Evaluation of Noise Reduction Algorithms in Hearing Aids for Multiple Signals From Equal or Different Directions.
Hendrik Husstedt, Alfred Mertins, Marlitt Frenz
PMID 30311553WHAT IT FOUND
Activating both noise reduction and directional microphone raised the measured speech-to-noise balance by about 6 dB in a hearing aid bench test.
No human listening tests were done, so it does not show better speech understanding or less listening effort.
Key findings
01For nine signals, the measurement results verified the concept and showed the method was practicable.
02With both noise reduction and directional microphone active, the maximum overall increase in speech-to-noise ratio was about 6 dB.
03A gain in speech-to-noise ratio does not necessarily lead to higher speech intelligibility or reduced listening effort.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
The paper reports technical measurements, not human listening tests. A higher measured speech-to-noise ratio did not necessarily mean better speech understanding or less listening effort. The test used a single behind-the-ear hearing aid. Output limiter, dynamic compression, feedback reduction, and wind control were deactivated, and the paper says the exact influence of nonlinear behavior is unknown. The method becomes less reliable when more than four signals are separated.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read the about 6 dB speech-to-noise gain as proof that patients will understand speech better or work less hard. The paper measured hearing aid output only and says human listening tests may give different results.