Audien Hearing Atom X vs. Phonak Audéo Infinio Ultra

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.

Phonak’s Infinio Sphere delivers genuinely standout speech clarity in loud, noisy places thanks to its DEEPSONIC “Sphere mode,” but you’ll trade some discretion and may wrestle with fit or Bluetooth pairing to get that top-tier performance.

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.

Phonak Sphere Infinio Ultra achieved a SoundScore of 4.9/5 and a SoundGrade of A in HearAdvisor lab testing. It ranked #3 of 39 Prescription Hearing Aid devices tested. The Prescription Hearing Aid category average SoundScore was 4.19/5.

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.

Phonak Audéo Sphere Ultra have an excellent build quality with a robust, portable charging case and a high ingress rating of IP68.

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.

Ultra is designed to deliver all-day use, with battery-life figures of up to 56 hours under ideal conditions (i.e., in quiet with no streaming) and about 10-11 hours when Sphere mode is continuously engaged. They take 3 to 4 hours to recharge, and a 30-minute quick charge can provide an additional 6 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.

Phonak Infinio Ultra are compatible with both iOS and Android, offering wireless audio streaming and hands-free calls. Pairing is now easier directly from your phone's Bluetooth menu.

Not yet rated by our experts

I found the MyPhonak Hearing Aid app easy to use with many useful features, including health and fitness tracking.

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

Phonak Audéo Sphere Infinio Ultra were extremely comfortable and lightweight in my ears. In general, hearing care providers can make numerous physical changes to prescription hearing aids to improve comfort.

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.

Phonak's new Audéo Sphere Infinio Ultra model shares the same notably larger size as the original Phonak Infinio Sphere. This is needed for its increased AI processing. While the larger size may be more noticeable, Sphere Ultra remains comfortable, and your provider should have no trouble adjusting the fit to your preference.

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

Phonak Sphere Infinio Ultra has a value score of 3.5/5 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.

Infinio Ultra are easy to use and adjust using either the large multi-function button or MyPhonak app. I had no issues making adjustments with either.

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

Prescription hearing aids like Infinio Sphere Ultra are fit by hearing care providers so you should receive quality care. The MyPhonak app also opens the possibility for remote programming and virtual follow-up appointments.