Relative to the KEMAR Laboratory Gold Standard Callier ... · Music stimuli: 5 tracks, 45 seconds each “Four Minutes” - Madonna, featuring Justin Timberlake “Black Horse and

Sound Level Accuracy of a Jolene Device and Verifit Relative to the KEMAR Laboratory Gold Standard

The University of Texas at DallasSchool of Behavioral and Brain Sciences

Callier Center for Communication Disorders

Sarah Grinn, B.A.4th year Au.D. student, The University of Florida

1st year Ph.D. student (Fall 2017), The University of Texas at Dallas

Project MentorshipColleen G. Le Prell, Ph.D.Edward Lobarinas, Ph.D.

Au.D. student Research AssistantsKatie Palmer, B.A. & Tess Zaccardi, B.H.S.

SLM Accuracy of Jolene and Verifit DevicesPresentation Objectives

Objective: Evaluate the ability to accurately measure earbud listening levels using Jolene and Verifit devices

1. Have have earbud listening levels historically been reported?2. SLM device review (Jolene, KEMAR, Verifit, 2cc coupler)3. Methods: How did we measure Jolene’s accuracy? Verifit accuracy?4. Results5. Recommendations for SLM manikin improvement6. Recommendations for best practice moving forward

How and what listening levels are commonly reported?

A small subset of the population is at risk for ear-level music-induced hearing loss (for review, see Danhauer et al, 2009; Quintanilla Dieck et al, 2009; Shah et al, 2009; Vogel et al, 2008; 2009; Hoover andKrishnamurti, 2010; Levey et al, 2011; Portnuff et al, 2013; Fligor et al, 2014; Lee et al, 2014)

KEMAR Manikin(Bradley et al, 1983), (Williams, 2005), (Williams, 2009), (Portnuff et al, 2011), (Sulaiman et al, 2015), (Kumar and Deepashree, 2016)

Jolene Manikin(Park et al, 2017), (Levey et al, 2011), (Fligor et al, 2014), (Martin et al, 2008)

SLM manikin (other)(Wong et al, 1990) (Serra et al, 1990)

2cc Coupler (+ Bruel & Kjær or class 1 SLM mic)(McNeill et al, 2010), (Keith et al, 2011), (Shimokura and Soeta, 2012), (Lee et al, 2014), (Yu et al, 2016)

Real-ear probe mic (placed inside the ear canal)(Hodgetts et al, 2007), (Torre, 2008), (Kumar et al, 2009), (Hodgetts et al, 2009), (Muchnik et al, 2012), (Henry and Foots, 2012), (Liang et al, 2012), (Breinbauer et al, 2012), (Hutchinson Marron et al, 2015)

AVG Listening Level in Quiet

70 - 75 dBA (in ear)

AVG Listening Level in Background Noise

90 dBA (in ear)

Riskiest listeners (small subset)

100 - 120 dBA (in ear)

Meet the Manikins KEMAR and Jolene

KEMAR G.R.A.S. Sound and Vibration

Mic accuracy: +/- 1 dB of a class 1 SLM

Affordability: ~ $16,000.00 (head simulator only)

Durability: ?

User-friendly: Yes

Jolene Dangerous Decibels - Community Outreach Program

Mic accuracy: +/- 3.5dB @ 1kHz, 94 dB (31.5Hz - 8KHz)

Affordability: ~ $100.00

Durability: plays well with others - find her on Facebook!

User-friendly: Yes

Verifit (portable suitcase version)Audioscan Hearing Instrument Fitting Systems

Mic accuracy: +/- 1 dB of a class 1 SLM

*Can serve as a reliable control measure

Affordability: ~ $9,000.00

Durability: designed for portability, tough suitcase

User-friendly: ***need an audiologist/ AuD student present to perform probe mic measurements! Also need participants to sign waivers and/or IRB approval

Methods SLM Control Measures

● Music stimuli: 5 tracks, 45 seconds each“Four Minutes” - Madonna, featuring Justin Timberlake

“Black Horse and the Cherry Tree” - KT Tunstall

“Dirty Little Secret” - The All American Rejects

“Breakout” - Miley Cyrus

“Hold my Hand” - Hootie & The Blowfish

● Music generator: iPod #1 @100% volume● Transducers: 3 types of earbuds

○ Traditional (Apple), Hybrid (Apple+insert), insert (Etymotic HF5)● Jolene (assembled per cookbook)● Bruel and Kjaer 2cc coupler + Pulse SLM software● Class 1 SLM Bruel and Kjaer● Audioscan Verifit

Methods Supplies

A few things to keep in mind when measuring listening levels…

1. Microphone accuracy2. Transducer3. Transducer fit4. Resonator volume

Variables Listening Level Measurement Considerations

RECDsResonator Considerations (Resonator Volume)

Average ear canal volume

Adult 0.6 - 1.5 cc

Pediatric 0.4 - 1.0 cc

Jolene 0.9 cc

KEMAR 1.24 cc

2cc coupler 2.0 cc

(Bagatto et al, 2005)

Changes in Real-Ear to Coupler Differences, plotted by agePlots from Bagatto M, Moodie S, Scollie S, Seewald R, Moodie S, Pumford J, Liu KP. Clinical protocols for hearing instrument fitting in the Desired Sensation Level method. Trends Amplif. 2005;9(4):199-226.

