Optimizing the audibility of soft sounds without over-amplifying other background sounds is a delicate balancing act, because every patient’s brain processes soft sounds differently. What sounds soft to one person with hearing loss may seem uncomfortably loud to another. This presents a challenge because soft, high frequency speech sounds are part of about 75% of everyday listening environments, not just quieter, one-on-one communications.
Oticon Premium and Advanced devices use a proprietary fitting rationale called Voice Aligned Compression, or VAC+. VAC+ uses a curvilinear input-output function to provide a clear focus on soft to moderate speech information while maintaining perception in louder environments.
Soft Speech Booster is an integral part of Oticon’s personalization process. The input gathered through the personalization process determines the initial Soft Speech Booster setting for the patient.
The Soft Sound Perception is the control for Soft Speech Booster. This is a relative control that increases or decreases the audibility for sounds near threshold. This lets you balance the details with the comfort of soft sound by controlling the lowest knee-point. This is an easy way to adjust high frequency soft inputs to meet your patient’s unique hearing needs.