Subjective Differences Between Premium and Mid-level Digital Hearing Aids

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Publisher :
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 39 pages
Book Rating : 4.:/5 (112 download)

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Book Synopsis Subjective Differences Between Premium and Mid-level Digital Hearing Aids by :

Download or read book Subjective Differences Between Premium and Mid-level Digital Hearing Aids written by and published by . This book was released on 2019 with total page 39 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This study compared perceptual differences between premium and mid-level hearing aids from a major manufacturer in normal hearing listeners. Limited literature currently exists comparing perceptual differences between premium and mid-level digital hearing aids. This information is highly important in decision-making for clinicians and patients alike. Barry et al. (2018) evaluated four major hearing aid models' noise reduction properties and determined that one manufacturer's premium and mid-level devices demonstrated significant differences in noise reduction gain in frequencies associated with human speech. We programmed this device for a mild sloping to moderately-severe SNHL using the manufacturer's proprietary fitting formula and noise reduction at its maximum setting. The hearing aid was mounted on KEMAR and ten Hearing in Noise Test (HINT) sentences were recorded with each device (premium and mid-level) at two different signal to noise ratios (SNR): 0 dB SNR and +5 dB SNR. Normal hearing listeners (n = 19) were blindly presented with the pair of stimuli at each signal to noise ratio condition with a three-alternative forced choice paradigm, whereby they indicate which presentation they preferred, or if there was no perceptual differences between the recordings. The preferences were made by each subject on the basis of three different criteria: noisiness, speech intelligibility, and overall quality. The findings of this study are consistent with previous research and suggest that there is no subjective difference between premium and mid-level hearing aids on measures of noisiness, speech intelligibility, and overall sound quality. Overall, data suggested that participants did not perceive a statistically significant difference between technology levels for either the 0 dB SNR condition or the +5 dB SNR condition. This suggests that in both very noisy and less noisy environments, normal-hearing listeners do not perceive any advantage when listening with premium technology. Future research should examine premium and mid-level technology with objective outcome measures and utilize subjects with hearing loss. It may be useful to examine differences between the devices on measures of listening effort as well.

Objective Differences Between Premium and Mid-level Digital Hearing Aids

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Publisher :
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 53 pages
Book Rating : 4.:/5 (112 download)

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Book Synopsis Objective Differences Between Premium and Mid-level Digital Hearing Aids by :

Download or read book Objective Differences Between Premium and Mid-level Digital Hearing Aids written by and published by . This book was released on 2018 with total page 53 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This ongoing study compared premium and mid-level hearing aids from major manufacturers on noise reduction and general electroacoustic characteristics. The findings of this study will contribute to the scarce independent literature evaluating currently available hearing aid technology. Measuring the overall gain reduction in response to a steady state noise can objectively test noise reduction. However, such a method does not specifically test a hearing aid's ability to reduce speech in specific narrow frequency bands. Hanline & Rout (2008) developed a set of stimuli to evaluate multichannel noise reduction algorithms more precisely. We used these stimuli to test noise reduction abilities of hearing aids. Premium and mid level digital hearing aids from four major manufacturers were obtained and programmed for mild to moderately severe sloping SNHL using the manufacturer's proprietary fitting formula. Each hearing aid was programmed for noise reduction ON and OFF with every other feature disabled (or minimized). Hearing aid programming was verified, and each hearing aid was tested twice for reliability. Three different bandwidths of steady-state noise (1/3 oct, 1 oct, 2 oct) were embedded at six different frequencies (0.5, 1, 2, and 4 kHz) resulting in 12 new stimuli. In addition, a 30 second steady state speech shaped noise was included to evaluate the attack time and overall gain reduction of each noise reduction algorithm. The findings of this study suggest that there is no difference between the noise reduction efficiency of a premium level hearing aid when compared to a mid-level instrument at reducing steady state background noise. The frequency specific data indicated that there was a significant difference in the noise reduction capabilities of a mid-level and premium level hearing instrument when the background noise included both speech and background noise, as simulated by the ICRA stimuli. ICRA stimuli was created by the International Collegium for Rehabilitative Audiology for the purpose of analyzing hearing aids, as it employs spectra shaped speech like noise (Dreschler et al., 2001). There was also a significant interaction between technology level and noise bandwidth as well as a significant main effect of noise bandwidth.

