Summary: Signia’s Integrated Xperience (IX) platform significantly improves conversation clarity in noisy group settings, outperforming competitors by delivering up to 8.1 dB better conversation signal-to-noise ratio (SNR).

Takeaways:

  1. The study demonstrates that Signia IX’s Real Time Conversation Enhancement (RTCE) technology offers a 3.2 dB higher conversation SNR than competing hearing aids.
  2. Signia IX’s multi-stream processing technology independently enhances speech and processes noise, improving conversation clarity in dynamic group settings.
  3. In lab tests simulating real-world conditions, Signia IX achieved an 8.1 dB improvement in conversation SNR, more than 3 dB ahead of its nearest competitor.

Signia announced the results of a new study that demonstrates the ability of its Signia Integrated Xperience (IX) platform to overcome the added challenge of following dynamic group conversations in noisy environments.(1)

Real-Time Conversation Enhancement

According to study results, Signia IX, with its Real Time Conversation Enhancement (RTCE) technology, substantially outperformed other hearing aids in measured output SNR with at least a 3.2 dB higher conversation signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) in a group conversation set-up.

The current study pits Signia IX against the latest technology from competing hearing aid manufacturers—including those with AI co-processor-driven platforms—employing a method that simulates a typical group conversation in background noise.

“Integrated Xperience is about more than just hearing better. It is about giving hearing aid wearers the confidence to engage, interact, and contribute – especially in noisy group conversations,” says Jens Moeller, head of brand, Signia. “Only Signia Integrated Xperience hearing aids independently enhance speech and process noise so wearers can better follow dynamic group conversations. To prove that point, we’ve studied the signal-to-noise ratios of leading hearing aids in a realistic dynamic group conversation scenario – and the results clearly show Signia IX is still the leader.”

The boost in conversation SNR, achieved through Signia IX’s unique split and multi-stream processing technology, significantly enhances conversation performance for Signia IX hearing aid wearers in dynamic group conversations.

Further reading: Improving the Real-World Conversation Experience With a Multi-Stream Architecture

Conversation Performance Tests in Dynamic Group Conversations

Signia IX overcomes the limitations of single-stream processing, where speech and noise are processed in the same way, by managing speech and noise separately in a multi-stream architecture.

“Signia IX’s unique multi-stream platform requires studies with multiple speakers in order to showcase and confirm its performance in group conversations,” Moeller says. “We believe these multi-speaker test setups are crucial for advancing the industry beyond simple comparisons with static single speakers in noise.”

The latest lab tests analyzed the performance of Signia IX and key competitors’ hearing aids using a KEMAR manikin and four independent loudspeakers, positioned in front and behind the manikin. Two loudspeakers simulated background noise, while the other two played sections of the International Speech Test Signal (ISTS) at intervals to simulate conversation partners entering and leaving a group conversation from different locations.

Signia IX hearing aids showed an 8.1 dB improvement in conversation SNR compared to unaided listening. The nearest competitor showed only a 4.9 dB improvement. Details are now available in a new Signia white paper establishing a real-world methodology for testing conversation SNR.

“As this rigorous study shows, Signia Integrated Xperience offers the best improvement in overall conversation SNR, which means wearers can better engage with multiple family members and friends regardless of background noise,” says Moeller. “Signia’s goal is always to help people connect with conversations, and when it comes to studying the results of our engineering, Signia is committed to evaluating hearing aids in conditions that matter to wearers in everyday life.”

References: 

  1. Jensen NS, Wilson C, Kamkar Parsi H, Samra B, Hain J, Best S & Taylor B. 2024. Signia IX delivers more than twice the speech enhancement benefit in a noisy group conversation than the closest competitors. Signia White Paper. Retrieved from www.signia-library.com.

Photo: Signia