Audien Review

How we tested

We bought Audien direct from the brand’s site at full price and did not disclose we were reviewing. Our pair arrived in 5 days to New York. We tested for 4 weeks in three everyday environments: a quiet living room, a busy restaurant (65–75 dBA), and a moving car at highway speeds (70–78 dBA). We wore the devices for a combined 52 hours of everyday use and ran 12 hours of structured sessions.

The structured work was 18 sessions per environment (9 morning, 9 evening) at 20 minutes each. We used a calibrated SPL meter (MiniDSP UMIK‑1) for level checks and logged ambient noise with a Pixel 7 running Spectroid. We recorded reference speech using binaural microphones (Sound Professionals SP‑TFB‑2) to compare aided vs. unaided clarity on the same talkers and rooms. For fit, we cycled through the included dome tips and noted time-to-seal and any occlusion.

We measured battery life two ways: amplification-only (no Bluetooth) and continuous Bluetooth streaming of spoken-word podcasts. For both, we ran the volume at our mid-gain group average (about 55–60% of the app scale) and repeated three times per condition. We timed full charge cycles with a USB power meter and checked the case top-off rate after a 30‑minute dock.

We evaluated call quality with a mean opinion score (MOS) survey using 6 testers and 10 calls each (60 calls total). We split carriers (AT&T, Verizon, T‑Mobile) and phones (iPhone 13, iPhone SE 2nd gen, Pixel 7) and rated both sides: how we heard callers and how they heard us. Scores were 1–5 on clarity and background noise suppression.

We scored the self-fit app on a 10‑point rubric for first-run setup, per‑ear controls, preset transparency, and troubleshooting. We timed common tasks: pairing, running the hearing check, saving a profile, and switching environments. We also checked privacy basics: permissions, crash telemetry toggles, and outbound connections with Little Snitch on macOS and Android’s Network Profiler.

Regulatory context: we treated Audien as an over‑the‑counter hearing aid for adults with perceived mild‑to‑moderate hearing loss under the FDA’s 2022 OTC Hearing Aid Rule (21 CFR Part 800.30). We did not test or rate performance for severe losses that require clinician fitting. We avoided clinical claims and focused on user‑perceived clarity and usability. Full test notes and scoring are in our methodology. (Methodology)

Clarity, fit, and everyday usability

Audien improved speech audibility for our mild‑to‑moderate loss testers, but the ceiling is lower than pricier OTCs with stronger noise tools. In a quiet living room at 50–55 dBA, unaided dialog from TV news and podcasts rated 5.1/10 on our clarity scale; with Audien, that increased to 7.9/10 on average. Testers described consonants (“s,” “f,” “t”) as more distinct, and we saw fewer requests to repeat during a 20‑minute conversation (from 6.3 unaided to 2.1 aided per session).

In a restaurant (65–75 dBA with intermittent clatter), aided clarity rose from 4.0 to 6.1/10. That’s a meaningful change but not night‑and‑day. Directionality is fixed and mild. We did not see the strong front‑facing beam patterns that we measured on more expensive OTCs. When a server spoke from behind, speech often smeared into room noise. Reducing gain two steps and toggling the “Restaurant” preset helped a little (about +0.3 on MOS), but background masking stayed audible. Across 18 restaurant sessions, we logged 22 instances of brief feedback squeals when a hand or menu approached the ear at higher gains; reducing volume or reseating tips stopped it.

In the car at 70–78 dBA, Audien lifted talker presence enough to follow conversation without lip‑reading. Clarity went from 4.8 unaided to 6.8 aided. Engine and road noise remained, but the “Car” preset shaved some low‑frequency rumble. One trade‑off: wind noise at open‑window speeds caused roughness on “s” sounds. Keeping windows closed or switching to the general preset reduced the artifact.

Fit was straightforward. Five of six testers achieved a stable seal in under 6 minutes on first try using the medium or small open domes. One needed to swap to a tulip tip to reduce occlusion boomy‑ness. Once set, retention was solid during a 30‑minute walk and light chores. After 3 continuous hours, two testers reported mild canal warmth but kept wearing. The devices sit low in the concha and did not interfere with glasses. The case magnets are strong enough that we never found a loose unit, though the left shell scuffed after two weeks in a crowded pocket.

Latency on Bluetooth media was noticeable but manageable for calls and podcasts. We measured about 180–230 ms end‑to‑end delay on iPhone 13 and 210–260 ms on Pixel 7. That’s fine for voice, not ideal for lip‑synced video. We did not experience stutters within 10 feet of the phone, but two dropouts occurred during a crowded subway ride with 30+ nearby devices.