Hearing Health Care for Adults

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Publisher : National Academies Press
ISBN 13 : 0309439264
Total Pages : 325 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (94 download)

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Book Synopsis Hearing Health Care for Adults by : National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine

Download or read book Hearing Health Care for Adults written by National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 2016-10-06 with total page 325 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The loss of hearing - be it gradual or acute, mild or severe, present since birth or acquired in older age - can have significant effects on one's communication abilities, quality of life, social participation, and health. Despite this, many people with hearing loss do not seek or receive hearing health care. The reasons are numerous, complex, and often interconnected. For some, hearing health care is not affordable. For others, the appropriate services are difficult to access, or individuals do not know how or where to access them. Others may not want to deal with the stigma that they and society may associate with needing hearing health care and obtaining that care. Still others do not recognize they need hearing health care, as hearing loss is an invisible health condition that often worsens gradually over time. In the United States, an estimated 30 million individuals (12.7 percent of Americans ages 12 years or older) have hearing loss. Globally, hearing loss has been identified as the fifth leading cause of years lived with disability. Successful hearing health care enables individuals with hearing loss to have the freedom to communicate in their environments in ways that are culturally appropriate and that preserve their dignity and function. Hearing Health Care for Adults focuses on improving the accessibility and affordability of hearing health care for adults of all ages. This study examines the hearing health care system, with a focus on non-surgical technologies and services, and offers recommendations for improving access to, the affordability of, and the quality of hearing health care for adults of all ages.

Purchasing Hearing Aids

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Publisher :
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 141 pages
Book Rating : 4.:/5 (911 download)

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Book Synopsis Purchasing Hearing Aids by : Andrea Leigh Walczak

Download or read book Purchasing Hearing Aids written by Andrea Leigh Walczak and published by . This book was released on 2014 with total page 141 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Objectives: To examine the objective and subjective differences between two sets of hearing aids; online 'pre-programmed' set versus an audiology-driven set. Introduction: Hearing aids are conventionally fit by audiologists over a number of appointments using compression based prescriptive procedures, verification and validation tools. On average, only 20% of hearing impaired people who may benefit from treatment will actually seek help, often waiting more than 10 years after the initial diagnosis to be fitted with their first set of hearing aids (Davis, Smith, Ferguson, Stephens, & Gianopoulos, 2007). As the internet and online resources continue to grow, there is greater and easier access to products online. In 2012, 89.5% of New Zealand's population used the internet (International Telecommunications Union (Geneva), June 2013), half of which make purchases online (Chapman-Smith, 2013). Consumers are constantly seeking more cost-efficient products to get more bang for their buck, and hearing aids purchased from an audiologist are associated with a larger price value as there is a service, not only goods. The research conducted explores the differences between a pre-programmed 'universal fit' hearing aids compared to an Audiologist-Driven professional fitting, and how the costs of each may lead to the outcomes. Methods: Twenty adults with a mild to moderately-severe hearing loss participated in a study to test the difference between 'pre-programmed' hearing aids that had been purchased online and hearing aids from a top hearing aid manufacturer that had been fit using audiological standards. The trial consisted of a full audiological assessment, audiology-driven hearing aid fitting and blinded measurement using the QuickSIN (speech intelligibility in noise), verification through real ear measures (REMs) and sound quality assessments for both sets of hearing aids. Results: Repeated measures ANOVAs revealed statistically significant differences between the Audiology-Driven and Online Aid fittings for the amount of gain provided across frequencies (2, 4 and 6 kHz). QuickSIN testing showed an advantage to the Audiology- Driven fitting, resulting in significantly higher scores. Subjective Sound Quality Assessments did not show a significant difference between the fittings. Conclusions: Audiology-Driven hearing aid fittings appear to provide significant aided benefits compared to the Online Aid fittings, although there was no significant difference between the subjective sound quality assessments in different listening scenarios.

Digital Hearing Aids

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Publisher : Thieme
ISBN 13 : 1604060077
Total Pages : 204 pages
Book Rating : 4.6/5 (4 download)

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Book Synopsis Digital Hearing Aids by : Arthur Schaub

Download or read book Digital Hearing Aids written by Arthur Schaub and published by Thieme. This book was released on 2011-01-01 with total page 204 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Digital Hearing Aids is an essential reference for information about the latest innovations in digital hearing aid technology. Concise descriptions and easy-to-reference tables and diagrams enable the reader to rapidly gain a solid understanding of digital signal processing, including such important topics as adaptive acoustic directionality, adaptive noise reduction, adaptive feedback cancellation, and sound classification. The book is divided into three main sections, with the first section providing an overview of foundational concepts, the second section presenting detailed analysis of state-of-the-art processing techniques, and the third section describing specific technical aspects of digital processing. Highlights: Each chapter opens with a brief overview of topics and questions, rapidly orienting the reader with the scope of the material presented Mathematical examples in the third section of the book allow the reader to work through practical calculations, comprehend the nuts and bolts of the processing schemes, and understand the benefits and limitations of each More than 170 illustrations and diagrams aid the comprehension of key concepts This handbook is ideal for audiologists, otolaryngologists, speech-language pathologists, and for other professionals involved in the applications of digital signal processing.

