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Starkey Edge AI doubts after Genesis dreadful experience

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G’day all,

Had a chat with my audiologist today, and she mentioned that Starkey have released a new hearing aid called the Edge . She’s rather insistent that it’s one of, if not the, best options out there at the moment. I’m curious how much of an improvement it is over the Genesis AI, which, to be perfectly honest, I found pretty dreadful.

Earlier this year, the same audiologist lent me a pair of the Genesis AI to try out for a couple of months (mostly because she kept encouraging me to give them a proper go). I had several fitting sessions during that time, but now she’s saying Starkey have “sorted” most of the issues.

For context, I found a lot of the so-called premium features didn’t work as they were meant to. The “Edge mode,” for instance, hardly improved speech comprehension, no matter the situation. And don’t get me started on the Voice Assistant—it felt like a pointless addition. The noise reduction was far too aggressive, randomly deciding which sounds to suppress or amplify, with no rhyme or reason to it.

In the end, I gave up on the trial after noticing loads of users online complaining about similar problems—unreliable noise reduction, poor Android compatibility, and a few other gripes.

Honestly, my “dumb,” AI-free Phonaks sound leagues better in comparison.

So, has Starkey actually fixed these issues with the Edge AI, or is this just my audiologist getting swept up in the hype?

Was the Genesis AI simply a dud, and is that why Starkey have rushed out a replacement in less than a year? Or is this just the same tech dressed up with some clever marketing?

9 people in this conversation14 min readJump to latest

I tried Starkey Evolv, and Genesis.
I did not like either.
I now wear the Starkey Edge .
I like them.
There is a difference.
Now wether that difference is noticable to you I can not say.
Try them you may like them.
Then again you may not.

Don’t get me wrong. Maybe Edge plus mode is unnecessary for you, you’re just not adaptable to other conditions, you’re bothered by that harsh sound that Edge or Sphere produce. The point of these modes is to make speech understandable in noise, the sound will probably sound more robotic, strange, distorted, but the main focus is not a beautiful voice but understanding.

You did not enter the , which may help to assess, for example, whether you need a more specific acoustic coupling (custom earmold) instead of domes.

Edited

Hi Kcman,

I could have written your comment myself. Yes I’m in the same boat as you and equally disappointed.
I am using Audibel Intrique hearing aid which I am told is a rebranded Starkey Edge AI hearing aid range.
My audiologist said its the new Genises range. Very confusing.
However, I am finding speech sounds like someone speaking through a megaphone… not in volumn but in the quality of sound.

The overall effect is ‘tinny’ and actualy makes my Tinnitus much worse.

The idea of putting into my own hands , that I can, through clicking the three dots on my mobile phone screen programme to adjust the soundfor Bass, Middle and Treble is confusing and complicated.

The AI concept , to my experience, is OTT when all I want is a decent natural sound for speech.

As for Music the Audibel Intrique AI hearing aid fails in every respect for me despite numerous adjustments. It just delivers a wave of unintelligible noise… a musician’s nightmare!

It’s an overly ambiguous mini computer, full of everything else including how many steps you’ve walked but not delivering the prescription I need to hear better.

An expensive mistake for me.

I have the Starkey.
It works for me, but I also have distortion in my left ear so I do not hear like most people.
Try putting a music program on the aid.
I have. Music sounds better with it.
I agree that on the personal program music does not sound great.
Music also turns off all the noise reduction and I think makes everything more linear.

Hi,I am currently wearing the Starkey Genesis 24 with Ultrapower receivers, I have moderate to severe hearing loss and I love them, they are by far the best ’s I have worn, I prefer ITC - In the canal model’s - these ones are quite visible but because they are black people assume they are ear buds which is fine with me, hidden in plain site and all that…

As for the sound it may not be perfect all the time, with some screeching now and again but I can handle that, another wearer advised to ask my aud to lower the compression which would solve this but my Aud explained that if he did that I would not hear as well in general.

I’ve sat in really noisy crowded pub, with people close all around and could clearly hear my friend (on Edge Plus mode) whom is not hard of hearing struggling to hear what I was saying, they for me are amazing…

I am soon going to upgrade to the Edge, purely because the Edge Mode is supposed to be even better and they will be future proofed because they have and the new Bluetooth protocols.

