Enhancing binaural speech perception in noise via weighted coherence masking for hearables

A weighted masking method based on the coherent-to-diffuse ratio is presented for robust binaural speech enhancement in real-time hearable devices. The method applies manually tuned weights across custom-defined critical frequency bands to improve the quality and intelligibility of frontal target speech in multi-talker reverberant environments. The algorithm was implemented in real time on a functional hearable prototype and evaluated in a perceptual listening study under realistic binaural hearing conditions. Subjective assessments with normal-hearing participants, including evaluations of audio quality, speech intelligibility, and spatial localization, demonstrated consistent improvements compared to baseline coherence-based filtering methods. Results indicate that the method suppresses diffuse background noise while preserving interaural spatial cues important for listening comfort and spatial awareness in complex acoustic scenes. These findings support the applicability of coherence-weighted masking in real-time binaural enhancement tasks under reverberant, multi-talker conditions, including potential use in hearable and hearing aid technologies. In addition to perceptual listening tests, objective evaluations across multiple reverberant environments demonstrate consistent performance improvements over baseline methods.