Understanding Digitally Programmable Hearing Aids

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Publisher : Allyn & Bacon
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 360 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (91 download)

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Book Synopsis Understanding Digitally Programmable Hearing Aids by : Robert E. Sandlin

Download or read book Understanding Digitally Programmable Hearing Aids written by Robert E. Sandlin and published by Allyn & Bacon. This book was released on 1994 with total page 360 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Provides the hearing health professional with useful information about the development and application of digital technology applied to hearing aid devices. Chapters discuss different systems available such as ReSound, Widex Multiprogrammable, PMC, Triton, PRIZM, and 3M. The application of digital t

Hearing Aids

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Publisher : Thieme
ISBN 13 : 9781588901033
Total Pages : 442 pages
Book Rating : 4.9/5 (1 download)

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Book Synopsis Hearing Aids by : Michael Valente

Download or read book Hearing Aids written by Michael Valente and published by Thieme. This book was released on 2002 with total page 442 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In this revised and expanded second edition, you'll find all the information you need to order hearing aids, including four new chapters on multi-channel nonlinear signal processing; advances in microphone technology; digital signal processing; and developments in rehabilitation technology. All remaining chapters have been updated to reflect the newest advances in this fast-moving field. An invaluable text for students and specialists alike!

Objective and Subjective Evaluation of Noise Reduction Algorithms in Digital Hearing Aids

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Publisher :
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 158 pages
Book Rating : 4.:/5 (276 download)

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Book Synopsis Objective and Subjective Evaluation of Noise Reduction Algorithms in Digital Hearing Aids by :

Download or read book Objective and Subjective Evaluation of Noise Reduction Algorithms in Digital Hearing Aids written by and published by . This book was released on 2008 with total page 158 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

The Little Book of Hearing Aids

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Author :
Publisher : Createspace Independent Publishing Platform
ISBN 13 : 9781540469359
Total Pages : 58 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (693 download)

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Book Synopsis The Little Book of Hearing Aids by : Geoffrey Cooling

Download or read book The Little Book of Hearing Aids written by Geoffrey Cooling and published by Createspace Independent Publishing Platform. This book was released on 2016-11-18 with total page 58 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Don't Buy A Hearing Aid Until You Have Read This Book A hearing aid advice guide with no techno jargon nonsense Buying hearing aids can be quite a daunting affair, not least because understanding the choices and technology available can be difficult. I have set out to make the incomprehensible gibberish understandable, explaining the types of hearing aids, their pros and cons, their technology and features in clear language. I discuss the introduction of the new Lithium-ion rechargeable hearing aids and why they will be exceptionally popular. I talk about invisible hearing aids and what you need to understand before choosing one. I also discuss the other hearing aid types, what they are and why I like BTE (Behind The Ear) hearing devices in particular. I discuss the different levels of technology, why they differ in price and what they can be expected to deliver for you. I also cover the different hearing aid features, what are they and what do they do. I hope to deliver clear, honest and independent advice on hearing devices with no gobbledygook in an effort to give you the information needed to make educated choices about purchasing the right hearing aid for you. I don't cover prices in this book, because they vary too much across the world, however, I clearly explain the technology levels available and how they can be expected to work for you. If you, or someone you know is struggling with choosing the right hearing aid for them, then this book will help.

The Objective and Subjective Benefit from Three Different Hearing Aid Technologies in School-aged Children

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Publisher :
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 262 pages
Book Rating : 4.:/5 (454 download)

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Book Synopsis The Objective and Subjective Benefit from Three Different Hearing Aid Technologies in School-aged Children by : Elizabeth Ann Adams

Download or read book The Objective and Subjective Benefit from Three Different Hearing Aid Technologies in School-aged Children written by Elizabeth Ann Adams and published by . This book was released on 2000 with total page 262 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Comparison of Two Digital Hearing Aids

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Publisher :
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 164 pages
Book Rating : 4.:/5 (4 download)

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Book Synopsis Comparison of Two Digital Hearing Aids by : Sara Beth Harnack Knebel

Download or read book Comparison of Two Digital Hearing Aids written by Sara Beth Harnack Knebel and published by . This book was released on 1997 with total page 164 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Hearing Aids

