Jabra Enhance Pro 20 at Costco vs Starkey Edge AI RIC

The Jabra Enhance Pro 20 at Costco is a premium prescription hearing aid available at the $1,600 price point, earning an A grade with a SoundScore of 4.0/5 in our lab testing. This behind-the-ear device ranks #16 among 36 prescription hearing aids tested, placing it in the top 42% of its category. In our testing, this device demonstrates particular strength in speech clarity for quiet environments, scoring 3.9/5—a solid result that sits 0.47 points above the category average. Own-voice comfort is another highlight at 3.5/5, measuring 0.75 points above typical prescription aids, which may benefit users sensitive to the sound of their own voice. Feedback handling is excellent at 4.8/5, providing stable performance during our challenge tests. The device shows mixed results in some areas. Speech in noise performance is a weakness, scoring 1.3/5—low in absolute terms and 0.25 points below the category average. Users who frequently navigate noisy environments may find this limiting. Music streaming quality is above the category average but only mixed in absolute terms at 2.8/5. The Jabra Enhance Pro 20 includes rechargeable batteries, iPhone and Android streaming compatibility, and hands-free functionality. It's best suited for users who prioritize comfortable, clear speech in quieter settings and value the convenience of Costco's hearing care services. Those who regularly encounter challenging noise environments may want to consider alternatives with stronger speech-in-noise performance.

The Starkey Edge AI RIC is a premium prescription hearing aid released in 2024, priced at $5,000. In our lab testing, it earned a SoundScore of 4.0/5 (A grade), ranking #18 of 36 prescription hearing aids tested—placing it in the top 47% of its category. This behind-the-ear device demonstrates notable strengths in music streaming, scoring 3.8/5—a solid result that's 1.16 points above the category average of 2.64. Speech-in-noise performance also stands out at 1.05 points above average, though the absolute score of 2.6/5 reflects the inherent difficulty of this listening scenario across all devices. Speech in quiet measures 3.8/5, a solid score that's 0.37 points above the prescription category average. The Edge AI shows meaningful improvement with professional fitting. The normalized Initial Score of 3.8/5 climbs to 4.5/5 when tuned—a 0.7-point gain that underscores the value of working with a hearing care professional. Feedback handling remains excellent at 4.7/5 in absolute terms, though this falls just below the category average. Own-voice comfort scores 2.8/5, slightly above average but reflecting mixed absolute performance typical of this challenging metric. The Edge AI RIC is best suited for users who prioritize streaming quality and are committed to professional fitting optimization. It competes in a price tier with strong alternatives like the Oticon Intent (4.75/5) and Phonak Sphere Infinio (4.65/5), which outperform it on overall sound scores. This 2024 Expert's Choice Award recipient offers reliable performance with rechargeable batteries and hands-free streaming to both iPhone and Android devices.