Founded in 2018, Orka Labs feels like a larger, more established company hearing aid company than it is, with refined material which is now in its second edition.
The Orka Two is something of a hybrid between prescription and over-the-counter hearing aids. The devices are registered as prescription aids, but are sold online as over-the-counter products. Professional medical consultations and adjustments are available (and included in the price) but are not required if you decide to go it alone.
The hardware is traditional in shape, a behind-the-ear design with receivers that fit into the ear canal via flexible wires. But while they’re a bit oversized compared to similar models (and rather heavy at 3.8 grams each), they stand out with their glossy AirPod White color and curved teardrop design. The units have no physical controls, which further enhances their elegance. For behind-the-ear hearing aids, they seem to perform as well as one would expect – and much better than the usual industrial gray hearing aids that are now so common.
As with most over-ear aids, I found the units a little difficult to install and requiring a lot of fiddling to get them properly placed in my ears. The usual collection of open and closed tips are included in the box. While I normally find that medium sized tips fit me just fine, I found all but the smallest to be uncomfortably large.
Photography: Orka
True to its hybrid design, Orka offers two ways to configure the units. A powerful hearing test is integrated into the app, which can be used to quickly make appropriate adjustments. Alternatively, if you have a professional audiogram, you can take a photo and upload it through the app. Then, Orka’s in-house audiologists will adjust your aids accordingly (within one business day). Any adjustments can be made by emailing or calling Orka for adjustments, although the company notes that its “remote consultation” feature, where you can schedule an appointment directly through the app, is currently currently being redesigned and is offline.
The Orka app is simple to the point of being foolproof, with two main modes of operation. “Normal” is the low environmental noise mode that relies on settings made via your audiogram or an in-situ hearing test, while “Into Noise” is self-explanatory. Here, Orka gets more aggressive with settings, using an AI algorithm to adjust its settings dynamically in response to your environment. A beam shaping option in In Noise mode allows you to target your hearing to a single person or “everyone”. The volume can be adjusted universally or individually for each ear.
As stated previously, there are no physical controls on the units. Unusually, the hardware controls are on the charging case (which allows for about three charges). Here you will find a program button that cycles through the two operating modes and another pair of buttons for adjusting the volume. Pay close attention: paradoxically, the volume increase button is on the left and the volume decrease button is on the right. Despite the knockdown, I ultimately found the case-mounted buttons much more convenient than fumbling behind my ears to find the right buttons. For users with reduced mobility, this could be a game-changer.
