Audien Hearing Atom X Hearing Aids Review: High-Tech Case

The lawsuit is killer. Low-volume amplification tin beryllium effective. Reasonably discreet. Improved hiss reduction.

Not tunable. Hearing support is very blunt. Not a awesome worth considering nan full package.

Audien Hearing made waves past twelvemonth erstwhile it launched nan Atom One, 1 of nan fewer hearing aids to deed nan marketplace for nether $100. The only problem is 1 you astir apt figured retired already: They conscionable weren’t very effective arsenic proceeding aids, providing a blunt amplification of each sound, whether you wanted to perceive it aliases not—underpinned pinch a dependable furniture of hiss.

Audien has many times tried again successful this low-end portion of nan market, cranking retired astatine slightest 5 models of low-cost proceeding aids. While they person mildly ratcheted up nan price, astir costs nether $300. Its latest merchandise is nan Atom X, different rotation connected nan aforesaid in-the-ear creation but pinch immoderate fancy caller features and a $389 price, inching ever upward.

Case Study

The hearing aids themselves aren’t precisely striking: Earplug-like and beige, pinch a weight of 2.20 grams each, nan elemental devices each person a fat fastener connected nan outward-facing surface. These buttons power everything from measurement (independently successful each ear) and streaming media to hands-free calling, depending connected whether they are connected via Bluetooth and really agelong nan fastener is pressed.

The oblong creation looks a spot overseas astatine first, but it turns retired they are reasonably comfortable for longer listening sessions and reasonably discreet, only hardly visible erstwhile successful spot successful nan ear. Three sets of otherwise sized receptor tips successful 2 different shapes, some unvented, are included successful nan box.

The astonishing and overmuch bigger news involves nan case, and I tin safely opportunity that nan Atom X has nan astir precocious and useful lawsuit of immoderate proceeding assistance merchandise I’ve tested to date—more powerful than nan lawsuit included pinch products that are 10 times nan cost. The concealed condiment is simply a touchscreen connected nan front, letting you easy pat to power volume, biology mode, and toggle Bluetooth connected and off.

When streaming complete Bluetooth, nan touchscreen changes to power media measurement and entree to nan transparency level (the magnitude of sound cancellation). Yet different mode kicks successful erstwhile you are interacting pinch a telephone call. The lawsuit besides displays nan real-time artillery level for each proceeding assistance independently and nan artillery level of nan lawsuit itself. Audien says you tin expect 20 hours from nan immunodeficiency (without streaming) connected a afloat complaint and 28 further hours of complaint from nan lawsuit earlier it needs to beryllium topped up via a USB-C connection. Those estimates were reasonably meticulous successful my testing. As a bonus, nan lawsuit moreover includes a built-in UV sterilization system.

I really enjoyed having each of this powerfulness astatine nan fresh without having to usage an app, which is particularly useful because Audien doesn’t person an app. Streaming functions mostly activity for illustration they would connected a modular group of Bluetooth earbuds, and each proceeding assistance settings person to beryllium managed done nan case.

Blunt Tools

That deficiency of power has agelong been nan problem pinch Audien’s products, which are blunt amplifiers that can’t beryllium tuned extracurricular of changing nan measurement and picking 1 of nan 4 biology modes. There is nary proceeding trial usability and nary measurement to style nan frequencies wherever you request nan astir help, which intends everything gets lifted, much aliases less. For users accustomed to much refined control, it’s a jarring experience, though Audien suggests that complete clip “your encephalon will adjust” to nan overload of inheritance sounds and your ain booming voice.

The 4 biology modes tin beryllium of immoderate thief here, but nan champion successful my acquisition was nan default Comfort mode, which “reduces nan sharpness of high-frequency sounds and wide intensity, creating a much comfortable, balanced listening experience.” The Atom X’s Conversation mode was excessively crisp for overmuch use, while nan Crowd and TV modes didn’t make a large effect successful comparison to nan Comfort mode.

I instantly noticed that location was a overmuch little level of hiss connected nan Atom X than connected erstwhile Audien proceeding aids, but nan wide acquisition still wasn’t each that effective. By blasting retired little frequencies I didn’t request amplified, I recovered I often heard worse pinch nan proceeding immunodeficiency successful than pinch them out—and this was exacerbated nan louder I pushed nan volume. At very debased levels of amplification (10 aliases 20 percent astatine most), nan proceeding immunodeficiency were astatine their astir effective for me. Anything beyond that threatened to get painful.

At $389, nan Atom X is simply a reliable waste compared to nan $249 Apple AirPods Pro 3, which person a tuning system, app control, outstanding sound cancellation, and wide better-quality proceeding support. Yes, they are overmuch larger and much visible than nan Atom X aids, but if you ne'er really deterioration your proceeding immunodeficiency because they don’t supply a awesome experience, really overmuch does discretion moreover matter?