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Orka Two Hearing Aids Review

Prices, Sound Recordings, Models
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Updated
February 4, 2024
Methodology
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Soundly is an independently owned hearing health research tool. Our reviews are conducted by hearing aid wearers and audiologists. We physically review the leading hearing aids on the market for sound quality, comfort, durability, and more. Our review process starts with hands-on unboxing and days, weeks, or months of wear. We also record live sound demos using a calibrated binaural microphone (read more here). We experiment with backend fitting software for prescription products and use test box measures to measure prescriptive accuracy and flexibility. Our work is funded through reader support. When you buy through our links, we may earn a commission. Read more about our story here.

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Affordable
Bluetooth
Behind the Ear
Rechargeable
PROFESSIONAL FITTING

Background

Orka is a new entrant to the hearing health category, but its founders are far from novice. CEO Ben Sun cut his teeth as a product designer at Apple and brought on technical co-founders from Siemens and Facebook. One of the company’s co-founders is a long-time hearing aid wearer with first-hand knowledge of the challenges that come with hearing loss. 

What Makes Orka Special 

Orka Two is one of the most exciting products to join the category in a long time. The product’s design is second to none (although only available in white), and the underlying technology is impressive. Unlike hearing aid incumbents, Orka has figured out how to use a much more powerful General Chip inside their devices (the same chip as Airpods and other consumer tech).

The chip gives them up to 1,000 times the processing power and unlocks features like AI Denoise and universal Bluetooth connection. The tradeoff is battery life - Orka Two lasts 12 hours on a single charge compared to 20-30 hours among traditional options.   

Importantly, Orka’s hearing aids are built-from scratch vs. white labeled from an existing manufacturer. That means Orka can freely deliver updates to their devices over the air (similar to a software update on your phone). 

Our Take

Orka’s feature set and sound quality is competitive with the best products on the market. Orka shines for universal Bluetooth connection and hands-free calling on Android and iPhone. They also stand out for their minimal and modern design. If you haven’t noticed, we’re excited about this launch. 

The drawbacks to Orka? The brand is new. On the one hand, that’s great, but it also comes with the early-adopter risk that there could be hiccups. That said, Orka has a 3-year warranty and unlimited professional support, so you definitely won’t be left high and dry. 

A couple of other notes: Orka’s hearing aids are not for people with severe hearing loss and have a shorter battery life than industry leaders. 

Pros 👍
  • Premium technology and powerful sound-processing chip
  • Innovative design that looks good and uses the recharge case as a remote
  • Affordable price for the technology

Cons 👎
  • Shorter battery life (12 hours)
  • Requires comfort with an app and smartphone
  • Only available in white
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Soundly Scorecard
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Hearing Loss Level 🔊
Mild - Moderate
  • Orka Two is a fully customizable, prescription hearing aid appropriate for mild-moderate hearing loss
  • If you have severe hearing loss and struggle with feedback (squealing) you may need a custom earmold (not available through Orka at this time)
Care Type 🏥
Telehealth
  • Orka is a remote care brand that programs and delivers your hearing aids through Telehealth
  • Take or submit a hearing test and an Orka professional will program your hearing aids remotely
  • Three year warranty and unlimited follow-up care
  • 45-day risk-free return policy
Sound Quality 🔊
Strong in Background Noise
  • Orka Two is a full-featured hearing aid with built in artificial intelligence and strong noise reduction
  • Orka uses more powerful chips than traditional hearing aids which enables more sound processing in difficult listening environments
  • Orka Two is on par with industry-leading, premium devices
Comfort 🦻
Very Comfortable For All-Day Wear
  • Orka comes in a small and comfortable receiver-in-canal style that is easy to wear all day
Style  💫
Behind The Ear
  • Sits behind the ear with a receiver (speaker) that reaches into the ear canal
  • The form factor and Size of Orka Two is comparable to Phonak Lumity and Oticon Real hearing aids
  • Orka Two is only available in white at this time
Battery 🔋
Rechargeable Only
  • Orka Two comes with a compact recharging case that uses a USBC port
  • Orka Two offers 12 hours of battery life (less than industry leaders)
  • Charging case holds two additional, on-the-go, charges and takes 1.5 hours to fully recharge your device
  • Orka's battery life is lower than the industry average (12 hours vs 20 hours) due to the devices increased processing power
Connection 📡
Bluetooth Available
  • Orka Two allows Bluetooth streaming, music listening, and phone calls for both iPhone and Android devices
  • Orka Two does not use ASHA or MFI protocals which means both iPhone and Android devices have access to hands-free calling
  • Orka Two allows simultaneous connection to multiple devices (switch from your computer to your Phone with a tap)
Dexterity Level 🤏
Easy
  • Orka Two is reasonably easy to handle but does require the wearer to place the hearing aid behind their ear and insert the receiver into the ear (consistent across all behind-the-ear styles)
  • Orka Two does not require battery changes
  • Orka Two includes remote control buttons on their case for easy volume and program adjustments without opening an app
Waterproof Level 💦
IP68
  • Orka Two has an IP rating of 68
  • These hearing aids can withstand dust and water submersion in one meter of water for up to 30 minutes
App features 📱
Has An App, Telehealth Capable
  • Change volume, sound quality and noise-reduction levels
  • An Orka professional can push program changes to your devices remotely via the Orka app
  • Turn on streaming focus
Pricing and Process
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Orka Two is $1,899 / pair, or you can opt for a payment plan starting at $80 per month. 

