Perceptual Evaluation of Binaural MVDR-Based Algorithms to Preserve the Interaural Coherence of Diffuse Noise Fields.

The listeners were 15 self-reported normal-hearing experienced participants, and only 11 completed the spatial quality test, so the results do not show what hearing aid users with hearing loss would experience. The study used an artificial head, recorded impulse responses, headphones, and controlled noise fields, not real hearing aid users in everyday environments. The best intelligibility condition, MVDR-OPT, was artificially generated and only an upper performance limit, not a practical algorithm. The algorithms assumed a diffuse noise field and a speech source in front of the listener, which may not match real conversations. The anechoic condition used the same model for generating and processing noise, so it is a benchmark rather than a realistic test. The authors state that hearing loss and age can reduce discrimination of interaural coherence differences, and that further research is needed for hearing impairment.

Funded by Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft and the Niedersächsisches Ministerium für Wissenschaft und Kultur.

Do not conclude that these algorithms will improve speech intelligibility for hearing aid users with hearing loss. The study tested only 15 normal-hearing experienced listeners in laboratory conditions, and the authors say that age and hearing loss can make interaural coherence discrimination harder and that further research is needed for hearing impairment.