SOUND QUALITY – THE KEY TO GREATER ACCEPTANCE
More and more, sound quality is becoming a key success factor for user acceptance – particularly in the middle segment of the market.
Clinical trials* of subjects with normal hearing and others with impaired hearing have demonstrated that hearing instruments vary greatly in sound quality.
They have also shown that people can consistently rank hearing instrument sound quality. Importantly, users do want better sound quality from their instruments – and they are willing to pay more for better-sounding products. In fact, of six major feature and performance areas cited by consumers as needing improvement, sound quality ranked second in importance**
The important benefits of sound quality
The hearing care community has long known that user perceptions of sound quality have a strong influence on the likelihood of acceptance and use.Excellent sound quality ensures:
- An easier time getting used to the new hearing instrument for all users
- Greater comfort for a longer attention span and more energy at the end of each day
- A more natural-sounding own voice
- Sheer enjoyment of richer listening experiences such as music
- A convincing reason for experienced users to upgrade
*M. Killion, D. Preves, R. Scicluna, P. Niquette, Hearing Aid Fidelity Ratings: 25-Band Accuracy Scores and Compression Characteristics
**S. Kochkin, MarkeTrak VI: Consumers Rate Sound Improvements in Hearing Instruments
