Input-output (I/O) functions of hearing aids were measured in response to a 2000 Hz tone burst, having 0.5 ms rise/fall time and 10 ms duration. Findings indicated that the steady-state output limitation characteristics of hearing aids cannot be estimated from their onset responses. (Author/DB)

Investigation of the effects of frequency range, harmonic distortion, intermodulation distortion, and transient response of hearing aids upon judgments of quality showed transient response measurements the best predictor of listener judgments, with voice a possible factor. (Author/KW)

Speech recognition threshold (SRT) was measured in quiet and in noise for normal hearing subjects and subjects with high frequency sensorineural hearing loss. The speed, reliability, and apparent sensitivity of the SRT to frequency response characteristics make it a potentially useful tool for hearing aid evaluation. (Author/DB)

As part of an ongoing evaluation of the Tactile Vocoder, a device that allows the acoustic waveform to be felt as a vibrational pattern on the skin, two prelingually profoundly deaf teenagers reached criterion on a 50-word vocabulary (live voice, single speaker) after 28.5 and 24.0 hours of training. (Author/DB)

Speech intelligibility scores obtained with unilaterally hearing impaired subjects under aided and unaided experimental listening conditions suggest that, while the CROS (Contralateral Routing of Signals) hearing aid enhances intelligibility under favorable use conditions, it degrades speech intelligibility in some demanding situations. (Author/KW)

Three hearing aid manufacturers provided custom full-shell in-the-ear hearing aids designed for maximum acoustic gain for each of three hearing-impaired adults. Full-on coupler gain curves were similar across all nine hearing aids, with individual differences producing substantial variance in insertion gain across hearing aids. (Author/DB)

This paper describes the Vocal Demodulator as a new device for analysis of vocal tremor. The Vocal Demodulator produces amplitude-demodulated and frequency-demodulated outputs and measures the frequency and level of low-frequency tremor components in sustained phonation. The paper describes quantification of the demodulation process, validation…

This study examined the attenuation characteristics of 5 Frequency Modulation system sound delivery options for 25 adults and children (ages 5-13). Degree of ear canal occlusion was a major factor in degree of attenuation. For children with unilateral hearing impairments, the most acoustically appropriate option was the tube-fitting. (Author/JDD)

Performance characteristics are reviewed for seven computerized systems marketed for acoustic speech analysis: CSpeech, CSRE, ILS-PC, Kay Elemetrics model 550 Sona-Graph, MacSpeech Lab II, MSL, and Signalyze. Characteristics reviewed include system components, basic capabilities, documentation, user interface, data formats and journaling, and…

The efficacy of the IBM SpeechViewer's Vowel Accuracy Module for the improvement of vowel productions was evaluated in five preschool children with hearing impairment. Treatment effects were observed for four subjects on one vowel, for two subjects on a second vowel, and for one subject on a third vowel. Difficulties with the equipment were…

Pressure-flow characteristics were determined for four different one-way valves (Kisner, Montgomery, Olympic, and Passy-Muir) used for speech production in tracheotomy patients. Results indicated significant differences in resistance among the valves, with the resistance of one valve substantially greater than that of the normal upper airways.…

This study, involving 11 older males with mild or moderate sensorineural loss, tested whether speech gain that results from a hearing aid fitting is predictable on the basis of unaided performance intensity curve, unaided narrow-band sound field thresholds, hearing aid insertion gain as a function of frequency, ambient noise, and internal hearing…

This article reviews current knowledge in three areas: (1) characteristics of mild/moderate hearing loss; (2) the information-bearing aspects of speech; and (3) the relationship between the electroacoustic characteristics of hearing aids and the speech signal. Implications for selecting hearing aids are drawn. (Author/DB)