hearing / Oticon / Sonova | Sonova Target / Oticon Genie |
| Amplifon | Ampli-energy | GN Hearing / Oticon / Sonova / WS Audiology | |
| Amplifon | Ampli-easy | GN Hearing | |
| Amplifon | Ampli-mini | GN Hearing / Oticon / WS Audiology | |
| Hearing Australia | Hearing Australia | GN Hearing | HA Fitware |
| Specsavers | Advance | GN Hearing / WS Audiology / Sonova | GN Advance Pro / WS Specsavers Connexx |
Conclusion
If you feel overwhelmed by the number of products and software to get your head around thanks to white labels, take a deep breath and focus on what you do know. Once you can establish a connection with a device—now easier thanks to common wireless interfaces—if you’re familiar with a few hearing aid brands, you’ll probably navigate the menus in the white-labelled software without difficulty.
Thinking on your feet and problem solving is part of being a great clinician. These white-labelled device challenges can strengthen our skills when we approach them with the right mindset and knowledge. Whether here for a good time or a long time, white-labelled hearing aids are an established part of the market, and something both clinicians and consumers are getting better at working with. Hopefully, audiologists can continue to grow in confidence dealing with them so clients can enjoy the best possible hearing, regardless of which devices they wear.
“At Harmony Hearing, we believe in transparency and trust — that’s why we offer only genuine name-brand hearing aids, all shown in our online shop with clear, upfront pricing.”https://harmonyhearing.com.au/hearing-aids-perth/hearing-aid-brands/
