Audien Hearing Atom X vs. Elehear Beyond

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.

Offering good background noise handling, competitive wireless audio, and a solid app, Elehear Beyond is the best value hearing aid I've ever tested.

Audien Atom X achieved a SoundScore of 2.98/5 and a SoundGrade of B in HearAdvisor lab testing. It ranked #9 of 61 OTC Hearing Aid devices tested. The OTC Hearing Aid category average SoundScore was 3.47/5.

Elehear Beyond achieved a SoundScore of 4.35/5 and a SoundGrade of A in HearAdvisor lab testing. It ranked #6 of 61 OTC Hearing Aid devices tested. The OTC Hearing Aid category average SoundScore was 3.47/5.

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.

Elehear Beyond hearing aids have an IPx5 rating, meaning you will need to protect them from moisture and dust. However, they appear to be build from quality materials and come with a robust portable charging case.

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.

Beyond have a reported battery life of up to 18 hours per charge, which is enough to get most people through the day. The case also offers on-the-go power and can recharge Elehear in around 1.5 hours, longer if the portable-charger needs to be simultaneously recharged.

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.

Beyond are Bluetooth compatible with both iOS and Android devices, allowing for audio streaming and hands-free calling.

Not yet rated by our experts

The Elehear app has a user-friendly interface and modern, appealing design. It includes practical features like volume control and a tone balance from Brighter to Deeper. At this time, Beyond are "preset-based", though you can get a more customized fit using their ElePro feature.

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 Beyond fairly comfortable in spite of their larger body size. Be sure to test various ear tips to find optimal comfort and hearing benefit.

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.

Beyond have a more modern receiver-in-canal design, although the body size is larger than many other hearing aids. While this should not effect comfort much, it may make them more noticeable based on your ear size and hairstyle.

Audien Atom X has a value score of 3.9/5 based on lab performance and public display price.

Elehear Beyond has a value score of 4.9/5 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.

I did not run into any issues while using Beyond or the Elehear mobile app. First-time users may need some practice to get accustomed to inserting the receiver-in-ear style properly.

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

Unlike many OTC devices, remote support from licensed audiologists is available through the ElePro app feature. This offers several benefits, but one we particularly liked was the ability for Elehear providers to recommend program settings based on their app or web based hearing assessment.