A system comprising: a first hearing assistance device comprising: a microphone configured to sense an environmental sound; a transceiver configured to receive at least one second classification of the environmental sound and at least one second sound classification uncertainty value of the environmental sound; and a processor including: a classification module configured to determine a first classification of the sensed environmental sound and a first sound classification uncertainty value of the sensed environmental sound; and a consensus determination module configured to: compare the determined first classification and the at least one received second classification, and, when the determined classification is the same as the at least one received second classification, to select an operational classification for the hearing assistance device based upon the comparison; and compare the determined first sound classification uncertainty value and the at least one received second sound classification uncertainty value when the determined first classification is not the same as the at least one received second classification, and to select an operational classification for the hearing assistance device based upon the lowest of the compared uncertainty values. a first hearing assistance device comprising: a microphone configured to sense an environmental sound; a transceiver configured to receive at least one second classification of the environmental sound and at least one second sound classification uncertainty value of the environmental sound; and a processor including: a classification module configured to determine a first classification of the sensed environmental sound and a first sound classification uncertainty value of the sensed environmental sound; and a consensus determination module configured to: compare the determined first classification and the at least one received second classification, and, when the determined classification is the same as the at least one received second classification, to select an operational classification for the hearing assistance device based upon the comparison; and compare the determined first sound classification uncertainty value and the at least one received second sound classification uncertainty value when the determined first classification is not the same as the at least one received second classification, and to select an operational classification for the hearing assistance device based upon the lowest of the compared uncertainty values. a microphone configured to sense an environmental sound; a transceiver configured to receive at least one second classification of the environmental sound and at least one second sound classification uncertainty value of the environmental sound; and a processor including: a classification module configured to determine a first classification of the sensed environmental sound and a first sound classification uncertainty value of the sensed environmental sound; and a consensus determination module configured to: compare the determined first classification and the at least one received second classification, and, when the determined classification is the same as the at least one received second classification, to select an operational classification for the hearing assistance device based upon the comparison; and compare the determined first sound classification uncertainty value and the at least one received second sound classification uncertainty value when the determined first classification is not the same as the at least one received second classification, and to select an operational classification for the hearing assistance device based upon the lowest of the compared uncertainty values. a classification module configured to determine a first classification of the sensed environmental sound and a first sound classification uncertainty value of the sensed environmental sound; and a consensus determination module configured to: compare the determined first classification and the at least one received second classification, and, when the determined classification is the same as the at least one received second classification, to select an operational classification for the hearing assistance device based upon the comparison; and compare the determined first sound classification uncertainty value and the at least one received second sound classification uncertainty value when the determined first classification is not the same as the at least one received second classification, and to select an operational classification for the hearing assistance device based upon the lowest of the compared uncertainty values. compare the determined first classification and the at least one received second classification, and, when the determined classification is the same as the at least one received second classification, to select an operational classification for the hearing assistance device based upon the comparison; and compare the determined first sound classification uncertainty value and the at least one received second sound classification uncertainty value when the determined first classification is not the same as the at least one received second classification, and to select an operational classification for the hearing assistance device based upon the lowest of the compared uncertainty values.