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Audien Atom X OTC Hearing Aids – Smart Case Controls, So-So Sound
by Stewart Wolpin on February 17, 2026
At first, I thought the on-case touch remote controls on Audien’s new Atom X OTC hearing aids ($389) were just a gimmick to differentiate them from other non-self-fitting budget over-the-counter (OTC) hearing aids. But after using the Bluetooth-enabled buds for more than a month, I found the on-case controls insanely convenient and easy to use – far easier then memorizing the usual on-bud tap control sequences and far faster than fishing around for my phone and finding the app (which Atom X doesn’t have) just to adjust volume, choose a hearing preset, or turning Bluetooth on or off.
I just wish the aural experience of the Atom X ear buds themselves were worthy of the unique and efficient case controls.
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Setup and Ergonomics
As noted, the Audien Atom X are not self-fitting OTC hearing aids. They are one-type cures all, which, to my mind, are best for those with only mild hearing loss. Someone with moderate hearing loss (like me) would benefit far more from more precise corrective self-fitting hearing aids. But the Atom X buds do include a free 45-day trial, so you risk nothing to try them out yourself.
Included with the buds are six “ear domes” – silicone ear tips – in varying sizes. You’ll need to experiment with different sizes to discover which fits/feels the best, allows enough ambient sound to enter to create a natural hearing experience, and does the best at reducing feedback squealing.
Also included with the Atom X is a relatively short 18-inch USB-A to USB-C charging cable, an AC power adapter, five wax guard replacement tools, and a cleaning brush.
At approximately 2.75 x 2.24 x 1 inches, the Atom X’s case is just a bit larger than the familiar Apple AirPods case, so it is eminently pocketable. Like the AirPods case, the Atom X case's top hinges open, and the buds snap securely into their charging position. Each bud’s antenna sticks up, making the bud easy to remove and hold on to while inserting into your ears. The buds are clearly labeled left/right and “top” to make sure you place them in your ears correctly.
Being flesh colored (for beige/pink-colored Caucasian folks, at least) and placed in-canal allow the Atom X buds to become nearly invisible to casual bystanders.
Each bud is also equipped with a single round multi-function button that is easy to accidentally tap when inserting the buds. Decreasing volume via the bud button isn’t as easy as described, which makes the case controls that much more important. But the Atom X on case controls effectively negated the need for me to figure out and remember the various multi-function button “quick” and “long” press options.
Atom X’s on-case controls are simple for anyone to operate. You get three main on-screen hearing aid control choices: Volume, Mode (environmental presets), and Bluetooth on/off. Each bud’s volume is adjusted individually; you can’t combine left/right to create a single overall volume control.
Behind “Mode” are four environmental presets: Comfort, Convo (conversation), Crowd, and TV. Unlike many cheap OTC hearing aids, I could detect aural differences between the four, of which the Crowd is most effective – it does a decent job of somewhat muffling surrounding noises while accentuating nearby voices.
When you’re streaming music or on a call, you get a new set of on-case controls: Transparency and a single combined left/right volume control. Transparency gives you four levels of ambient sound muffling, with 0 turning off transparency – not really noise canceling, but instead simply turning off amplification, a simple solution to improve music listening, and level 4 resulting in full ambient noise amplification.
You tap a side button to activate the touch controls, which is a good thing since the touch controls can (and often do) self-activate as the case rattles against other objects in your pocket or bag. I did find that the button could accidentally get pressed in my pocket, thereby turning on the display to accidentally activate one of the modes or fluctuate the volume.
Battery Life/Bluetooth/Comfort
In mixed use – Bluetooth music listening and hearing aid – the Atom X supplied around 8 hours of listening life; used as a hearing aid only with the Bluetooth off, I got upwards of around 13 hours of aural amplification. Audien says you get a total usage time of 48 hours with case recharges.
And along with large, easy-to-discern on-case controls, the case’s screen also displays battery status for each bud and the case itself, so you always know your power status. Audien also claims the case provides “self” UV cleaning, but an alcohol wipe can supply the same sanitary surety.
Oddly, the buds seem to drain power unevenly – the right bud seemed to drain faster than the left bud. Several times, I found the left bud retained around 15% of power remaining when the right bud had 1% or none.
