Research summary – sound preference: Listeners’ distinct preferences require distinct sound designs

By Laura Winther Balling, Ph.D., Niels Søgaard Jensen, M.Sc., Michael Nielsen, B.Sc. Sebastian Best, Dipl.-Ing., Dina Lelic, Ph.D., Frédéric Marmel, Ph.D., and Gitte Engelund, Ph.D.

It is a common clinical observation that some hearing aid users find one type of sound processing does not feel quite right, while another feels much better. In a global survey, 85% of hearing care professionals agreed that no one technology can satisfy all users. Nevertheless, working systematically with such sound preferences is not part of standard clinical practice. In two studies, we compared listener preferences for the distinct sound designs of WSA’s complementary technology platforms in Signia’s frequency-domain processing and Widex’s time-domain processing.

In a large-scale online study with 248 listeners and a real-life study with 28 participants, the participants indicated a strong preference for one sound design. The data indicate that sound preference should be taken seriously and may help hearing aid wearers acclimatize to new hearing aids, whether they are first-time or experienced users. The results also show that sound preference cannot be predicted by lifestyle or demographic factors alone; it is a nuanced and personal phenomenon that ideally requires listeners to experience sounds in different environments. With its distinct sound designs, WSA is well-positioned to support hearing aid wearers and hearing care professionals with a sound preference approach.

Main results
• Up to 40% of listeners indicated a strong preference for a specific sound design. Of those, 20% indicated a strong preference for Signia’s frequency-domain processing, and Widex’s time-domain processing.
• 85% of hearing care professionals agree that no single technology can satisfy all users.
• Within broader groups of listeners with specific sound preferences, the reasons for those preferences are nuanced and personal.
• Demographic and lifestyle factors are not strong predictors of sound preference.

Clinical consequences
Common struggles with acclimatizing to new hearing aids may be alleviated by taking sound preference into account.
With two distinct sound designs, WSA enables hearing care professionals to cater to hearing aid wearers’ sound preferences, thereby updating their practice.