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Background: Previous research comparing the materials used in the production of earmolds, the superiority of the materials to each other has been proven. However, no detailed research has been performed on hybrid earmolds produced by soft silicone and acrylic in the literature. This study compares the established earmold types, hard and soft, with hybrid earmolds (hard inside and soft outside) in terms of acoustic performance and user comfort.
Methods: A total of 30 adults with hearing thresholds below 25 dB HL were included in the study. Three different types of earmolds were produced for each participant based on their ear impressions: hard, soft, and hybrid. For this purpose, real ear unaided gain, real ear occluded gain, and real ear insertion gain tests were performed for acoustic comparison of the 3 different types of earmolds. In addition, user comfort was evaluated with an earmold comfort questionnaire.
Result: The hybrid earmold obtained average data similar to other traditional earmolds and did not cause an extra decrease in acoustic results. According to the survey results, the hybrid earmold and soft earmold were more advantageous than the hard earmold in all other evaluations except for the feeling of occlusion.
Conclusion: The hybrid earmold proves its usability with its acoustic and comfort advantages, as well as the ability to be produced without requiring additional equipment or materials, despite having performance scores similar to the soft earmold.
Cite this article as: Büyükkal F, Çelikgün B, Şerbetçioğlu MB. Investigating the acoustic properties of hearing earmolds: A pilot study. B-ENT.2024;20(4):239-244.