A hearing device with online (real-time) intelligent performance management. The online management component of the hearing device learns a hearing device user's preferences for operation of the hearing device while the user is using the hearing device in every-day life. The online management component learns the user's preferences from the user's perception of the hearing device output in different listening environments and/or during different activities. The users perception include positive/satisfactory responses of the user to the output from the hearing device. The online management component builds up an individualized model for the user based upon the users perceptions whilst encountering different listening environments and/or engaging in different activities. The individualized model is used to control the hearing device to produce an acoustic output for the user.