Changelog
All notable changes to the HearAdvisor methodology are documented here. Each entry includes what changed, which pages were affected, and whether published scores were impacted.
Every page also shows its last-updated date with a link to its full edit history on GitHub. For a line-by-line diff of every change, see the commit history.
Hearing Devices
July 2026 — Weight correction, normalization documentation, and score rounding
One scoring-weight correction, one normalization clarification, and one score-rounding clarification.
Scores affected: Yes — all hearing device SoundScores were recomputed.
| Area | Description | Pages |
|---|---|---|
| SoundScore | Corrected the component allocation to match the combined survey weights: 0.15 for "Does Not Squeal" and 0.12 for "Own Voice Not Boomy." Per-fit, across-fit, and SoundScore values were recomputed for every device. | SoundScore |
| SoundScore | Documented normalization as a catalog-wide offset equal to 5.0 minus the highest raw across-fit score, recalculated when the leading raw score changes, rather than a permanently fixed +1.1. The offset was +1.1 at first publication; the behavior it describes is unchanged. | SoundScore |
| SoundGrade | Defined the public SoundScore as the calculated score rounded to one decimal using half-up rounding, with SoundGrade and Expert Choice assigned from that same value. A calculated score of 3.95 therefore displays as 4.0 and receives an A. | Hearing devices, Earplugs |
| Results | Refreshed summary statistics to the current catalog: 117 hearing devices and 57 earplug conditions across 32 earplugs. Under the corrected weights and shared rounding rule, 45 hearing devices and 20 earplug conditions receive an A. | Devices, Earplugs |
May 2023 — Initial Publication
First public documentation of HearAdvisor's hearing device evaluation methodology.
Scores affected: N/A (initial publication)
| Area | Description | Pages |
|---|---|---|
| Laboratory | 8-speaker ring, KEMAR 45BA manikin, treated test room | Lab Setup |
| Recordings | 72 acoustic scenes (ARTE database), custom speech, music streaming | Recordings |
| Device Settings | N3 audiogram, NAL-NL2 targets, Initial and Tuned fit protocols | Device Settings |
| Speech Perception | HASPIv2-based, quiet/moderate and loud sub-scores | Speech Perception |
| Occlusion | REOIG mapped to subjective ratings, AOC procedure | Occlusion |
| Music Streaming | HAAQI_LIN across 5 genres | Music Streaming |
| Feedback | Blind listening test, 2 challenge cases | Feedback |
| SoundScore | Survey-weighted composite (n=107 consumers, n=95 HCPs) + Expert Choice | SoundScore |
Earplugs
July 2024 — Initial Publication
First public documentation of HearAdvisor's earplug evaluation methodology.
Scores affected: N/A (initial publication)
| Area | Description | Pages |
|---|---|---|
| Laboratory | Shared lab with hearing devices (updated room measurements) | Lab Setup |
| Recordings | Insertion gain/loss via pink noise at 90 dB LAeq, 10 recordings per device | Recordings |
| Loudness Reduction | Moore-Glasberg loudness model (ISO 532-2), % reduction in Sones | Loudness Reduction |
| Sound Quality | Tan & Moore spectral distortion metric D | Sound Quality |
| SoundScore | Survey-weighted composite (n=55), letter grades, Expert Choice | SoundScore |