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Orka Two Hearing Aids: my experience so far

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Edited

The “official” review of these new hearing Aids () can be found at:

Orka Two Hearing Aid Launched with General Chip and AI DeNoise Technology,...12

Using general chip technology with reportedly 1,000 times the processing power of other hearing devices, the new Orka Two hearing aid features proprietary -driven noise reduction, in-app adjustments, Bluetooth 5.3, and a blended and...

This is my own experience with them, so far:

On August 25, 2023, I had a remote session with a highly competent Au.D. She re-tuned my Orka 2 HAs to be much closer to my , which I had previously submitted over the net as part of the registration procedure in the app. All aspects of the performance were pretty darn good, except that the incoming streaming of phone calls was too faint to make out. However, my outgoing voice was apparently very well received (a prior trial with my spouse produced similar results). I switched to a mid-size set of double domes, and the incoming music streaming was of almost acceptable volume. But, the phone stream had not improved. On August 29, I received a text from the audi saying that the techies were working on the issue, please stand by. So, at the very least, they have attentive staff with great customer response. Another thing that I cleared up was that indeed these are meant for mildly severe hearing loss. Somewhere in the weeds of their online presence they used the “mild to moderate” qualifier. The audi said that she would get that corrected. The charging case is absolutely first class; in addition to USB-C (wall wart and cable included) it works with a wireless charging pad just like ear buds, and it has a button to initiate pairing. But, once paired with my iPhone and iMac, they stay paired. Bluetooth works well–at least 15 feet, or more, range, and it’s clear as a bell. The “Noise” mode, selected on the app, cuts down very noticeably on ambient noise and focuses listening on the person opposite. Downsides: the unacceptable incoming phone streaming and only 11-hour run time (though the case stores enough energy for two “refills”). If they can fix the former and send out firmware updates, they will have a real contender to offer. It won’t beat my Lumity, nor maybe even the similarly priced brand name HAs at Costco, but it would surely be worth considering.

Today, August 30, I received a text from the audi, to which I agreed:
“If you are willing, can you continue to use our devices for the next 60 days or so? I know our product development team has stated this issue should be resolved on the next over the air update expected to be released early to mid October. I have gotten approval to extend the trial period until after the update for the phone streaming. Is this something you are willing to do? I want to ensure you that your concern is being addressed. Thank you!”

So, stay tuned, to be continued below with recommendation not to purchase Orka Two’s.

Edited

Note: I had attempted to include images supporting the statements below, but I do not know how to do that.

In a nutshell, the Orka Two’s went through one system update OK. That allowed me to hear the other party on a phone call.

But, a second system update, meant to increase the very faint volume of streaming music stalled in mid-course, and the hearing aids were bricked (not recoverable).

So, I returned them for a refund well within the extended return window, and I received notice that they had received my return.

I have asked twice for my refund. They have not replied to either request.

So, my advice at this point is do not purchase the Orka Two’s.

A bit of background: They had extended my return window until November 7th so that I could try out upgrades and report back. Orka received my return on October 30.

One more puzzling thing: two young employees, Sarah and Linkai visited me at my home to seek my opinions about the Orka Two’s.

Strange, very strange. So, to repeat, I’d advise to stay away from the Orka Two’s.

See next post. I got the refund.

ADDENDUM: I finally received the refund in full with apologies for internal disconnects among internal departments at Orka. So at least one can order, and try, and then return with confidence for a refund if not satisfied.

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