Audien Hearing Atom X vs. Signia Active Mini IX

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.

Signia Active Mini IX earned a 4.2/5 score and an A SoundGrade in our lab testing. See how the compact earbud-style prescription hearing aid performed.

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.

Signia Active Mini IX achieved a SoundScore of 4.5/5 and a SoundGrade of A in HearAdvisor lab testing. It ranked #14 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.

Active Mini IX has an IP rating of 68, meaning it has excellent protection against dust and moisture. This is consistent with my hands-on testing which suggested it is built well and will hold-up to daily use.

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.

Active Mini IX have a reported battery life of 21 per charge. While this is less than Active Pro IX, it should be enough to get most people through their day without needing to recharge.

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.

Signia Active Mini hearing aids are Bluetooth compatible with both iOS and Android devices, allowing for audio streaming and hands-free calling (iOS and LE Audio). The audio streaming quality could be better, especially during phone calls where I noted frequent artifacts and drop outs.

Not yet rated by our experts

Signia's hearing aid app stands out with its user-friendly interface and modern, appealing design. It includes practical features like the ability to control the focus of your hearing aids and a mask mode to enhance speech clarity. Additionally, the app offers wellness features, utilizing hearing aid motion sensors for activity 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.

I found the instant-fit comfort and retention of Active Mini good. Your hearing care provider can demo various ear tips to find the best fit for your ears and hearing needs.

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.

Active Mini take the aesthetic of Active Pro a step further with an even smaller earbud design. This can be highly desirable if you are looking for an instant fit hearing aid and Signia gives you several color options to choose from.

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

Signia Active Mini IX has a value score of 3.2/5 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.

Active Mini IX worked great in my testing with the only real issue involving occasional difficulty placing them properly into the charging case (the magnetic pins could be stronger). Additionally, I wish Active Mini and Pro IX offered tap controls to accompany their streaming capabilities.

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

You should receive quality hearing care and support from your provider. The Signia App should enhance your experience with AI assistance and user-friendly virtual appointments, given your provider offers telehealth services.