When used as a hearing aid, Melodia has two modes: an all-around mode and a “listen in noise” mode designed for noisy environments. Both were fairly effective, but I got the best results using the hearing aids in a quiet environment. This is because the noise reduction, which is adjustable to three different levels, tends to block out more important sounds, like voices, when turned up to maximum. With noise reduction at minimum, I always heard a faint background hum and a noticeable echo.
However, the biggest issue I had with the Melodia hearing aids was having to turn the volume all the way up to get the most benefit, something I rarely experience with other hearing aids. The Kingwell app has an in-app system where you can request support if your hearing experience is less than perfect. A technical support agent quickly suggested resetting my audiogram settings 10 points higher overall, along with other fixes. While this helped with the overall volume, it worsened the echo effect and made the audio seem to bob up and down, an issue that can feel a bit maddening over time.
As streaming earphones, the Melodia units sounded great, at least with music. There was great instrument depth, solid but not too strong bass, and overall very clear vocals. Oddly, while watching a dialogue-heavy movie with the hearing aids, I encountered a new issue: the voices in both ears seemed out of sync and there was a lot of echo. I put the hearing aids back in the case, changed the mode to hearing aid mode and tried again, and the issue seemed to be somewhat alleviated.
Photo: Christopher Null
Unfortunately, the Kingwell’s noise reduction mode only works in hearing aid mode – in fact, in streaming mode, you can’t even control the volume of your hearing aids with the Kingwell app – although you can manipulate the volume sliders for each ear, which oddly enough don’t actually work – instead you have to use your phone’s volume controls.
The promised battery life seems ambitious, but streaming really does take a toll on charge levels. An hour of continuous streaming reduced the reported battery life by a third. Kingwell says the nine-hour life only applies to hearing aid mode, with streaming mode bringing it down to closer to six hours. But it still seems overly optimistic.
The Melodia hearing aids are a little rough around the edges, but they are moderately effective and surprisingly comfortable to wear for extended periods of time. I was able to wear them for hours without any itching, something that’s hard to do with other hearing aids. They’re not my favorite hearing aid under $500, but they’re at least worth a listen.
