Hearing Aids

[ErikaS]

I just got the Widex Zen2Go hearing aids. I have a 90 day trial where I can return them and get all my money back. I have no hearing loss. My audiologist said these are used mostly just for tinnitus without hearing loss. There's 3 settings on it. Amplification, white noise, and some Zen noises that we programmed together. I can change them and turn it up and down. I haven't used them much yet. Cost all in is $3000.

Hey @SamRosemary, I just wanted to ask you how the hearing aids are going for you? Do you have reactive/sound sensitive tinnitus at all?

 

[SamRosemary]

Hey @SamRosemary, I just wanted to ask you how the hearing aids are going for you? Do you have reactive/sound sensitive tinnitus at all?

Sadly, I haven't given them much of a chance. I still have them for a couple more weeks and I will try to devote time to trying them - but it just feels like another thing I have to try to fit into my life and, the couple times I did manage to use them, they annoyed me so much and it did seem to cause my left ear to react. My left ear seems to be the most reactive, but only sometimes and to certain noises.

 

[24cc]

I'm wondering if anyone who has tinnitus caused by noise-induced hearing loss has any experience with using a hearing aid to 'cure' tinnitus?

The use of hearing aids to reduce/eliminate tinnitus is something that the Hearing Specialists sometimes recommend and I am thinking about going down this route.

I've had hearing aids for 3 1/2 years with no improvement in my tinnitus. I only ever went to have my hearing tested because I had chronic bilateral tinnitus. I was found to have some hearing loss at high frequencies which wasn't surprising as I'd worked in factories my entire life. The theory behind getting the hearing aids was that once I was hearing high frequency sounds 'for real' my brain would adjust and no longer focus or create the high pitched ringing I was hearing 24/7. This hasn't proven to be the case and of late I think the level of my tinnitus has increased.

Yesterday I visited my hearing clinic and with no testing whatsoever they have suggested a new you beaut invisible hearing aid which stays in the ear canal for months at a time and is reportedly great for tinnitus sufferers. Great but this device is sold on a subscription basis only, at a cost of (Australian) $220 per month per ear. Looks like I won't be trialling that lol. Much as I'd love to knock a dent in the impact that tinnitus causes me, the price is beyond me.

Today I've ordered a LLLT device which at $770 was much more affordable and sounds like has some level of success for some people.

Not discouraging you to go down the hearing aid route, just sharing my experience. This may also be a generalisation but also in my experience I have yet to find a hearing clinic that looks beyond their own interests.

 

[Bruce NH USA]

I need advice please. I have to make a decision this week. I've put it off for three weeks as I tried to read everything I could in the subject.

My ENT said the hearing aids are in order for my hearing loss and they will possibly help my noise induced and worsening tinnitus.

I am seeing an audiologist who supposedly knows how to treat tinnitus to some degree with hearing aids. She showed me the Signia Pure Charge and Go with Notched Therapy.

Does the Notched Therapy help tinitus or can it make things worse?

She also told me about the Phonak with all its amazing processing and sound therapies.

I've decided against the Widex and the other three major companies. I have read I should go for the highest level I can afford for hearing features like compressing loud ambient noise and motion sensors etc.

Please share your thoughts.

Hey Bob,

Sorry for the late post. I have had Signia Go with notched technology for a year and it hasn't helped my tinnitus at all. In fact, my tinnitus has gotten worse, which I attribute to anxiety and an inability to get used to these intensely annoying noises.

What I have liked about the hearing aids is that they help my hearing in the 5 kHz region of my left ear, which is my only real hearing loss (though above 8 kHz isn't great).

They also are nice as I stream music to help take my mind off of the tinnitus. I'd go nuts, otherwise.

Several doctors have suggested I use antidepressants to adjust to this horror show, but I don't want to make it worse, so the hearing aids really help me to cope.

I hope that helps in some way.

 

[Anthony2019]

2 years ago, I purchased a pair of Phonak P50 Audeo hearing aids. They have substantially reduced the ringing in my ears. I don't know if the type of hearing aid matters or not. You will know within the first 10 minutes of using them if it will work or not. Make sure you buy the pair and not just one hearing aid. One hearing aid does nothing.

