Music Perception and Hearing Aids

Zakis, Justin A.

doi:10.1007/978-3-319-33036-5_8

Cited by 4 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 70 publications

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“…Music has a broader frequency spectrum, with higher energy in the low-frequency band than speech, with musical instruments often generating lower fundamental frequencies than voice [3,[13][14][15]. Thus, amplification using HAs may omit some low-and high-frequency bands of music, and a change in input and output dynamic range of HAs might distort music sound due to DNR [14,16,17]. However, currently no study has compared perceived quality of music, in addition to speech perception, with and without activation of DNR.…”

Section: Effect Of Digital Noise Reduction Of Hearing Aids On Music Amentioning

confidence: 99%

Effect of Digital Noise Reduction of Hearing Aids on Music and Speech Perception

2020

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Background and Objectives: Although many studies have evaluated the effect of the digital noise reduction (DNR) algorithm of hearing aids (HAs) on speech recognition, there are few studies on the effect of DNR on music perception. Therefore, we aimed to evaluate the effect of DNR on music, in addition to speech perception, using objective and subjective measurements. Subjects and Methods: Sixteen HA users participated in this study (58.00±10.44 years; 3 males and 13 females). The objective assessment of speech and music perception was based on the Korean version of the Clinical Assessment of Music Perception test and word and sentence recognition scores. Meanwhile, for the subjective assessment, the quality rating of speech and music as well as self-reported HA benefits were evaluated. Results: There was no improvement conferred with DNR of HAs on the objective assessment tests of speech and music perception. The pitch discrimination at 262 Hz in the DNR-off condition was better than that in the unaided condition (<i>p</i>=0.024); however, the unaided condition and the DNR-on conditions did not differ. In the Korean music background questionnaire, responses regarding ease of communication were better in the DNR-on condition than in the DNR-off condition (<i>p</i>=0.029). Conclusions: Speech and music perception or sound quality did not improve with the activation of DNR. However, DNR positively influenced the listener’s subjective listening comfort. The DNR-off condition in HAs may be beneficial for pitch discrimination at some frequencies.

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Section: Effect Of Digital Noise Reduction Of Hearing Aids On Music Amentioning

confidence: 99%

Effect of Digital Noise Reduction of Hearing Aids on Music and Speech Perception

2020

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“…In current hearing aid fittings for music listening, clinicians are encouraged to disable the HA signal processing mechanics described previously when fitting HAs for music listening (Moore, 2016;Zakis, 2016). Whether these signal processing adjustments are applied in practice and if they are associated with improved music listening experiences remain unknown.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Qualitative Study of the Effects of Hearing Loss and Hearing Aid Use on Music Perception in Performing Musicians

et al. 2019

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Hearing aids (HAs) are important for the rehabilitation of individuals with hearing loss. Although the rehabilitation of speech communication is well understood, less attention has been devoted to understanding hearing-impaired instrumentalists’ needs to actively participate in music. Despite efforts to adjust HA settings for music acoustics, there lacks an understanding of instrumentalists’ needs and if those HA adjustments satisfy their needs.The purpose of the current study was to explore the challenges that adult HA-wearing instrumentalists face, which prevent them from listening, responding to, and performing music.A qualitative methodology was employed with the use of semistructured interviews conducted with adult amateur instrumentalists.Twelve HA users who were amateur ensemble instrumentalists (playing instruments from the percussion, wind, reed, brass, and string families) and between the ages of 55 and 83 years (seven men and five women) provided data for analysis in this study. Amateur in this context was defined as one who engaged mindfully in pursuit of an activity.Semistructured interviews were conducted using an open-ended interview guide. Interviews were recorded and transcribed verbatim. Transcripts were analyzed using conventional qualitative content analysis.Three categories emerged from the data: (1) participatory needs, (2) effects of HA use, and (3) effects of hearing loss. Participants primarily used HAs to hear the conductor’s instructions to meaningfully participate in music rehearsals. Effects of HA use fell within two subcategories: HA music sound quality and use of an HA music program. The effects of hearing loss fell within three subcategories: inability to identify missing information, affected music components, and nonauditory music perception strategies.Not surprisingly, hearing-impaired instrumentalists face challenges participating in their music activities. However, although participants articulated ways in which HAs and hearing loss affect music perception, which in turn revealed perspectives toward listening using the auditory system and other sensory systems, the primary motivation for their HA use was the need to hear the conductor’s directions. These findings suggest that providing hearing-impaired instrumentalists access to musical experience via participation should be prioritized above restoring the perception of musical descriptors. Future research is needed with instrumentalists who no longer listen to or perform music because of hearing loss, so that the relationship between musical auditory deficiencies and participation can be better explored.

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“…Most CIs and some HAs use 16-bit analogue-to-digital converters (ADCs) to digitise the microphone signals ( Launer et al, 2016 ; Zakis, 2016 ). In theory this can code a 96-dB range of input sound levels (6 dB per bit).…”

Section: The Problem Of the Dynamic Range Of The Input Signalmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…One is to use 24-bit ADCs, a solution that has been adopted by several manufacturers of HAs, even though it decreases battery life. Another solution is to include an adjustable gain between the microphones and the ADCs; this gain adjustment can be compensated for in the subsequent digital-processing stages of the HA or CI ( Hockley et al, 2012 ; Zakis, 2016 ). This is done in some but not all HAs and CIs.…”

Section: The Problem Of the Dynamic Range Of The Input Signalmentioning

confidence: 99%

Listening to Music Through Hearing Aids: Potential Lessons for Cochlear Implants

Moore

2022

Trends in Hearing

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Some of the problems experienced by users of hearing aids (HAs) when listening to music are relevant to cochlear implants (CIs). One problem is related to the high peak levels (up to 120 dB SPL) that occur in live music. Some HAs and CIs overload at such levels, because of the limited dynamic range of the microphones and analogue-to-digital converters (ADCs), leading to perceived distortion. Potential solutions are to use 24-bit ADCs or to include an adjustable gain between the microphones and the ADCs. A related problem is how to squeeze the wide dynamic range of music into the limited dynamic range of the user, which can be only 6–20 dB for CI users. In HAs, this is usually done via multi-channel amplitude compression (automatic gain control, AGC). In CIs, a single-channel front-end AGC is applied to the broadband input signal or a control signal derived from a running average of the broadband signal level is used to control the mapping of the channel envelope magnitude to an electrical signal. This introduces several problems: (1) an intense narrowband signal (e.g. a strong bass sound) reduces the level for all frequency components, making some parts of the music harder to hear; (2) the AGC introduces cross-modulation effects that can make a steady sound (e.g. sustained strings or a sung note) appear to fluctuate in level. Potential solutions are to use several frequency channels to create slowly varying gain-control signals and to use slow-acting (or dual time-constant) AGC rather than fast-acting AGC.

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Music Perception and Hearing Aids

Cited by 4 publications

References 70 publications

Effect of Digital Noise Reduction of Hearing Aids on Music and Speech Perception

Effect of Digital Noise Reduction of Hearing Aids on Music and Speech Perception

A Qualitative Study of the Effects of Hearing Loss and Hearing Aid Use on Music Perception in Performing Musicians

Listening to Music Through Hearing Aids: Potential Lessons for Cochlear Implants

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