RECDReal-Ear to Coupler Difference (the “average” ear canal)

RECDsResonator Considerations

(McCreery RW, Bentler RA, Roush PA, 2013)

N = 195 children (98F, 97M)Age: mean: 41.29 months, SD 20.5

Mean error from average RECD: 7.44 dB, SD 5.3 dB

65 dB SPL55 dB SPL

Figures from McCreery RW, Bentler RA, Roush PA. Characteristics of hearing aid fittings in infants and young children. Ear Hear. 2013 Nov-Dec;34(6):701-10. doi: 10.1097/AUD.0b013e31828f1033

Real-ear differences from “average” RECD 2cc corrections, plotted as resulting listening levels deviations from target listening levels (65dB, 55dB)

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23575463




1. (Control setup) Verifit probe mic v. Bruel and Kjaer coupler v. Class 1 SLM● Can the Verifit probe mic serve as a control measure with varying earbuds?

2. Verifit probe mic v. Jolene mic outside pinna: measured outside of her ear, in the freefield● How accurate is Jolene’s microphone without any ear canal influence in the

freefield?

3. Verifit probe mic v. Jolene mic inside pinna: all 3 earbuds + probe mic inside of Jolene ear● How accurate are Jolene’s in-ear measurements with varying earbuds?

4. Verifit probe mic real ear measures v. Jolene v. 2cc coupler: all 3 earbuds + probe mic inside 5 human subjects’ ears● How accurate are Jolene’s simulated in-ear and 2cc coupler measurements

compared to human in-ear measurements?○ N = 5 females, age 22 - 26, normal otoscopic examination

Methods Measurement Conditions

Results: Verifit probe mic V. Jolene mic(Verifit v. Jolene mic inside/outside of ear, in *free-field*)

Verifit out-ear 105.51 dBA

Jolene out-ear 101.7 dBA

Verifit in-ear 119.72 dBA

Jolene in-ear 114.49 dBA

RECDsResonator Considerations (Resonator Volume)

Average ear canal volume

Adult (>15yrs) 0.6 - 1.5 cc

Pediatric (between 2-15yrs) 0.4 - 1.0 cc

Jolene 0.9 cc

KEMAR 1.24 cc

2cc coupler 2.0 cc

Results: Verifit real-ear subjects v. Jolene v. 2cc coupler (Etymotic insert earbuds)

Average dBA, Track 1

Verifit inside Jolene

108.81 dBA

2cc Coupler 96.71 dBA

Jolene mic 102.23 dBA

Subject 001 97.92 dBA





Results: Verifit real-ear subjects v. Jolene v. 2cc coupler

(Hybrid earbuds)



96.97 dBA








Results: Verifit real-ear subjects v. Jolene v. 2cc coupler

(Traditional earbuds)



94.39 dBA








Jolene Recommendations

Affordable Jolene recommendations:● Mic upgrade!● Perhaps consider using a standard 2cc coupler with the mic; apply average real-ear

values for listener’s age (Verifit 2cc coupler cost $69.00)

Mic accuracy: +/- 1dB

Mic accuracy: +/- 3.5dB

Verifit Recommendations

Use real-ear measures over manikin measures if you can!- Accounts for independent listener variability- Would be more appropriate for reported listener “group” preferences

Verifit real-ear measures Manikin

Mic accuracy + +

Transducer fit + -

Resonator + -

References

● Bagatto M, Moodie S, Scollie S, Seewald R, Moodie S, Pumford J, Liu KP. Clinical protocols for hearing instrument fitting in the Desired Sensation Level method. Trends Amplif. 2005;9(4):199-226.

● Bradley R, Fortnum H, Coles R. (1987) Patterns of exposure of school children to amplified music. Br J Audiol 21(2):119–125.● Breinbauer HA, Anabalon JL, Gutierrez D, C ́ arcamo R, ́ Olivares C, Caro J. (2012) Output capabilities of personal music players and

assessment of preferred listening levels of test subjects: outlining recommendations for preventing music-induced hearing loss. Laryngoscope 122(11):2549–2556.

● Fligor BJ, Levey S, Levey T. (2014) Cultural and demographic factors influencing noise exposure estimates from use of portable listening devices in an urban environment. J Speech Lang Hear Res 57(4):1535–1547.

