Audien Hearing Atom X vs. Widex Allure

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.

Widex Allure is the brand’s most refined take yet on natural sound, pairing its signature low-delay PureSound approach with stronger speech processing and an excellent HearAdvisor A SoundGrade that places it among the top tier of prescription hearing aids, though it’s currently limited in styles and still waiting on key firmware updates like Auracast.

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.

Widex Allure RIC 440 achieved a SoundScore of 4.7/5 and a SoundGrade of A in HearAdvisor lab testing. It ranked #7 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.

Widex Allure hearing aids have an impressive build quality, featuring a top-of-the-line IP68 ingress rating and a sturdy tabletop charging base.

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.

Moment Allure offer 25 hour all-day rechargeable battery life, with an impressive 7 hours of streaming. Recharging Allure will take around 4 hours and there is also a quick charge feature where 30 minutes of charge provides an additional 4 hours of power.

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.

Widex Allure hearing aids are Bluetooth compatible with both iOS and Android devices, allowing for audio streaming and hands-free calling. While they do not currently offer Auracast, they are future ready with Bluetooth LE audio.

Not yet rated by our experts

The Widex Moment app is all around impressive with its modern, high-contrast appearance and comprehensive features, including sound customization options like a multi-band equalizer. The app also offers dedicated tinnitus features which can be optimized with your hearing care provider.

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 Sheer sRIC very comfortable due to their smaller size and ergonomic design. Your hearing care provider should help fit them with 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.

Sheer sRIC have a modern design and are available in a range of colors from discrete to bold. Personally, I appreciate how Widex hearing aids have a smoother shape and a subtly textured feel.

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

Widex Allure RIC 440 has a value score of 3.3/5 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 Widex Moment Sheer hearing aids. They are very easy to use once setup by your hearing care provider. First-time users may need some practice to get accustomed to inserting the receiver-in-ear style properly.

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. Telehealth, or remote care options, are also available though this requires some extra setup with a separate app and necklace dongle.