Just for the record in the year previous to these I tried just about every make of Hearing Aid’s out there (latest models at the time) and in my opinion nothing came close to the Genesis AI’s - but please note this is just my opinion, and I accept that everybody is different, I just cannot understand why Starkey get such bad press on this forum, I mean it is an American make (the only one as far as I know), (I am from the UK BTW).

The only other thing I would add is that I get nowhere near the claimed battery life, however I have mine set quite loud with UP receivers, I can wear them all day with Bluetooth streaming on all the time, and also to be fair most of the time I am just in Personal mode, and only rarely use Edge in said noisy environments. (doesn’t happen a lot sadly).

In reply to @freezerman404

Thanks for your reply.
Unfortunately the music programme isn’t much of an improvement.
I am writing to my Audibel Intrique supplier today.
Personally, I think this particular aid is too complicated. I tried Rexton last year and sent that back too.
I just want one without all the AI pointless setting up gubbins.
My previous aid is a Seimmens
( now Signia) Pure Micron and I am reverting back to use this to calm my poor Tinnitus spikes.
As one with Sensorineural deafness , masking with another noise isn’t the best idea as the brain then goes into wild mimic mode of those sounds.
I’m Very disappointed but still researching an alternative option for me.

In reply to @Wiggy90

Yes I am from UK too.

For some reason , despite asking for a Starkey I was issued an Audibel’s Intrique hearing aid .

My first one kept clonking out and even after been sent back, when it was returned, it still had issues with the receiver.

Then that got sent back and it was replaced.

Despite someone said on here and my dispenser stating my model of is the Genesis Starkey but a different name for UK… as Audibel Intrique AI. However, I am not convinced.

In my recent replaced Audibel Intrique AI aid , the Speech in all three programmes is Tinny … like a megaphone ( not in volumn but quality of sound) and the music programme is appalling. Non existent which is heartbreaking for me as I am a lifelong musical soul.

You are lucky and I am glad yours is working for you is good.

Audible is Starkey.
My audiologist sells Audibel. Audibels are locked. Starkey’s are not.
When I bought my new aids I told her I wanted the Starkey’s unlocked. No Starkey’s no sale .
If I become dissatisfied with her are she moves on, I’ll find another audiologist.
I could even try self programming.
I doubt I will but you never know.

Audible hearing aids can only be adjusted by an Audibel audiologist.
If you go to an audiologist that sells Starkey and not Audible, the audiologist cannot adjust the Audible.
Starkey’s are unlocked. Generally any audiologist can adjust them.
Most do not like to fool with something they did not sell, but it can be done.
My brother has an audiologist who will adjust his which he buys himself.

I purchased the Genesis back in May 2024. The cost was $6,000. for that I expected a superior product, tested and proven before bringing it to market. Apparently Starkey and I have a difference standards. Giving myself 4 months to adjust to the new sounds I waited believing certain sounds/frequencies would filter out. Never happened. First real issue was the left hearing aid cutting out. Each time I had to readjust the level. It progressed to having to adjust many times a day. I reinstalled the app. which didn’t help the issue. I ended up back at my audiologist and they sent them back for corrections. Now connectivity issues have arrived. App indicated one hearing aid is off when it’s on. Have to disconnect/reconnect the Bluetooth when trying to make adjustments or reset levels. Also, sometimes its sounds like I’m in a fishbowl trying to listen to the outside world. For the price we pay for these hearing devices I believe we deserve a good solid product. I just wished Starkey had the same standards as I/we do. The only thing left to do is to keep hammering away at Starkey when these issues arrive. Cheers’

You could try Costco for your next set, premium models for $1600, no need to pay so much $$ for especially when your not happy with the results.

Edited

In reply to @Wiggy90

@Wiggy90 said:

Starkey Genesis AI 24 ITC

Hi, In another post from last March, I noticed you mentioned wearing Starkey Genesis 24 . Did you change these for ? If so, can you explain why? I am considering the CIC due to size, but I understand that the ITC/HS is rechargeable and also has multiple mics (I guess for directional modes).

edit: I did see another post of yours that you did not like the omni microphone. So you like the ITC/HS better? How about the bluetooth, any differences between the two?

