Hearing loss is usually so gradual that by the time we perceive the loss, it is usually pretty significant. What people are perceiving as unnatural is probably what they were hearing when their hearing was good.
My brother-in-law got some expensive aids and refuses to wear them because he hears sounds like gravel crunching under his shoes when walking. We tend to forget what good hearing is.
I was involved in a university sponsored hearing study several years ago and received a free set of aids at the end of the study. Although nowhere near high end what I learned from the study was more useful than the instruments. Don't be too quick to judge new hearing aids. You may very well be hearing what you used to hear when you were in your prime! Best to do your research and try to get something with a trial period and returnable if they don't work for you.