We are excited to have you join us for an amazing educational line up, check out the agenda below for the 2025 Conference. Please note that this agenda is subject to change.
This project was funded in part by an NHCA Scholarship Foundation Student Research Award
Sound quality is cited as a major barrier to musicians wearing musicians hearing protection devices (MHPD). Level and flatness of attenuation demonstrated significant yet weak correlations with sound quality. This study builds on previous research by using custom-fit products (to remove differences in comfort), recruiting musicians as well as untrained listeners, and adding music perception tests to the test battery.
Both musicians and untrained listener groups are asked to rate the sound quality of music and complete music perception tests while listening to music through custom-fit passive MHPDs (cMHPDs) and electronic uniform-fit MHPD (eMHPDs). Three attenuation filters are used for the cMHPD (9, 15, and 25 dB attenuations) and three attenuation settings were used for the eMHPD (9 and 15 dB, and an off setting).
Data collection is ongoing. Data will be analyzed to test hypotheses related to changes in perceived sound quality and performance on music perception tests with increasing attenuation.
The results of this study will contribute to the understanding of barriers to the use of MHPD by musicians and music appreciators. Data from the music perception tests will reveal whether increasing attenuation compromises performance. Taken together, these findings will help guide education on MHPD use by musicians.