 

[momus]

2 years ago, I purchased a pair of Phonak P50 Audeo hearing aids. They have substantially reduced the ringing in my ears. I don't know if the type of hearing aid matters or not. You will know within the first 10 minutes of using them if it will work or not. Make sure you buy the pair and not just one hearing aid. One hearing aid does nothing.

That's great news @Anthony2019, and thank you for posting your positive experience. I would think that anything that improves our ability to hear white/pink noises or other background sounds can only help w/ our tinnitus. But one just has to try it and see, we're all human, but we're all different too.

 

[sspencermo]

Hi -- I started having loud, intermittent tinnitus, mostly in my left ear, about three months ago after my COVID-19 booster.

I'm trying "sound therapy" with Widex Zen behind-the-ear maskers to try to habituate.

But I wonder if amplifying hearing aids would be more helpful.

My hearing is within normal range in both ears (at least up to 8000 Hz), but my left ear threshold is about 10 dB lower than my right at 8000 Hz, so it's quite possible I have some high frequency hearing loss in it.

Has anyone with "normal" hearing tried amplifying hearing aids?

Would love to hear your experiences, since they're quite pricey. Thanks in advance.

 

[PeterPan]

You will know within the first 10 minutes of using them if it will work or not.

Some people say this and others say you need to wear hearing aids for a while for them to work.

Would it be possible to set up an online question for this?

Something like:

I have used hearing aids, and they are benefiting me.

A) The benefit was perceptible within less than 30 minutes of me using them.

B) The benefit was perceptible after 30 minutes and before 1 week of using them.

C) The benefit was not perceptible until after 1 week of using them.

If the answer is A) in the majority of cases, I think this will be useful information. You could try them in the clinic and make a decision on their usefulness before committing to purchase/trial them.

 

[Anthony2019]

An online question would be good. I would add:

D) What was your hearing loss before using hearing aids?

I think it has to be at least moderate to severe for the hearing aids to help.

 

[Nick47]

D) The benefit lasted only for a while.

 

[Joeseph Stope]

For your interest. Not necessarily a recommendation! See your ENT first anyway.

Lidl are flogging hearing aids --- they call them hearing amplifiers, not hearing aids --- for the price of 10 EUR each. For you out Stateside, that would come to circa 18.50 USD for the pair.

In the instructions leaflet, they recommend that you start using them at the lower level and work your way up to what is optimum for you.

I bought a pair today and will give them a try to see if they help my tinnitus.

My hearing is OK except that I can't stand loud noise much.

I'll let you know how I get on.

Sanitas Hearing Amplifier costs 10 EUR for each one, so that would be 20 EUR for a pair. The maker is Hans Dinslage GmbH. I had never heard of the firm myself.

 

[DanielN]

I did TRT with continuous sound therapy using hearing aids. They thought I had minor hearing loss at first, but it tested normal later. My audiologist allowed for minor amplification of the environment, which was helpful. I tried many noises, but white noise worked the best for me long term. You can use anything you like, really. The hearing aids stream Bluetooth easily now, so you can find what you like and then see if the audiologist can tune to something like that.

I found the noise generator in the hearing aids better than streaming any sound (and easier on battery life).

I used Siemens for my first set, which became Sivantos for my second set. My first set still works, but I wanted a backup. Both have advantages, but the second set doesn't need a pendant for Bluetooth.

On the first set, I've slept with them for years and never had any issues. No audiologist is going to tell you that's officially OK but they may tell you they have patients that do - and I did.

I haven't used them much for several years now, but when I need them, it takes a little getting used to again then I'm good. TRT and the hearing aids with the therapy signal worked for me. It took a while and a lot of effort, as I'm sure most of you know... I still have tinnitus, but it's manageable, and I'm already tired of talking about it again, but I hope this helps some people decide on what to do.

 

[Michael Leigh]

TRT and the hearing aids with the therapy signal worked for me. It took a while and a lot of effort, as I'm sure most of you know... I still have tinnitus, but it's manageable, and I'm already tired of talking about it again, but I hope this helps some people decide on what to do.

