Customer Ratings & Reviews

I've got hearing loss from my time in the military, as well as tinnitus. So I can get high end professional hearing aids for free whenever I feel like it since I'm a disabled vet and the VA would cover it. But I haven't, since my problems are more specific to certain frequencies and thus don't make me as much hard of hearing, as simply having a difficulty in some situations to be able to clearly pick up conversation and such. Especially in my left ear in a bar or restaurant. I always sit with people to my right. But I thought I would give these a try out of curiosity, since I had tested other similar products in the past with very poor results. The charging case is smaller than even the oldest air pod cases, so it's definitely portable and easy to carry. The hearing aids themselves proved very easy to insert and remove, with the small plastic protrusion, what they call the "pull wire." And if you've ever used ear pods for music you'll be right at home with how they sit in the ear canal. They provide four different sized ear domes, so everyone should be able to find something to fit. They default to the 3rd volume setting, but to me that's just way too loud so I immediately dropped it to the first volume level. I had some squealing feedback initially putting things in, until I learned to try to hold them with my thumb and finger as high up on that pull wire as I can, which also helps prevent accidental button pressing when you're inserting. Still a moment of feedback sometimes when removing or inserting but it's minimal and not anything I haven't seen on other similar products. The immediate weirdness was the amplification of everything. My keyboard right now, while typing this, sounds so much more obtrusive than it does without them. But since these are amplifying everything, that's expected. Everything loses any bit of bass frequencies and becomes a higher frequency tinny sounding thing. The other thing to get used to would be talking. Hearing yourself as if you're speaking into a microphone and so hearing yourself both internally through bone conduction as well as the amplified voice from "outside." Music is quite different, for obvious reasons. This gives everything a "tinny" sound. Totally expected with such a small device. And it's odd FEELING the bass (I have two subwoofers) but not really HEARING it. There are different listening modes, that are separate from the volume settings. And I can see it's going to be a process to really fully test each in different environments. But over the last few days I did a bit of sampling, and most really did not give me much of a change in sound other than the TV setting that I'll detail below. You quick press the button that is on the end that protrudes from your ear to change volume - 1 beep is lowest, 5 beeps is highest. You LONG press the button to change mode - 1 beep for conversation, 2 for restaurant, 3 for TV, 4 for outdoors. And that's really my biggest concern. I wish there was a delay when inserting these, BERORE the volume button would be functional. Too often, no matter how careful I am, I'm inadvertently hitting that button and after it's in I have to cycle through ALL of the volumes again to get back to volume 1 for both sides. I'm sure with more constant use I'd improve though at not hitting that by accident. The "TV" setting has a constant hiss, but it DOES hear the conversations from the TV better than the other modes. But that hiss is annoying, like an old cassette tape and the tape transport hiss you'd get between songs, with an almost falling rain sound quality added on top of it. But having one on TV, and the other on something else, only the one with the TV setting had mostly consistent voice pickup. The other one missed some of the words and skipped in and out. The TV setting was the only one that really brought the voices consistently. I was actually surprised enough beyond the hiss. If I were to continue to use these, I'd absolutely be able to lower the volume on my system. I do wish there was a passthrough unamplified level though just so you could compare it and see how much of a difference this makes. The case does NOT charge, which is disappointing. But they do have a Pro version that includes that feature. It's also interesting to note there is no "sleep" or "standby" mode with these. They are either ON (once pulled out of the case) or OFF (once replaced IN the case). If you take them out and just set them down somewhere, they will remain on. There is no way to turn them off short of getting them in the case. Which makes sense, since otherwise I can see the annoyance of randomly having to touch the button again to wake them out of sleep mode or something if you wear them for a long period of time. I know Audien calls these "Hearing Aids" but they are not hearing aids, but simple sound amplifiers. True hearing aids can be tuned for the frequencies in which you are deficient, so that you can improve the quality of what you hear. Which is why there's the higher cost, testing, apps you can use on the phone to change settings, etc. These are simply going to amplify EVERYTHING, which can get to be a bit frustrating depending on your needs, and in some circumstances can make matters worse if you're not careful. I haven't worked up to keeping these in all day long yet since my ears still aren't used to them, but I have managed to make it about 7 hours and the batteries never had a problem. But I have tested other systems in the past that did the same as these, simply full blown amplification. And I will give these all the credit there is. Compared to the other similar products I've tried in the past out of curiosity, inexpensive ones like this, these are far and away the best of the bunch. The comfort, the ease of insertion and removal, ease of changing volume or modes - nothing else was anything like these. And for people who can get by with just the amplification, these are going to be about the best experience that they will find out there.

