Combination compression and linear gain processing for digital hearing aids

Amplitude compression processing is used to reduce the amplitude level variations of speech to fit the reduced dynamic ranges of sensorineural impaired listeners. However this processing results in spectral smearing due in part to reduced peak-to-valley ratios. Presented here is a processing algorithm based on a sinusoidal speech model which preserves the important spectral peaks through a hybrid of compression and linear gain processing. Preliminary listening tests indicate that listeners with moderate losses showed marked benefit from the processing algorithm through increased detectability of high frequency information.