Sound Manager

Sound Manager prioritizes speech in noise by making discrete adjustments per program to various environments and directionality. The activity level and directionality (Omni, Directional, Dynamic, and Adaptive) settings can be selected independently per program environment.

Fast Compression, Sound Enhancement, and Situational Sound ManagementFast Compression, Sound Enhancement, and Situational Sound Management

DNN Dual Compressor/Dual Compressor/Consonant Brightness complements our new compression architecture by adjusting the fast compressor speed for better speech audibility.

Speech in Noise reduces noise and preserves speech to improve the patient's experience with noise. Its fast-acting algorithm is active 100% of the time to reduce the effects of noise, even between the pauses and syllables of speech.

Speech in Loud Noise is a noise reduction feature that combines inputs from both hearing aids to suppress noise on one side while prioritizing hearing on the opposite side. These asymmetrical adjustments make listening more comfortable and speech more understandable. This feature is inherently Ear to Ear; therefore, it's automatically enabled. In addition, Speech in Loud Noise and Frequency Lowering cannot be enabled simultaneously. A message to select the desired feature displays if one feature is already enabled and the other is enabled.

Transients, Wind, and Machine manage the layers of sound using real-world signals and mimicking the natural process for reducing unwanted sounds and augmenting wanted ones to help make hearing effortless.

Directionality and Ear to EarDirectionality and Ear to Ear

Directionality improves speech understanding in noisy situations through state-of-the-art directional microphone technology.

Spatial Adaptation increases spatial awareness and localization in noise to help restore spatial cues. In addition, Spatial Adaptation and Frequency Lowering cannot be enabled simultaneously. If one feature is already enabled and the other is enabled, a message to select the desired feature displays.

Ear to Ear enhances sound quality and reduces listening effort by automatically adjusting synced wireless hearing aids to facilitate the best signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and comfort in any listening situation. Directionality (Adaptive and Dynamic Directionality) features up to 24 bands of independent null steering that flexibly direct the polar pattern null toward the largest noise source, providing improved speech protection in difficult listening situations. Wind and Machine enhance comfort when noise is present but speech is absent. Ear to Ear is available on all premium, high, and mid wireless products and is automatically enabled in all environments and programs. The word 'Binaural' shown before the feature name (e.g., Binaural Wind, Binaural Machine, etc.) indicates Ear to Ear is supported.

Connect and select the desired hearing aid(s) to adjust via Connect.
Click Connect.

Click Sound Manager from the Left Navigation Menu.

Note: Custom programs

created in the My Starkey mobile application for Omega AI+, Omega AI, Edge AI, G Series AI, and Genesis AI wireless products can be adjusted during a live fitting but must be selected first before accessing Sound Manager. See Adjusting Custom Programs During a Live Fitting for more information.

Pro Fit automatically defaults to a binaural view if applicable. To adjust only the right or left hearing aid, click or .

Note: If fitting CROS/BiCROS devices, only the receiver aid can be adjusted; therefore, the side cannot be selected.

Enable or disable motion-based optimization. If enabled, the hearing aid will automatically change directionality to omni, and Feedback Canceller to Strong Adaptation (premium only), when the patient is in motion.

Note: This feature is only available for select products. If fitting binaurally but viewing monaurally, the selected setting is automatically assigned to the opposite ear side if supported because the state of this feature must match between devices.

To increase or decrease the fast compression strength or amount of adaptation in a specific environment or change the directional setting, click on the cell to adjust and then click

, or click Fast CompressionFast Compression, Sound EnhancementSound Enhancement, Situational Sound ManagementSituational Sound Management, or DirectionalityDirectionality and a pop-up window displays.

Fast Compression Field Name	Description	Details
Strength	Indicates the desired amount of adaptation in environments where understanding speech is challenging for the specific or all programs if linked.	Based on the hearing aid connected determines the levels available. If levels Off to 3 display, the default is 2. If levels Off/On display, the default is On. The Music program defaults to Off. The amount of adaptation each strength will apply is displayed in a tooltip by pointing to the radio button. Increase the strength if patients miss speech onsets (e.g., consonants). Decrease if patients complain of artifacts related to fast gain changes like ‘pumping’ speech or other sounds coming ‘in and out’ as the environmental level changes. The setting must be the same per program and ear side in a binaural fitting when the options are the same.

