Clinical & Experimental Audiology, Amsterdam UMC Location AMC , Amsterdam , The Netherlands.
Audiology, Pento Audiological Centre , Amersfoort , The Netherlands.
Int J Audiol. 2019 Nov;58(11):780-789. doi: 10.1080/14992027.2019.1641231. Epub 2019 Jul 19.
Previous studies on single microphone noise reduction (NR) in hearing aids (HAs) have shown that some NR algorithms provide beneficial effects in terms of listener preference. To improve HA user satisfaction, we are interested in characteristics that determine preferences for NR, and in the inter-individual variability. The aim of this study was to test if dynamic properties of NR influence listener preference. The gain reduction at speech offsets of a NR algorithm was slowed down by applying temporal exponential smoothing. At speech onsets the gain recovery was left unchanged. Test signals consisted of speech in continuous and modulated speech-shaped background noise, processed with three time constants: 0, 100, and 200 ms. 16 Normal hearing (NH) and 16 hearing impaired (HI) subjects participated in a paired-comparison listening test. NH subjects as a group had a significant preference for NR with time constants of 100, or 200 ms (slower acting NR). HI listeners as a group preferred NR over no NR, but had no clear preference for fast or slow NR. Patterns of preference differed between individual listeners. NR dynamics had an impact on individual listener preference and should be considered when optimising HAs.
先前有关助听器中单麦克风降噪（NR）的研究表明，一些 NR 算法在听众偏好方面具有有益的效果。为了提高助听器用户的满意度，我们对决定 NR 偏好的特性以及个体间的可变性很感兴趣。本研究旨在检验 NR 的动态特性是否会影响听众的偏好。通过应用时间指数平滑，将 NR 算法在语音结束时的增益减少速度减慢。在语音开始时，增益恢复保持不变。测试信号由连续语音和调制语音形状背景噪声组成，采用三个时间常数（0、100 和 200ms）进行处理。16 名正常听力（NH）和 16 名听力障碍（HI）受试者参加了配对比较听力测试。NH 受试者组对具有 100 或 200ms（作用较慢的 NR）时间常数的 NR 有显著偏好。HI 听众组更喜欢有 NR 而不是没有 NR，但对快或慢的 NR 没有明显偏好。个别听众的偏好模式存在差异。NR 动态特性对个体听众的偏好有影响，在优化助听器时应予以考虑。