So I've had the pleasure of using the Audien Atom 2 OTC hearing aids for about a week now and I have had a mostly positive experience with these. I'll start with the negatives things I've experienced. The most annoying thing about them it that for some reason they tend to "chirp" and screech sometimes. Mostly when I am first putting them into my ears and when trying to adjust them or press the tiny button to changes modes and volume. My only other complaint is that the button you need to press to adjust volume and other settings is small and hard to find sometimes, and yeah I end up making the hearing aids screech obnoxiously loud. That being said.. as a person who suffers from mild to moderate hearing loss. These have been pretty cool to use when in casual conversation settings. Ive felt kind of bad lately because I'm constantly asking people to repeat themselves or I hear people say one thing when they said some thing else. The Audien Atom 2 are very discrete, and they've helped me hear better. I haven't tried many other hearing aids in the past, I don't know if it's just these that sound like this but voices sound a little artificial? If I had to describe it, I would say its like sounds / voices are amplified through a hollow chamber heh. But I suppose that's how these things just work, I imagine it is hard to mimic a human ear. All in all, I am pleased with these hearing aids and carry them with me to wear in situations where I need them. Battery life is excellent, the charging case keeps them charged for days at a time and they come with a lot of accesories to keep them clean. Would I recommend these? I am going to say yes. Especially if you just suffer from mild or moderate hearing loss. They are affordable, easy to use and discrete. Most people dont notice them as I'm walking around in public.

October 2022 was a momentous day for people with hearing difficulties; it is the day that the FDA finalized regulations allowing for over-the-counter (OTC) sales of hearing aids.. No more were Hearing Aids, a specialized product that required an audiometric exam, an installation and setup by an audiologist, and thousands of dollars spent to buy one of those specialized hearing aids from your specialized retailer. I have an annual hearing exam, as my work requires it for workplace health and safety. Despite wearing hearing protection, I have found my hearing diminished slightly. I have a noticeable ringing in my ears, or tinnitus, as they call it. Genetics may play a part, especially since my father has lost some hearing. My father has been using one of those professional hearing aids for the last five years or more. While he does not wear it 100% of the time, when he does, he clearly understands what is said to him. That particular hearing aid is from around 2019 and technically should be replaced, but it still works for the moment. I got the Audien Atom 2 hearing aid to see if he would like an OTC variant as a backup unit. There are differences between the professional and the OTC versions of the hearing aids, primarily in how securely your hearing aid mounts to your ears. The professional one has many dangling “wires” and goes around the ear, with the ear canal blocked by a soft foam pad. In the past, we’ve had issues with hearing aids falling out, but generally, because it's weighed on the backside of the ear, it stays in place. The Audien Atom 2, is far more discrete, and when appropriately inserted, you only should see the little plastic removal knob. My concern is that inserting the Atom 2 correctly would be more problematic with an octogenarian. While it's not hard for someone of my age to put it on, I felt the overall ‘complexity’ of pressing buttons to change modes is a tad confusing for someone who is already hard of hearing. Further, while OTC hearing aids are suitably priced for the public to be able to access this medical device without going bankrupt, there has to be a need for a hearing aid evaluation test by a certified audiologist, or perhaps one can do an online hearing test to get an essential baseline evaluation of their hearing ability. The professional models can tailor the frequencies that you need a boost in, and the Atom 2 just bumps all frequencies. It still is better than not having a hearing aid and having to shout “What?” every time someone say something to you. The Audien Atom 2 works well, and I tested it on myself to see how it works. The hearing aid does amplify, but I also felt at times, certain frequencies get turned off or get cut off. Using it with a fan blowing on your face sometimes introduces wind noise. Changing modes helps with a lot of the noise cancellation issues. The noise rejection is not bad, especially in outdoor and conversation modes. The restaurant mode seemed to be a tad louder than I liked. Adjusting the settings is easy: one-touch for volume and press and hold for mode changes. It can't be any easier. It also helps that the unit is universal fit and not typed to a specific ear. The Audien Atom 2 works as it should, and with patience and time, one can get used to the placement of the Atom 2 headsets without it falling out. I found I could wear it for a good 2-3 hours without ear pain, so its comfortable in your ears. The Atom 2 is tiny and easily misplaced if you are not careful, but that's my only gripe. The introduction of hearing aids on the OTC retail level is a game changer. It will enable many people who previously were priced out of the market or unable to access basic hearing aid care to have a better quality of life. This is a must-have if you suspect hearing loss in yourself or your loved ones.

