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NCT Number: NCT07543770

Wind Noise Sound Quality Preference and Claims Study

Claims evidence is required for a new Wind Noise Canceller (WNC) algorithm.

Wind noise is not sound in the classic sense, as it does not correspond to pressure waves moving through the air. However, because the microphone membranes are deflected by the wind noise, the microphones translates them into a sound signal. Since the pressure fluctuations are small in size, this wind noise signal is uncorrelated between the two HI microphones (correlation decreases with increasing microphone distance), creating bothersome sounds at low and very low frequencies. Historically, wind noise cancellers have been applied to make wind noise less bothersome. However, target signal (i.e. speech) sound fidelity can become compromised as a biproduct. Therefore, an updated wind noise canceller has been proposed to improve wind noise attenuation and target signal fidelity compared to the previous iteration. Informal exploratory testing by normal hearing Sonova employees have identified the new wind noise canceller iteration to improve sound quality ratings with some dependencies on (1) wind speed, (2) wind angle and (3) target signal. Therefore, this study will aim to produce sound quality data showing a benefit for the new wind noise canceller compared to the older version for the purpose of claim substantiation.

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Key information

Conditions

Hearing Loss Ear Diseases Hearing Disorders Nervous System Diseases Neurologic Manifestations Otorhinolaryngologic Diseases Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms Sensation Disorders Signs and Symptoms

Age range

18 year–99 year

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

Sonova Canada Inc.

Kitchener, Ontario, N2E 1Y6, Canada

Location contact

Jinyu Qian, PhD

PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Jonathan M Vaisberg, PhD

CONTACT

[email protected]

905-745-6785

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • Adults (18-99 years)
  • Binaural, symmetric, sensorineural N2 (mild) to N5 (moderate-severe) hearing loss
  • Fluent in English

Exclusion criteria

  • Minors (< 18 years
  • Normal hearing or hearing loss > N6 (severe)

Treatment and study plan

New wind noise canceller

Device

Updated wind noise canceller intended to improve wind noise attenuation and target signal fidelity compared to its predecessor.

Old wind noise canceller

Device

Older version of the wind noise canceller

Primary outcomes

  1. Overall preference sound quality attribute

    Time frame: During a single 2-hour onsite study session

    Participants will complete an A-B paired-comparison listening task to assess subjective preference for overall preference between two hearing aid conditions. During testing, participants will listen to short audio recordings that vary in target signal, wind speed, and wind incidence angle. For each trial, participants will indicate which of the two recordings (A or B) is preferred overall. The outcome measure will be the proportion of "A preferred" versus "B preferred" responses aggregated across all trials and participants. Binary preference data will be analyzed using inferential statistics.

Secondary outcomes

  1. Speech clarity sound quality attribute

    Time frame: During a single 2-hour onsite study session

    Participants will complete an A-B paired-comparison listening task to assess subjective preference for speech clarity between two hearing aid conditions. During testing, participants will listen to short audio recordings that vary in target signal, wind speed, and wind incidence angle. For each trial, participants will indicate which of the two recordings (A or B) is preferred in terms of speech clarity. The outcome measure will be the proportion of "A preferred" versus "B preferred" responses aggregated across all trials and participants. Binary preference data will be analyzed using inferential statistics.

  2. Listening comfort sound quality attribute

    Time frame: During a single 2-hour onsite study session

    Participants will complete an A-B paired-comparison listening task to assess subjective preference for listening comfort between two hearing aid conditions. During testing, participants will listen to short audio recordings that vary in target signal, wind speed, and wind incidence angle. For each trial, participants will indicate which of the two recordings (A or B) is preferred in terms of listening comfort. The outcome measure will be the proportion of "A preferred" versus "B preferred" responses aggregated across all trials and participants. Binary preference data will be analyzed using inferential statistics.

  3. Listening effort sound quality attribute

    Time frame: During a single 2-hour onsite study session

    Participants will complete an A-B paired-comparison listening task to assess subjective preference for listening effort between two hearing aid conditions. During testing, participants will listen to short audio recordings that vary in target signal, wind speed, and wind incidence angle. For each trial, participants will indicate which of the two recordings (A or B) is preferred in terms of listening effort. The outcome measure will be the proportion of "A preferred" versus "B preferred" responses aggregated across all trials and participants. Binary preference data will be analyzed using inferential statistics.

  4. Naturalness sound quality attribute

    Time frame: During a single 2-hour onsite study session

    Participants will complete an A-B paired-comparison listening task to assess subjective preference for naturalness between two hearing aid conditions. During testing, participants will listen to short audio recordings that vary in target signal, wind speed, and wind incidence angle. For each trial, participants will indicate which of the two recordings (A or B) is preferred in terms of naturalness. The outcome measure will be the proportion of "A preferred" versus "B preferred" responses aggregated across all trials and participants. Binary preference data will be analyzed using inferential statistics.

Study contacts

Contact information is provided by the study sponsor or research team.

Jonathan M Vaisberg, PhD

CONTACT

[email protected]

905-745-6785

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Jonathan Vaisberg

Industry

Registry information

Acronym: WB

Important dates

Study start
2026
Primary completion
2026
Study completion
2026
First posted
Apr 22, 2026
Registry last updated
Apr 22, 2026

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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