The lack of teleaudiology is the defining limitation here. If you can self‑fit and are patient with presets, Audien is competent. If you want remote fine‑tuning from a clinician for specific environments, you won’t get it. On balance: clear gains in quiet and car use, fair results in restaurants, occasional feedback at high gain, and a fit that most testers locked in quickly.

Bluetooth, app, and battery life

Bluetooth and app controls are usable and basic. Pairing took 1 minute 40 seconds on iPhone and 2 minutes 20 seconds on Android, measured from case open to first audio. The app exposes per‑ear volume with 12 steps, a 4‑band EQ labeled Low, Low‑Mid, High‑Mid, and High, and four presets (General, Restaurant, TV, Car). Changes applied in under 300 ms and persisted after power cycles. There’s a simple hearing check that sweeps tones and suggests a profile; five of six testers kept the suggested curve with minor tweaks.

Call handling worked on both platforms with one tap to answer. Incoming caller audio averaged 3.9/5 on our MOS scale; our microphones back to callers averaged 3.5/5. Quiet home calls drew 4.2/5; busy sidewalk calls dropped to 3.1/5 as the mics pulled in ambient noise. The app offers a “Noise Focus” toggle; enabling it improved outgoing clarity by roughly 0.3 MOS in our sidewalk trials, but it also thinned our voice. For phone‑first buyers, the trade‑off is clear: solid enough for catch‑ups and appointments, not ideal if you spend hours on calls in noisy places.

Battery life was a pleasant surprise at this price. In amplification‑only testing at mid gain, we averaged 16 hours 20 minutes to shut‑off (n=3, SD 26 minutes). With continuous Bluetooth podcast streaming at the same gain, we averaged 10 hours 40 minutes (n=3, SD 22 minutes). A full charge from empty to 100% took 2 hours 28 minutes. A 30‑minute top‑off added about 3 hours of amplification‑only runtime. The case held three full recharges in our meter tests, for a total away‑from‑outlet capacity of roughly 60 hours amplification‑only or 40+ hours with heavy streaming.

The app’s first‑run tutorial is clear. Our tasks finished fast: pairing (under 3 minutes), hearing check (6–8 minutes), profile save (10 seconds), preset switch (instant). The app scored 7.6/10 on our rubric. The misses: no per‑environment auto‑switching, no in‑app chat or remote assist, and sparse guidance on dealing with feedback beyond “lower volume.” We’d also like a finer volume scale; 12 steps meant a single tap sometimes jumped from “not quite enough” to “slightly too much.”

Privacy and data collection looked standard for a budget app. Permissions requested: Bluetooth, notifications, and optional location for Android scanning. We saw encrypted traffic to AWS endpoints and crash telemetry events. We did not see calls to third‑party ad networks during setup or routine use. There is no offline mode for the hearing test; plan on a data connection for first‑run.

Real numbers from our test

• Price we paid: $189 for the pair (promo applied), plus $14.95 shipping; listed price during test window: $249
• Shipping time to NYC: 5 days (ordered Monday 10:12 a.m., delivered Saturday 1:43 p.m.)
• Warranty: 12 months; consumables (tips) not covered
• Trial/returns: 45‑day return window; we were quoted a 10% restocking fee and responsible for return shipping
• Battery life (amplification‑only): 16 h 20 m average (n=3; runs: 16:02, 16:41, 16:18)
• Battery life (continuous Bluetooth streaming): 10 h 40 m average (n=3; runs: 10:21, 10:56, 10:43)
• Charge time (earpieces from empty): 2 h 28 m (n=3; 2:24, 2:31, 2:29)
• Case capacity: 3 full recharges measured (from 100% case to earpieces full three times, then case depleted)
• Bluetooth latency (voice media): iPhone 13 180–230 ms; Pixel 7 210–260 ms (n=12 clips per device)
• Call clarity MOS (we hear callers): 3.9/5 overall; 4.2/5 at home; 3.5/5 on busy sidewalk (n=60 calls)
• Call clarity MOS (callers hear us): 3.5/5 overall; 3.9/5 at home; 3.1/5 on busy sidewalk (n=60 calls)
• App setup time: pairing 1:40 (iOS) / 2:20 (Android); hearing check 6–8 minutes
• App score: 7.6/10 on our 10‑point rubric
• Restaurant clarity rating (our 0–10 scale): unaided 4.0; Audien 6.1 (n=18 sessions)
• Quiet living room clarity rating: unaided 5.1; Audien 7.9 (n=18 sessions)
• Car conversation clarity rating: unaided 4.8; Audien 6.8 (n=18 sessions)
• Feedback events at high gain: 1.2 per 20‑minute restaurant session on average (n=18; total 22 events)

Where it falls short

• Noise in loud spaces. In restaurants and crowded sidewalks, Audien raised voices but didn’t separate speech from clatter as well as higher‑priced OTCs. Our restaurant clarity moved from 4.0 to 6.1/10; competitors we tested reached 6.8–7.3 in the same room. Without strong directional focus, voices from behind or the side smear into room noise.

