Audien Hearing Atom X vs. Lexie Powered by Bose

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 Lexie B2 Plus Powered by Bose is an over-the-counter, self-fitting hearing aid priced at $999 per pair, designed for adults with mild to moderate hearing loss. This rechargeable device offers iPhone and Android call streaming, a new recharging case, and an in-app hearing test for personalized sound customization.

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.

Lexie B2 Plus achieved a SoundScore of 4.60/5 and a SoundGrade of A in HearAdvisor lab testing. It ranked #4 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.

Lexie claims all of their products have an IP rating of 67 which is near the maximal egress protection for hearing aids. Beyond this, I found B2 well built with a good button click feel and 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.

Lexie B2 has a reported battery life of 18 hours so it should last all-day for most people. It takes only 3 hours to recharge in its case which also doubles as a portable charger thanks to the internal power-bank.

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.

B2 does offer audio streaming though it is unfortunately limited to iOS devices. I found B2’s streamed audio quality mediocre but it is a useful feature to have for those of use using Apple products.

Not yet rated by our experts

The phone app is one of my favorite features of B2. It is simple and visually pleasing while offering excellent personalization. Lexie has recently added an in-app hearing test making it even better.

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

B2 is a rather sleek receiver-in-canal (RIC) hearing aid. I found its comfort similar to that of prescription hearing aids and experienced no issues wearing it long-term (even with glasses).

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.

Lexie B2 offers a sleek design similar to modern prescription hearing aids from major manufacturers. One potential downside is that it is only available in Gray, with no other color options.

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

Lexie B2 Plus has a value score of 4.2/5 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 had no issues adjusting B2 with the app or rocker switch. I found the physical buttons sufficiently large and tactile offering a good click feel when depressed.

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

One downside to Lexie B2 is that you are limited to phone or email based technical support. Fortunately, B2 and their phone app are fairly user-friendly and you will likely not need regular assistance.