Leading listening tech provider, Nuance Hearing, has launched a state-of-the-art directional microphone to help address the ‘cocktail party problem’. The ‘cocktail party problem’ – an inability to understand speech in a noisy environment – can affect up to 41 per cent of adults, according to research. The Voice Selector Converse helps overcome challenging hearing situations for those who struggle with the ‘cocktail party problem’, offering a tech solution to understand conversations in a crowded room, without the need for hearing aids. The ‘cocktail party problem’ where people have difficulty understanding speech in noisy situations can often be the first sign of a hearing loss. The ‘cocktail party problem’ is the name used to describe the brain’s inability to filter out background noise and tune into what someone is saying in a busy environment.