Evaluation of Performance With an Adaptive Digital Remote Microphone System and a Digital Remote Microphone Audio-Streaming Accessory System

Abstract

Purpose One purpose of this study was to evaluate the improvement in speech recognition obtained with use of 2 different remote microphone technologies. Another purpose of this study was to determine whether a battery of audiometric measures could predict benefit from use of these technologies. Method Sentence recognition was evaluated while 17 adults used each of 2 different hearing aids. Performance was evaluated with and without 2 different remote microphone systems. A variety of audiologic measures were administered to determine whether prefitting assessment may predict benefit from remote microphone technology. Results Use of both remote microphone systems resulted in improvement in speech recognition in quiet and in noise. There were no differences in performance obtained with the 2 different remote microphone technologies in quiet and at low competing noise levels, but use of the digital adaptive remote microphone system provided better speech recognition in the presence of moderate- to high-level noise. The Listening in Spatialized Noise–Sentence Test Prescribed Gain Amplifier (Cameron & Dillon, 2010) measure served as a good predictor of benefit from remote microphone technology. Conclusions Each remote microphone system improved sentence recognition in noise, but greater improvement was obtained with the digital adaptive system. The Listening in Spatialized Noise–Sentence Test Prescribed Gain Amplifier may serve as a good indicator of benefit from remote microphone technology.