I am pleased that you are in a much better place managing your tinnitus @DanielN, which you have had for quite some time. I believe your diligence, patience, and stalwart attitude have played a significant part in you being able to have a better quality of life living with this condition.

Well done and take care,
Michael

 

[Travis Henry]

I am pleased that you are in a much better place managing your tinnitus @DanielN, which you have had for quite some time. I believe your diligence, patience, and stalwart attitude have played a significant part in you being able to have a better quality of life living with this condition.

Well done and take care,
Michael

Or maybe—just maybe—he didn't have reactive tinnitus or hyperacusis to a degree that would have worsened by listening to more sounds. Thankfully, the level of sound therapy, aka TRT, didn't further damage or fatigue his auditory system. Auditory damage adds up. Don't add to it. Rest is best for some people with damaged auditory systems.

It doesn't matter what you think if you get bad enough damage. Positivity won't help you go outside or be able to carry on. Contain your damage.

Sound therapy and TRT are only able to be used by people with a lower level of damage. Once tinnitus is spiking to sounds, do not be exposed to anything that spikes you. Rest and no medications have helped a lot of people sustain life, whereas exposure to more sound and medications has worsened many to suicide.

So please be careful, my friends.

If you just developed tinnitus from a sound exposure, research and see if you should seek steroid injections to calm the inflammation.

I feel had I gone to time and quiet in 2022 when I first got my damage, I would have successfully lived a quiet life.

All sounds can become damaging, and tinnitus has no limit. Please do damage control. It is all we got.

 

[BlueMoon86]

Hearing aid didn't work for me at all. I only have moderate hearing loss in my left ear at worst, but it's the incredibly rare low-mid loss. My mid-highs are almost above the audiogram, and my highs are great for someone nearly 40 who has blasted loud music into their ears frequently for well over 20 years (I do not do this anymore and never will again)

When I say it "didn't work," I mean it didn't work to help me hear anything. I struggle with the left side (like speech), and even high-frequency stuff (where I have no loss) sounded worse than going without. It also didn't help with the tinnitus, but NOTHING is going to help with that shit, as in addition to having reverse slope hearing loss, I also suspect I have reverse hidden hearing loss also. I hear at 45-ish dB from 250 Hz - 1.5 kHz, according to my latest audiogram, which is not bad enough for the extreme level of tinnitus I have. My tinnitus is not at 250 Hz or any of the other frequencies I have lost in; it's lower than that, maybe between 100-150 Hz, and it alternates between electric buzz/roaring wind/seashell to the ear noise. If I were measured between 20 - 200 Hz, I'd be at a profound loss. Hearing aids don't amplify sound at those frequencies, and they were my last realistic hope for help. I don't even think a cochlear implant would help as even they are designed with high frequencies in mind.

Outside of an actual cure for hearing loss that would work for very low frequencies, I'm fucked.

 

[GregCA]

Hearing aid didn't work for me at all. I only have moderate hearing loss in my left ear at worst, but it's the incredibly rare low-mid loss. My mid-highs are almost above the audiogram, and my highs are great for someone nearly 40 who has blasted loud music into their ears frequently for well over 20 years (I do not do this anymore and never will again)

When I say it "didn't work," I mean it didn't work to help me hear anything. I struggle with the left side (like speech), and even high-frequency stuff (where I have no loss) sounded worse than going without. It also didn't help with the tinnitus, but NOTHING is going to help with that shit, as in addition to having reverse slope hearing loss, I also suspect I have reverse hidden hearing loss also. I hear at 45-ish dB from 250 Hz - 1.5 kHz, according to my latest audiogram, which is not bad enough for the extreme level of tinnitus I have. My tinnitus is not at 250 Hz or any of the other frequencies I have lost in; it's lower than that, maybe between 100-150 Hz, and it alternates between electric buzz/roaring wind/seashell to the ear noise. If I were measured between 20 - 200 Hz, I'd be at a profound loss. Hearing aids don't amplify sound at those frequencies, and they were my last realistic hope for help. I don't even think a cochlear implant would help as even they are designed with high frequencies in mind.

