LYNGE, DENMARK – WSA has announced results from two clinical studies suggesting that incorporating individual sound preferences into hearing aid consultations may increase the likelihood that patients proceed with hearing aid purchases.
Conducted across 42 hearing care clinics in Spain, Canada, and the United States, the studies involved more than 3,000 clients and found that hearing aid conversion rates were approximately 5 percentage points higher among those who participated in a structured sound preference assessment compared with those who did not.
The findings build on WSA’s Sound Preference initiative, introduced in April 2026, which aims to help hearing care professionals better understand how patients respond to different hearing aid sound processing approaches. The program combines research, clinical tools, and educational resources to bring individual listening preferences into the hearing aid selection process.
Sound Preferences and Hearing Aid Adoption
The research examined whether allowing patients to experience and compare two distinct sound designs, followed by a discussion with their hearing care professional, could influence hearing aid adoption.
Over three to four months, 63 hearing care professionals participated in the studies. The approach used WSA’s online Sound Preference tool, which allows patients to compare natural and enhanced sound designs across five listening scenarios.
Rather than determining the hearing aid recommendation on its own, the assessment was intended to inform a broader conversation about listening preferences, communication needs, and appropriate hearing aid options.
The approach reflects a broader effort to understand why patients with similar audiograms can have very different experiences with hearing aids. In an earlier This Week in Hearing conversation with Dr. Bob Traynor, WSA’s Lise Henningsen described how patients can receive hearing aids that meet prescriptive targets yet remain dissatisfied with the listening experience. In some cases, she explained, switching to a device with a different sound processing approach can produce a noticeably better response, even when both fittings provide appropriate audibility.
Henningsen emphasized that these differences are familiar to experienced clinicians, but have historically been difficult to measure or systematically incorporate into hearing aid recommendations.
“I’ve seen so many clients with similar audiograms and with similar challenges in real-life hearing go with different brands and different sound profiles. This is not news. This is something that every practicing audiologist has seen.”
During the conversation, Henningsen also suggested that allowing patients to identify and discuss their preferred sound experience could increase their involvement in the fitting process and ultimately improve hearing aid adoption. The newly released clinical studies provide additional evidence supporting that possibility, finding higher conversion rates when sound preferences were systematically explored during consultations.
Clinical Studies Report Higher Conversion Rates
The Spanish study included 1,616 clients and reported a 4.3-percentage-point advantage in hearing aid conversion, while the North American study included 1,598 clients and reported a 5.8-percentage-point advantage.
Across both studies, 1,484 clients experienced the Sound Preference approach, compared with 1,730 who did not. WSA reported that the overall difference was statistically significant (p = 0.005).
Combined, the studies demonstrated an approximately 5-percentage-point advantage in hearing aid conversion among clients whose sound preferences were systematically explored during consultations.
Importantly, the reported improvement represents an absolute difference in conversion rates, rather than a 5% relative increase. The research summary does not provide the underlying conversion percentages for the two groups.
Patients Show Different Preferences for Sound Processing
Another finding concerned the diversity of patient sound preferences.
In the Spanish study, approximately 40% of clients expressed a moderate or strong preference for one of the two sound designs, with preferences divided approximately evenly between natural and enhanced sound.
These findings are consistent with earlier WSA research suggesting that sound preference is a measurable dimension of hearing aid fitting and that a single processing approach may not appeal equally to all listeners.
Clinicians also reported perceived benefits from incorporating sound preference discussions into appointments. Among participating Spanish professionals, 84% agreed that the approach improved the clinical experience they could offer, while 77% believed it improved the likelihood of selecting the appropriate hearing aid.
Laura Winther Balling, Senior Evidence & Research Manager at WSA, emphasized the importance of patient participation in hearing aid decisions.
“Helping patients recognize what sounds right to them gives them a voice in that decision. This study shows how making room for that conversation can help more people move forward with the care they need.”
