Preferences for digital noise reduction and microphone mode settings in hearing-impaired listeners with low and high tolerances for background noise

Objective: To examine whether people with low and high acceptable noise levels (ANLs) have different preferences for aggressiveness of noise reduction (NR) and microphone mode, and whether they get different noise tolerance benefit with these two features.

Design: Participants completed laboratory tests of unaided ANL and aided modified ANLs (with speech fixed at two levels) and preferences (at two SNRs) while listening to four levels of NR, three microphone modes and four combinations of NR/directionality.

Study sample: Twenty adults with hearing loss; 10 with low ANLs and 10 with high ANLs.

Results: Seven individuals with low ANLs and 10 individuals with high ANLs preferred the maximum NR setting; the remaining three individuals with low ANLs had inconsistent preference for NR. Eight people in each ANL group preferred the maximum directional setting (broadband (BB) directionality), the remaining two people in each group had inconsistent preferences for microphone mode.

Conclusions: Because most participants preferred the maximum NR and directionality settings, ANLs could not be used to differentially prescribe these hearing aid settings.