Investigating Differences in Preferred Noise Reduction Strength Among Hearing Aid Users

Area of Science:

• Audiology
• Acoustics
• Human-Computer Interaction

Background:

• Hearing aid (HA) users exhibit significant variability in their response to noise reduction (NR) processing.
• Understanding the drivers of this variability is crucial for optimizing HA fittings and user satisfaction.
• Current knowledge regarding factors influencing NR preference is limited.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the differences in preferred NR strength among experienced HA users.
• To identify potential predictors of NR preference, including psychoacoustic measures and self-reported traits.
• To explore the stability of NR preferences over time.

Main Methods:

• Recruited two groups of experienced HA users: "NR lovers" (N=14) and "NR haters" (N=13).
• Assessed maximally acceptable background noise levels and detection thresholds for NR-induced speech distortions.
• Collected self-reported "sound personality" traits and allowed participants to adjust NR strength to their preferred level.

Main Results:

• NR lovers consistently preferred stronger NR processing than NR haters, with some overlap observed.
• Marginal differences were found for maximally acceptable noise levels and speech distortion detection thresholds between groups.
• No significant differences in self-reported sound personality traits were identified between the groups.

Conclusions:

• Preferred NR strength appears to be a stable, individual trait not readily explained by current audiological or psychoacoustic measures.
• Existing measures may not adequately capture susceptibility to background noise or processing artifacts influencing NR preference.
• Personalized NR fitting, allowing users to self-determine optimal settings, is a promising approach for improving user experience.