Microphone directionality and wind noise reduction enhance speech perception in users of the MED-EL SONNET audio processor

Abstract

Objectives: Speech understanding in noise remains a challenge for many cochlear implant users. To improve this, the SONNET audio processor features three microphone directionality (MD) settings and three wind noise reduction (WNR) settings. The primary aim of this study was to assess if speech understanding in noise and hearing in real life was superior with the SONNET or with the OPUS 2, which does not feature MD or WNR.

Methods: 31 of 33 participants completed the study. Speech understanding was assessed in two types of acoustic noise, in wind noise, and in quiet. A 4-speaker setup was used and speech was presented from 0° and noise from 90°, 180°, and 270°. Wind noise was simulated with a fan. Sound quality and hearing-related abilities were assessed via two subjective questionnaires.

Results: Speech understanding in acoustic noise with the SONNET was significantly better or equal to than with the OPUS 2. Speech understanding in wind with the OPUS 2 was significantly better than with the SONNET in some settings. Sound quality and hearing-related abilities were both significantly better with the SONNET.

Conclusions: The SONNET provides the same or significantly improved speech understanding than the OPUS 2 in quiet and in noise. While OPUS 2 was superior in wind than the SONNET in some settings, this was offset by SONNET's superiority in real-life listening situations. We therefore conclude that the front-end processing of the SONNET provides users with better hearing than does the OPUS 2.

Keywords:

• Cochlear Implant
• Speech Understanding in Noise
• Microphone Directionality
• Wind Noise Reduction
• Beamforming
• Hearing-Related Sound Quality

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank the study participants, Edda Amann (MED-EL) for doing the statistics, and Michael Todd & Laura Kerr (MED-EL) for medical writing services on a version of this manuscript.

Disclaimer statements

Contributors IA, PN, EA, AM, and YK designed the protocol and managed the study. RH, AR, AM, and KR performed the study in Würzburg. TS performed the study in Munich. All authors reviewed the data and contributed to writing the manuscript.

Conflicts of interest Authors Anderson, Nopp, Aschbacher, Möltner, and Khajehnouri are all MED-EL employees, as are Edda Amann (statistics), Michael Todd (medical writing), and Laura Kerr (medical writing).

ORCID

Andreas Radeloff http://orcid.org/0000-0003-1881-4179