A conversation assistance system, comprising: a bi-lateral array of microphones arranged externally of a space that does not include any array microphones, where the space has a left side, a right side, a front and a back, the array comprising a left side sub-array of multiple microphones and a right side sub-array of multiple microphones, where each microphone has a microphone output signal; active noise reducing electroacoustic transducers associated with each of the left side sub array and the right side sub array and having a controlled amount of noise reduction provided; and a processor that creates from the microphone output signals a left-ear audio signal and a right-ear audio signal; wherein: the left-ear audio signal is created based on the microphone output signals from one or more of the microphones of the left-side sub-array and one or more of the microphones of the right-side sub-array; the right-ear audio signal is created based on the microphone output signals from one or more of the microphones of the left-side sub-array and one or more of the microphones of the right-side sub-array; the bi-lateral array has a directivity index; and the ANR transducers are controlled such that the amount of noise reduction provided by the ANR transducers is set to be equal to or greater than the DI of the bi-lateral array. a bi-lateral array of microphones arranged externally of a space that does not include any array microphones, where the space has a left side, a right side, a front and a back, the array comprising a left side sub-array of multiple microphones and a right side sub-array of multiple microphones, where each microphone has a microphone output signal; active noise reducing electroacoustic transducers associated with each of the left side sub array and the right side sub array and having a controlled amount of noise reduction provided; and a processor that creates from the microphone output signals a left-ear audio signal and a right-ear audio signal; wherein: the left-ear audio signal is created based on the microphone output signals from one or more of the microphones of the left-side sub-array and one or more of the microphones of the right-side sub-array; the right-ear audio signal is created based on the microphone output signals from one or more of the microphones of the left-side sub-array and one or more of the microphones of the right-side sub-array; the bi-lateral array has a directivity index; and the ANR transducers are controlled such that the amount of noise reduction provided by the ANR transducers is set to be equal to or greater than the DI of the bi-lateral array. the left-ear audio signal is created based on the microphone output signals from one or more of the microphones of the left-side sub-array and one or more of the microphones of the right-side sub-array; the right-ear audio signal is created based on the microphone output signals from one or more of the microphones of the left-side sub-array and one or more of the microphones of the right-side sub-array; the bi-lateral array has a directivity index; and the ANR transducers are controlled such that the amount of noise reduction provided by the ANR transducers is set to be equal to or greater than the DI of the bi-lateral array.