Perceived Sound Quality of Hearing Aids With Varying Placements of Microphone and Receiver.
Michael A Stone, Melanie Lough, Volker Kühnel and 3 others
PMID 36580494WHAT IT FOUND
Listeners rated hearing-aid sound clarity differently by aid and material.
For hearing-impaired adults, ITE and RIC aids were preferred over DIAA and open-ear recordings for music; DIAA was similar to ITE and RIC for speech. Spaciousness showed no clear preference.
Key findings
01For music, hearing-impaired listeners ranked the ITE and RIC aids above the DIAA and open-ear recording.
02For speech, hearing-impaired listeners ranked the DIAA, ITE, and RIC similarly, while the open-ear recording was rated worse.
03Ratings of externality did not show clear preferences in either group.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
The sounds were recordings of hearing-aid output delivered through insert earphones, not the actual aids worn in everyday listening, so real-world fitting, occlusion, and usability were not directly compared. Only three premium Phonak hearing aids were compared, so the results may not apply to other brands, styles, or lower-cost devices. The study included 40 English-speaking adults with specific hearing profiles, so it may not apply to children, people with cognitive impairment, or more severe hearing losses. Externality was used as a proxy for spaciousness, and the ratings did not show a clear preference, so the study does not establish how these aids affect spaciousness.
Declared interests
This research was funded by Sonova, the holding company of Phonak, the manufacturer of all hearing aids included in the experiment. It was also supported by the National Institute of Health Research Manchester Biomedical Research Centre.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that these hearing aids were tested as worn in daily life. Participants heard recorded aid outputs through insert earphones, so real-world fitting, occlusion, and usability were not directly compared.