Sonic's Speech Understanding in Noise

Question

Sonic talks about "Speech understanding in noise" as part of their 4S Foundation. What does this really mean in terms of hearing instrument technology?

Answer

The 4S Foundation is the center of all we do at Sonic. The four Ss stand for: Sound that's natural;Speech understanding in noise;Simplicity in everything we do;and Style that stands out.

In addition to our directional microphone technology, Sonic has always had a very strong reputation for its noise reduction algorithms that demonstrate clinical benefit. It is important for us to not only provide comfort but also to preserve speech intelligibility as we develop new systems.

Our new noise reduction system, Speech Priority Noise Reduction, is one example of how our 4S Foundation plays out in our products. Speech Priority Noise Reduction was aptly given a descriptive name that indicates its function. With Speech Priority Noise Reduction, it's not just about comfort;it's about speech being the signal that carries the priority. It reduces noise so that speech can be clearer. It's not a traditional comfort noise reduction algorithm;it's about preserving speech intelligibility.

When we were acquired by the William Demant organization in 2010, the engineers at both companies worked together to see how to incorporate the Sonic patented noise reduction algorithm into new Sonic products . Using the Demant state-of-the art chip platform, with its powerful processing capabilities, we were able to incorporate and improve upon our noise reduction system.

With Speech Priority Noise Reduction we now have the benefit of being able to calculate signal to noise ratios even more quickly because of the advanced processing platform and that allows us to apply noise reduction more accurately. Every time you manipulate a signal you risk changing the naturalness of the sound, so having a faster acting and more accurate system results in a much better algorithm. Thanks for your question. If you have further questions about our 4S Foundation or our technology, please visit us at www.sonici.com or contact us at (888) 423-7834. You may also visit the Sonic web channel on AudiologyOnline.

Kathy Landon joined Sonic Innovations in 2000. During her tenure with Sonic Innovations, Ms. Landon has been integral to the company's software and hardware product development efforts, and has most recently spearheaded Sonic's new marketing strategies and initiatives. Before joining Sonic Innovations, Ms. Landon held a number of software and product development positions, having come to the company from Network Multimedia, Inc., a spin-off company of Novell, Inc.