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I Compared the Price of 5 Hearing Aids, Jabra, Elehear, MDHearing, Vivtone and Audien. Only ONE Made Me Feel Like I Wasn't Overpaying.
Shopping for hearing aids is confusing, and it's hard to see why prices are so far apart. I lined up five popular pairs so you can see the difference in a few minutes.
By Carol Whitfield, Hearing Health Writer
Updated Oct 2026
6 min read
I didn't test these in a lab. I looked at what you'd pay, what you get with it and how each one works on a normal day.
Hi, I'm Carol. I've spent a lot of time reading the fine print on hearing aids, so you don't have to.
Here's what I wish someone had told me first.
A pair of hearing aids can cost $1,500 or more. You'll also find pairs under $100, plus earbuds that say they help you hear. With a range that wide, the price tag tells you very little about what you're getting.
And it gets harder:
The words don't help. Prescription hearing aids are fitted by a professional. Over-the-counter (OTC) hearing aids are ones you can buy yourself, no prescription needed, if you're an adult with mild to moderate hearing loss. Even a "setup appointment" can mean something different at different companies.
So most people pick on price, or on whichever ad they saw last.
I did what I'd want a friend to do for me. I wrote down what each pair costs, what you get with it and what it's like to use.
One came out ahead.
The Honest Truth: The Price Tag Doesn't Tell the Whole Story
Before I show you my pick, here are the three things I checked on every pair. They tell you more than the price does:
Check #1: What Will You Really Pay?
Start with the price, then look at what's attached to it. Is it for a pair or for one ear? Those are very different numbers. Is shipping free? Is your first setup session included, or is it extra?
Check #2: Can You Adjust It Yourself?
Some hearing aids need an app. Some need a certain phone. Some need an appointment to change a setting. Here's the real test: can you turn the volume up yourself, right now, with no phone in your hand?
Check #3: Will Someone Help You Get Started?
The first few weeks decide whether a hearing aid gets worn or ends up in a drawer. Look for real help at the start, like a setup session with an actual person.
How I scored them: each pair gets a score out of 10 on these three checks. They're my scores, not lab results.
🏆 CLEAR WINNER
1. Audien Atom X (2nd Gen) (The One I'd Start With)
My score
9.6/10
THE EASIEST WAY I FOUND TO START WITH HEARING AIDS
After comparing all five, the Audien Atom X (2nd Gen) is where I'd start. Here's why.
It isn't about big promises. It came down to what you pay, and how little you have to fiddle with it.
A lot of hearing aids hand you an app and a page of settings, then leave you to figure it out. The Atom X keeps it simple. The charging case has a touchscreen, so you change the volume or the mode with one tap. You don't need an app, and you don't need to pair anything with your phone.
You pick from four modes: Comfort, Conversation, Crowd and TV. The screen on the case shows your volume, your mode and how much battery is left.
This second-generation model sits inside your ear canal, and the hearing aids are 20% smaller than the first Atom X. The case holds up to 64 hours of battery and cleans them with UV light while they charge.
It's $389 a pair with free shipping. That's about a third of the price of Jabra's cheapest pair at $1,195. Want Bluetooth for calls and music? The Atom X Connect adds it for $489.
The part I liked best is the setup. Every order comes with a free 30-minute Sound Check, an appointment with a hearing specialist, so you're not on your own that first week.
You also get a 45-day risk-free trial, so you can try them at home first.
Audien takes FSA and HSA cards, so you can pay with money you've already set aside for health costs.
Audien hearing aids are for adults 18 and older with perceived mild to moderate hearing loss. That means you've noticed some trouble hearing, but it isn't severe. If you have sudden hearing loss, hearing loss in only one ear, ear pain or dizziness, see a doctor first.
PROS
Change volume and modes with a tap on the case
No app, no pairing, no phone needed
Sits inside the ear canal
Free 30-minute Sound Check with a hearing specialist
Case cleans them with UV light while they charge
45-day risk-free trial
CONS
Made for mild to moderate hearing loss
Takes a few weeks to get used to, like any hearing aid
See a doctor first for sudden or one-sided hearing loss
SHOP ATOM X
2. Jabra Enhance Select M1
My score
8.4/10
Jabra Enhance Select was the name I saw most while researching. Its cheapest model, the M1, is $1,195 a pair, and the range goes up to $1,995.
Jabra pitches the M1 for TV and quieter places. You order online from Jabra, and your appointments with a licensed hearing specialist happen over video.