So with hearing aids you normally pay top dollar to get top performance. I have been using hearing aids for about 5 years now. I have used premium types like bose down to cheapest i could find from JLabs. Now given the JLabs are hearing aids/ear buds, so when you mix the two it's not strictly hearing aids you will lose some of the quality you get with outright hearing aids only. The Bose you can imagine were top dollar and they were fantastic. They have the setup you think of when you hear the word hearing aids. They also had a software you can use to change the sounds quality to the environment you are in like watching T.V to outside or in a restaurant and so on. So they were very flexible for the area you are in. The cheap brand i got from JLabs were the worst i have ever used for hearing aids. Using them as earbuds for music another story. They also had an app you can download to change the settings for the environment you are in. But to be honest it did not make a difference and i have never used them again for hearing aids. So we move onto the ones you are looking at rite now and are interested in. I know the first thing you are thinking is the price is cheap they must be junk. Well i'm here to tell you that could not be farther from the truth. The manufacturer for these are Audien Hearing. I personally had never heard about this company so i did not expect much. WOW i could not have been more wrong. These in my opinion compete with the bose and are just as good if not better. The Audien did not come with an app for my phone to tweak the settings but not a big deal. You simply press the little buttons on the center of the hearing aids. To make it louder to do a quick press and to change to a different environment like watching a movie and so on you give the same button a longer press and you listen for the beep. They are simple easy to use, cheap and the sound quality you get is just awesome. I could not be more happy than the product they made. Just great all the way around. If your looking to save a buck and get some great hearing aids these are your answer.

Finally and OTC hearing aid that is simple to use! I'm really loving these. They come in a small box inside a charging case. They include a simple to read start guide, a full on manual and some QR codes to watch instructional videos. They also include a short type C USB cable and a small power adaptor for it (however they will charge with any USB type C power cable). In the past I have tried other OTC hearing aids and most of them are very complicated at the setup. You have to download an app, pair it with your phone/tablet, use an app to further control them, take hearing tests etc. While this is fine for someone like me that is very tech savvy, most people that are experiencing some sort of hearing loss/degradation are older folks, and most are not that tech savvy. In my case, I'm not that old, but have some degree of hearing loss so those easy to use. But I'm 100% sure an older folk that isn't that much tech savvy will truly appreciate these. These don't need to pair to anything and you don't need to use a phone or app at all, they work completely stand alone. Once you charge them, as soon as you take them out the charging case, they turn on and they are ready to be put on. They include several sizes silicone pieces so you can customize them depending of your ear canal shape/size so they fit snugly. They also include a cleaning brush and ear wax guards to keep them clean. As soon as you take them of the carrying case you put them it. Try to adjust them until they are snuggly in and they try keeping the volume down so you don't get any nasty feedback screeching sounds. Once in, they are easy to operate, each one has a button on top, that if you press once you will change the volume (one beep, two beeps etc indicate the volume level). If you press and hold the button, you will hear a boop and the number of these will indicate the mode. There are very handy modes, one mode is for conversations, another for a restaurant setting, another for TV watching and so on. They work really good and have improved my hearing and they are super discrete too. Using them is simple once you are done using them you just pull them by the little antenna and put them back in the case for charging (they the way, the charging case needs to be plugged in to charge them, it does not charge on the go) and it has indicator lights for battery charging level. Battery life is great and I use them all day long and put them back to charge overnight while I sleep. If you are looking for simple to use without complications OTC hearing aids, I highly recommend these, specially for non tech savvy folks!!!

