The Bluetooth Omni Smart Hearing Aid has a promising name. With more and more hearing aid brands adding gadgets to their models, even non-prescription hearing aids keep getting smarter. There’s a wide range of Bluetooth hearing aids, and we’ll just have to see how smart the BT Omni is. In this BT Omni review, I’ll take you past the key features, normal features, and downsides of this hearing aid.
As always, I make sure to compare this model with other models before getting to my final buying recommendation. This way you don’t just know how well the Omni works, but also if it’s the best way to spend your money.
To skip the reading and go straight for the verdict, I’ve made you a visual 30-second review where you get all the important information at once. You can find this review at the bottom of this post.
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Key features
The first key feature is that the BT Omni allows you to stream music and other audio from your phone straight to your hearing aids. This means you don’t need a separate set of headphones. It saves you from switching between your normal headphones and your hearing aids and allows you to buy one type. A lot of Bluetooth hearing aids do not support this function.
The second key feature is that the Omni is indeed smarter than just using Bluetooth for a connection between your phone and your hearing aids. Using a quick test, you can set up the hearing aids to specifically fit your needs. These self-fitting hearing aids ensure a good listening experience.
As you’d almost expect from looking at the pictures, the Omni is also rechargeable. The hearing aids come in a sleek black case. You charge the case, and when you put the devices into the case, the case charges those devices in turn.
Who is this hearing amplifier for?
If you really want to stream music and video sound straight to your hearing aids, but you don’t want to buy a $5000 prescription hearing aid, the BT Omni is a good choice. These hearing bud type aids might also be good if you’re trying to be inconspicuous and pretend you’re listening to music, but in real life it will fall through rather quickly.
How well does the BT Omni work?
As a hearing aid, the BT Omni works as you might expect. The peak gain is an average 33 dB, and you pick between three different listening programs. It has regular noise canceling features, and you can adjust the volume through the app.
The rechargeable battery is fully charged in 1.5 hours. This gives you an average battery life of 7 hours as a hearing aid, and 5 hours for streaming. While the streaming time is pretty good, the battery life as a hearing aid is really below average. The other model from SmartHearingAid, the BT Angel, has a battery life of 25 hours as a normal hearing aid, and 2.5 hours when streaming. The Union SmartEar Plus, the other hearing aid with streaming capacity, has a similar performance as the BT Omni.
What’s not to like about the BT Omni?
It’s not the best hearing aid out there. You’re still buying fancy earbuds with some hearing aid capacities or fine hearing aids with streaming capacities. They fall short of true hearing aids, such as the Neosonic MX Smart, which has a lot of the same features, but doesn’t stream. As a hearing aid, I simply can’t wholeheartedly endorse the BT Omni. As an extra pair when traveling, I think these are great.
Alternatives for the BT Omni
When you’re looking for one pair of good hearing aids, it’s better to look elsewhere. I personally recommend the Lexie Lumen, MDHearing VOLT MAX, or the Neosonic MX-RIC for three great options. If you’re looking for CIC hearing aids (where the entire device fits in your ear canal), your options are a lot slimmer, but the MDHearing NEO might be worth looking at. The Eargo 6 is the best out there, but puts you in an entirely different price range.
For other streaming models, the BT Omni are very close to the BT Pods in price and functionality. The Lucid Hearing Engage is a step up, and the Olive SmartEar Plus is the top shelf option in this category.
Should you buy the BT Omni?
If you’ve been eyeing the Olive SmartEar or one of the prescription hearing aids with streaming capabilities, but you’re looking to save some money, the BT Omni is a good alternative. It’s not the best hearing aid for $400 or less, but it has a rare feature. So, buy it for the feature or look for a better hearing aid.
The BT Omni currently costs $399 for a pair.
The BT Omni is rechargeable, so you don’t need to buy any batteries. You charge the case, which charges your hearing aids in turn. The battery life is an average of six hours.