This investigation examined whether speech intelligibility in noise can be improved using a new, binaural broadband hearing instrument system. Participants were 36 adults with symmetrical, sensorineural hearing loss (18 experienced hearing instrument users and 18 without prior experience). Participants were fit binaurally in a planned comparison, randomized crossover design study with binaural broadband hearing instruments and advanced digital hearing instruments. Following an adjustment period with each device, participants underwent two speech-in-noise tests: the QuickSIN and the Hearing in Noise Test (HINT). Results suggested significantly better performance on the QuickSIN and the HINT measures with the binaural broadband hearing instruments, when compared with the advanced digital hearing instruments and unaided, across and within all noise conditions.

Mean data indicated that when tympanograms had negative TPP, TEOAE level was lower by approximately 4 dB across all frequency bands. However, this affected the pass rate in only 5% to 6% of cases. Although the number of participants in the current study was small, the data suggest that it is possible to measure TEOAEs in children with negative TPP. If emission-to-noise ratio is used to identify hearing loss in mid-to-high frequency bands, the majority of children will still have TEOAEs that meet clinical criteria, this providing the clinician with important information about cochlear status.

No abstract