Audien Hearing Atom X vs. Sony CRE-C20

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 Sony CRE-C20 is a discreet, over-the-counter hearing aid designed for individuals with mild to moderate hearing loss, featuring a compact size and rechargeable battery for up to 28 hours of use. While it offers a user-friendly setup and an Auto Sound Analyzer for enhanced speech clarity, it lacks Bluetooth streaming capabilities, which may be a consideration for users seeking more advanced connectivity options.

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.

The Sony CRE-C20 achieved a SoundGrade of B and ranked #21 out of 56 devices in the OTC Hearing Aid category, placing it in the top 36% of OTC devices tested by HearAdvisor. This positions it as an above-average performer within a competitive category.

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.

Sony CRE-C20 has an excellent IP rating of 68, which aligns with our hands-on experience as we observed an improved build quality compared to CRE-C10.

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.

CRE-C20 offer an impressive battery life of up to 28 hours. I also liked the portable charging case which offers you Qi wireless charging.

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.

Not yet rated by our experts

Not yet rated by our experts

Sony's Hearing Control app includes good features and allows your to further personalize CRE-C20 with their on-ear hearing assessment. One downside though is that the hearing aids and app communicate with sound cues from your phone. I find this method of wireless communication less reliable that Bluetooth, and it overall makes the pairing process more complicated.

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

CRE-C20 are good comfortable once you find the best tip for your ears. They are not overly plugging though it can take some time to get used to having a hearing aid so deep in your ear canal.

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.

CRE-C20 are surprisingly small and sit mostly invisible in your ears. The style works well and was originally designed as an "instant-fit" prescription hearing aid from Signia.

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

The Sony CRE-C20 offers moderate value relative to its $999 price point, with several higher-scoring alternatives available at similar or lower prices.

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.

CRE-C20's smaller size and method of wireless communication make it more difficult to manage than many other hearing aids. However, Sony has improved upon the design as CRE-C20 now uses internal rechargeable batteries, as opposed to disposable ones. It is a unique offering with many pros but be sure to consider this against your needs and abilities.

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

Sony does not offer great support with their hearing aids. You are limited to phone and email based technical assistance which is a downside to many OTC products.