Effect of low-frequency hearing aid response on four measures of speech perception

Six individuals with sensorineural hearing loss completed four speech perception tasks while listening through each of three hearing aids varying in low-frequency response. The tasks were magnitude estimation quality judgments, magnitude estimation intelligibility judgments, the Speech Perception in Noise (SPIN) test, and the California Consonant test (CCT). All tasks were completed at 90, 100, and 110 dB SPL as measured in the subject's ear canals. Results indicated that both magnitude estimation procedures effectively differentiated among the three hearing aids and produced very similar results. Preference for low-frequency amplification was related to stimulus presentation level. The SPIN test and the CCT results did not differentiate among the aids. The results suggest that the magnitude estimation procedure constitutes a valid means of evaluating hearing aids.