Abstract
The introduction of different forms of nonlinear amplification and noise-reduction algorithms calls for more intelligent ways to specify the properties of hearing instruments. Traditional specifications no longer reflect important characteristics of hearing instruments. Also, for the psychophysical evaluation in a laboratory setting, well-defined noises are necessary; aided speech perception will be largely determined by the properties of the speech signal and the concurrent background noise. The field of hearing instrument specification and evaluation has become a complex area in which traditional tools have lost their relevance. There is a strong need for a new approach based on new test signals that are broadband and dynamic. Standardized broadband noises are required for comparative measurements in different hearing instruments. Based on these notions a working group of the International Collegium of Rehabilitative Audiology (ICRA) started a consensus process to design well-defined artificial noise signals that can become a standard for hearing instrument assessment, both for technical measurements and for applications in the clinical and psychophysical evaluation. This paper reports about the design criteria, the actual realization, and some examples of applications in the measurement of digital signal processing hearing instruments.
Published Version
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