Outside of an actual cure for hearing loss that would work for very low frequencies, I'm fucked.

Are your losses conductive or sensorineural? Have you ruled out otosclerosis?

 

[BlueMoon86]

Are your losses conductive or sensorineural? Have you ruled out otosclerosis?

The audiologist said there was a slight conductive loss but mostly sensorineural. Otosclerosis would be all conductive and gradual, while mine was very sudden. Initially I lost the highs too, after 4 kHz I dropped to 50 dB but those frequencies came back to normal while the lows and mid-lows remained at a moderate loss.

I'm thinking more along the cochlear hydrops route but I have never had any vertigo, fluctuations in tinnitus or low tone hearing. Outside of it being low-frequency loss, I just don't follow any pattern.

 

[GregCA]

The audiologist said there was a slight conductive loss but mostly sensorineural. Otosclerosis would be all conductive and gradual, while mine was very sudden.

This is generally the rule indeed, but I am proof that it doesn't always follow this pattern. In my case, it first presented as SNHL as well, not conductive, and the doctors thought hydrops. Then, within a couple of months, I developed a large air-bone gap.

It doesn't mean that's what you have, but perhaps some more digging would be helpful. I had to show my CT scan to quite a few doctors before finding one that would detect radiolucencies in it.

 

[BlueMoon86]

This is generally the rule indeed, but I am proof that it doesn't always follow this pattern. In my case, it first presented as SNHL as well, not conductive, and the doctors thought hydrops. Then, within a couple of months, I developed a large air-bone gap.

It doesn't mean that's what you have, but perhaps some more digging would be helpful. I had to show my CT scan to quite a few doctors before finding one that would detect radiolucencies in it.

My left ear does have a little bit of an air-bone gap, but no ENTs have remarked on it. I am nearly six months post-loss and have had several audiograms at this point. No one has ever been interested in my hearing loss. I didn't even know it was an unusual loss; I found that out on my own.

I wish I did have it, to be honest. It seems it can be improved by surgery.

 

[GregCA]

My left ear does have a little bit of an air-bone gap, but no ENTs have remarked on it. I am nearly six months post-loss and have had several audiograms at this point. No one has ever been interested in my hearing loss. I didn't even know it was an unusual loss; I found that out on my own.

I wish I did have it, to be honest. It seems it can be improved by surgery.

Did you get a hi-res CT scan done?

I understand what you mean when you say no one is interested in your hearing loss: it took me persevering through close to a dozen doctors who were all parroting the same stuff that predecessors had written (they looked into my medical file and I guess "found their answers" in there). Then I found a doctor who told me something along the lines of "Bring me the images, and I'll analyze them myself; I don't need the radiologist's blurb." And he found what nobody else did. In retrospect, that is probably the way to go, as it removes the biases from other doctors.

When it comes to your health, you have the most incentive out of everyone on this earth, so you have to drive - sometimes annoyingly - to get answers. Others won't care as much as you do.

Good luck!

 

[AfroSnowman]

I'm going in for my second set of hearing aids. My first were Widex Moments with the Zen Tones. They didn't do much for my hearing or tinnitus. Supposedly, Widex's strength is in its natural sound, but maybe this isn't so relevant to me because I will never hear a "natural" sound again.

My insurance covers it. I am going to trial Phonak Lumity this time; supposedly, it plays nicer with Bluetooth.

Does anyone have a brand they are particularly happy with?

 

[GregCA]

I'm going in for my second set of hearing aids. My first were Widex Moments with the Zen Tones. They didn't do much for my hearing or tinnitus. Supposedly, Widex's strength is in its natural sound, but maybe this isn't so relevant to me because I will never hear a "natural" sound again.

My insurance covers it. I am going to trial Phonak Lumity this time; supposedly, it plays nicer with Bluetooth.

Does anyone have a brand they are particularly happy with?

You need to pick the hearing aids that meet your goals, so what works for one person may not work for you.

