Hearing changes gradually. That is what makes those changes so easy to miss. And it’s why so many people in Edinburgh wait far longer than they should before having their hearing properly assessed.

By the time you notice you’re asking people to repeat themselves, or turning the television up more than you used to, the change has usually been underway for some time.

At Fairfield Hearing, a private hearing assessment at our Edinburgh practice starts with a conversation, not a checklist.

Our HCPC-registered audiologists take the time to understand your hearing in the context of your life, your work, your relationships, the situations that feel effortful or frustrating, before a single test begins.

The result is a detailed, accurate picture of your hearing health, clearly explained, with no obligation and no pressure.

We offer hearing assessments at two Edinburgh clinic locations, 2 Stafford Street in the West End (EH3 7AU) and 7 Wardie Avenue in Trinity (EH5 2AB), and home visits across Edinburgh and the Lothians for those who prefer to be seen in familiar surroundings.

Everything You Need to Know About our Hearing Tests in Edinburgh

Use the links below to go directly to the section most relevant to you or read the full guide for a complete picture of what a private hearing assessment in Edinburgh involves.

Signs and Symptoms of Hearing Loss

Hearing loss rarely arrives with a clear announcement. It tends to come slowly, which is partly why the average person waits seven years between first noticing a problem and doing something about it.

Knowing the signs makes it easier to act sooner.

The following list includes the most frequently reported signs of hearing loss in adults. If a few feel familiar, a professional hearing assessment might be the right next step:

• Struggling to follow conversations where background noise is present, in restaurants, social gatherings or open-plan offices.
• Asking people to repeat themselves, or saying ‘sorry?’ more often than you used to.
• Needing the television or radio at a volume level others in the room find too loud. Finding phone calls tiring or difficult to follow without visual cues.
• Feeling that others mumble, even when they are speaking directly to you.
• Missing parts of conversations in group settings and losing the thread.
• Noticeable difference in clarity between ears.
• Tinnitus, a ringing, buzzing, or humming in one or both ears, which frequently accompanies the early stages of hearing change.
• Increased fatigue after conversations, particularly in noisy environments, as the brain works harder to process sound.

Some of these signs appear long before hearing thresholds change significantly as revealed by a clinical test.

That’s one reason why a comprehensive hearing assessment, one that goes beyond a basic tone test, really matters.

At Fairfield hearing our assessments include speech discrimination testing, which can identify listening difficulty even when pure tone audiometry appears largely normal.

Who Should Have a Hearing Test in Edinburgh?

The short answer is: anyone who has noticed a change in their hearing, whatever their age.

But there are groups for whom a routine hearing assessment is particularly important, regardless of whether they have noticed any symptoms yet.

A hearing test in Edinburgh is recommended if you:

• Are aged 50 or over. Annual hearing checks are advised from this point, as age-related hearing loss (presbycusis) typically begins affecting higher frequencies before becoming obvious in everyday listening.
• Work in, or have a career history involving, noisy environments such as construction, engineering, manufacturing, music, aviation, the military.
• Have noticed any of the symptoms listed above, however mild or intermittent.
• Experience tinnitus. The ringing, buzzing, or humming in the ears, even without obvious hearing difficulty.
• Have a family history of hearing loss.
• Take medications known to carry ototoxic risk, including some diuretics, chemotherapy agents, or high-dose anti-inflammatory drugs.
• Have experienced a significant ear infection, head trauma, or sudden change in hearing.
• Are aware that hearing difficulty is beginning to affect relationships, confidence, or enjoyment of social situations.

Children and teenagers can also be assessed at Fairfield Hearing.

If you have concerns about a child’s hearing, delayed speech development, inattentiveness, or difficulty following instructions, please contact us and we will advise on the most appropriate assessment approach.

What Happens During Your Hearing Assessment at Fairfield Hearing?

Our hearing assessments in Edinburgh follow a structured clinical process, but the experience feels nothing like a production line!

Every appointment is one to one, unhurried, and built entirely around you. Here is exactly what to expect.

• A warm welcome. You will be met by Sharon or Sophie at reception in a clinic that’s comfortable rather than clinical! Tea or coffee comes as standard of course. We know that many people feel a degree of nervousness before a first hearing assessment, and we want that to disappear as quickly as possible.
• Your hearing history. Our audiologists will spend time with you before any testing begins. They will ask about the hearing difficulties you have noticed, how long they have been present, your occupation and noise history, any relevant medical background or medications, and the situations in daily life that feel most affected. This conversation shapes everything that follows.
• Ear examination (video otoscopy). Using a video otoscope, a small camera that projects a clear image of your ear canal onto a screen, your audiologist will examine both ears. You will be able to see your own ear canal… most people find this reassuring and genuinely interesting. The examination checks for earwax accumulation, signs of infection, eardrum condition, and any structural concerns. Blocked earwax is one of the most common and most easily resolved causes of hearing difficulty.
• Pure tone audiometry. Wearing calibrated headphones in our soundproofed testing environment, you will listen to a series of pure tones, simple beeping sounds, played at different frequencies (pitches) and volumes. Each time you hear a tone, however faint, you press a response button. This maps your hearing thresholds across the frequency range most important for speech: 250 Hz (low, resonant sounds) through to 8,000 Hz (sharp, high-pitched sounds). Results are plotted on an audiogram.
• Bone conduction testing. A small vibrating device placed on the mastoid bone behind your ear sends sound vibrations directly to the cochlea, bypassing the outer and middle ear entirely. Comparing these results with your air conduction results allows your audiologist to determine precisely where any hearing loss originates, an essential distinction that determines the correct treatment pathway.
• Speech discrimination testing. Understanding words clearly, not just detecting that sounds exist, is what hearing loss actually affects in daily life. Our speech testing assesses how accurately you can identify spoken words at different volumes. This is particularly valuable for identifying the type of difficulty most people describe: hearing that someone spoke, but not being able to make out what they said.
• Tympanometry – middle ear assessment. A brief, painless test measuring how the eardrum responds to gentle changes in air pressure. It assesses middle ear function and identifies conductive problems, fluid behind the eardrum, Eustachian tube dysfunction, or eardrum abnormalities, that can cause or contribute to hearing loss.
• Results and next steps, explained clearly. Your audiologist will go through your results in plain language, showing you your audiogram and explaining what it means for your everyday life. They will set out all available options, whether that is monitoring, referral, ear wax removal, or a discussion of hearing aid technology, and give you all the time you need to ask questions. No pressure. No rush. No obligation.

