The effect of cross-over frequency on binaural hearing performance of adults using electric-acoustic stimulation.

: To investigate the effect of varying cross-over frequency (CF) settings for electric-acoustic (EA) stimulation in one ear combined with acoustic (A) hearing in the opposite ear on binaural speech perception, localization and functional performance in real life. Performance with three different CF settings set according to audiometric-based criterion were compared, following a four week familiarisation period with each, in ten adult cochlear implant recipients with residual hearing in both ears. On completion of all trials participants selected their preferred CF setting. On average, CF settings did not have a significant effect on performance scores. However, higher ratings on device usage were associated with the preferred CF settings. Individuals who use EA + A stimulation may benefit from access to different CF settings to achieve maximal device usage.