For me, it was important to address my type of hearing loss, so I needed hearing aids that could reproduce high frequencies well. There aren't many of them, so after comparing them with the Widex Moment, I settled with the Signia 7AX.

I didn't care for "tinnitus programs": I had some of these in some of my previous hearing aids and ended up not using them because the extra noises bothered me just as much as the tinnitus.

 

[AfroSnowman]

You need to pick the hearing aids that meet your goals, so what works for one person may not work for you.

For me, it was important to address my type of hearing loss, so I needed hearing aids that could reproduce high frequencies well. There aren't many of them, so after comparing them with the Widex Moment, I settled with the Signia 7AX.

I didn't care for "tinnitus programs": I had some of these in some of my previous hearing aids and ended up not using them because the extra noises bothered me just as much as the tinnitus.

I had the same experience with tinnitus programs. They didn't mask at all, and I already have plenty of noise in my head. Thank you.

 

[_Dutchy_]

Hi, I'm from Holland and new to Tinnitus Talk, but not to tinnitus. It started 9 years ago, suddenly, after earplugs pushed earwax against my eardrums, causing discomfort and pain. After softening the earwax with oil and gently removing it, the pain subsided. However, a few weeks later, I developed tinnitus.

It was very severe, and at the hospital, they discovered a slight hearing loss in my left ear around 8 kHz. They also tried a hearing aid to see if it would help, and as if by magic, the nasty hiss disappeared, like someone flipped a switch. At that time, being only 48 with a very active lifestyle, I wanted to see if I could manage it without becoming dependent on a device.

I discovered a treatment in Germany called Tinnitracks, which I believe is now known as notching therapy. I did this myself using free iOS apps to determine the frequencies and filter the music. This, combined with a better understanding of tinnitus, allowed me to manage it to an acceptable level for many years. However, loud environments and listening to music remained difficult, as they often triggered my tinnitus in a very bad way.

This year, I suffered a burnout due to a combination of personal, physical, and work-related issues, from which I am still recovering. This barely affected my tinnitus until a long car ride back from our summer vacation (with the AC on and car windows closed). That seems to have triggered a severe spike, and since then, nothing I've tried, including notching therapy, has helped. Since the hearing aid worked so well to completely eliminate my tinnitus 9 years ago, I'm hoping it will still work for me now. The hearing aid I tested was a Siemens Life 301 with a thin tube going into my ear, no plug or bud attached, and it was set to compensate for my hearing loss. I also hope it will prevent noise and music from triggering my tinnitus, which would greatly improve my quality of life.

I have some questions regarding hearing aids. First, I have very narrow ear canals and am concerned that a receiver-in-canal (RIC) device may not fit. The behind-the-ear solution I tested with a thin tube seems to be less popular these days. Additionally, I'd like to be able to adjust the device myself. I'm an engineer with a strong knowledge of sound and acoustics (and a bit of a perfectionist and control freak).

To complicate matters, in Holland, there's a system where 75% of the cost is covered, as long as the device falls within the 1-5 classification based on hearing loss severity and device cost. Hearing aids above class 5 are considered "free market" devices and are never covered, even if you're willing to pay the difference.

Can anyone offer advice on suitable hearing aids? The shops that sell hearing aids typically only carry two brands. The one I've contacted sells Oticon (models Zircon, Exceed, and Ruby) and Bernafon (models Viron, Alpha (XT) 5, and Leox 7). Other models from these manufacturers are also available but are only in the "free market" category, so they are not an option.

Options from other vendors include:

• Phonak (Audio Paradise P50, Sky Marvel M50)
• Widex (Enjoy 330)
• Starkey (Evolve AI 1600)
• Resound (Omnia 560/561/571/577/588)
• Unitron (Moxi B5, Stride M7)
• Audio Service (Mood 8, P 8)
• Interton (Move 661/662/665/670/680/690)
• Coselgi (Mojo M5, Effect E6)

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[_Dutchy_]

Can anyone tell me the requirements for a hearing aid for tinnitus?

