Hearing Valley: the hearing laboratory

Hearing Valley is located in the Canthia building at the University of Eastern Finland, at Yliopistonranta 1 C, 70200 Kuopio, Finland. Its state-of-the-art research equipment provides an excellent environment for conducting high-quality and innovative research.

A list of the laboratory equipment and their descriptions can be found below.

Kuulolaakso on kuulontutkimukseen erikoistunut tutkimus- ja kehitysympäristö, joka sijaitsee Itä-Suomen yliopiston tiloissa, Kuopiossa. Hearing Valley is a research and development environment specializing in hearing research, located at the University of Eastern Finland in Kuopio. — Research room of the Hearing Valley laboratory.

Audiometer

The computer‑controlled Madsen Astera 2 diagnostic audiometer is integrated with the Aurical FreeFit real‑ear measurement (REM) system and the Aurical HIT hearing aid test chamber. The system supports Oldenburg sentence‑in‑noise tests in Finnish, Swedish, and English, enabling advanced speech‑in‑noise assessment. It is suitable for in‑situ hearing aid measurements and is fully compatible with the NOAH data management system, providing a comprehensive platform for audiological diagnostics, research, and hearing aid evaluation.

EEG

Eye tracker

Head and torso simulator

The GRAS 45BB is a state‑of‑the‑art KEMAR acoustic manikin designed for accurate and repeatable acoustic measurements. It replicates the acoustic properties of the human head, torso, and ears, enabling objective and standardized evaluation of spatial hearing, speech perception, and audio device performance. The system supports controlled, reproducible testing conditions and is well suited for advanced hearing research, binaural acoustics, and auditory technology assessment.

Loudspeakers

A multichannel loudspeaker system consisting of 37 loudspeakers and two subwoofers is used to create realistic and immersive sound environments. The research room is equipped with thirty‑two Genelec 8331A three‑way coaxial loudspeakers and four Genelec 8330A two‑way coaxial loudspeakers, supported by two Genelec 7370A subwoofers for low‑frequency reproduction. An additional two‑way loudspeaker is installed in the control room for monitoring purposes.

The system provides accurate and consistent sound reproduction across a wide frequency range. Built‑in room correction filters help reduce the influence of room acoustics at the listening position, and the loudspeaker settings can be controlled remotely. These features make the system well suited for spatial hearing research and immersive audio studies.

Otoscopes

The Sibbo PUF digital otoscope enables high‑quality visualization of the ear canal and tympanic membrane through a digital display, supporting accurate documentation and easy sharing of clinical findings. Complementing this, the laboratory also utilizes a traditional otoscope for fast and reliable assessment of ear structures during routine examinations. Together, these instruments provide both advanced digital imaging capabilities and efficient, hands‑on otoscopic evaluation for research and clinical purposes.