Consumer Opinion of Personal Sound Amplification Products: A Preliminary Sentiment Analysis

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this study was to preliminarily investigate the sentiments associated with consumer opinions of personal sound amplification products (PSAPs). Method Online reviews of 21 popular PSAPs were collected from the Amazon.com website. The reviews for each product were exported to compile individual product-specific text files. A sentiment mining analysis was completed to aggregate the number of positive and negative comments for each product. In addition, the effect of value for money, available features, perceived benefit, and overall perception of PSAPs was evaluated. A correlational analysis was completed to examine the relationship between different PSAP features and the number of positive and negative comments. Results Mixed-model analysis of variance showed a significantly higher number of positive comments for high- and mid-cost products in terms of overall perception and perceived benefit compared to low-cost products. For feature attribute, high-cost products had significantly higher positive comments compared to mid- and low-cost products. There was a strong correlation between price and positive comments and a moderate correlation between price and negative comments. Also, there was a significant moderate correlation between presence of compression and feedback suppression PSAP features and positive comments. Conclusions Positive sentiments expressed toward PSAPs were found to favor high- and mid-level products. However, there was a considerably high number of negative sentiments reported across all the PSAPs investigated. The noticeable thing is that the negative comments do not change significantly across price ranges. However, the positive comments significantly increase with an increase in product price range. This indicates a possible increase in benefit with high-cost products. However, this claim requires further empirical evidence through controlled studies.

Comparison of personal sound amplification products and conventional hearing aids for patients with hearing loss: A systematic review with meta-analysis

“…The less expensive PSAPs with plain features were not as satisfying as the mid- to high-price PSAPs with multifunctional features. 64 However, we believe that unfavoured PSAPs will be eliminated or forced to provide better functions under market pressure. In the foreseeable future, the quality of PSAPs should gradually improve and provide a better alternative for hearing devices.…”

“…Previous research has shown that different PSAPs show a great diversity in price and incorporated functions. 19 , 63 Inconsistent quality of PSAPs is also reflected in the user experience. The less expensive PSAPs with plain features were not as satisfying as the mid- to high-price PSAPs with multifunctional features.…”

“…Fourth, limited by the number of included studies in this study and the sample sizes in the included studies, we were unable to perform additional analysis (i.e., meta-regression, subgroup analysis) for variables of interest or potential confounders, such as the cognitive status of patients, the price of PSAPs and the different incorporated functions mentioned in previous studies. 63 , 66 , 67 Additionally, the discovery of publication bias was also limited under the circumstance. We alternatively sought publication bias by the method suggested by Furuya-Kanamori et al., 33 and the results demonstrated very limited publication bias in the present study.…”

Interindividual variability in the benefits of personal sound amplification products on speech perception in noise: A randomized cross-over clinical trial

“…Although PSAPs are gaining popularity, their appreciation and benefits on hearing ability are still equivocal. In a study of customer opinions, the authors identified many customers’ negative impressions across all types of PSAPs studied, with more positive comments expressed about high and medium-cost products than about low-cost products [ 18 ]. This suggests that high and medium-cost products could be more effective than low-cost products.…”

The Effectiveness of Personal Sound Amplification Products in Adults With Mild to Moderate Hearing Loss: Is Their Use Inevitable?

“…In the simulated REMs, one basic and two high-end PSAPs showed appropriate levels for three common hearing loss configurations. Additionally, a study explored Amazon customers’ opinions of PSAPs, and the positive reviews showed that there was a strong correlation with the price of the product, demonstrating that PSAPs are also subject to financial influence [ 8 ].…”