Speech in Noise (Quick SIN)

The inability to hear well in background noise is a common complaint across all age groups. Particularly in busy environments, for example, a restaurant setting where the hustle and bustle of simple everyday tasks can wreak havoc for the hard of hearing. Socialising can often become a nightmare, denting the sufferer’s confidence and resulting in them avoiding certain activities altogether.

A Quick Speech in Noise test (Quick SIN) measures this inability by determining the quietest level you can understand speech correctly in background noise. This is an important follow-up examination in succession to your Pure Tone Audiometry test, as two people with the same level of hearing loss will have completely different abilities to understand speech in background noise.

During a Quick SIN test, a series of sentences will be played with different volumes and background noise, via headphones, insert earphones or through sound field. Your audiologist will instruct you to repeat these sentences accordingly. The results of the examination will then be compared to what is considered ‘normal’ hearing level.

Our team will refer to the results of your Quick SIN test when choosing the correct hearing device and features to suit your individual needs. A repeat examination will take place following the fitting of your new device to monitor how effective it is working for you.