Oticon vs. Starkey, Tested and Compared by an Audiologist
Oticon hearing aids offer a variety of advanced features, while Starkey has unique health and safety features such as fall detection and step tracking.
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If you’re in the market for hearing aids, your head is probably spinning with all the available options. But if you’ve narrowed your choice down to Oticon and Starkey, you can breathe a sigh of relief. Both companies manufacture well-made hearing aids and are heavy contenders for our list of the best hearing aid brands. Of course, it’s essential to know what you’re looking for in a hearing aid, and to then compare hearing aid brands and what they offer. We’ll do that for your top picks, Oticon and Starkey, in this guide.
Both brands are available by prescription only, so you’ll need to see an audiologist or other type of hearing care professional to get them. The brands are well-established, though, and they produce high-quality hearing aids for mild to profound hearing loss. Starkey is known for its unique hearing aids with health and wellness features such as fall detection and step tracking. Meanwhile, Oticon has an extensive lineup of high-tech hearing aids that use BrainHearing technology, and are a great choice for first-time hearing aid users. Let’s take a look at how they measure up.
An Introduction to Starkey
- Hearing aid styles range from behind-the-ear (BTE) to completely invisible (IIC) for mild to profound hearing loss
- Artificial intelligence (AI) hearing aid technology mimics brain function to enhance speech and reduce noise
- Hearing aids contain health, wellness and convenience features, including fall detection
- Produce natural sound with no distortion
- Our pick for caregiver tools
An Introduction to Oticon
- BrainHearing technology replicates the way your brain naturally intuits sound
- Our pick for first-time hearing aid users
- Extensive product lineup includes customizable options
- User-intent hearing aids automatically adjust to your needs
Oticon vs. Starkey: How Do They Stack Up?
Starkey
Starkey, an American-owned company, produces four lines of hearing aids:
- Starkey Edge AI: contain health and wellness tools, and use a neuroprocessor to mimic the actions of the brain’s auditory cortex
- Starkey Signature Series: virtually invisible hearing aids that produce natural sound
- Genesis AI: contain AI-generated technology that automatically makes 80 million sound adjustments hourly
- Evolve AI: generate effortless hearing with no background noise
Starkey hearing aids include rechargeable and traditional battery options. They feature Bluetooth technology for streaming, as well as connectivity to several apps, including Hear Share, which gives you the ability to inform your chosen contacts about your hearing aid usage and health information.
Starkey hearing aids provide personalized tinnitus (ringing in the ears) relief. This common complaint affects 1 in 5 older adults. Seniors with hearing loss are twice as likely to have tinnitus than those without hearing loss.1
Starkey hearing aids are available for eligible veterans through the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Learn more at VA.gov.
Testing out Starkey hearing aids
Oticon
Oticon, an international company based in Denmark, produces many diverse hearing aid lines for adults and children. They also produce an extensive selection of CROS hearing aids for people with one-sided deafness.
Oticon’s hearing aid lines include:
- Oticon Real — miniRITE (receiver-in-the-ear) and miniBTE (behind-the-ear) hearing aids that act as wireless headsets for hands-free streaming
- Oticon Own — discreet in-the-ear (ITE) hearing aids that use Deep Neural Network technology to produce natural sound
- Oticon Zircon — Rechargeable and non-rechargeable hearing aids that use OpenSound Navigator to enhance conversation and remove noise
- Oticon Xceed — Powerful BTE hearing aids that use BrainHearing technology to reduce listening effort
Like Starkey, Oticon has hearing aids that are rechargeable and non-rechargeable. Their hearing aids connect to apps that you can use to program your hearing aids and stream music, phone calls and television. Oticon hearing aids include Tinnitus SoundSupport solutions that are accessed through the Oticon Companion app and Oticon ON app for iPhone, iPad and Android.
Eligible Veterans can access Oticon hearing aid styles through the VA. Active military members and Indian Health patients can get Oticon devices through their providers or Oticon Government Services.
Oticon accessories are designed to enhance your hearing capabilities during conversations and in noisy places. They also provide support for watching television. Oticon accessories include ConnectClip, which combines a Bluetooth rebroadcaster and remote directional microphone, for those with incompatible mobile devices.