Sound Enhancement Field Name	Description	Details
(Binaural) Speech in Loud Noise	Denotes whether or not to combine inputs from both hearing aids to suppress noise on one side while prioritizing hearing on the opposite side for the specific program or all programs if linked. This feature is only available in select programs.	This feature is only available in a binaural fitting for select products. The setting must be the same per program and ear side. The default is Off for all programs except Restaurant and Crowd. If Speech in Noise is Off, this feature and field are disabled.
Speech in Noise	Indicates the desired amount of adaptation in environments with noise for the specific program or all programs if linked. This feature is only available in select programs.	Based on the hearing aid connected determines the levels available. If levels Off to 4 display, the default is 3. If levels Off to 2 display, the default is 2. If levels Off/On display, the default is On. The amount of adaptation each level will apply is displayed in a tooltip by pointing to the radio button. If Speech in Loud Noise is enabled, the setting must be the same per program and ear side.
Quiet	Indicates the desired amount of adaptation in quiet environments for the specific program or all programs if linked.	Based on the hearing aid connected determines the levels available. If levels Off to 3 display, the default is 2. If levels Off to 2 display, the default is 2. If levels Off/On display, the default is On. The amount of expansion each level will apply is displayed in a tooltip by pointing to the radio button.

Situational Sound Management Field Name	Description	Details
Transients	Indicates the desired amount of adaptation in environments with transient noise for the specific program or all programs if linked. This feature is only available in select programs. For CROS/BiCROS products, this feature is only available for programs assigned Hearing Aid Only mode.	This feature is only available for select products. Based on the hearing aid connected determines the levels available. If levels Off to 4 display, the default is 3. If levels Off to 2 display, the default is 2. If levels Off/On display, the default is On. The amount of adaptation each level will apply is displayed in a tooltip by pointing to the radio button.
(Binaural) Wind	Indicates the desired amount of adaptation in environments with wind for the specific program or all programs if linked. This feature is not available for Telecoil, Autocoil, or Loop programs.	Based on the hearing aid connected determines the levels available. If levels Off to 4 display, the default is 3. If levels Off to 2 display, the default is 2. If levels Off/On display, the default is On. The Music program defaults to Off. The amount of adaptation each level will apply is displayed in a tooltip by pointing to the radio button.
(Binaural) Machine	Indicates the desired amount of adaptation in environments with machine noise for the specific program or all programs if linked. This feature is not available for Telecoil, Autocoil, or Loop programs.	Based on the hearing aid connected determines the levels available. If levels Off to 4 display, the default is 3. If levels Off to 2 display, the default is 2. If levels Off/On display, the default is On. The Music program defaults to Off. The amount of adaptation each level will apply is displayed in a tooltip by pointing to the radio button.

Directionality Field Name	Description	Details
(Binaural) Mode	Selects the directional setting for the specific program or all programs if linked. This feature is unavailable for Disabled, Telephone, Autophone, Telecoil, Autocoil, or Loop programs.	This feature is only available if the hearing aid connected supports a directional system. The settings available are OmniOmni(Maintains an omni directional mode.), DirectionalDirectional (Maintains a fixed directional mode.), DynamicDynamic (Automatically switches to a fixed directional response in loud environments and to an omni response in quiet environments.), and AdaptiveAdaptive (In noisy environments, automatically switches to a directional response then adaptively tracks and reduces the dominant noise source to maximize speech. In quiet environments, it automatically switches to an omni response.) (select products only). The default for the Personal program is either Dynamic or Adapative, depending on the hearing aid connected. The setting must be the same per program and ear side in a binaural fitting.
(Binaural) Spatial Adaptation	Denotes whether to increase spatial awareness and localization in noise to help restore spatial cues for the specific program. This feature is unavailable for Disabled, Telephone, Telecoil, or Loop programs.	This feature is only available for select products and programs that use the Adaptive directionality setting. The default is On. If fitting binaurally but viewing monaurally, the selected setting is automatically assigned to the opposite ear side if supported, because the state of this feature must match between devices.

Click on the specific program to adjust if applicable.
Click on the radio button or mode representing the desired amount of adaptation or directionality, respectively, in each environment.
Click Close to close the pop-up window.