Harley Street and Wigmore Street, London
Private Hearing Test Londonthat tests more than your ear
You searched for a private hearing test in London. You are in the right place. But before you book anywhere, it is worth understanding what most hearing tests actually measure, and what none of them measure, until now.
Watch
What makes a Brain-Based Hearing Assessment different
2 minutes
Brain-Based Hearing Assessment
- Consultation and clinical history
- Otoscopy (ear canal examination)
- Tympanometry (middle ear function)
- Pure-tone audiometry
- Bone conduction testing
- Speech discrimination testing
- Speech-in-noise assessment
- Brain-based interpretation and written report
Monday to Saturday, including evenings until 7pm
Before You Book Anywhere
You searched for a hearing test in London. Here is what you should know first.
Most people searching for a hearing test in London are asking one of two questions. Either they have noticed their hearing is getting worse and want to know how bad it is. Or they have been told by a partner, a colleague, or a GP that they should get it checked.
In both cases, they book a test expecting to come away knowing the real state of their hearing. The test is done, the audiogram is shown, a number is given, and most patients leave with either reassurance that their hearing is fine, or the recommendation to consider hearing aids.
The problem is not with that process. The problem is with what the test is actually measuring, and more importantly, what it is not. A standard audiogram measures what sounds you can detect at different frequencies. That is all it does. It says nothing about how your brain processes the sounds it receives. It says nothing about speech clarity in noise. It says nothing about the central auditory pathway.
For millions of people, that missing piece is the most important part of the picture. This page explains why, and what a complete hearing assessment in London actually looks like.
The numbers behind the gap
40%
Of people with hearing aids report still struggling to understand speech in noise, because the test that led to their fitting did not assess how the brain processes sound
6-18mo
Average NHS audiology waiting time in London, for a test that still uses a pure-tone audiogram as its primary tool
What Most Hearing Tests Miss
Why complimentary hearing tests and most private hearing tests in London give you an incomplete picture
The NHS hearing test
The NHS provides a genuinely valuable service, and we have great respect for what it offers. But their standard hearing test is a pure-tone audiogram. It measures the quietest sounds you can detect at different frequencies, takes around 30 minutes, and if loss is found, a hearing aid is the primary recommendation. It does not assess how the brain processes sound, how you perform in noise, or what the central auditory pathway is doing.
The high-street hearing test
A complimentary hearing test from a high-street hearing aid retailer is an audiometric screen. It is designed to take 20 to 30 minutes, identify whether you might benefit from hearing aids, and create an opportunity to discuss purchasing them. It is not a clinical diagnostic assessment. It tells you whether a loss is present. It does not tell you why, or what the brain is doing with the degraded signal it receives. It is a screen. Not an assessment.
The standard private hearing test
A paid private hearing test at most London audiology clinics improves on the high-street screen by adding bone conduction, tympanometry, and sometimes speech discrimination. It is more thorough. But it is still missing the most important component: an assessment of how the brain processes and interprets sound. It still tests the ear. It does not test the auditory cortex or central pathway. The most clinically significant part of your hearing is left unexamined.
Every one of these tests is answering the same question: "What can you hear?"
The question none of them are answering is: "How is your brain processing what it hears?"
For many people, this is the more important question. They can hear sound but struggle to understand it clearly. They hear voices but cannot make out words in a noisy room. They have been told their hearing is fine, or that their hearing aids are working correctly, yet the problem persists. This is not a volume problem. This is a brain processing problem, and it is invisible on a standard audiogram.
The Science
What the Brain-Based Hearing Assessment tests that others do not
Understanding this changes how you think about hearing care, and what kind of assessment is worth your time.
Sound begins at the ear. It is completed by the brain.
When sound enters the ear, the cochlea converts it into neural signals. Those signals travel through the auditory nerve to the auditory cortex, where the brain organises, filters, separates speech from noise, and interprets meaning. Hearing is not detection. It is interpretation, and interpretation happens in the brain.
Hearing loss changes the signal before it reaches the brain.
A damaged cochlea does not simply reduce volume. It distorts the signal. The neural information reaching the brain is degraded and incomplete. Over time, the brain adapts to this degraded input, reshaping how it processes and interprets sound to compensate for what it is no longer receiving clearly.
A hearing aid amplifies the signal. It does not retrain the brain.
When a hearing aid delivers a louder version of the same signal, the brain does not receive a restored signal. It receives a louder version of the degraded one, and continues to decode it using the maladapted patterns it developed in the absence of clear sound. Without retraining, the problem persists despite adequate amplification.
This is why many people struggle despite audiograms showing otherwise.
You may be told your hearing is mild or even normal, and still struggle profoundly in noise. This is because the audiogram measured only the peripheral system. It did not measure central auditory processing. The Brain-Based Hearing Assessment measures both. It is the only way to know the full picture.
The Brain-Based Hearing Assessment maps both systems.
