Audien Hearing Atom X vs. Cearvol Wave

A clever touchscreen charging case and long battery life modernize Audien's budget lineup—but speech clarity (especially in noise) still trails many OTC rivals.

Cearvol Wave is an affordable earbud-style OTC hearing aid with Bluetooth streaming, self-fitting controls, wired audio input, and a touchscreen charging case. Current lab results show useful speech benefit and good music streaming, with a B SoundGrade. Shorter runtime, a plugged-up own voice, and remote-microphone delay are its main compromises.

Audien Atom X achieved a SoundScore of 3.3/5 and a SoundGrade of B in HearAdvisor lab testing. It ranked #54 of 65 OTC Hearing Aid devices tested. The OTC Hearing Aid category average SoundScore was 3.68/5.

Cearvol Wave achieved a SoundScore of 3.9/5 and a SoundGrade of B in HearAdvisor lab testing. It ranked #22 of 65 OTC Hearing Aid devices tested. The OTC Hearing Aid category average SoundScore was 3.68/5.

Audien Atom X hearing aids lack an IP rating, so they might not be the best against moisture or dust. While using them they feel decently built and they do come with an excellent portable charging case.

We found Cearvol Wave to feel well built, especially the portable charging case, though they have a lower IPx5 rating. This suggests you should take extra care and limit exposing them to moisture and debris.

Atom X offer up to 12 hours of battery life, which is less than many of Audien's hearing aids. Recharging will take roughly 3-4 hours, with the case offering several additional full charges.

Wave's battery life falls below many other hearing aids with a max use time of up to 10 hours per charge. You can expect shorter run times in their Restaurant program and with heavy use of Wave's wireless audio features. While this could be better, Wave offer a quick-charge feature where 15 minute in the case gives you an additional 3 hours of use.

Atom X offer wireless control and streaming for both iOS and Android. This is the key new addition for Atom X and I found it to work very well.

Cearvol Wave are Bluetooth compatible with both iOS and Android devices, allowing for audio streaming and hands-free calling. The case also offers unique additional wireless features.

Not yet rated by our experts

We found the Cearvol mobile app to offer many useful features for general sound customization. The user-interface could be modernized, though the large numbers and icons make it easier to see what you are adjusting.

I found Atom X more comfortable than Atom Pro 2, though other hearing aids will likely offer you a better fit and overall comfort.

I found Wave comfortable to wear with a nice "twist-in" feel. My main complaint is that they protrude slightly from the ear which can make them more prone to catching on things.

The design of Atom X falls between a custom hearing aid and wireless earbud. They are only available in a medical beige color, which is meant to match skin color, but will not suit everyone.

Wave offer a modern earbud-like design. This, along with their black and silver color, make them very noticeable in your ears. Depending on your preferences this can be a pro or a con.

Audien Atom X has a value score of 4.2/5 based on lab performance and public display price.

Cearvol Wave has a value score of 4.8/5 based on lab performance and public display price.

Atom X is the most user friendly hearing aid I have tried from Audien Hearing to date. The physical buttons are large and the bright touchscreen feature is a great addition.

Handling is one area where Wave shine. The portable charging case includes a touch-screen and doubles as a wireless remote control for your hearing aids. It also offers additional features like a remote microphone and direct audio input.

Like many OTC products, Audien does not offer remote assistance from hearing experts, support is limited to email and phone customer support.

Cearvol mention offering both remote and online support from hearing care providers. You also have 24/5 access to their support specialists. In my experiences, they are quick to respond and you can easily receive help from a human.