Objective: Two modifications of the standardised MUlti Stimulus test with Hidden Reference and Anchor (MUSHRA), namely MUSHRA simple and MUSHRA drag&drop, were implemented and evaluated together with the original test method. The modifications were designed to maximise the accessibility of MUSHRA for elderly and technically non-experienced listeners, who constitute the typical target group in hearing aid evaluation.
Design: Three MUSHRA variants were assessed based on subjective and objective measures, e.g. test-retest reliability, discrimination ability, time exposure and overall preference. With each method, participants repeated the task to rate the quality of several hearing aid algorithms four times.
Study sample: Fifty listeners grouped into five subject classes were tested, including elderly and technically non-experienced participants with normal and impaired hearing. Normal-hearing, technically experienced students served as controls.
Results: Both modifications can be used to obtain compatible rating results. Both were preferred over the classical MUSHRA procedure. Technically experienced listeners performed best with the modification MUSHRA drag&drop.
Conclusions: The comprehensive comparison of the MUSHRA variants demonstrates that the intuitive modification MUSHRA drag&drop can be generally recommended. However, considering e.g. specific evaluation demands, we suggest a differentiated and careful application of listening test methods.
Keywords: MUSHRA; hearing aid algorithms; perceptual evaluation; quality; subjective evaluation.