Orka Two is a prescription device delivered through Telehealthcare. You’ll work with a trained professional to test your hearing (using the Orka app) and program your devices. The professional can make remote program adjustments as often as needed. 

You can also opt for self-service anytime and re-take Orka's onboard hearing test. We recommend working with a professional for program updates because the service is free and available from home.

Take Orka’s product survey to see if you are fit here

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Name

Full Review

Blake Cadwell
Written by
Blake Cadwell

Launching a prescription-level hearing aid from scratch is like building a new car brand. Tesla and Rivian have proven that it's possible, but the odds are stacked against you.

New brands are rare because five big companies set the standard for the industry with hundreds or thousands of employees and millions in R&D each year. It's tough to match.

Orka Health is not owned by one of the big guys, and unlike some OTC upstarts, they are intent on building quality products that go toe-toe with prescription devices in features and sophistication.  

Orka's independence and backing from the likes of Tencent and Sequoia Capital give the brand freedom to try some new things. The company's co-founders come from Apple, Siemens, and Facebook and are no strangers to technology.

After nearly four years in relatively quiet R&D, Orka has now opened up in the U.S. In August 2023 they launched their second generation product - Orka Two. 

In this review, I'll share my unboxing along with everything I’ve learned about the company and their ambitions.  

Let's get into it!

Who is Orka?

Orka was founded in Menlo Park in 2018 after CEO Ben Sun watched his grandmother struggle with her hearing aids. Ben was working as a product design engineer at Apple where he worked on Apple Pencil and Butterfly Keyboard.

Ben soon convinced hearing aid wearer and Stanford graduate Xinke, Facebook AI developer Chauncey, and Siemens Healthcare researcher Linkai to join him in rebuilding hearing aids from the ground up.

Ben and his team built the first Orka prototype in his California apartment and used it to raise funds from some tech players like Sequoia Capital and Tencent.

Orka founding team

Today the Orka team is 70+ with a strong group of technical and product developers and a growing number of audiologists and hearing health professionals.

Ben's co-founder Xinke is a long-time hearing aid wearer, and her experience shapes the user experience at Orka. When I asked their team why Orka isn't planning to sell OTC, Xinke referenced her history of life-changing relationships with audiologists.

She and the Orka team want that professional relationship to  stay front and center as they build a forward-thinking company.

How The Orka Process Works

Orka programs hearing aids remotely through Telehealth

Orka hearing aids are not available at local clinics. Instead the company has opted for Telehealth care.

Interested customers are paired with a hearing specialist who walks them through the entire process. The specialist guides the new wearer through a remote onboarding session and ongoing follow-up.

For self-starters, Orka has a comprehensive onboarding tutorial in the Orka App where users can set up Bluetooth, take a hearing test and schedule a fine-tuning session with Orka’s audiologists.

Customers will order Orka hearing aids online and work with a remote audiologist to program them for their hearing loss. I sent an existing hearing test to my Orka specialist who pre-loaded my audiogram into the devices before they arrived. Real-time programming can also be done during a remote care session using the app.

If you don't have a recent hearing test available, you can take an onboard hearing test inside Orka's app with the hearing aids placed in your ears.

From there, you can access remote care through the app when needed. At one point in this review, I had issues pairing my phone through Bluetooth and used the app to submit a ticket and resolve the issue. The process is convenient for anyone who doesn't prefer time spent in the clinic.

