EVIDENCE

By Georg Stiefenhofer

Published in International Journal of Audiology, March 17, 2022

This article investigates coloration-pitch, a main artefact of the mismatch between direct and hearing-aid sound that arises when the hearing-aid sound is delayed. The perception of coloration-pitch artefact is particularly critical for mild to moderate hearing losses and open fittings. The results show that people with normal hearing can detect changes in coloration-pitch when the delay is above a threshold of approximately 0.3 ms, while the threshold for people with mild-to-moderate hearing loss is between 0.6 and 1 ms. This means that changes in delay are audible to these groups for hearing aid delays above 1 ms. Conversely, the delay must be below 1 ms in order to make changes in the coloration-pitch artefact inaudible. It also indicates that the delay in Widex PureSound is below the threshold for the detection of delay changes and therefore the advantages with a low hearing aid delay can be fully utilized by its target group of users with mild-to-moderate hearing losses.

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By Laura Winther Balling, PhD, Lars Dalskov Mosgaard, PhD, and Dana Helmink, AuD

Published in HearingReview, March 2, 2022

Hearing aid signal processing is central to the sound that surrounds the user every day. This article lays out different possible signal-processing strategies, focusing on the choice of filter bank and sampling rate, and how these relate to sound quality. Although both time- and frequency-domain filter banks have their advantages, the sound-quality benefits of a time-domain filter bank outweigh other considerations. 

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By Laura Winther Balling, Ph.D. and Dana Helmink, Au.D.

Published in Audiology Practices, December 2021

The two major audiological innovations in Widex MOMENT™ are TruAcoustics™, which optimizes gain to the individual’s ear canal, and PureSound™, which uses the revolutionary ZeroDelay™ processing to provide a more natural sound for mild-to-moderate hearing losses. This article provides an overview of the evidence supporting these innovations, including sound quality studies, speech intelligibility testing, neurophysiological experiments using EEG, real-ear measurements, and real-life survey data.

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By Laura Winther Balling, Lasse Lohilahti Mølgaard, Oliver Townend, Jens Brehm Bagger Nielsen

Published in Seminars in Hearing, September 24, 2021

Hearing aid gain and signal processing are based on assumptions about the average user in the average listening environment, but problems may arise when the individual hearing aid user differs from these assumptions in general or specific ways. This peer-reviewed article describes Widex SoundSense Learn, an artificial intelligence (AI) mechanism that operates continuously on input from the user to alleviate such problems by using a type of machine learning known as Bayesian optimization. The basic AI mechanism is described, and studies showing its effects both in the laboratory and in the field are summarized. A crucial fact about the use of this AI is that it generates large amounts of user data that serve as input for scientific understanding as well as for the development of hearing aids and hearing care. Analyses of users' listening environments based on these data show the distribution of activities and intentions in situations where hearing is challenging. Finally, this article demonstrates how further AI-based analyses of the data can drive development.

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By Laura Winther Balling, PhD, Oliver Townend, BSc, and Dana Helmink, AuD

Published in HearingReview, September 8, 2021

With the launch of Widex MOMENT™ came the unique approach to digital amplification in Widex PureSound™. Thanks to its ultra-fast signal processing, PureSound overcomes long-standing barriers to great sound quality, and speech-understanding and EEG data also suggest that users benefit from eliminating delay-based distortion. Exploring the effects of delay in real life, a survey of PureSound users showed that ultra-low delay is associated with higher ratings on a range of important parameters, including naturalness, localization, and hearing in noise.

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By Laura Winther Balling, PhD, Oliver Townend, BSc, and Dana Helmink, AuD

Published in HearingReview, February 17, 2021

Widex hearing aids are designed with a focus on sound quality, which is a key feature for overall hearing aid satisfaction as well as in everyday moments of real-life hearing. A large international survey of hearing aid users confirms the importance of sound quality, showing higher satisfaction with the Widex MOMENT™ hearing aids for overall sound quality, for specific situations of real-life use, and for hearing aid users’ ability to participate in daily life.

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