Turning Bluetooth on and off on the case is handy, but I often never knew if the Bluetooth was actually on or off. I would put the Atom X buds in my ears with the case showing the Bluetooth icon blue “on” – but had no Bluetooth. I would have to tap to turn off Bluetooth, then tap Bluetooth on again, then check my phone’s Bluetooth settings to make sure the Atom X were, indeed, wirelessly connected.
In terms of wearability, the Atom X buds are light and comfortable enough, even long term. But I found my ear canal did get a bit itchy after several hours.
Audio performance
OTC hearing aids that double as Bluetooth music earbuds always present a jack-of-all-trades/master-of-none conundrum that Audien, like other Bluetooth-enabled OTC earbud makers, including Apple with its AirPods Pro 2 and 3, fail to address.
With their near-ear canal-sealing ear tips, Audien doesn’t give you the natural aural experience from hearing aid-first devices that more effectively mix ambient sound mixed with a hearing aid’s amplification and filtering.
As a result, the Atom X aural experience mirrors that of Apple’s AirPods Pro 2 or 3. What you hear through the Atom X sounds amplified, which is good, but not as cleanly natural as hearing aid-first aids. Worse, your own voice sounds artificial, as if someone else is speaking. Also, when ambient sound suddenly gets really loud, both the AirPods Pro and the Atom X muffle sound, as if you were hearing earmuffs, until the loud sound subsides and the buds can readjust themselves.
I’ll make the same suggestion to Audien that I did to Apple, and all makers of Bluetooth bud OTC hearing aids: include perforated or multi-layered/petaled ear tips that would allow additional ambient sound to mix with hearing aid amplification to create a more natural aural assisted experience, especially so the wearer’s own voice can sound more natural.
Unlike the Atom X, however, the AirPods Pro 2 and 3 are self-fitting. Once you complete the iPhone hearing test, the AirPods Pro are tuned to your specific hearing deficiencies. Your iPhone also supplies a multitude of sound, tone, and ambient noise adjustment options; other than the four presets, the Atom X include no additional sound shaping options. Plus, for iPhone owners, AirPods Pro allow you to vocally interact with and control your phone.
Atom X does supply louder levels of amplification than the AirPods Pro. But when you set the Atom X at volumes of around 60% or higher expect a higher level of feedback squealing, depending on which Atom X ear tips you choose. Squealing is largely absent from AirPods Pro at any volume.
For Bluetooth music listening on the Atom X, being able to essentially turn off the amplification – the “0” setting in the Transparency mode – isn’t nearly as effective as AirPods Pro’s ANC. Plus, music through the Atom X is, well, thin and muddy with not a great deal of frequency range (although sound stage is nice and bright, considering), especially compared to the far more music proficient AirPods Pro.
On calls, I frequently got complaints from co-conversationalists that my voice was breaking up or they couldn’t quite hear me clearly, forcing me to switch to my phone’s earpiece or speaker.
Should you buy the Audien Atom X?
Quite frankly, the Apple AirPods Pro 3 offer a far superior experience all around – for hearing assistance, Bluetooth music quality, active noise canceling for music listening, call quality, and wireless connectivity – at around half the price of the Atom X’s regular price.
What AirPod Pros lack is Atom X’s on-case controls and battery life. On the former Atom Advantage, however, you can just as easily control all AirPods Pro functions via Siri voice commands or the on-AirPods touch controls. For the latter, folks with mild hearing loss, for whom the Atom X works best, are less likely to wear their hearing aids all day long.
I would recommend the Atom X if you meet one of these five conditions. One, your hearing loss is mild rather than moderate; those with moderate hearing loss are better off with a self-fitting model. Two, if you need hearing assistance that is no frills, quick, and simple. Three, if you’re uncomfortable with or unwilling to deal with a smartphone app. Four, you don’t want folks to immediately see that you need hearing assistance. Five, if you plan to wear your hearing aids most or all of your waking hours.
Otherwise, if you suffer from mild to moderate hearing loss but want a “cheap” hearing aid for occasional use, the $250 Apple AirPods Pro 3 provide far superior overall aural experiences than the $389 Audien Atom X.
Read next: Reviewed: AirPods Pro 3 Are Still Flawed as Hearing Aids
[Image credit: Stewart Wolpin/Techlicious]
