Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 22, 2026
08:53
The Measurement of Unsteady Surface Pressure Using a Remote Microphone Probe
Published on: December 3, 2016
7.3K
Integrating a remote microphone with hearing-aid processing.
James M Kates1, Kathryn H Arehart1, Lewis O Harvey2
1Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado 80309, USA.
The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America
|July 1, 2019
Summary
Remote microphones (RM) enhance hearing aid (HA) speech intelligibility but can degrade spatial perception. Synthesized cues improve externalization, but HA processing interactions were evaluated. Results show a trade-off between clarity and spatial awareness.
Area of Science:
- Audiology and Hearing Science
- Acoustics and Psychoacoustics
- Signal Processing for Hearing Aids
Background:
- Remote microphones (RM) improve speech intelligibility in challenging acoustic environments for hearing aid (HA) users.
- However, RMs can degrade binaural cues essential for sound externalization and spatial awareness.
- Augmenting RM signals with synthesized binaural cues and reflections may restore spatial perception, but HA processing interactions are a concern.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the effectiveness of augmented remote microphone (RM) signals combined with hearing aid (HA) processing on speech intelligibility and spatial perception.
- To investigate potential interactions between augmented RM signals and HA processing, including linear amplification and dynamic-range compression.
- To assess the impact of earmold vent diameter on clarity, quality, externalization, and source width.
Main Methods:
- A realistic listening simulation incorporating a dummy head for reverberation measurement was used.
- Hearing aid (HA) processing included linear amplification or independent dynamic-range compression with vented earmolds.
- Hearing-impaired listeners rated intelligibility, clarity, quality, externalization, and apparent source width of sentence stimuli.
Main Results:
- Remote microphone (RM) use significantly improved speech intelligibility but reduced spatial impression.
- Increasing earmold vent diameter decreased clarity and quality while enhancing spatial impression.
- Listener ratings indicated a trade-off between acoustic clarity/quality and spatial attributes (externalization, source width).
Conclusions:
- Augmented RM signals and HA processing influence both speech intelligibility and spatial perception.
- The observed trade-off between clarity and spatial impression can be explained by interaural cross-correlation.
- Optimizing RM and HA parameters, including earmold acoustics, is crucial for balancing intelligibility and spatial awareness.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
01:31Hearing
56.7K
When we hear a sound, our nervous system is detecting sound waves—pressure waves of mechanical energy traveling through a medium. The frequency of the wave is perceived as pitch, while the amplitude is perceived as loudness.
56.7K
01:29Definite Integral
49
Consider a real-valued function defined on a closed interval. One of the fundamental objectives in calculus is to determine the area under the graph of such a function. When an exact computation is not readily available, this area can be estimated by dividing the interval into a finite number of equal subintervals. Each subinterval corresponds to a rectangle whose width is the length of the subinterval and whose height is determined by the value of the function at a selected point within that...
49
01:25Indefinite Integrals
60
The water inflow rate into a storage tank is not constant but increases over time. Initially, the pump delivers water at a rate of 5 L/min. However, the inflow rate increases by 2 L/min for each additional minute due to rising pressure or system adjustments. This scenario can be described mathematically by a linear function:It is necessary to integrate the inflow rate function to measure the total volume of water added to the tank over time. The total water volume V(t) is obtained by performing...
60
01:13Integrator and Differentiator
1.4K
Op-amp circuits have significant applications in various fields, including automotive engineering. One such application is cruise control systems in cars, where op-amp circuits are integral for maintaining a constant speed. In these systems, op-amps function as both integrators and differentiators.
An integrator within an op-amp circuit produces an output directly proportional to the integral of the input signal. This is achieved by replacing the feedback resistor in a typical inverting...
An integrator within an op-amp circuit produces an output directly proportional to the integral of the input signal. This is achieved by replacing the feedback resistor in a typical inverting...
1.4K
01:20Integrated Healthcare System
2.3K
An integrated healthcare system (IHS) is a set of organizations that provides for or arranges to provide coordinated and continuous service to a defined population. The IHS takes responsibility for that particular population's health status and outcome, both clinically and fiscally. An integrated healthcare system is a well-organized, well-coordinated, and collaborative network. The integrated delivery system is a network that connects different healthcare providers to deliver organized,...
2.3K
02:39The Integrated Rate Law: The Dependence of Concentration on Time
41.0K
While the differential rate law relates the rate and concentrations of reactants, a second form of rate law called the integrated rate law relates concentrations of reactants and time. Integrated rate laws can be used to determine the amount of reactant or product present after a period of time or to estimate the time required for a reaction to proceed to a certain extent. For example, an integrated rate law helps determine the length of time a radioactive material must be stored for its...
41.0K