How Long Does a Hearing Test Take?

A full comprehensive hearing assessment at Fairfield Hearing takes approximately 60 minutes.

This allows sufficient time for a meaningful conversation about your hearing, a thorough ear examination, all audiometric tests, and a detailed discussion of your results, without any sense of being hurried.

This is longer and more detailed than the brief screening checks offered by many high-street providers, which typically take just 15 or 20 minutes.

There is a significant clinical difference between a screening check and a comprehensive audiological assessment, and it is worth knowing which you are booking.

• The 60-minute appointment at our Edinburgh audiology clinic includes:
  Full case history and hearing consultation which can take approximately 15 minutes.
• Video otoscopy (ear canal and eardrum examination) which can take approximately 5 minutes.
• Pure tone audiometry, bone conduction testing, and speech discrimination, approximately 20 minutes.
• Tympanometry (middle ear assessment), approximately 5 minutes.
• Audiogram review, results explanation, and next steps discussion, approximately 15 minutes.

If hearing aids are appropriate and you wish to explore them at the same visit, your audiologist will arrange a fitting appointment, this is the clinically correct approach for accurate, calibrated fitting.

How Much Does a Private Hearing Test Cost in Edinburgh?

The comprehensive hearing assessment at Fairfield Hearing is provided entirely free of charge.

There is no cost for the appointment, no obligation to proceed with any treatment or hearing aids, and no hidden fees.

If hearing aids are clinically appropriate and you choose to proceed, all costs will be discussed fully and transparently during your appointment.

We offer a range of technology across different price points, and our aftercare support package, included with every hearing aid purchased from Fairfield Hearing, means ongoing care and fine-tuning are covered as standard.

Please note: Fairfield Hearing is a private audiology clinic and does not currently provide NHS-funded hearing services.

If you wish to access NHS audiology, please speak to your GP who can refer you to NHS Lothian Audiology Services at Lauriston Place, Edinburgh.

NHS vs Private Hearing Test in Edinburgh: Which Is Right for You?

Both NHS and private audiology services in Edinburgh are staffed by qualified, HCPC-registered professionals delivering genuine clinical care.

The question of which is right for you depends on your individual circumstances, priorities, and what you value most from your hearing healthcare.

The NHS remains the right choice for many people, and we would never suggest otherwise.

If cost is the primary consideration and you are content to wait for an appointment, NHS Lothian Audiology Services provides good clinical care.

The relevant service is: NHS Adult Audiology, Lauriston Building, 39 Lauriston Place, Edinburgh EH3 9HA (tel: 0131 536 1637).

Where Fairfield Hearing provides a meaningfully different experience is in the depth of the assessment, the length of the appointment, continuity of care with the same named audiologist, the full range of hearing technology available, and the aftercare support that is included as standard with every hearing aid fitting.

Aftercare and Ongoing Support at Fairfield Hearing

A hearing assessment is the beginning of a relationship, not a transaction.

The clinical care we provide after your initial appointment matters as much to us as the assessment itself and this is built into how we work, not offered as an optional extra.

For clients who proceed with hearing aids, our industry-leading aftercare support package is included as standard.

• It covers:
  Regular check-ups with your named audiologist throughout the life of your hearing aids.
• Fine-tuning and reprogramming as your hearing needs or lifestyle changes.
• Real ear measurement (REM) to verify that your hearing aids are delivering the correct amplification for your individual ear canal.
• Cleaning, maintenance, and minor repairs.
• Hearing aid consumables advice and battery supply.
• Telephone and remote support between appointments

For clients who do not yet need hearing aids, or who choose not to proceed after assessment, we don’t simply close the file.

We will advise you when to return for a follow-up check, provide guidance on hearing protection where relevant, and remain available for questions.

Hearing changes over time and having an audiologist who knows your history is genuinely valuable.

Home visit aftercare is also available across Edinburgh and the Lothians for clients who find it easier to be seen at home.

Other Hearing Services at Our Edinburgh Audiology Clinic

Fairfield Hearing offers a full range of hearing health services across our Edinburgh clinics and through home visits.

The pages linked below provide full details on each service.