I have prescription fitted the new Starkey Edge 24 AI on my patients and I am personally wearing these aids and love them. The natural sound quality and exceptional noise management are much improved over previous hearing aids that I’ve worn. I also notice that the Bluetooth connectivity is more stable than previous generations. Phone calls and music sound great through my hearing aids. But no worries, if you do not want to connect your hearing aids to your cell phone, they will STILL work great!
Starkey Hearing is one of the 6 major world-wide hearing aid manufacturers and the only US company of those “Big 6.” They are located in Eden Prairie, Minnesota and were founded in 1967 by William Austin. They are known for innovative design and cutting-edge technology. Their newest hearing aid, Edge AI, was released last fall. Starkey reports the Edge AI classifies soundscapes, enhances speech and reduces noise in real time resulting in 30% better speech identification and reduced listening effort and fatigue. This is so important because hearing loss results in tremendous effort to follow conversation. It can be exhausting. These products also have fall detection that can be monitored through their My Starkey app. These hearing aids utilize the LE audio streaming protocol and are Auracast ready. Auracast™ is considered the next generation of assistive technology and is being rolled out in public places globally with an expected ramp up towards the end of the year. This new Bluetooth development enables audio transmitters, such as smartphones, laptops, televisions, or public address systems to broadcast audio to an unlimited number of nearby receivers, including speakers, earbuds, or hearing devices.
Starkey Edge AI hearing aids come in 3 levels of technology. The differences between the levels relate to hearing in noisy places, flexibility in programming, and cost. Different hearing aid levels are designed for different lifestyles. A quiet lifestyle would be one that involves occasional small gatherings, quiet restaurants, and at home with family. A more active lifestyle would include theater, small group gatherings, and some family gatherings. A dynamic lifestyle includes outdoor activities, concerts, travel, conferences, large family get togethers, and frequent social gatherings.
It is important to match your lifestyle as closely as possible when choosing which hearing aid to try. I counsel patients daily to select the best technology that fits lifestyle and budget. Sometimes your hearing needs evolve over the years. Investing in the best technology that fits your budget will help you get the most mileage from your hearing aids. You will never regret having more noise management than you might need at this moment, but you will regret not having enough down the road! Investing in good technology allows for more flexibility in options and adjustments as your hearing and hearing needs change.
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