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Publisher : Thieme
ISBN 13 : 163853361X
Total Pages : 1307 pages
Book Rating : 4.6/5 (385 download)

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Book Synopsis Hearing Aids by : Harvey Dillon

Download or read book Hearing Aids written by Harvey Dillon and published by Thieme. This book was released on 2012-05-23 with total page 1307 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Key Features: Completely revised to reflect the research and technological advances of the last decade New chapters on directional microphones and the latest digital signal processing strategies Extensive coverage of all aspects of open-canal, thin-tube hearing aids Practical tips, tables, and procedures designed to be pinned on the walls of clinics Each cross-referenced chapter builds on the previous chapters Hearing Aids, Second Edition, is a book within a book: Each chapter has a one-page synopsis that captures the key concepts of each topic The material that students most need is contained in marked paragraphs that flow after each other to form a coherent thin book inside the larger book Intervening additional paragraphs add satisfying depth Written, comprehensively referenced, and extensively reviewed by leaders in the field, this book is ideal as a core graduate text as well as a standard reference for clinicians.

There's an App for That

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Publisher :
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 93 pages
Book Rating : 4.:/5 (962 download)

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Book Synopsis There's an App for That by : Darren William Stasso

Download or read book There's an App for That written by Darren William Stasso and published by . This book was released on 2015 with total page 93 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Objectives: To evaluate the performance and listening experience of conventional hearing aids compared to the AUD-1 application (app) for the iPad. Additionally, the usability of the AUD-1 app will be assessed by audiologists and hearing loss participants. Introduction: The World Health Organization predicts that hearing aid production meets less than 10% of the global need for rehabilitative amplification (WHO, 2015). The steep cost of hearing aids can deter people from purchasing them, as well as influence whether they use them successfully (Kochkin, 2000; Kochkin, 2007). This is doubly concerning since the prevalence of hearing loss is greater in low-income regions (Stevens et al., 2013). There is therefore a need for a cheaper, more widely accessible intervention to hearing loss. The AUD-1 app for the iPad seeks to meet this need, and has the potential to provide rehabilitative amplification with or without the assistance of a hearing care professional. Methods: Sixteen adults with hearing loss took part in a cross-sectional analysis of two rehabilitative amplification options; conventional hearing aids and the AUD-1 app for the iPad. The study consisted of a first-fit programming, followed by objective and subjective measures. Objective measures included the Quick speech-in-noiseTM (QuickSINTM) test, as well as real-ear measures. Subjective measures involved a series of Likert rating scales to assess sound quality. Ten audiologists and sixteen hearing loss participants assessed the usability of the AUD-1 app using the System Usability Scale (SUS). Results: Repeated measures ANOVAs revealed no statistically significant differences between conventional hearing aids and the AUD-1 app in terms of QuickSINTM scores, real-ear measures, or sound quality measures. Audiologists’ and hearing loss participants’ scores from the SUS suggest the AUD-1 app’s usability to be “marginal” and “acceptable” respectively. Conclusions: The AUD-1 application may be a viable alternative to conventional hearing aids. This would be particularly true in third world nations or rural areas that might otherwise not have access to conventional hearing aids or audiological intervention. However, rehabilitation that is entirely independent of an audiologist might be sub-optimal or unsafe, and would fail to provide listening strategies or identify more complex pathologies that might be present.

Subjective Judgments of Hearing Aid Transduced Speech Between a Conventional Analog and an Analog/digital Hybrid Hearing Aid

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Publisher :
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 76 pages
Book Rating : 4.:/5 (24 download)

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Book Synopsis Subjective Judgments of Hearing Aid Transduced Speech Between a Conventional Analog and an Analog/digital Hybrid Hearing Aid by : Timothy A. Jones

Download or read book Subjective Judgments of Hearing Aid Transduced Speech Between a Conventional Analog and an Analog/digital Hybrid Hearing Aid written by Timothy A. Jones and published by . This book was released on 1991 with total page 76 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Present Hearing Aid Technology Vs Future Digital Hearing Aids

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Publisher :
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 2 pages
Book Rating : 4.:/5 (289 download)

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Book Synopsis Present Hearing Aid Technology Vs Future Digital Hearing Aids by : A. Maynard Engebretson

Download or read book Present Hearing Aid Technology Vs Future Digital Hearing Aids written by A. Maynard Engebretson and published by . This book was released on with total page 2 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Differences in Hearing Aid Frequency Response when Obtained with an Objective Method Versus a Subjective Method

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Publisher :
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 72 pages
Book Rating : 4.:/5 (346 download)