It is the only private hearing test in London that combines peripheral hearing assessment with central auditory processing assessment. The result is not an audiogram with a recommendation. It is a complete clinical picture of your hearing, with a written report explaining exactly what it means and what the pathway forward looks like.
What Is Included
Your £199 Brain-Based Hearing Assessment, step by step
Eight components. 60 to 90 minutes. A written clinical report the same day. No other private hearing test near you includes all of this as standard.
Consultation and clinical history
Your audiologist discusses your hearing concerns, lifestyle, listening environments, and any history of noise exposure, tinnitus, or family hearing loss. This informs how results are interpreted in context, not just in isolation.
Otoscopy
Visual examination of the ear canal and eardrum using a clinical otoscope. Checks for ear wax blockage, inflammation, perforation, or other physical factors that may be affecting hearing and that a hearing screen would miss entirely.
Tympanometry
Measures the movement of the eardrum in response to changes in air pressure. Identifies middle ear problems such as fluid behind the eardrum, Eustachian tube dysfunction, or otosclerosis. These conditions can cause significant hearing difficulty but are invisible on a pure-tone audiogram alone.
Pure-tone audiometry
The standard audiogram. Tests your ability to detect tones at frequencies from 250 Hz to 8000 Hz in each ear. Identifies the type and degree of any hearing loss. Every hearing test in London includes this. Our assessment goes considerably further.
Bone conduction testing
Tests how sound is conducted through the bones of the skull directly to the cochlea, bypassing the outer and middle ear. This determines whether hearing loss is conductive or sensorineural, which directly determines the correct clinical pathway. Many high-street tests skip this entirely.
Speech discrimination testing
Measures your ability to accurately repeat words presented at a comfortable listening level. Identifies whether clarity difficulties are above and beyond what the audiogram would predict, which indicates central processing involvement and changes the clinical pathway significantly.
Speech-in-noise assessment
The component that most differentiates our assessment from every other private hearing test in London. Tests your ability to understand speech against competing background noise, replicating the most difficult real-world listening environments. This directly measures auditory processing function and the brain's ability to separate signal from noise. A standard audiogram cannot reveal any of this.
Brain-based interpretation and written clinical report
All results are interpreted through the lens of central auditory processing, not only peripheral thresholds. You leave with a full written clinical report on the same day, explaining what each result means, what the complete clinical picture shows, and what the pathway forward looks like. Not a printout of a graph. A comprehensive clinical document you can take away, share with a GP, or refer back to at any time.
How It Compares
Brain-Based Hearing Assessment vs all other options in London
Eight components. Every available option. The picture becomes clear.
| What is tested | NHS | High Street | Standard Private | Brain-Based Verified Hearing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pure-tone audiometry | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Bone conduction | ✓ | ✗ | Sometimes | ✓ |
| Tympanometry | Sometimes | ✗ | Sometimes | ✓ |
| Speech discrimination | ✗ | ✗ | Sometimes | ✓ |
| Speech-in-noise testing | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ |
| Central processing assessment | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ |
| Brain-based interpretation | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ |
| Same-day written report | ✗ | ✗ | Sometimes | ✓ |
| No GP referral needed | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Waiting time | 6 to 18 months | Same day | Within days | Within days |
| Cost | Free | Free | £50 to £150 | £199 |
The question is not whether £199 is expensive. The question is whether an assessment missing five of these eight components is telling you what you actually need to know about your hearing.
Who Should Book
You should book this assessment if you recognise any of the following
You struggle in noise despite being told your hearing is fine
You have had a hearing test before and been told your hearing is normal or only mildly reduced. But you still find restaurants, group conversations, or meetings genuinely difficult. Your audiogram appears normal because the peripheral system appears normal. The problem is at the processing level, and it is invisible to a standard test.
You have hearing aids but still struggle
Many people with hearing aids continue to struggle because the original assessment that led to their fitting was a standard audiogram. It measured the ear and missed how the brain processes the signal. The Brain-Based Hearing Assessment identifies what was never measured the first time, and what the Brain-Based Hearing Programme™ can address.
You have tinnitus alongside your hearing difficulty
Tinnitus is frequently associated with changes in central auditory processing. A standard hearing test will not assess the neurological factors involved. Our Brain-Based Hearing Assessment addresses both. If you need specialist tinnitus treatment after assessment, our audiologist will guide you toward the NeuroQuiet Tinnitus Training Programme™.
You want a thorough hearing baseline before it becomes a problem
Perhaps your hearing is fine now and you want to know exactly where you are before age, noise exposure, or other factors change that. Our assessment establishes your complete baseline across all eight components. If anything changes in the future, you have a precise clinical starting point to measure it against.
