Starkey Evolv AI Expert Review

The Starkey Evolv AI is a premium behind-the-ear prescription hearing aid that earned an A grade in HearAdvisor's lab testing, ranking in the top 41% of the prescription hearing aid category. At $4,798, it sits in the highest price tier and competes against flagship devices from Oticon, Phonak, and Signia.

In our testing, the Evolv AI demonstrated notably strong speech-in-noise performance, scoring nearly 2 points above the category average—a meaningful advantage for users who frequently navigate challenging listening environments like restaurants or group conversations. Speech clarity in quiet settings also measured above average, and music streaming quality exceeded typical performance for the category.

However, the Evolv AI showed weaknesses in two areas. Feedback handling measured well below average in the tuned fit condition, which may require more careful management during fitting. Own-voice comfort also scored below average, likely related to the closed dome coupling used in both test conditions, which can increase occlusion effects.

While the Evolv AI earned Expert's Choice Awards in 2023 and 2024, buyers in this price range should note that several competitors—including the Oticon Intent (4.70) and Phonak Sphere Infinio (4.64)—achieved higher overall scores. The Evolv AI is best suited for users who prioritize speech understanding in noisy environments and value Starkey's feature set, including rechargeable batteries and hands-free streaming to both iPhone and Android devices.