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Book Synopsis Differences in Hearing Aid Frequency Response when Obtained with an Objective Method Versus a Subjective Method by : Gwen G. Washburn

Download or read book Differences in Hearing Aid Frequency Response when Obtained with an Objective Method Versus a Subjective Method written by Gwen G. Washburn and published by . This book was released on 1995 with total page 72 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Smartphone-based System for Learning and Inferring Hearing Aid Settings

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Publisher :
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : pages
Book Rating : 4.:/5 (931 download)

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Book Synopsis Smartphone-based System for Learning and Inferring Hearing Aid Settings by : Gabriel Aldaz

Download or read book Smartphone-based System for Learning and Inferring Hearing Aid Settings written by Gabriel Aldaz and published by . This book was released on 2016 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The ever-growing number of amplification parameters available in modern digital hearing aids has brought a corresponding increase in complexity of the fitting procedure and difficulty in prescribing the best settings. Trainable hearing aids - that is, instruments that adjust some settings over time based on input received from individual users - have been commercially available since 2006. Previous research has shown that hearing aid wearers can successfully train their instruments' gain-frequency response and compression parameters in everyday situations. However, hearing aids have relatively slow processing speed, small data storage capabilities, and a limited user interface, important factors that hinder their ability to be trained. In this dissertation, we address these limitations by proposing a hearing system, combining hearing aids with a smartphone, that introduces additional possibilities for training and personalization. Our system, named Hearing Aid Learning and Inference Controller, or HALIC, comprises two hearing aids, a smartphone, and a body-worn gateway to wirelessly connect them. HALIC leverages a smartphone's built-in sensors to gather additional relevant information, implements computation-intensive machine learning algorithms to improve its performance over time, and includes an intuitive user interface to let individual users express their preferences via listening evaluations. HALIC has several important components. We developed a smartphone-based sound environment classifier using time- and frequency-based features and a hierarchical classification system. We employed penalized logistic regression detectors and a music detector to classify the environmental sound as Quiet, Speech in Quiet, Noise, Speech in Noise, Music, and Party. We made use of the phone's geolocation capabilities and accelerometer to classify current location, first broadly as Place or Route, and then with greater granularity. Furthermore, we explored two different types of listening evaluations, each representative of a graphical user interface style, that individuals could use to train their system: The A/B Test and the Self-Adjustment Screen. The A/B Test is a standard method of comparing two variants applied here in a novel way to compare two hearing aid settings, A and B. The user listened to both settings and gave a subjective, relative evaluation ("A is better, " "B is better, " or "no difference"). Alternatively, the Self-Adjustment Screen allowed users to toggle buttons until they found their absolute preferred setting. Whereas the A/B Test concealed the names of the settings, the Self-Adjustment Screen explicitly labeled the settings, making them visible to the users. Lastly, we implemented a knowledge-based agent to build Trained Models (AB Model and SA Model) and infer the best possible setting from those available. To explore the benefits of self-training with a smartphone-based hearing system, we conducted an experimental within-subjects study in which we confined the space of settings to microphone modes (directional and omnidirectional), noise reduction states (off and on), and certain programs (General, Music, and Party). The study aimed to investigate whether users could train the HALIC hearing system, using a smartphone in real-world situations, to provide settings preferred over settings presented by an \untrained system"; that is, the manufacturer's algorithm for automatically selecting microphone mode and noise reduction state based on acoustic environment. During the training phase, lasting approximately four weeks, HALIC built trained models based on individual listening preferences and context, including environmental sound class, sound level, location, and hour of day. The result of each A/B Test informed the AB Model, while the result of each Self-Evaluation Screen informed the SA Model. In the subsequent two-week validation phase, and unbeknownst to participants, the meaning of settings A and B in each A/B Test changed. One setting (randomly chosen as A or B) was selected by the untrained system, while the other was selected by the \trained system, " whereby HALIC predicted the optimal setting (among available choices) using an inference engine, which considered the trained model and current context. We used validation-phase data to determine whether participants could show a preference for microphone mode and noise reduction settings predicted by the inference engine ("trained settings") over those suggested by the hearing aids' untrained system ("untrained settings"). Sixteen participants (10 male, 6 female) with moderate-severe hearing loss and ranging in age between 22 and 79 years (M = 55.5 years) participated in this study. Fifteen had at least 6 months of experience wearing hearing aids, and 14 had previous experience using smartphones. They were selected among the population of four audiology offices in the San Francisco Bay Area. Results showed that the 15 participants with valid data preferred trained settings over untrained settings (p