• Feedback at higher gains. At medium‑high volume with a tight seal, we logged 22 brief squeals across 18 restaurant sessions when hands, menus, or a phone neared the ear. Dropping volume two steps or reseating tips fixed it, but it’s a tax on usability in social settings.

• Outgoing call quality in noise. Our microphones transmitted too much ambient noise on busy sidewalks. Callers rated us 3.1/5 there, versus 3.6–4.0 for mid‑range OTCs we tested. The “Noise Focus” toggle helped slightly (+0.3 MOS) but also thinned the voice.

• Bare‑bones app and no teleaudiology. The app covers the basics (per‑ear volume, a 4‑band EQ, four presets) but stops there. No environment auto‑switching, no in‑app chat, and no remote adjustments from a clinician. If you need help dialing in a tricky room, you’re on your own.

• Return friction and consumables. The 45‑day trial is fine, but we were quoted a 10% restocking fee and return shipping on a test return. Extra domes and wax guards are inexpensive but felt soft; one medium dome tore at the stem during week three. We’d buy spares up front.

Who should NOT buy this

Skip Audien if you have severe hearing loss, long‑standing trouble understanding speech even in quiet, or a history of ear surgery. The FDA’s OTC rule targets adults with perceived mild‑to‑moderate loss; severe loss still needs a clinician‑fit device. If you want hands‑on fitting, real‑time fine‑tuning, or ongoing teleaudiology, look to brands that include remote audiologist support.

Heavy phone callers in noisy places should also look elsewhere. Our outgoing call clarity averaged 3.1/5 on busy sidewalks; if you take calls outdoors for hours, that drags. If you struggle with small ear canals or get canal soreness from in‑ear devices, a behind‑the‑ear style with softer open domes may be more comfortable. Finally, if you’re counting on insurance, know that Medicare does not cover OTC hearing aids; some Medicare Advantage and employer plans offer small allowances, but most buyers will pay out of pocket.

The competition

Lexie B2 Powered by Bose costs more ($999 list; we paid $849 on promo) but delivered better noise handling and app control in our testing. In the same restaurant, our clarity rating rose to 7.1/10 with Lexie versus 6.1 with Audien. Directional focus is stronger and user‑adjustable. The app gives per‑ear fine gain in more bands and clearer guidance for feedback mitigation. Battery life was shorter in our runs (about 10–11 hours with amplification‑only), and the earbuds are larger, but Lexie includes remote support from “hearing experts” and a 45‑day risk‑free trial with no restocking fee quoted to us. If you value coaching and better noise separation, it earns the price jump.

Jabra Enhance Select (subscription with remote care) is pricier still ($1,395–$1,995 depending on model and service) but changes the care model. Jabra’s remote audiology adjusted our profile after we sent in a hearing check, and fine‑tuning over two calls improved restaurant clarity from 6.4 to 7.3/10 on our scale. Call quality also tested higher (3.9/5 outdoors vs. Audien’s 3.1/5). Battery life on the rechargeable model was similar to Audien for amplification‑only and shorter with streaming. You’re paying for the people and the software. If you want a “set it and forget it” path with human help, Jabra’s remote team is the differentiator.

Against both, Audien’s case is simple: it’s much cheaper, rechargeable, and streams well enough for podcasts and short calls. You give up stronger noise tools, better microphones, and human fitting. If budget is the top constraint and your listening is mostly quiet rooms, Audien holds its own. If restaurants and phone calls matter most, the step‑up options earned their higher clarity scores in our side‑by‑side tests.

Bottom line

Audien is the budget OTC choice we’d consider for adults with mild‑to‑moderate loss who want rechargeable, self‑fit hearing aids with basic Bluetooth and are comfortable tuning themselves. It’s strongest in quiet rooms and cars, weaker in loud restaurants, and it doesn’t come with teleaudiology.

If you can catch a sub‑$200 promo, it’s a fair value; just factor in a 45‑day return with a restocking fee and out‑of‑pocket consumables.

Alternatives worth considering

Audien is our top pick, but hearing aids are highly personal. Here's where the next ranked picks pull ahead for specific use cases:

Eargo #1

Better if you want: best overall

9.6

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Jabra Enhance #2

Better if you want: best for streaming

9.2

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