Hearing Tests

Worried about your hearing? Visit our Taunton clinic for a professional hearing test with an experienced audiologist.

You'll be assessed in a comfortable, sound-treated booth using the latest diagnostic tools. After your hearing test, we’ll explain your results clearly and offer honest, independent advice on hearing aids if needed.

Book your hearing test in Taunton today and reconnect with the sounds that matter most.

Private Hearing Tests in Taunton

One in five adults in the UK has some form of hearing loss, and in Somerset, that number rises to one in four. That's over 12 million people across the country living with communication difficulties that can affect their quality of life, relationships, confidence, and mental health.

Hearing loss doesn't just make sounds quieter – it makes them less clear. Like poor eyesight blurs vision, hearing loss distorts sound, especially speech clarity. High-pitched consonants like f, s, and t are often masked by deeper vowel sounds, making others seem like they're mumbling – particularly in noisy environments such as cafés, meetings, or group conversations.

If left untreated, hearing loss can lead to listening fatigue, social withdrawal, and isolation, as everyday conversations become mentally draining. Even more importantly, research from The Lancet shows that untreated hearing loss is the number one modifiable risk factor for dementia, greater than smoking or lack of exercise.

Signs You Might Need a Hearing Check in Taunton:

  • Frequently asking people to repeat themselves.

  • Struggling to follow conversations in noisy environments.

  • Turning up the TV or radio volume higher than others prefer.

  • Feeling exhausted after social interactions.

  • Missing important sounds, such as doorbells or the phone ringing.

How Blackdown Hearing Can Help With Your Hearing Loss:

At Blackdown Hearing, we provide expert private hearing tests in Taunton, trusted by the local community across Somerset. As an independent audiology clinic, we take the time to listen, assess, and offer tailored support – whether you need hearing aids, earwax removal, or just advice on how to hear better in everyday life.

With hundreds of five-star reviews, Blackdown Hearing is trusted for expert care, clear communication, and ongoing support – all in a relaxed, pressure-free environment.

Don't let hearing loss hold you back. Book a hearing test today with Blackdown Hearing in Taunton and take the first step toward clearer hearing and a fuller life.

Normal Hearing

Normal Hearing

Visual Loss

Visual Loss

Hearing Loss

Hearing Loss

Having to look to understand what they are saying?
Everyday sounds, like birdsong, are quieter?
Having to turn up the television volume?
Struggling to hear in a noisy environment
Family complain that they have to repeat what they said?
People are mumbling or speaking quietly?
Hearing your family

Want to Quickly Check Your Hearing?

Not sure where your hearing stands? Our free online hearing test takes just a few minutes and gives you a quick snapshot of how well you're hearing – all from the comfort of your own home.

No appointments, no pressure – just a quick, easy way to check your hearing from home.

How Do We Hear?

Your ear is an incredibly essential organ that performs the fantastic and highly complex task of allowing you to hear and enjoy the sounds of your life. Your ears can separate around seven thousand different pitches, and they also enable your brain to locate sound sources. They know where the sound is coming from through both ears working together in partnership to give you binaural hearing.

The human ear consists of three parts: the outer, middle, and inner ear.

Outer ear:

Your outer ear picks up sound waves as you listen and transmits these to the eardrum through your ear canals.

Middle ear:

These transmitted sound waves cause your eardrum to vibrate in response. The tiny bones (ossicles) in your middle ear, called the malleus, incus, and stapes, pass these vibrations into your inner ear.

Inner ear:

Your cochlea converts the movements of the ossicles into electrical signals; your auditory nerve then transmits these signals and hearing information to your brain.

It's pretty amazing when you think about it!

What Causes Hearing Loss?

Hearing impairments can occur in all three parts of the ear; dysfunctions of the outer or middle ear can usually be treated with medication, surgery, or, in the case of excess earwax, our safe earwax removal treatment.

However, a large percentage of hearing loss is caused by damage or wear to the inner ear. Today, our modern digital hearing aids can compensate for most inner ear damage and allow you to enjoy hearing the sounds of your life again.

"How wonderful to find a truly independent professional in this world of large corporates. I have no hesitation in recommending Blackdown Hearing for their knowledge, kindness, understanding and professionalism. Truly life-changing for me."

Ella, Taunton

Your Hearing Test in Taunton:

Our Promise to You:

✔ We will carry out a full hearing health assessment

✔ We will ensure your ears are healthy

✔ We will answer any questions you may have about your hearing

✔ We will explain your results clearly

✔ We will recommend hearing aids only if you need them

What Happens in Your Hearing Test?

Sound Booth Hearing Test in Taunton
Sound Booth Closed

  • Step One

    After a warm welcome and introduction from your audiologist, we will take a detailed case history, concentrating on any hearing and communication difficulties that may affect your lifestyle. Family and medical history will also be discussed as there are several different causes of hearing loss, and we will want to review anything inherited, genetic or any recent changes to your hearing. Your audiologist will also take this opportunity to answer any initial questions you may have.

  • Step Two

    We will then carry out a full otoscopic examination of your ear(s) and auditory canals. This will allow your audiologist to establish the condition of the outer ear, ear canal and eardrum to check the ear is healthy or whether there are any abnormalities present. We shall also check on the amount of wax in the ear canal, and if required, we may be able to resolve this with our safe earwax removal treatment on the day.

  • Step Three

    Your audiologist will now perform a full diagnostic hearing test in our relaxed, non-isolated sound booth with a clinically calibrated audiometer, ensuring we obtain the most accurate results of your current hearing in both ears. This will produce an audiogram showing whether you have a hearing loss or not. We will also test your spoken word comprehension. If required, we can provide you with a copy of these reports for a further medical referral or your GP’s information.

  • Step Four

    Your audiologist will now take the time to review the results with you. We will explain the results clearly concerning any hearing and communication difficulties you may have indicated, and the next steps or options available if required. Where an aidable hearing loss is detected, we will provide you with impartial professional advice on the hearing solutions available that will best suit you and your listening requirements.

  • Step Five

    Where a hearing loss that would benefit from a hearing aid has been established, your audiologist will now be able to demonstrate the latest digital hearing aid technology.

  • Step Six

    Your audiologist will now discuss all of the options available to you. As a wholly independent hearing company, we have full access to all the different hearing aid manufacturers and all of the different styles and levels of technology available. We offer all hearing aids with a 60-day money-back guarantee and up to a 5-year warranty and aftercare.

Book your hearing test

Home Hearing Tests in Somerset

We can provide our hearing tests in our Taunton hearing clinic or, if you prefer, in the comfort of your own home in the following Somerset towns and TA postcodes.

Bridgwater, Burnham-on-Sea, Chard, Crewkerne, Dulverton, Exmoor, Ilminster, Langport, Minehead, Somerton, Taunton, Wellington.