NAL unveils breakthrough solution for people with minimal or no measurable hearing loss
10 April 2025
The National Acoustic Laboratories (NAL), a world leader in hearing research, has unveiled its next-generation hearing aid fitting solution, NAL-NL3. It’s designed to help millions of people worldwide with hearing difficulties – even those with no measurable hearing loss.
NAL-NL2, released 15 years ago, is the most used prescription in the world for fitting hearing aids. NAL-NL3 improves upon this in part by addressing existing gaps in hearing care with the introduction of modules for specific clinical populations and hearing needs. With one of the new modules, NAL-NL3 offers an evidence-based solution for hearing care practitioners to fit people who have hearing difficulties but are typically told they do not qualify for hearing aids.
“The NAL-NL3 system addresses critical needs in clinical and consumer hearing care by providing a general prescription for most situations and modules for specific needs. One of our modules is the first prescription that we are aware of that provides a solution for individuals with minimal or no audiometric hearing loss but who struggle with hearing in noisy environments,” says Dr Brent Edwards, Director of NAL, the research division of Hearing Australia. “We estimate that up to 30 per cent of people who visit hearing clinics with hearing difficulties are told they have ‘normal’ hearing and are not considered candidates for a hearing aid. This new NAL-NL3 module will give hearing care providers a solution to help these individuals currently being denied hearing help.”
The NAL-NL3 system is an advancement over its predecessor, NAL-NL2, and is set to expand with additional modules in the future, enhancing accessibility and effectiveness in hearing care. “It’s more than just an improvement; it’s a transformative step forward in hearing aid-fitting prescriptions. NAL-NL3 is designed to help clinicians and consumers address issues that have long been overlooked,” says Dr Edwards.
“Before creating NAL-NL3, it was crucial we first understood the gaps in hearing health care where fitting prescriptions were not addressing the needs of people with hearing difficulty. Through our research, we identified two key areas where NAL-NL3 modules could have the biggest impact. The first module offers a solution for people with hearing in noise difficulty but with minimal measurable hearing loss—a population that is typically denied access to traditional hearing help. A second module offers help for people with hearing loss in noisy situations, making listening in these environments, like pubs and restaurants, easier by improving listening comfort without compromising speech understanding.”
Modular design to evolve with future needs
Dr Padraig Kitterick, Head of Audiological Science at NAL and lead researcher for NAL-NL3, says the modular design allows the system to grow over time. “We are moving away from a one-size-fits-all prescription to a system that will continue to evolve with new modules. We’re starting with the minimal loss and comfort-in-noise modules, but we’ll add more over time. That’s what makes NAL-NL3 so exciting – it’s a game-changer,” Dr Kitterick explains.
“Our goal is to transform the lives of people with hearing difficulties, no matter the type. Hearing loss can take a serious toll on health and wellbeing. For example, people who struggle to hear in noisy settings often withdraw from social activities, feeling isolated when they can’t fully engage in conversations.”
One research participant, who trialled hearing aids fitted with NAL-NL3 and used them mainly in noisy environments, said: “I really enjoyed having the opportunity to hear better in those [noisy] situations. I feel quite hopeful that in the future there may be an option for me to get hearing aids and enjoy being my social self in loud environments.”
NAL has been a global leader in hearing aid fitting prescriptions since the 1970s. It introduced NAL-NL1 in 1999, followed by NAL-NL2 in 2011. NAL is working closely with hearing aid manufacturers and clinics to integrate NAL-NL3 into hearing aids, with the new technology expected to be available later this year.