I have moderate hearing loss and have been looking at different OTC options to provide assistance during important events. I have 45% hearing loss in my left ear, 25% hearing loss in my right ear, and I have Tinnitus. I have been using these hearing aids for 5 days now and am getting used to them. The instructions included with these mentions that it takes 3 weeks to fully adjust to wearing hearing aids and finding the right comfort and volume levels. These OTC hearing aids by Audien Hearing are working perfectly for me. I especially like that Audien provides a lot of help in the instruction manuals as well as on-line help. They adequately cover setting-up the hearing aids, correctly inserting them into your ears for the best fit, adjusting the sound, and how to clean and maintain your hearing aids. I have mostly wanted hearing aids for dining out with my family, going to church and my children's school events, and watching TV at night. These hearing aids were especially easy for me to insert into my ears and wear comfortably. They include several different sizes of tips and I easily found one that fit my ears. I also like that the volume levels can be set differently for the left and right ear. This is very beneficial since I have significantly greater hearing loss in my left ear. Included in the package is everything I need to store, charge, clean and maintain my hearing aids. Given the price, convenience, comfort, and sound quality, I feel these are an excellent value. I highly recommend the Atom 2 OTC hearing aids by Audien Hearing.

These do amplify sounds and work fairly well as far as that goes. And I find them to be relativly comfortable in the ear for several hours before my ears begin to hurt and beg for the hearing aids to be removed. What I do not like about these at all is much more than what I found to be a benifit for myself. I get a squelching feedbackthat I find actually a bit painful with one setting. All that needs to happen is to get my hand close to my ear and the piercing noise begins. And I personally find the sounds to be loud enough however the quality of that sound is not really something I would want to hear on anykind of a routine basis. It sounds like I am in a barrell with a slight hiss continously in the background. And that issue is exagerated greatly whenever you start trying to carry on a conversation. It sounds like that barrell is inside of your own head and I find that very annoying. The construction of these does seem to be good so I have to say it is a well made product that should last for folks that do not have the same issues I have with them or find thay can overlook or get accustomed to the sound quality.

Audien 2 hearing aides are very good hearing aides. My husband loves them. However the charge doesn’t make it through the day. About every 4 hours it needs charged. Needs to come with second battery

For the price, these are fantastic! I've tried more expensive options, but the Atom 2 matches their quality while being so much easier to use. I appreciate the no insurance needed option too.

I've been able to hear my husband more clearly after years of struggling. The sound quality really helps in loud settings like church or group gatherings. These are truly wonderful.

These hearing aids last all day! I'm impressed with how reliable the battery is, even on busy days when I'm using them non-stop. the charging dock is a brilliant touch too, I charge every night and they work all day long.

Eating out used to be overwhelming because I couldn't focus on conversations. The Atom 2 has an noisy environment mode that works so well that I actually enjoy going out now.

As a retired teacher who still tutors occasionally, hearing students was becoming difficult. The Atom 2 brought back my confidence in these settings. It's worth the investment.

I've struggled for years to hear my spouse clearly during quiet conversations. These hearing aids have given me that clarity back. They're easy to use and don't draw any attention, which I love.

Was a slight learning curve to learn the controls but they worked well and were at a solid price

Good Hearing Aids! Work much better than some we have tried for my father. Great price!

Good product for the price and my husband likes them

Initially, it felt strange to have something in my ear, but within a week, I hardly noticed them. They've improved my life significantly. If you're on the fence, give it a little time!

they worked ok but i couldnt get the feedback to stop ringing

While I love the performance, the small size made it tricky to put on at first. Now I'm used to it, and I wouldn't trade the discreet look for anything! Clear sound in such a tiny device it's impressive.