Introducing the new Widex Allure hearing aids

Widex just dropped their first major hearing aid upgrade in five years – the Widex Allure. It promises faster processing, more natural sound, and a huge leap in hearing technology. But does it live up to the hype?

I went to Denmark to get an exclusive first look at Allure, and there’s a lot to unpack. From the brand-new W1 chip to the upgraded PureSound mode, this is Widex’s boldest move yet. But there’s also a big problem that might frustrate long-time users.

If you’re a Widex fan (or thinking about upgrading), this is the video for you.

_{Watch audiologist Adam Bostock share his thoughts on the new Widex Allure hearing aids.}

Once a Widex customer always a Widex customer – or so they say. The problem with this is that Widex customers haven’t had much to get excited about recently. It’s been five years since their last platform update. Well, that’s about to change. The purveyors of the most natural sound in hearing are about to launch their new hearing aid, Allure, and I’ve been in Denmark to find out all about it.

Widex has always done things differently. While other brands focus on AI-driven noise reduction and aggressive feature stacking, Widex has kept its focus on one thing – natural sound quality. And that’s why people love them.

I’ve been fitting Widex hearing aids for over a decade and, while their technology has evolved, the core philosophy hasn’t changed. Their goal has always been to make hearing feel as unprocessed and real as possible. That’s why Widex is so popular with musicians and people who care about pure, natural sound. They hear something in Widex that other brands just don’t quite capture.

But, whilst Widex has always led the way in sound quality, they tend to be slower to modernise some features compared to competitors. And, that’s why Allure is such a big deal – it’s their first truly new platform in years. Designed to bring faster processing, smarter connectivity, and new features, while keeping that signature Widex sound.

Now that I’m back from Widex’s headquarters in Copenhagen, I’ve had time to process everything I learned about Allure. And there’s a lot to talk about!

At the heart of it is a brand-new processing platform, powered by the W1 chip, which Widex claims is four times faster than their previous Moment platform. And, that extra power enables some of the biggest upgrades we’ve ever seen from Widex.

Right now, Allure is launching with just one model – a rechargeable receiver-in-canal (RIC) hearing aid. No BTEs, no CROS, no custom in-the-ear models – at least, not yet!

One of the biggest upgrades comes in how Allure handles speech in noise. Unlike some manufacturers that are using AI-driven noise reduction, Widex is sticking to their core approach – fine-tuning their signal processing to keep sound as natural as possible. The result is Speech Enhancer Pro, which analyses 52 bands of sound in real time, reducing background noise without over-processing speech or removing natural environmental cues.

Now, I tested it in Copenhagen and, honestly, it felt incredibly smooth and natural. There’s no robotic edge, and it doesn’t squash environmental sounds in the way some other brands do.

One of the most important things to understand about Allure is the PureSound™ program, because this is where things get really interesting. For anyone unfamiliar, PureSound™ is Widex’s ultra-low-latency listening mode.

Most hearing aids introduce a small processing delay which can make sounds, especially your own voice, feel slightly disconnected from reality. It’s something you might not notice at first but, for people with mild to moderate hearing losses, that tiny delay can be a real issue. PureSound™ eliminates that problem by processing sound incredibly fast, so everything feels more immediate and natural.

It’s been a key feature in Widex hearing aids for a while but, in previous versions, it came with trade-offs. It disabled a lot of noise reduction features, meaning it wasn’t always the best choice in louder environments.

^{Allure’s Speech Enhancer Pro and PureSound™ boast their most natural hearing experience yet.}

With Allure, PureSound™ has had a major upgrade. It still delivers that ultra-low-latency sound, but now it includes more advanced processing, making it far more versatile in different listening environments. But, and this is really important, PureSound™ is not the only option. It’s a program you can select, but you’re not locked into it.

Allure also includes Universal mode, which is a more traditional Widex listening profile. Universal mode uses all of Widex’s standard sound processing, including stronger noise reduction and environmental adaptation. So, if you’re in quieter settings, PureSound™ might feel a bit more natural, but in busier environments, Universal mode might be the better choice.

I tested both and, while PureSound™ still delivers that incredibly clean, immediate sound, I noticed the feedback system kept recalibrating, which was a bit distracting. Now, that could just be because these weren’t fully programmed for me, so I’ll hold off judgment for now. But, Universal mode felt more balanced in my demo, and I actually found myself preferring it. As always, this will be down to personal preference and the listening environment.

Speaking of feedback, this has always been a weak spot for Widex. Compared to some competitors, they’ve struggled. Although, in my experience, a lot of the issues come down to dome selection and fitting, rather than the system itself, even then, Widex’s feedback suppression hasn’t been the strongest.

With Allure, they’ve introduced Adaptive Dynamic Feedback Control, which Widex claims offers significant improvement. I tested an open fit and I had zero feedback issues, which is a good sign, but this is something I’ll be watching closely over time.

Widex has also expanded its sound classification system. The W1 chip can now recognise eleven different environments and automatically adjust the settings. They’ve even added a Beat Detector mode, designed for musicians and music lovers, which should make a difference for people who listen to or play a lot of live music.

Streaming has had a big upgrade too. The W1 chip now separates streamed audio from real-world sound, so there’s no interference between the two. That means clearer calls, better music streaming, and less distortion when switching between different audio sources.

But here’s where things get frustrating. Some accessories just don’t work with Allure. Take Sound Assist, a hugely popular accessory that works as a remote microphone, a telecoil, and table mic, it’s not compatible – at all! And that’s a big problem.

Sound Assist was only released in 2022, and a lot of our Widex users rely on it in challenging listening environments. The fact that it doesn’t work with Allure means that anyone upgrading loses a key part of their setup. And the worst part? Widex hasn’t confirmed if support is coming. So, that’s something they really do need to address.

So, is it going to live up to the hype? Only time will tell. We’re excited to try this out, and we’ve already got plenty of customers always asking about Widex, so we won’t be short of opportunities to put this to the test. And, as soon as we do, I’ll be back here to share everything I’ve learned.

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Review by Adam Bostock – Senior Audiologist