High-Frequency Amplification and Sound Quality in Listeners With Normal Through Moderate Hearing Loss

Ricketts, Todd A.; Dittberner, Andrew; Johnson, Earl E.

doi:10.1044/1092-4388(2008/012)

Cited by 84 publications

(76 citation statements)

References 38 publications

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“…The main restriction as discussed by Moore et al (Moore, Fullgrabe, & Stone, 2011) and Ricketts et al (Ricketts, Dittberner, & Johnson, 2008) is the degree and slope of the audiometric configuration and not the music per se. In general, the more severe the hearing loss and/or the greater its audiometric slope, the more limited will be the higherfrequency amplification that can be applied with minimal distortion.…”

Section: The High-frequency Limitmentioning

confidence: 99%

Music and Hearing Aids—An Introduction

Chasin¹

2012

Trends in Amplification

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Modern digital hearing aids have provided improved fidelity over those of earlier decades for speech. The same however cannot be said for music. Most modern hearing aids have a limitation of their "front end," which comprises the analog-todigital (A/D) converter. For a number of reasons, the spectral nature of music as an input to a hearing aid is beyond the optimal operating conditions of the "front end" components. Amplified music tends to be of rather poor fidelity. Once the music signal is distorted, no amount of software manipulation that occurs later in the circuitry can improve things. The solution is not a software issue. Some characteristics of music that make it difficult to be transduced without significant distortion include an increased sound level relative to that of speech, and the crest factor-the difference in dB between the instantaneous peak of a signal and its RMS value. Clinical strategies and technical innovations have helped to improve the fidelity of amplified music and these include a reduction of the level of the input that is presented to the A/D converter.

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Section: The High-frequency Limitmentioning

confidence: 99%

Music and Hearing Aids—An Introduction

Chasin¹

2012

Trends in Amplification

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“…Concomitantly, a 5 to 6 kHz low-pass cutoff frequency does, nevertheless, include 90Á95% of the information needed for speech intelligibility (ANSI S3.5, 1997). Achieving a bandwidth above 5 to 6 kHz in hearing aids has been feasible for over two and one-half decades (Killion & Tillman, 1982); yet, due to an increased prevalence of feedback as well as research suggesting no improvements in sound quality with extended high-frequency bandwidth (Franks, 1982), it has been discouraged and discontinued for many years (Ricketts et al, 2008). However, more recently, high-frequency bandwidth extensions up to approximately 10 kHz have been made available in several hearing aid models.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 97%

“…A similar decrease in sound quality was also demonstrated for a speech signal when the high-frequency extension was less than 10.8 kHz. Other research also favors extending frequency bandwidth above what has been historically available in commercial hearing aids with regard to sound quality (Ricketts et al, 2008). Using a paired comparison technique, Ricketts et al (2008) demonstrated that individuals with a mild-to-moderate hearing loss had a sound quality preference for music and movie sound clips recorded in quiet of a 9 kHz bandwidth over the same signals low-pass filtered at 5.5 kHz.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 98%

The effect of extending high-frequency bandwidth on the Acceptable Noise Level (ANL) of hearing-impaired listeners

Johnson

Ricketts

Hornsby

2009

International Journal of Audiology

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This study examined the effects of extending high-frequency bandwidth, for both a speech signal and a background noise, on the acceptable signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of listeners with mild sensorineural hearing loss through utilization of the Acceptable Noise Level (ANL) procedure. In addition to extending high-frequency bandwidth, the effects of reverberation time and background noise type and shape were also examined. The study results showed a significant increase in the mean ANL (i.e. participants requested a better SNR for an acceptable listening situation) when high-frequency bandwidth was extended from 3 to 9 kHz and from 6 to 9 kHz. No change in the ANL of study participants was observed as a result of isolated modification to reverberation time or background noise stimulus. An interaction effect, however, of reverberation time and background noise stimulus was demonstrated. These findings may have implications for future design of hearing aid memory programs for listening to speech in the presence of broadband background noise.

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“…It must be remembered, however, that hearing impaired listeners may not all prefer an extended high frequency response (Franks, 1982;Punch, 1978). This may be due to the individual's hearing loss, where individuals with milder hearing losses prefer more high frequency bandwidth (Ricketts et al, 2008). With regard to low-frequency amplification, Franks (1982) concluded that hearing impaired listeners prefer an extended low-frequency response when listening to music.…”

Section: Bandwidth and Amplificationmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Extended bandwidth in hearing instruments has also assisted in addressing the mismatch between the frequency response of a hearing instrument (now reported up to 10000Hz) and the frequencies represented in live music (up to 20000Hz). Where sensorineural hearing loss is present, the benefit of extended high frequencies in the hearing instrument will depend on the residual hearing of the user and, in many cases, this will be significantly limited (Ricketts, Dittberner, & Johnson, 2008). Dynamic range, on the other hand, is the factor inherent to hearing instruments with potential for improvement.…”

Section: The Dynamic Characteristics Of Speech and Musicmentioning

confidence: 99%

Analog-to-Digital Conversion to Accommodate the Dynamics of Live Music in Hearing Instruments

Hockley¹,

Bahlmann²,

Fulton³

2012

Trends in Amplification

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Hearing instrument design focuses on the amplification of speech to reduce the negative effects of hearing loss. Many amateur and professional musicians, along with music enthusiasts, also require their hearing instruments to perform well when listening to the frequent, high amplitude peaks of live music. One limitation, in most current digital hearing instruments with 16-bit analog-to-digital (A/D) converters, is that the compressor before the A/D conversion is limited to 95 dB (SPL) or less at the input. This is more than adequate for the dynamic range of speech; however, this does not accommodate the amplitude peaks present in live music. The hearing instrument input compression system can be adjusted to accommodate for the amplitudes present in music that would otherwise be compressed before the A/D converter in the hearing instrument. The methodology behind this technological approach will be presented along with measurements to demonstrate its effectiveness.Keywords hearing aids, hearing instruments, live music, musicians and hearing loss A/D conversion peak sound pressure level of music

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High-Frequency Amplification and Sound Quality in Listeners With Normal Through Moderate Hearing Loss

Abstract: Consistent preference for wider bandwidth is present in some listeners with mild-to-moderate hearing loss.

Cited by 84 publications

References 38 publications

Music and Hearing Aids—An Introduction

Music and Hearing Aids—An Introduction

The effect of extending high-frequency bandwidth on the Acceptable Noise Level (ANL) of hearing-impaired listeners

Analog-to-Digital Conversion to Accommodate the Dynamics of Live Music in Hearing Instruments

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