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Semin Hear 2002; 23(1): 077-082
DOI: 10.1055/s-2002-24977
Copyright © 2002 by Thieme Medical Publishers, Inc., 333 Seventh Avenue, New York, NY 10001, USA. Tel.: +1(212) 584-4662

Improved Understanding of Speech in Noise: Microphones and Signal Processing

Michael Valente, Jane Enrietto
  • Department of Otolaryngology, Head-Neck Surgery; Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri
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Publication History

Publication Date:
11 April 2002 (online)

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ABSTRACT

Inexperienced and experienced users of hearing aids often report a strong desire for their hearing aids to provide significantly better understanding of speech when communicating in noisy situations. This article will summarize several technologies that have significantly improved the understanding of speech in noise. This article provides a short review of recent research reporting that many of the current hearing aids with digital signal processing (DSP) have not significantly improved the understanding of speech in noise relative to analog signal processing. On the other hand, the findings have shown that DSP is often preferred when compared with hearing aids with analog signal processing. Discrepancies between the objective and subjective findings will be discussed.

KEYWORD

Analog signal processing - assistive listening devices - D-Mic - digital signal processing - directional - dual-microphones - Hawthorne effect - multi-microphone array - omnidirectional - signal-to-noise ratio

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