Implications for Hearing Aid Consultations
The findings suggest that structured discussions about sound quality may provide an additional opportunity to engage patients during the hearing aid selection process.
WSA identifies two potential explanations for the observed improvement: patients may be more inclined to purchase hearing aids when the sound processing aligns with their preferences, or the opportunity to participate more actively in the decision may increase their engagement with treatment.
The studies do not establish which of these factors contributed most to the observed difference.
Additionally, while the research demonstrates an association between the Sound Preference approach and higher conversion rates, the available summary does not establish whether the approach improves long-term hearing aid use, satisfaction, or retention.
For clinicians, the findings reinforce the potential value of shared decision-making, with individual sound preferences considered alongside audiometric findings, communication needs, lifestyle considerations, and professional judgment.
Connecting Sound Preferences to Widex and Signia Technologies
WSA is positioning the research within its broader strategy of offering distinct sound processing approaches through its Widex and Signia brands.
The company describes Widex Allure AI as emphasizing a natural sound experience, maintaining a balance between speech and surrounding environmental sounds. Its W1 chip and Precision Hearing Technology are designed to support this approach, while the Clarity Boost program provides additional AI-assisted speech enhancement when desired.
Signia Multi-adaptive Xperience (MaX), meanwhile, emphasizes enhanced speech clarity and listening comfort in complex environments. Its Acoustic Intelligence system uses four task-specific deep neural networks to analyze speech, noise, environmental conditions, and the wearer’s own voice.
WSA says the Sound Preference tool can help clinicians explore these different listening experiences with patients, without replacing the broader clinical assessment or professional fitting recommendations.
Adina Bahcevanii, Head of Marketing at WSA, said the findings support the company’s continued investment in differentiated sound processing approaches.
“Our investment in Widex and Signia gives hearing care professionals distinct sound designs to work with, while Sound Preference helps them understand what matters to the person in front of them.”
Further Research and Clinical Considerations
The results add to a growing body of manufacturer-sponsored research examining how individual preferences influence hearing aid selection and adoption.
Although the observed conversion differences were statistically significant, further independent research could help determine whether structured sound preference assessments produce similar outcomes across other clinical settings, hearing aid technologies, and patient populations.
Longer-term studies could also clarify whether matching patients with their preferred sound processing approach translates into greater daily hearing aid use, satisfaction, or sustained treatment adherence.
The Spanish study is described in a 2026 WSA white paper, Addressing Hearing Aid Sound Preference Improves Clinical Outcomes, by Laura Winther Balling, Ingrid Rubio Roldán, and José Antonio Navarrete Salmerón.
The full WSA research summary is available online, along with additional information at SoundPreference.com.
References
1. Balling, L. W., Rubio Roldán, I., & Navarrete Salmerón, J. A. (2026). Addressing Hearing Aid Sound Preference Improves Clinical Outcomes. WSA White Paper.
2. WSA. (2026, October). Addressing Hearing Aid Sound Preference Improves Conversion: Research Summary. Research Summary PDF.
3. Balling, L. W., Jensen, N. S., Nielsen, M., Best, S., Lelic, D., Marmel, F., & Engelund, G. (2026). Sound Preference as a Measurable Dimension in Hearing Aid Fitting: Evidence from Comparisons of Time-Domain and Frequency-Domain Processing. WSA White Paper.
4. Marmel, F., Balling, L. W., & Rønne, F. (2026). Comparing Time-Domain and Frequency-Domain Processing: Preference Across Platforms. WSA White Paper.
About WSA
WSA is a global hearing healthcare group operating in more than 130 markets, with over 12,000 employees. Its hearing aid portfolio includes Widex and Signia, alongside a global network of hearing care professionals and consumer-facing businesses. WSA is privately owned by the Tøpholm and Westermann families, the Lundbeck Foundation, EQT, and ATHOS KG. More information is available at www.wsa.com.
Source: WSA
