- Standard Free Checks: Most free hearing tests in NZ are quick 10–20 minute "pass/fail" screenings designed primarily to see if you are a candidate for hearing aids.
- A Different Approach: While free tests often focus on a potential sale, we focuses on overall ear health and how it impacts your total wellbeing.
- Comprehensive ear360® Assessment: Our standalone assessment goes beyond basic volume, examining critical areas such as balance, memory, sleep, and tinnitus.
- Brain & Cognitive Testing: Resonate is the only New Zealand provider to include cognitive fitness testing to understand how your brain processes sound and the impact of "listening effort."
- Personalised Action Plan: Every appointment ends with a detailed report in clear language, giving you the time and information needed to make the right choice for your lifestyle.
Free Hearing Checks vs. Comprehensive Assessments
In New Zealand, there are a number of providers who offer free hearing tests. These are usually quick hearing checks that take about 10–20 minutes and are carried out by a screener (person) or through an automated system. Some providers also include a free hearing check as part of other services, such as eye exams. Your results will often be reported as pass or fail, or you may receive a score of 1–10. Depending on the outcome, you may be encouraged to book a more comprehensive assessment with the same provider.
A free hearing check can be a good starting point to find out if you have a hearing loss. However, their main focus is usually on determining whether you could benefit from hearing aids. This can shift the focus toward making a sale, rather than taking the time to fully understand your overall hearing health.
That’s never been Resonate's approach, and it’s one of the reasons why we don’t offer free hearing checks.
Instead, we provide ear360®, the world’s most comprehensive hearing health assessment, as a standalone service. Rather than simply measuring how well you hear, ear360® looks at your ear health and explores how hearing affects other areas of wellbeing, including balance, memory, sleep, and tinnitus. We’re also the only hearing health provider in New Zealand to integrate cognitive fitness testing into our assessments. This allows us to understand how your brain processes sound and how listening effort affects you throughout the day.
At the end of your appointment, you’ll receive a detailed report explained in clear, everyday language. Our audiologists and health navigators will then work with you to create a personalised plan. If hearing aids are part of that conversation, we’ll make sure you have the time, support, and information you need to decide what feels right for you and your wellbeing.
I’m James, a Tassie-born audiologist who moved to Aotearoa six years ago and never looked back.
