Music Processed by Hearing Aids

Abstract

The processing of music by hearing aids is a challenge which the hearing aid industry is facing today. The present study is an attempt to study the hearing aid processed music while changing different parameters of the hearing aid. Thus through a controlled study design the parameters in a hearing aid appropriate for good music perception were evaluated. The evaluations were done using the spectral measurement and subjective perception of the music samples processed by hearing aids programmed with different parameters.The recorded music samples were subjected to perceptual analysis of five parameters on a five-point rating scale and objective analysis was done using spectral slice in Praat software. The results of objective and subjective analysis implied the following settings of the parameters in the digital hearing aid to be more appropriate for the music sample studied. All these conclusions are made with reference to the music samples, hearing aids and settings that were used in the study. A fifteen channeled hearing aid was better for music perception than a six channeled hearing aid. Further, the knee-point for ideal music perception should be set as high as possible till it is not uncomfortable for the subject, feedback management and the noise cancellation system should be turned off.