Cochlear implant (CI) users can choose between behind-the-ear (BTE) and off-the-ear (OTE) audio processors. OTE processors, unlike BTE processors, contain all the technology (the transmitter coil, power supply and processor core) in one unit. The aim of this study is to determine whether different front-end signal processing settings (e.g. microphone characteristics, noise reduction) have a comparable impact on speech understanding in noise when using an OTE audio processor (RONDO3) and a BTE audio processor (SONNET2). Twenty CI users with at least three months of hearing experience with the Rondo3 took part in the study. During a single study visit, speech understanding in noise was measured with their RONDO3 and a SONNET2 in two situations (S0N0 & S0N±90N180) using the Oldenburg sentence test (OLSA). In addition, subjective satisfaction with RONDO3 was assessed by native Rondo3 users using the Hearing Implant Sound Quality Index (HISQUI) and the Audio Processor Satisfaction Questionnaire (APSQ) as well as a product-specific questionnaire. The results so far show that the participants are highly satisfied with RONDO3. All subjective evaluations and the OLSA results are analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics.
No takes yet. Share an insight, caveat, or question.
Rottmann et al. (2024) studied this question.
Synapse has enriched 5 closely related papers on similar clinical questions. Consider them for comparative context: