Open AccessThe Acoustics of Instant Ear Tips and Their Implications for Hearing-Aid Fitting
Author(s) -
Jens Cubick,
Sueli Aparecida Caporali,
Dina Lelic,
Jasmina Catic,
Anne Damsgaard,
Steen Rose,
Terri Ives,
Evanthia Kalpazidou Schmidt
Publication year - 2022
Publication title -
ear and hearing
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.577
H-Index - 109
eISSN - 1538-4667
pISSN - 0196-0202
DOI - 10.1097/aud.0000000000001239
Subject(s) - hearing aid , audiology , ear canal , acoustics , microphone , human ear , sound pressure , medicine , physics
Today, approximately 70 to 80% of hearing aid fittings are made with silicone instant ear tips rather than custom earmolds. Nevertheless, little is known about the impact of instant ear tips on the acoustic coupling between the hearing aid receiver and the individual ear canal, even though it can have a major impact on the overall sound of the hearing aids. This study aimed to investigate the acoustic properties of different instant ear tip types and their across-subject variability, the within-subject reliability of those properties, and the influence of the users' level of experience with ear-tip insertion on the acoustics. Furthermore, subjective ratings of occlusion produced by the ear tips were considered.