ELEHEAR Beyond 2 Pro Review: Is It Better Than Bossa and Audien Hearing Aids?
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The first few days with the ELEHEAR Beyond 2 Pro weren't particularly impressive.
That probably isn't the opening ELEHEAR would choose for a review of its new $799 flagship OTC hearing aids, but it's what happened during our testing. When Kerry first started wearing the Beyond 2 Pro, certain sounds were noticeably too sharp. Words containing a strong "S" could take on an almost whistle-like quality, and some vocals in music occasionally sounded strange. His description was that the singer sounded like they were "singing through a fan."
Four weeks later, his opinion is completely different. After several weeks of regular use, those early problems faded, voices became remarkably clear, and Kerry rated the Beyond 2 Pro a 9 out of 10.
Kerry is well placed to judge them. He also owns the Bossa TX5 Mini Plus and the Audien Atom Pro2, so he wasn't comparing against nothing. That makes this an interesting hearing aid to review, because our experience wasn't defined by the first hour or even the first few days. It was defined by what happened after living with them.
What Is the ELEHEAR Beyond 2 Pro?
The Beyond 2 Pro is ELEHEAR's latest premium over-the-counter hearing aid, designed for adults 18 and older with mild to moderate hearing loss. At $799 per pair, it sits at the top of ELEHEAR's current lineup. These are receiver-in-canal hearing aids rather than earbud-style devices. Each one weighs 4.3 grams, and ELEHEAR has made the body smaller and flatter so it sits closer behind the ear. They're also IP67 rated for protection against dust and everyday moisture, although ELEHEAR specifically says that doesn't mean you should shower or swim while wearing them.
The big technology story is the new VOCCLEAR 3.0 processing. The company says its latest algorithm uses DNN-based noise reduction to reduce steady background sounds while preserving speech, and includes speech enhancement intended to make conversations easier to follow in busy environments. ELEHEAR also claims a 39% improvement in speech clarity in extremely noisy conditions compared with its previous generation, but that comes from the company's own controlled testing and shouldn't be treated as an independent measurement. There's also Bluetooth streaming for calls and music(Kerry loved to be able to listen to music will biking!), Auracast support, replaceable receivers, and more granular sound customization through the ELEHEAR app.
That's a substantial feature list. But with hearing aids, none of it matters much if they're uncomfortable or voices don't sound natural.
Getting the Fit Right Matters
One of the first things Kerry discovered was how important the included ear domes are. ELEHEAR supplies multiple options, and it's worth spending time finding the right fit rather than using whatever happens to be installed first. Once Kerry settled on the domes that worked best for his ears, comfort became one of the Beyond 2 Pro's strongest attributes. In fact, there were times when he forgot he was wearing them.
That's significant for a device intended to be worn all day. A hearing aid can have excellent processing and plenty of features, but if you're constantly aware of something sitting behind or inside your ear, none of that matters very much. The 4.3-gram design doesn't hurt here. ELEHEAR says it's about 10% lighter than the previous generation.
The First Week Wasn't Great
Kerry wasn't particularly impressed during his first week. The biggest problem was the way certain high-frequency sounds were reproduced. Words with strong "S" sounds could become excessively sharp and almost whistle-like. Instead of speech simply sounding clearer, those sounds jumped out unnaturally.
Music produced another strange effect. With certain songs, Kerry described vocals as sounding like someone was singing through a fan.
This is also where the comparison with his other aids matters. In those first few days, his Audien Atom Pro2 actually sounded better than the ELEHEAR. That's a fair point in the Audien's favor: it sounded good out of the box, while the Beyond 2 Pro needed time. Neither issue made the ELEHEAR unusable, but they weren't what we expected from a $799 pair of hearing aids. If we'd written this review after three days, the conclusion would have been considerably different.
Then the Sound Started Getting Better
Over the following days, the issues became much less noticeable. The sharpness on "S" sounds settled down, the strange effect with music disappeared, and voices increasingly sounded like a nice, clear, natural tone. By roughly the third week, Kerry's description of speech had become much simpler: crystal clear.
ELEHEAR heavily promotes the AI processing behind VOCCLEAR 3.0, and Kerry's own sense was that the AI assist corrected the sound over those first days. Our testing clearly showed his experience improving substantially over several weeks, but I'm hesitant to attribute every improvement to the algorithm. Several variables are involved when someone adjusts to a new hearing aid, including fit, settings, and simply becoming accustomed to how the device reproduces sound.
What I can say confidently is that the difference between Kerry's first few days and his experience after three to four weeks was substantial. A strange first afternoon doesn't necessarily tell you what living with these hearing aids will be like.
Kerry tested the Beyond Pro 2’s for over 185 hours for this review!
How It Compares to the Audien Atom Pro2 and Bossa TX5 Mini Plus
Kerry's verdict is clear: the ELEHEAR Beyond 2 Pro now outperforms every other hearing aid he owns, including the Audien Atom Pro2 and the Bossa TX5 Mini Plus. The Audien was the early winner. For the first few days, it sounded better, and anyone who wants instant plug-and-play sound should keep that in mind. But once the ELEHEAR settled in, it pulled ahead in speech clarity and overall satisfaction, and it earned his 9/10 rating.
Buy the Beyond 2 Pro on Amazon!
Speech Clarity Became the Standout Feature
By the end of testing, speech clarity was probably the most impressive part of the Beyond 2 Pro. Voices sounded clear and natural without the distracting sharpness of the first several days. That matters because speech intelligibility is one of the main reasons anyone buys hearing aids.
It's also where ELEHEAR is putting much of its engineering effort. VOCCLEAR 3.0 is designed to distinguish speech from competing noise rather than simply making everything louder. ELEHEAR says its FocusClarity speech enhancement is intended for situations with multiple people speaking, while the DNN-based noise reduction targets steadier background sounds such as traffic, HVAC systems and restaurant noise. Again, those are manufacturer claims we didn't independently verify. But Kerry's experience with speech after several weeks was excellent.
You Can Fine-Tune the Sound
ELEHEAR gives users more control than a simple volume button. Balanced Sound Control allows bass, midrange and treble adjustments in 1 dB increments across a ±8 dB range. That's useful because hearing loss isn't identical from person to person, nor is everyone's idea of natural sound. The app also controls noise reduction and other settings for different environments, and the company offers remote support after purchase if you're unsure about your setup.
This is one area where spending time with the product makes sense. Finding the right domes and dialing in the sound can have a significant effect on the overall experience.
Music Took Longer to Sound Right
Music was where the Beyond 2 Pro initially struggled. "Singing through a fan" isn't something you want associated with a premium hearing aid. Fortunately, it didn't stay that way. As Kerry kept using them, vocals became more natural and the effect disappeared. ELEHEAR says the new generation delivers a 17% relative improvement in music performance over the previous model, but like its other percentages, that's from internal testing. What matters more here is that Kerry went from noticing something wrong with music to no longer finding it distracting.
Bluetooth and Auracast Add Some Future-Proofing
Bluetooth handles calls and music streaming. Auracast support is the more interesting addition: it's designed to let compatible hearing devices receive broadcasts from supported public audio systems, which could eventually mean streaming audio directly in airports and other public venues as the technology spreads. Whether that matters today depends on where you use them, but it's nice to see on a product someone may keep for several years.
$799 Isn't Cheap
At $799 per pair, the Beyond 2 Pro sits well above the ultra-budget end of the OTC market. That price has to be weighed against what you get: a lightweight receiver-in-canal design, advanced processing, extensive adjustment, Bluetooth, Auracast, IP67 protection and replaceable receivers.
ELEHEAR also offers a 45-day risk-free trial and a one-year warranty. The trial is particularly relevant given our experience. If Kerry had judged these after the first couple of days, he wouldn't have come away nearly as impressed.
Pros and Cons
Pros
Very comfortable with the right ear domes
Excellent speech clarity after the adjustment period
Sound improved noticeably over three to four weeks
Outperformed both the Audien Atom Pro2 and Bossa TX5 Mini Plus for Kerry
Fine-tuning controls, Bluetooth, Auracast, and a 45-day trial
Cons
Harsh "S" sounds in the first week, when the Atom Pro2 sounded better
Odd vocal artifacts in some music early on
Needs patience and some experimentation with domes
$799 is a significant price
The Verdict
The ELEHEAR Beyond 2 Pro gave us one of our more interesting hearing-aid testing experiences because the conclusion changed so dramatically over four weeks.
The beginning wasn't great. S sounds were too sharp, some vocals sounded strange, and Kerry's Audien Atom Pro2 sounded better. Then things changed. After finding the right domes and spending more time with them, those complaints faded. By roughly three weeks, voices were exceptionally clear, and by four weeks comfort was excellent and speech sounded natural.
His final score is 9/10.