It comes with a 3-year warranty. If you lose or damage a hearing aid, replacing it means paying a $195 deductible.
It's a serious brand. It's also the most expensive pair here by a long way: the M1 alone costs about three times as much as the Atom X.
PROS
Sold directly online
Video appointments with a licensed hearing specialist
For adults 18 and older with mild to moderate hearing loss
Three models to choose from
CONS
$1,195 a pair for the cheapest model
$195 deductible to replace a lost or damaged aid
The most expensive pair of the five
Pitched for TV and quieter places
Financing needs a credit application, 0% to 34.99% APR
Higher Jabra models cost up to $1,995 a pair
3. Elehear Beyond Pro
My score
8.0/10
Next up is Elehear. The Beyond Pro is $599 a pair at its sale price.
A small unit sits behind your ear, and a tiny speaker, called the receiver, sits in your ear canal. It streams over Bluetooth 5.3 and has AI noise reduction. You control it all in the Elehear app, so your phone becomes the remote.
Each charge lasts up to 20 hours. You get a 45-day trial and a 1-year warranty.
It's a capable pair. The difference is that every change happens on your phone. With the Atom X, you just tap the case.
PROS
Bluetooth streaming
AI noise reduction
App with personalized sound settings
Free shipping
CONS
Part of it sits behind the ear
Every adjustment happens on your phone
$599 is a sale price
Higher models cost up to $799 a pair
4. MDHearing Volt Max 2
My score
7.6/10
Then there's MDHearing. The Volt Max 2 is $597 a pair. It sits behind the ear, uses custom-fitting technology and works with Bluetooth.
For setup, you get a free remote appointment with a licensed hearing specialist. You can also pay over time through Affirm, with interest.
It's a solid pair, but it sits behind your ear. The Atom X sits inside the ear canal, and you adjust it with a tap on the case.
PROS
Custom-fitting technology
Free remote setup appointment
Bluetooth compatible
CONS
Sits behind the ear
$597 a pair
Financing through Affirm, with interest
Costs about $200 more than the Atom X
5. Vivtone Xpure Bluetooth
My score
7.2/10
Last is Vivtone. The Xpure Bluetooth is $549 a pair, and that is a 24-hour flash sale price.
Like the Elehear, it puts the receiver in your ear canal, and it streams over Bluetooth. You fit it yourself in Vivtone's app, starting with a hearing test on your phone.
It runs up to 24 hours per charge, with a 45-day trial and a 12-month warranty.
From the first fitting to every change after that, you'll be doing it in the app.
PROS
Bluetooth streaming for calls and music
In-app hearing test
Free shipping
CONS
Fitted and adjusted through an app
Price is a 24-hour flash sale
Costs $160 more than the Atom X
Support is online
My Top Recommendation After Comparing Every Option
🥇 Audien Atom X
2,000+ Audien Reviews on Trustpilot
Touchscreen case controls
Four hearing modes
Free 30-minute Sound Check
45-day risk-free trial
No app. No pairing.
TRY ATOM X
Audien is rated 4.6 out of 5 on Trustpilot
It comes with a 45-Day Risk-Free Trial, so you can try it at home.
After everything I looked at, the Atom X is still the one I'd start with.
Right now, someone shopping for hearing aids is:
Paying for a premium pair before checking what comes with it.
Buying hearing aids that need a phone for every little change.
Ending up with a pair nobody helps them set up.
You don't have to be one of them.
With the Atom X you get a touchscreen case, four hearing modes and a free 30-minute Sound Check with a hearing specialist, all for $389 a pair.
Is it right for everyone? No. It's made for adults with perceived mild to moderate hearing loss, and like any hearing aid, it takes a little time to get used to.
But once you've seen the prices and the setup side by side, there's really only one question left:
Why wouldn't I start with the Atom X?
SHOP ATOM X
Advertisement. This page is advertising published by Budget Hearing Aids LLC, the company that makes and sells Audien hearing aids. It is not an independent review or report. We have a financial interest in the products compared here and earn revenue when you buy Audien products. Jabra, Elehear, MDHearing, Vivtone and any other brand names on this page belong to their owners. We use them only to identify those companies' products. Audien is not affiliated with, sponsored by or endorsed by them. Competitor prices, products and terms come from each company's own website as we found them, and they change and can differ by region, retailer and promotion. Audien hearing aids are over-the-counter hearing aids for adults 18 and older with perceived mild to moderate hearing loss. If you are concerned about your hearing, see a licensed hearing professional.
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