Fraunhofer Institute Researcher Receives Grant to Improve Personalized Hearing Systems

Dr. Jan Rennies-Hochmuth has been awarded a grant from the “Klaus Tschira Boost Fund” for his research on personalized hearing systems for improved speech communication at the Hearing, Speech and Audio Technology Division (HSA) of the Fraunhofer Institute for Digital Media Technology IDMT in Oldenburg. Rennies-Hochmuth’s research work aims to understand better how speech is perceived in complex listening conditions and above all how information is combined across both ears.

The Fraunhofer Institute for Digital Media Technology (IDMT) has upgraded the highly specialized audio setup at its Ilmenau headquarters, which includes a cutting edge object-based system for producing 3D sound, with the installation of Powersoft’s Ottocanali 4K4 DSP+D amplifier platforms. Fraunhofer IDMT - which focuses on applied research in the field of audiovisual media - is widely known for developing ground-breaking technologies for the digital media industry.

Astro Spatial Audio (ASA) will highlight its approach to true object-based immersive audio when it returns to Prolight+Sound at the Frankfurt Messe, from April 10–13. The company will offer special presentations throughout the show, highlighting the deep integration between ASA's SARA II Premium Rendering Engine and third-party systems including TTA's Stagetracker II next-generation performer tracking, Alcons Audio loudspeakers, and QLab playback automation software.

The German Fraunhofer Institute for Digital Media Technology IDMT, in Oldenburg, Germany, has compared the speech intelligibility and sound quality of a Samsung smart TV and a Samsung soundbar. The results show that using the soundbar considerably reduces listening effort in comparison to using only the TV set. 15 adults aged between 25 and 55 were invited to the Fraunhofer IDMT’s Sound Technologies Lab (STL) in Oldenburg for the study.