Selecting different amplification for different listening conditions.
Ten subjects with diverse hearing impairment trialled a multiple-memory hearing aid in everyday life and in a paired-comparison laboratory test. Five subjects evaluated systematic variations of the compression characteristic in two bands, around an individually fitted response, using the Resound PHS-ED instrument. Another five subjects evaluated systematic variations of the frequency response characteristic, around an individually fitted NAL response, using the Widex Quattro B hearing device. In all, five subjects showed benefit from multiple amplification schemes. Both variations in compression and frequency response characteristics were used for different background noises and/or response criteria. There were some similarities across subjects in the choice of amplification schemes in the paired-comparison test. However, data were not sufficient to derive a relationship between preferred amplification schemes and listening conditions. For a number of audiometric and disability-related parameters, no differences were found between those who selected multiple amplification schemes and those who did not.
Keidser
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National Acoustic Laboratories, Chatswood, Australia.
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D004867:Equipment Design; D006310:Hearing Aids; D006314:Hearing Loss, Conductive / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D006319:Hearing Loss, Sensorineural / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D006801:Humans; D008144:Loudness Perception; D008875:Middle Aged; D013067:Speech Perception; D013069:Speech Reception Threshold Test