Thanks

Hi, the reason for my change from Genesis to was that I didn’t find the Edge mode to be very good on the CIC and although I had the Power receiver it weren’t powerful enough for me…The good was actually prefer disposable batteries and they lasted an amazing 7 or 8 days despite the fact my volume was at 80% most of the time…
I also really liked the size just what I wanted aesthetically but for me with moderate to severe hearing they just weren’t powerful enough and I didn’t think the Edge mode was that great either…

Well switched to the ITC with Ultrapower receivers and obviously rechargeable batteries and all the negatives disappeared Edge mode was really strong and cut out all background noise in fact the personal mode was really good on its own and I only had to use Edge Mode in really noisy environments…

I also don’t know what people are referring to when they say it sounds really tinny, I think the sound is really good and rich…

They were not perfect because occasionally there would be this strange noise not sure how to describe it especially because I have now upgraded to the Starkey Edge ITC,(which I managed to wrangle a free of charge upgrade from my audiologist) these weird noises have disappeared but I’m still getting used to the Edge AI…

The only thing I would mention with the Edge AI personal mode is that I have had to turn of Noise reduction completely otherwise I cannot hear any background sounds, it’s like being in a vacuum , and has freeked me out …

I’m due to get performed with them next week…

The only other thing I would mention is that it feels like there is some safety hearing protection settings because I have mine set at 80% all the time but for UP receivers it really doesn’t seem that high compared to other ’s I have trialled in the past year…

I feel the aud (or the manufacturer)is deliberately restricting them but when I ask him about it he reckons it’s not true…

It’s okay when my hearing is normal but when I get a cold or am on a flight and I need extra power there is almost nothing left to give …

Anyway it’s early days yet with the Edge AI’s

Hope my comments help

Kind regards
Ian

Thanks for the update and more details. My insurance won’t cover the Edge yet, so I am deciding between the Genesis vs (and also the Phonak Virto Paradise P-312 ITC). I’m new to hearing aids, but tried a behind the ear a few years ago and didn’t like it (it upset the fit of my glasses).

My reading seems to say Phonak will have better Bluetooth connectivity. And that the ITC will offer directional mics. Do you find that you need the directionality in many situations, or is the omnidirectional mic good enough for most cases … say for working in the office, meetings, and conversations with friends vs. going out to a pub.

Now I remember why the was nowhere near good enough for me (it was the single mic, thanks for the reminder) it’s supposed to work with the bowl of your ear but did not work for me whereas the two mics on the worked a treat…

Also with reference to the phonaks have better Bluetooth that’s of course because they have classic Bluetooth and not MFI (made for iPhone) which other manufacturers use, but I think it’s a two edged sword, One it seriously affects battery life and two you have to be really disaplined to turn off Bluetooth when you move devices otherwise they will cause connection issues, this was a real issue for me as I am Mr Gadget :joy:, also I’m diabetic as well so I need the Bluetooth on my phone on all the time to read my blood glucose (CGM)… This makes it sound like I don’t like Phonak but not true, I wore Phonak Virtos for eight years prior to these with a compilot for Bluetooth connection and it worked perfectly, trouble is I changed as they just weren’t powerful enough anymore…
if Phonak had brought out the Sphere Infinios ITC I may have given them a trial…,

Just one other comment is regarding the claimed battery of 42 hours, with the UP receivers, if I wear for 18 hours a day I would probably run out of battery… or not much left, but please bare in mind I have UP’s at 80 power all day and always connected to my iPhone otherwise how do you use the app? :joy:

Thanks for the info. Do you remember any more about problems with the single microphone? Was it ok in quiet situations (e.g. a 1 on 1 meeting, lecture hall, chatting with a friend, around a meeting table)? What happened in a noisy restaurant or pub?

I am deciding between the smaller and the larger at this time.

Also is the bluetooth any different between the CIC with external antenna and the ITC version?

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