Your Audiologist
The audiologist who will assess you at Harley Street and Wigmore Street
Awajimijana Otana
Founder and Clinical Audiologist
Known as AJ, our founder was nationally recognised by the British Academy of Audiology during his training years, holding an MSc in Audiology from the University of Manchester. He brings experience from NHS specialist posts and private practice across two continents, and is known for his warmth and clinical precision, particularly with patients who have had unsatisfying or incomplete assessments elsewhere.
Google Reviews
What patients say about their hearing assessment
"I came because I wanted a Harley Street specialist to look after my ear rather than a GP. Awajimijana is extremely warm and friendly, and was able to explain everything very clearly. The most thorough hearing assessment I have ever had. I cannot recommend him highly enough."
Hani
Google Review, Harley Street
"After experiencing a sudden loss of hearing I was seen at very short notice. Extremely comfortable from start to finish. The improvement was instant. A very thorough explanation of the process with a clear concern for the best outcome. Highly recommended."
Thomas D.
Google Review, Harley Street
"Can't rate highly enough. Excellent service. A very thorough explanation of the processes with a clear concern for the best outcome. AJ was attentive throughout, knew exactly what he was doing, and made the whole experience completely comfortable."
Catherine W.
Google Review, Wigmore Street
Looking For Something Else
Came for a different service? Here is where to go next.
The Brain-Based Hearing Assessment is the right starting point for most adults. If your need is more specific, choose the service below that fits.
Auditory Processing Disorder
For clear hearing tests but real difficulty following speech. Specialist assessment for adults.
Explore the APD clinicTinnitus Assessment
A brain-based tinnitus assessment and the NeuroQuiet Tinnitus Programme™ if treatment is needed.
Book a tinnitus assessmentEar Wax Removal
Safe, same-day microsuction ear wax removal with a clinician, no GP referral needed.
Book ear wax removalNot sure which you need? Call 020 3011 1280 for a complimentary conversation
Questions
Frequently asked questions about our private hearing test in London
A complimentary hearing test from a high-street retailer is a pure-tone audiogram. It measures the quietest sounds you can detect at different frequencies, takes roughly 20 to 30 minutes, and is designed to identify whether you might benefit from hearing aids. Our Brain-Based Hearing Assessment takes 60 to 90 minutes and tests eight components, including how your auditory cortex processes and interprets sound. The standard test tells you what you cannot hear. Ours tells you why, and what the brain is doing with the signal it receives.
No. You can book directly online or by calling 020 3011 1280. No GP referral is required for any appointment at Verified Hearing, including the Brain-Based Hearing Assessment, tinnitus assessment, APD assessment, and ear wax removal.
The Brain-Based Hearing Assessment takes approximately 60 to 90 minutes. You receive your results and a full written clinical report on the same day. There is no waiting for letters or follow-up appointments just to find out what your results show.
Yes. If you have hearing aids but still struggle to understand speech in noise, experience listening fatigue, or find group conversations difficult, the Brain-Based Hearing Assessment will identify the central processing factors that your original assessment did not measure. Hearing aids restore access to sound. Only structured brain retraining, through the Brain-Based Hearing Programme™, restores how the brain decodes it.
Yes. Tinnitus is frequently associated with changes in central auditory processing. Our Brain-Based Hearing Assessment includes components relevant to tinnitus. If you need specialist tinnitus treatment, we offer the NeuroQuiet Tinnitus Training Programme™, which can be discussed at your appointment or booked separately.
A complimentary or low-cost hearing test measures pure-tone thresholds only. Our £199 assessment includes eight components that no other standard private hearing test in London provides as a complete package. The question is not whether £199 is expensive. The question is whether an incomplete assessment, missing five of those eight components, is telling you what you actually need to know about your hearing. An incomplete assessment is not a bargain at any price.
We have two central London clinics. 1 Harley Street, London W1G 9QD, nearest tube Oxford Circus (5 minute walk). And 126 Wigmore Street, London W1U 3RY, directly opposite Selfridges, nearest tube Bond Street (3 minute walk). Both clinics are open Monday to Saturday including evenings until 7pm.
Book Your Assessment
Choose a time at Harley Street or Wigmore Street
Monday to Saturday including evenings until 7pm. No GP referral. Both central London clinics available.
Our Clinics
Two central London locations for your private hearing test
Harley Street
1 Harley Street, London W1G 9QD
Nearest tube Oxford Circus, 5 min walk. Regent's Park, 7 min walk.
Hours Monday to Saturday, 9am to 7pm
Phone 020 3011 1280
Wigmore Street
126 Wigmore Street, London W1U 3RY
Location Directly opposite Selfridges
Nearest tube Bond Street, 3 min walk
Hours Monday to Saturday, 9am to 7pm
You came looking for a hearing test in London
Now you know what a complete one looks like
The Brain-Based Hearing Assessment is the only private hearing test in London that tests both the ear and how the brain processes what it hears. Eight components. Same-day written report. No GP referral. Available at Harley Street and Wigmore Street.
Monday to Saturday including evenings until 7pm. Harley Street and Wigmore Street, London.