Unboxing Orka Two

Orka Two ships directly to your home

Orka truly excels in the finer points of design. From the packaging to the product, Orka Two feels premium. Maybe it's no surprise given the CEO's stint as a designer at Apple. The product ships in a neatly packed box including the hearing aids, various dome tips, a recharge cord and some manuals.

Product Design

Orka Two comes with a small, recharge case that carries two additional chargers.

The case looks like my AirPods case with the same high-sheen finish. The company shared that their design inspiration came from smooth stones in a stream - sounds peaceful. The Orka recharge case doubles as a remote control where you can click buttons for volume and mode adjustments. I use this feature more than I expected. Note that the hearing aids themselves do not have any onboard buttons, so you'll need to use the case or the app to adjust the volume.

Orka Two comes with alternate eartips and a charger.

Before I fired up the hearing aids, I selected a dome tip that felt comfortable in my ears. I opted for a slightly smaller version than the default mid-size version that my hearing aids arrived in.

Orka Two Recharge Case

Orka Two's portable charger uses a USBC charge port.

Orka's charger comes with a standard USBC port. The box comes with a charger but you can find USBC chargers literally anywhere.

Orka Two hearing aids use port based charging and have magnetic connection.

Orka Two hearing aids use port-based charging (instead of conduction). The Charge case does have a strong magnet that makes replacing the devices in the charger very easy.

Size and Fit

Orka Two hearing aids sit behind the ear with a speaker inside the ear.

Orka Two sits comfortably behind my ears with a nearly invisible wire that drops a speaker in my ear canal. Most people would never know I'm wearing a hearing aid from the side or front of me. From behind, you can see the white product. At this time, Orka only offers their hearing aids in white.

Orka Two hearing aids are only available in white

One fun note. Orka Two hearing aids have wear-detection built-in. That means when you take off your hearing aids, they stop amplifying and pause your music. Orka Two is the only hearing aid I know of with this modern feature. Pretty cool stuff.

Orka hearing aids (far left) compared to Phonak, ReSound and Starkey

Orka Two is similar in size to the the market leaders (pictured above). Size and fit between various products shown above are virtually identical.

Orka Two Setup and App

With the product out of the box, it's time to pair the hearing aids to Bluetooth and set up the app. This process was truly a breeze and didn't require any of the typical extra steps that come with hearing aid streaming.

Bluetooth Connection

Orka uses universal Bluetooth connections - no special steps required.

Unlike most other leading hearing aids, Orka uses universal Bluetooth connection. The hearing aids pair just like any pair of headphones in the settings section of your app.

Instructions:

  • Open settings
  • Look for Orka 2
  • Hit pair
  • You should now be streaming phone calls and music
Orka hearing aids maintained connection up to 55 feet away from my phone.

I tested Orka's streaming power by walking away from my phone. The hearing aids maintained a stream for 55 feet before breaking up. That range is better than many premium devices on the market.

Worth noting, you can turn down your outside world volume via the app or your charge case buttons for a better listening experience.

Smartphone App

Orka Two smartphone app offers various programs, volume control and remote programming.

The Orka app gives you control over your volume and lets you choose between "Normal" and "In Noise" modes. I personally keep my "In Noise" setting on at all times.

Access You Hearing Profile

Of course, every hearing loss is different and Orka Two customizes your sound based on your audiogram. Tap the menu icon in the left corner to access your hearing profile. If you've sent in a hearing test that profile should be waiting for you. If you choose to take a hearing test through the hearing aids, the app will walk you through the process.

Orka hearing profiles are sent to your hearing aids remotely by their Telehealth team.

Overall Thoughts

I'm impressed by this new hearing aid and I'd be surprised if they aren't major players in the category a few years from now. That said, Orka is a young company and isn't right for everyone.

Pros:

  • Competitive price
  • Beautiful design
  • Convenient and tech-forward remote care
  • Impressive underlying technology and noise management
  • Industry-leading Bluetooth streaming
  • 45 day returns, three year warranty and lifetime service

Cons:

  • Shorter battery life
  • Not for severe/profound hearing loss
  • Orka is a new company. Expect some learning along the way.

If you are an early adopter or want to save money but still get a high-quality product, Orka's is a compelling option. If you prefer to work with a local doctor in person or like only tried and true options, give this one a few years. My guess is that they'll be here for the long term.

Blake Cadwell
Written by
Blake Cadwell
Soundly Staff
Reviewed by
Soundly Staff
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