Testing out Oticon hearing aids
Did You Know? Uncorrected hearing loss is a significant risk factor for dementia. If you have hearing loss, you can reduce your risk of the condition by using hearing aids.2
Starkey and Oticon Hearing Aids
Oticon and Starkey both offer a full range of hearing aids with styles ranging from IIC to BTE, along with a lineup of add-on equipment and features that include products such as remote microphones, TV streamers and smartphone apps.
Starkey Hearing Aids
Oticon’s Opn S system relies on the premise of BrainHearing technology. In my clinical experience, this works very well for people with mild to moderate hearing loss. It offers minimal difficulty in background noise, which affects the majority of first-time hearing aid users.
Starkey’s Livio hearing aids combine “wearable” consumer technology features such as activity tracking and fall detection. These are great for active seniors who want to stay at the top of their game and older adults who are more at risk for falls. Family members and caregivers will be alerted if they experience a fall, ensuring that help will be sent immediately.
One of my friend's Oticon hearing aids
Oticon and Starkey Comparison Table
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|
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|---|---|---|
| Bluetooth capability | Yes | Yes |
| Tinnitus support help | Yes | Yes |
| Customer service | Online FAQ, 1-800 number, email | Online FAQ, 1-800 number, email |
| Accompanying app | Yes | Yes |
| Website |
See Pricing
Links to Zip Hearing
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See Pricing
Links to Zip Hearing
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Oticon vs. Starkey Pricing
You’ll need to make an appointment with a local hearing specialist who sells Oticon or Starkey hearing aids to purchase your devices. Because prices vary due to several factors, including location, features, device style and your unique needs, it’s best to talk with your hearing specialist to get an accurate quote. Oticon and Starkey don’t currently list their prices online, but Dr. Reisman estimates that prices range from around $2,000 to $8,000 per pair on average for both providers.
We’d recommend reading through our senior guide to hearing aids for more information on visiting a hearing specialist and purchasing your devices.
FYI: Concerned about the cost of hearing aids? There are plenty of ways for older adults to get free or low-cost hearing aids through certain organizations or programs.
Our Methodology
Dr. Ruth Reisman wearing Starkey Genesis hearing aids
To learn everything there is to know about Starkey and Oticon, we reviewed their websites extensively. We also leaned on the hands-on experience of the audiologists on our team, who routinely recommend both brands to their patients. In general, we analyzed each brand and compared a wide range of attributes, including:
- Sound quality: You can’t go wrong with either brand. Since these are prescription hearing aids, you can also rest assured that you will be getting hearing aids that address your level of hearing loss. This ensures that your devices will enhance your listening experience.
- Tinnitus relief: In general, hearing aids provide relief from tinnitus by providing the brain with sound stimulation. Both Starkey and Oticon provide access to tinnitus tools that may offer relief from this condition. Oticon Tinnitus SoundSupport relief sounds are controlled through an app. Starkey uses MultiFlex Tinnitus Technology that is integrated directly into their hearing aids.
- Hearing loss levels addressed: Starkey and Oticon manufacture hearing aids for mild, moderate, severe and profound hearing loss. One-sided hearing loss options are also available through both companies.
Why Trust Us?
SeniorLiving.org’s tech experts try out the latest technology and devices for older adults. We’ve spent hundreds of hours testing and reviewing hearing aids from dozens of brands.
Along with our hands-on experience and research, we consult experts with years of experience prescribing hearing aids to older adults. Our resident licensed audiologist, Dr. Ruth Reisman, has firsthand experience with the brands we cover.
Wrapping Things Up
Starkey has an extensive line of hearing aids that are easy to choose from because the company divides them into specific hearing needs. Starkey started and remains in middle America and has grown from a small family business. They were the first to combine a hearing aid with health, safety and wellness features. If Starkey sounds like the right provider for you, look at our hands-on Starkey review for more information.
Oticon, founded in 1904, continues to innovate with their BrainHearing technology. For those just entering the hearing aid space, this innovation provides a convenient, hands-off way to get back into the swing of things while providing enough flexibility for audiologists to make adjustments if your hearing or listening needs change. Are you interested in Oticon hearing aids? Our in-depth review of Oticon hearing aids offers even more details on the provider.
Want to learn more about both providers and how they compare to other leading brands? Watch our video below.
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National Library of Medicine. (2020). Prevalence of Tinnitus in an Aging Population and Its Relation to Age and Hearing Loss.
John Hopkins University. (2021). Hearing Loss and the Dementia Connection.
