Quantitative enhancement of speech in noise through a wireless equipped hearing aid.

The development of new hearing aid technology can improve speech understanding in complex listening environments. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the benefit offered by the use of wireless technology applied to hearing aids. Participants were fit with binaural hearing instruments and underwent speech-in-noise tests. The signal was transmitted either by a speaker or wirelessly directly to the hearing aid. In our experience, hearing aids with wireless systems have an advantage in two particular conditions. The first can be achieved while listening wirelessly with microphones excluded (recommended when listening in noisy environments), while the second is in conditions of asymmetric listening; the wireless signal perception remains effective, but at the same time it allows the patient to receive environmental signals. Hearing aids equipped with wireless systems may be particularly useful when listening to people talking even in noisy environments and/ or receiving other sound sources such as TV and landline or cell phones.