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Systematic Hearing Performance Evaluation Process for Adolescents with Cochlear Implantation at Early Ages
Published on: March 24, 2023
Effects of noise, nonlinear processing, and linear filtering on perceived speech quality
Kathryn H Arehart1, James M Kates, Melinda C Anderson
1Department of Speech Language and Hearing Sciences, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado 80309, USA. Kathryn.arehart@colorado.edu
Ear and Hearing
|May 5, 2010
Summary
Listeners with hearing loss rate speech processed by hearing aids lower than normal-hearing listeners. Noise and nonlinear processing significantly impact speech quality more than linear filtering for all users.
Area of Science:
- Audiology
- Signal Processing
- Psychoacoustics
Background:
- Hearing aids employ complex signal processing to aid individuals with hearing loss.
- Understanding the subjective impact of these processing strategies on speech quality is crucial for device optimization.
Purpose of the Study:
- To quantify subjective speech quality ratings across diverse simulated hearing aid processing conditions.
- To compare these ratings between individuals with normal hearing and those with hearing loss.
Main Methods:
- 14 normal-hearing and 15 hearing-impaired listeners rated speech processed through simulated hearing aid conditions.
- Conditions included various combinations of noise, nonlinear processing (e.g., compression), and linear filtering.
Main Results:
- Both groups provided reliable ratings, with significant effects of all processing types.
- Listeners with hearing loss consistently rated speech quality lower than normal-hearing listeners.
- Noise and nonlinear processing had a greater impact on quality than linear filtering.
Conclusions:
- Hearing-impaired listeners perceive significantly lower speech quality with simulated hearing aid processing.
- Signal processing, particularly noise and nonlinear effects, profoundly influences speech quality perception in hearing aid users.
- These findings underscore the importance of mitigating noise and nonlinear distortions in hearing aid design.
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