Speech boost for ear-worn device

An ear-worn device, comprising:

• control circuitry configured to activate a speech mode of the ear-worn device or to activate a traditional mode of the ear-worn device, wherein the speech mode comprises neural network-based noise reduction and the traditional mode does not comprise neural network-based noise reduction;
• noise reduction circuitry comprising neural network circuitry configured to perform the neural network-based noise reduction;
• digital processing circuitry comprising wide dynamic range compression (WDRC) circuitry;
• and
• speech boost circuitry comprising an input and an output;
• wherein:
• based on the control circuitry activating the speech mode, the control circuitry is configured to control:
• the noise reduction circuitry to perform the neural network-based noise reduction on an audio signal received by the noise reduction circuitry using the neural network circuitry;
• and
• the speech boost circuitry to automatically increase a volume of the audio signal at its output relative to the volume of the audio signal at its input, wherein the increase in the volume is in addition to any amplification applied by the WDRC circuitry;
• and
• based on the control circuitry activating the traditional mode, the control circuitry is configured to control:
• the noise reduction circuitry to cease to perform the neural network-based noise reduction on the audio signal received by the noise reduction circuitry;
• and
• the speech boost circuitry to cease to automatically increase the volume of the audio signal at its output relative to the volume of the audio signal at its input.