I started with Audien aids 8 months ago and they were great for my first pair. They did what they were supposed to for the price and the sound quality was decent. It was definitely a noticeable improvement from struggling to hear.
I then tried the Ele Hear aids (bit more pricey) on a friend's recommendation and Wow! The difference was night and day. The clarity was just better, especially in places like restaurants where Audien would amplify everything around ,e. The sound felt more natural and less "tinny" if that makes sense. The only thing that bugged me was that they're behind-the-ear style. Felt too obvious when I was at work or social events.
My latest pair is Nova from Hear Direct Club. So far my favorite. They give me the same sound quality as the Ele but they're they invisible, in the ear style, so no one notices. Plus, I haven't had any of those occasional feedback issues I sometimes got with the Audien ones and the background noise suppression is great.
So if you're looking at options, go with EleHear if you don't mind the behind-the-ear style. But if discretion is important to you, definitely check out the Nova. Both are steps up from Audien in terms of quality, though Audien certainly isn't bad for the money. Nova is also very affordable as well.
Links to both: https://heardirectclub.com/nova https://elehear.com
