Audien Hearing Atom X vs. Elehear Delight

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.

The ELEHEAR Delight is an affordable OTC hearing aid designed to look and feel more like a modern earbud than a traditional hearing aid. While HearingTracker has not yet completed a full hands-on review, independent lab testing from HearAdvisor suggests the Delight delivers strong overall value for the price, with especially good performance for everyday conversations in quieter settings and better-than-expected music streaming. Its main trade-offs are more modest performance in noisy environments and slightly weaker feedback handling, but for budget-conscious shoppers who want a comfortable, app-connected, earbud-style hearing aid, the Delight is a promising option.

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.

Elehear Delight achieved a SoundScore of 4.3/5 and a SoundGrade of A in HearAdvisor lab testing. It ranked #9 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.

Elehear Delight have an IP67 rating, meaning they offer good protection against moisture and dust. They appear built from quality materials, with a unique rubber flange pull-tab, and come with a sleek 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.

Delight have a reported battery life of up to 13.5 hours per charge, which is on the lower end. The case offers up to 2 full additional charges which you can expect to take around 1.5 hours from a fully depleted battery.

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.

Delight 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, Delight are "preset-based", though you can get a more customized fit using their ElePro feature and their "Audiologist Plan" program.

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 Delight fairly comfortable with good ear retention. 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.

Unlike other Elehear hearing aids, Delight offer a more modern earbud-like design. Their smaller size also means they are relatively discrete. One potential downside is that Delight are currently only available in a light-tan color.

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

Elehear Delight has a value score of 5.0/5 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 Delight and overall found the app, and Bluetooth connection, very stable. Delight hearing aids are ear specific, so be sure to get them oriented 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 and follow-up email correspondence. It is not the same as direct in-person care, though it is a nice inclusion from Elehear.