● Henry P, Foots A. (2012) Comparison of user volume control settings for portable music players with three earphone configurations in quiet and noisy environments. J Am Acad Audiol 23(3): 182–191.

● Hodgetts WE, Rieger JM, Szarko RA. (2007) The effects of listening environment and earphone style on preferred listening levels of normal hearing adults using an MP3 player. Ear Hear 28(3): 290–297.

● Hodgetts W, Szarko R, Rieger J. (2009) What is the influence of background noise and exercise on the listening levels of iPod users? Int J Audiol 48(12):825–832.

● Hutchinson Marron K, Marchiondo K, Stephenson S, Wagner S, Cramer I, Wharton T, Hughes M, Sproat B, Alessio H. (2015) College students’ personal listening

● Keith SE, Michaud DS, Feder K, Haider I, Marro L, Thompson E, Marcoux AM. (2011) MP3 player listening sound pressure levels among 10 to 17 year old students. J Acoust Soc Am 130(5): 2756–2764.

● Kumar UA, Deepashree SR. (2016) Personal music systems and hearing. J Laryngol Otol 130(8):717–729.● Henry P, Foots A. (2012) Comparison of user volume control settings for portable music players with three earphone configurations in

quiet and noisy environments. J Am Acad Audiol 23(3): 182–191.● Hodgetts WE, Rieger JM, Szarko RA. (2007) The effects of listening environment and earphone style on preferred listening levels of

normal hearing adults using an MP3 player. Ear Hear 28(3): 290–297.● Hodgetts W, Szarko R, Rieger J. (2009) What is the influence of background noise and exercise on the listening levels of iPod users? Int J

Audiol 48(12):825–832.● Levey S, Levey T, Fligor BJ. (2011) Noise exposure estimates of urban MP3 player users. J Speech Lang Hear Res 54(1):263–277.● Liang M, Zhao F, French D, Zheng Y. (2012) Characteristics of noise-canceling headphones to reduce the hearing hazard for MP3 users.

J Acoust Soc Am 131(6):4526–4534.● Martin, G. Y., & Martin, H. W. (2007). The Jolene Cookbook. Portland, OR: Oregon Health and Science University,

www.dangerousdecibels.org.

References

● Martin WH (2008). Dangerous Decibels®. Partnership for preventing noise induced hearing loss and tinnitus in children. Semin Hearing 29: 102-110.

●● McCreery RW, Bentler RA, Roush PA. Characteristics of hearing aid fittings in infants and young

children. Ear Hear. 2013 Nov-Dec;34(6):701-10. doi: 10.1097/AUD.0b013e31828f1033● McNeill K, Keith SE, Feder K, Konkle AT, Michaud DS. (2010). MP3 player listening habits of 17 to 23

year old university students. J Acoust Soc Am 128(2):646–653.● Park Y, Guercio D, Ledon V, Le Prell CG. Variation in Music Player Listening Level as a Function of

Campus Location J Am Acad Audiol 00:1-19 (2017); DOI: 10.3766/jaaa.16011● Portnuff CD, Fligor BJ, Arehart KH. (2011) Teenage use of portable listening devices: a hazard to

hearing? J Am Acad Audiol 22(10):663–677.● Serra MR, Biassoni EC, Richter U, Minoldo G, Franco G, Abraham S, Carignani JA, Joekes S, YacciMR.

(2005) Recreational noise exposure and its effects on the hearing of adolescents. Part I: an interdisciplinary long-term study. Int J Audiol 44(2):65–73.

● Shimokura R, Soeta Y. (2012) Listening level of music through headphones in train car noise environments. J Acoust Soc Am 132(3):1407–1416.

● Sulaiman AH, Husain R, Seluakumaran K. (2015) Hearing risk among young personal listening device users: effects at high-frequency and extended high-frequency audiogram thresholds. J Int Adv Otol 11(2):104–109.

● Torre P 3rd. (2008) Young adults’ use and output level settings of personal music systems. Ear Hear 29(5):791–799.

● Williams W. (2005) Noise exposure levels from personal stereo use. Int J Audiol 44(4):231–236.● Williams W. (2009) Trends in listening to personal stereos. Int J Audiol 48(11):784–788.● Wong TW, Van Hasselt CA, Tang LS, Yiu PC. (1990) The use of personal cassette players among youths

and its effects on hearing. Public Health 104(5):327–330.● Yu J, Lee D, Han W. (2016) Preferred listening levels of mobile phone programs when considering

subway interior noise. Noise Health 18(80):36–41.

Documents

Relative to the KEMAR Laboratory Gold Standard Callier ... · Music stimuli: 5 tracks, 45 seconds each “Four Minutes” - Madonna, featuring Justin Timberlake “Black Horse and