Starkey Omega AI Review | Dr. Cliff's Take

When Starkey releases a new hearing aid, it's always worth paying attention. As the only major American-owned hearing aid manufacturer, they've built a reputation for pushing technological boundaries at a pace that leaves competitors scrambling to keep up. Their latest release, the Omega AI, arrives just one year after the Edge AI—a hearing aid I genuinely loved. But does this rapid release cycle mean meaningful improvements, or are we looking at minor tweaks dressed up as innovation?

I've spent several weeks testing the Omega AI hearing aids extensively, and I'm ready to share my honest assessment.

Building on a Solid Foundation

Let me start by acknowledging something important: the Edge AI hearing aids were exceptional. They offered an impressive array of features including custom and receiver-in-canal options, disposable and rechargeable batteries, incredible battery life, Edge Mode+, LE Audio and Auracast capabilities, outstanding durability, and some of the best custom ear molds available. You would've been hard-pressed to find a better hearing aid over the past year.

The Omega AI builds directly on this foundation. In fact, if you placed an Edge AI and an Omega AI side by side, you'd struggle to spot physical differences between the devices, chargers, accessories, or app connectivity. The real enhancements are internal, primarily concentrated in the top-tier 24 technology level.

What's New Across All Technology Levels

Indicator Lights: A Small Feature That Makes a Big Difference

This might sound trivial, but the new indicator lights on the rechargeable mRIC and RIC RT models have become my favorite upgrade. These lights flash green when powering on, red when shutting down, and green again when successfully paired with a smart device. For hearing care professionals like me, this eliminates the guesswork when connecting devices to programming equipment.

The coolest application? Finding lost hearing aids. Through the My Starkey app's Find My Hearing Aid feature, you can activate these lights to flash, making it easy to locate a misplaced device—even in the dark. I demonstrated this in my office with the lights off, and those flashing indicators are visible from across a room.

That said, I wish the indicator light would activate when placing the hearing aid in the charger to confirm a successful connection and display remaining battery life. I'm also puzzled why this feature wasn't included on the custom chargeable versions.

Enhanced Durability: Pro 10 Shield

Starkey hearing aids already ranked among the most water and sweat-resistant devices available, but they've raised the bar with the Pro 10 Shield coating, replacing the previous Pro 8 Hydro Shield. Their demonstration videos—showing a sponge and Alka-Seltzer tablet coated with Pro 10 Shield remaining dry underwater—illustrate this advancement vividly.

The custom hearing aids in the Omega line also feature a new shell resin that's 20 times stronger than previous acrylic shells. These shells even have some flex, making them remarkably difficult to crack. While I don't recommend testing this yourself, it's reassuring to know they can withstand accidental impacts.

The G3 Neuro Processor and DNN 360

The Omega AI introduces the G3 neuro processor, replacing the G2 chip. While this offers some performance improvements across all technology levels, the truly significant enhancements are reserved for the top tier, specifically DNN 360.

DNN Directionality

Deep neural networks have proven effective at separating speech from noise. Starkey has taken this concept further by training their DNN to control microphone directionality—what they call polar plotting. The system intelligently adjusts microphone configuration based on your environment: quiet settings require one configuration, noisy environments without conversation need another, and situations with background noise and active conversation demand yet another approach.

According to Starkey's white paper testing, DNN directionality showed a 19.6% average speech intelligibility improvement compared to older directional microphone systems, with up to 28% median improvement in certain scenarios. When compared against omnidirectional microphones in scenarios with competing speech signals, improvements reached up to 77%.

In comparative testing against other major brands, the Omega AI outperformed competitors by 1.5 to 6.5 decibels in speech reception threshold advantage.

DNN Spatial Awareness and Spatial Adaptation Mode

This feature addresses a common limitation of directional microphones: restricted awareness of sounds from behind and beside you. Traditionally, if someone behind you said "excuse me" or "heads up" while you were in a noisy environment, you likely wouldn't hear them.

The DNN Spatial Awareness feature, when combined with the Binaural Spatial Adaptation mode (which your hearing care professional must activate), provides up to an 8 decibel signal-to-noise ratio advantage for transient speech information. This keeps you aware of your surroundings while maintaining excellent speech understanding from your primary conversation partner.

One critical note: DNN Spatial Awareness alone doesn't provide this benefit—the Binaural Spatial Adaptation mode must be activated in the programming software, and this feature is only available in the top technology level.

Smart Features in the My Starkey App

The top-tier technology level includes two notable AI-powered features:

Gen AI Smart Assistant: You can ask your hearing aids questions and give them commands to adjust settings, activate Edge Mode, change programs, or modify volume levels. It's a natural evolution of the previous generation's smart assistant.

TeleHear AI: This feature uses generative AI to diagnose issues and make adjustments automatically. Previously, you'd need a TeleHear session with your hearing care professional for remote adjustments. While this can't completely replace professional care, it's a convenient option for minor tweaks.

Starkey has also added Balance Builder and Respiratory Rate monitoring features across all technology levels, further blurring the line between hearing aids and comprehensive health devices.

What Hasn't Changed (And That's Good)

Edge Mode+ remains exactly as impressive as it was in the Edge AI. This feature uses Starkey's Deep Neural Network for superior speech-noise separation and background noise reduction. While the Omega AI has always-on DNN processing, Edge Mode+ takes performance to another level when you need it most.

You still get the balance assessment, tinnitus masking features, tap controls, and two-way audio streaming that made the Edge AI so capable.

My Experience Testing the Omega AI

After several weeks of extensive testing, my verdict is clear: these are fantastic hearing aids that stand up to any competitor on the market. That said, I found it difficult to distinguish them from the Edge AI hearing aids in many real-world situations.

This isn't a criticism of the Omega AI—it's actually a testament to how good the Edge AI already was. Starkey's technology has reached a level where incremental improvements are harder to perceive, even when the data shows measurable gains.

Edge Mode+ sounds identical to me in both generations. The perceived directional improvements probably favor the Omega AI slightly, though I wonder if expectation bias plays a role. Water resistance might be marginally better, but the custom product durability is noticeably improved. Wireless connectivity features—LE Audio Bluetooth and Auracast—perform identically. The accessories remain the same exceptional quality across both models.

One important consistency: Real Ear Measurement verification is just as critical with the Omega AI as it was with the Edge AI. First-fit settings don't cut it for optimal performance.

And yes, my favorite feature remains those indicator lights. Sometimes the simplest improvements make the biggest difference in daily use.

A Note on Sound Quality

During my first day of testing, I encountered a strange static-like sound between words—almost like "cat-shh" or "dog-shh." After troubleshooting, I discovered the Consonant Brightness feature was maximized. Turning it off resolved the issue completely. While some users might appreciate this feature's compression speed adjustments, it wasn't for me.

Get the Most from Your Omega AI Hearing Aids

The Starkey Omega AI hearing aids represent cutting-edge technology with meaningful improvements in directionality, spatial awareness, and user control. They absolutely deserve consideration if you're upgrading existing hearing aids or treating hearing loss for the first time.

However, even the most advanced hearing aids can't reach their full potential without proper fitting and programming. Real Ear Measurement verification, comprehensive best practices, and ongoing professional support make the difference between adequate hearing and optimal hearing.

That's why I created the HearingUp Provider Network. Every provider in our network has been personally vetted for their commitment to comprehensive audiologic best practices, including Real Ear Measurement for all hearing aid fittings. These professionals have the expertise to maximize the performance of sophisticated devices like the Omega AI.

If you're ready to experience what the Omega AI can truly deliver, visit HearingUp.com to find a provider near you. Don't settle for good hearing when great hearing is within reach.