In our daily lives, we are faced with a variety of noises that can interfere with our ability to hear and understand in conversation.

Deaf people who wear hearing aids want to communicate smoothly in any environment, especially noisy environments, and this requires good noise reduction in hearing aids.

Noise Cancelling Hearing Aids have various noise reduction features, each based on different principles and methods. All aim to improve the hearing aid user's inability to hear in noisy environments.

In this article, we look at how noise reduction features work, what kinds of noise reduction features are available, how to rationalize noise reduction features in hearing aids, who should look for noise cancelling hearing aids, and how Chosgo's hearing aids reduce background noise.

How does the noise reduction function work?

Environmental Analysis

Most noise reduction systems are modulation-based systems. A modulation-based noise manager analyzes all sounds, including speech, in the hearing aid user's environment over some time.

Speech is a very different signal from noise, and the difference between the two allows the system to analyze the sound and make a recognition.

If the noise is loud enough and no speech is detected, then the noise reduction system will reduce the overall level of the output, lowering the noise volume and improving comfort.

If speech is detected, then the reduced level will be dialed back to ensure that those important and desirable speech sounds are heard.

Multi-Channel Noise Reduction

These adjustments are made in different frequency bands to improve comfort without compromising clarity. They reduce the frequency bands where noise is dominant while retaining the frequency bands that are useful and important for speech understanding.

As an analogy, noise is mostly in the low-frequency band, while speech is in the middle and high-frequency bands. The noise reduction system will reduce the gain of the low-frequency band and not deal with the sound of the high-frequency band to achieve the purpose of "filtering noise."

Currently, most mainstream hearing aids are multi-channel, and the noise reduction function can work independently in each channel. As a result, the gain can be reduced in the noisiest frequency bands or channels to avoid reducing the energy in the frequency bands that carry important speech information.

Degree of noise reduction

The degree of noise reduction is determined by several factors related to the acoustic environment in which the hearing aid is used and is also dependent on the hearing aid manufacturer. Different manufacturers use different noise reduction systems and have their noise reduction algorithms and rules.

While this depends primarily on the amount of noise, it also includes other factors, such as the overall level of speech sound and noise. Frequency bands that are covered by speech usually have less or no noise reduction, while bands with more noise have more noise reduction.

In addition, even on the same frequency bands, different hearing aid manufacturers will vary in the effectiveness of their hearing aids and the degree of noise reduction.

What types of noise reduction are available in hearing aids?

The noise reduction features of hearing aids are usually categorized according to several common types of noise found in everyday life.

The categorization of noise is complex, but in general, the four most common types of noise that deaf people experience when using hearing aids are as follows:

Noise in speech

Noise can mask speech sounds, seriously affecting the hearing comfort and intelligibility of people who are deaf or hard of hearing. This is the core of all noise reduction features. For this type of noise, the core algorithms of the major manufacturers are different, but ultimately, they all aim at a better listening experience.

Steady-state noise

It is a relatively smooth sound. Commonly, it can be divided into two categories:

  • Background noise, such as some refrigerators
  • Air conditioning work produced by the local noise
  • Bustling traffic sounds
  • Smooth wind noise

Transient noise

She is commonly known as a kind of noise that appears very quickly and disappears very quickly, i.e., intermittent, non-continuous impulse sound. Examples include the sound of a door slamming, keyboard tapping, high heels on the floor, pots and pans crashing, and so on.

Conventional noise reduction modes in hearing aids do not work on transient noises, and noise reduction features specifically designed for transient noises are needed to improve the wearing experience for people who are hard of hearing.

Whistling

Whistling is one of the most annoying sounds when wearing hearing aids. It is usually divided into internal and external whistling and has many causes. Internal whistling is a machine fault that needs to be sent to the factory for overhaul; external whistling has a corresponding acoustic feedback suppression that is feasible to deal with.

Noise reduction is not "everything."

In an ideal noise reduction system, the hearing aid will only reduce unwanted noise, leaving the desired speech signal intact. In this perfect scenario, the hearing aid recognizes useful sounds to be delivered to the user and filters out the noise.

Hearing aid noise reduction technology is not yet "perfect," and to achieve this, it is crucial that the system accurately analyzes and recognizes the acoustic difference between speech and noise.

Of course, even perfect noise reduction is not everything - hearing aids are not our brains.

After all, even people with normal hearing can't guarantee that they will only selectively listen to what they want to hear without being disturbed by noise in a complex environment of high-intensity noise and multiple people chatting.

Not to mention the deaf people who already have poorer speech discrimination ability; therefore, it is important to consider the noise reduction function of hearing aids rationally.

Who Should Look for Hearing Aids with Noise Reduction?

Background noise is one of the main challenges faced by many deaf people, so choosing a hearing aid with noise-canceling features is often a smart choice. The following groups of people are particularly suited to these hearing aids:

  • People who work in noisy environments, such as factory operators, restaurant servers, construction workers, etc., need to concentrate on their work against a background of high noise.
  • People who socialize a lot, such as those who often attend parties, events, and meetings, need to communicate clearly in various social situations.
  • Students in school: Students from elementary school to college who need to hear their teachers and classmates speak clearly in class.
  • People who regularly participate in religious activities: Whether in churches, temples, or other spiritual places, people who participate in communal worship and activities need to hear speeches and prayers clearly.
  • Family members who need to communicate frequently: You need to eliminate background noise when communicating with family members at home or with friends in public.
  • People who enjoy outdoor activities, such as hiking and biking, where you need to hear your partner's voice over the sound of the wind or other ambient noise.

Choosing a noise-canceling hearing aid can significantly improve the quality of daily life for these people, allowing them to communicate comfortably even in complex sound environments.

How do Chosgo's hearing aids reduce background noise?

Chosgo hearing aids effectively reduce background noise through advanced Environmental Noise Cancellation (ENC) and Wide Dynamic Range Compression (WDRC) technologies. These technologies allow users to enjoy clear conversations in a variety of environments, whether it's a noisy family gathering or a walk in the park.

In addition, Chosgo hearing aids offer a variety of preset programs and volume levels that users can adjust to meet different environmental needs. For example, the V03B model has four preset programs and ten volume levels to ensure an optimal listening experience in all environments.

Users can also use Chosgo's mobile app to control hearing aid settings and optimize the listening experience further. These hearing aids are not only noise-canceling but are also equipped with Wind Noise Management and Feedback Management features to reduce noise and feedback during hearing aid use and improve comfort when using them outdoors.

Chosgo hearing aids can be purchased online, and a 45-day free trial is offered to ensure users can try them and experience the results risk-free.

To learn more about Chosgo hearing aids, you can visit the official Chosgo website at Chosgo Hearing.