Purpose: The purpose of the present study was to determine whether standard and high-frequency transducers influence test scores on clinically used speech-in-noise (SIN) assessments, such as the Word-In-Noise (WIN) and QuickSIN tests. Method: Sixteen individuals whose hearing thresholds were within normal limits (≤ 25 dB HL at 0.5, 1, 2, and 4 kHz), and nine individuals with sensorineural hearing loss participated in this research. Hearing thresholds were obtained at extended high frequencies in adults with normal hearing. The WIN and QuickSIN tests were administered to only one ear. These tests were conducted using the RadioEar IP30 and RadioEar DD450 transducers. Results: There were no significant differences in the WIN and QuickSIN test scores between the IP30 and DD450 transducers in both groups. Analysis of WIN and QuickSIN test scores of individuals whose thresholds were within normal limits while controlling for age and extended high-frequency hearing thresholds showed no significant effect of the transducer, suggesting that these factors did not influence the test scores. Conclusion: The findings of this study suggest that both IP30 inserts and DD450 headphones are suitable for use in WIN and QuickSIN testing.
Veeranna et al. (Tue,) studied this question.