I have a 20 dB hearing loss in my left ear in the range of 6 to 10 kHz. The hearing aid recommended by my hearing care professional is an Oticon Zircon 1 miniRITE, which has a frequency range up to 7,500 or 8,000 Hz. Therefore, the device won't fully cover the range of my hearing loss. My tinnitus is a hissing sound around 8 kHz.

Will this hearing aid be sufficient for my needs, or do I require a device with a frequency range of at least 10 kHz?

 

[_Dutchy_]

Can anyone tell me the requirements for a hearing aid for tinnitus?

I have a 20 dB hearing loss in my left ear in the range of 6 to 10 kHz. The hearing aid recommended by my hearing care professional is an Oticon Zircon 1 miniRITE, which has a frequency range up to 7,500 or 8,000 Hz. Therefore, the device won't fully cover the range of my hearing loss. My tinnitus is a hissing sound around 8 kHz.

Will this hearing aid be sufficient for my needs, or do I require a device with a frequency range of at least 10 kHz?

Is there anyone who can advise me on this?

I recently got a hearing aid, and while it has had some positive effects, I feel its benefits are limited. It doesn't seem to fully cover the entire range of my hearing loss.

 

[withintention]

This is pretty exciting:

AirPods Pro 2 - Hearing Health

The world’s first all-in-one hearing health experience: scientifically-validated Hearing Test, clinical-grade Hearing Aid, and Hearing Protection.

www.apple.com

Apple is releasing earbuds that double as clinical-grade hearing aids. They offer hearing protection, sound amplification, and background noise control. This seems like a great product for tinnitus sufferers.

I currently use earplugs in loud environments or headphones for background noise when I need relief from tinnitus. However, I can't have both hearing protection and background sounds simultaneously. It sounds like I'll be able to do both with these new AirPods.

I've been a lifelong Android user, but I think I'm going to make the switch based on this product.

 

[Akk]

Hi, I'm from Holland and new to Tinnitus Talk, but not to tinnitus. It started 9 years ago, suddenly, after earplugs pushed earwax against my eardrums, causing discomfort and pain. After softening the earwax with oil and gently removing it, the pain subsided. However, a few weeks later, I developed tinnitus.

It was very severe, and at the hospital, they discovered a slight hearing loss in my left ear around 8 kHz. They also tried a hearing aid to see if it would help, and as if by magic, the nasty hiss disappeared, like someone flipped a switch. At that time, being only 48 with a very active lifestyle, I wanted to see if I could manage it without becoming dependent on a device.

I discovered a treatment in Germany called Tinnitracks, which I believe is now known as notching therapy. I did this myself using free iOS apps to determine the frequencies and filter the music. This, combined with a better understanding of tinnitus, allowed me to manage it to an acceptable level for many years. However, loud environments and listening to music remained difficult, as they often triggered my tinnitus in a very bad way.

This year, I suffered a burnout due to a combination of personal, physical, and work-related issues, from which I am still recovering. This barely affected my tinnitus until a long car ride back from our summer vacation (with the AC on and car windows closed). That seems to have triggered a severe spike, and since then, nothing I've tried, including notching therapy, has helped. Since the hearing aid worked so well to completely eliminate my tinnitus 9 years ago, I'm hoping it will still work for me now. The hearing aid I tested was a Siemens Life 301 with a thin tube going into my ear, no plug or bud attached, and it was set to compensate for my hearing loss. I also hope it will prevent noise and music from triggering my tinnitus, which would greatly improve my quality of life.

I have some questions regarding hearing aids. First, I have very narrow ear canals and am concerned that a receiver-in-canal (RIC) device may not fit. The behind-the-ear solution I tested with a thin tube seems to be less popular these days. Additionally, I'd like to be able to adjust the device myself. I'm an engineer with a strong knowledge of sound and acoustics (and a bit of a perfectionist and control freak).

To complicate matters, in Holland, there's a system where 75% of the cost is covered, as long as the device falls within the 1-5 classification based on hearing loss severity and device cost. Hearing aids above class 5 are considered "free market" devices and are never covered, even if you're willing to pay the difference.

Can anyone offer advice on suitable hearing aids? The shops that sell hearing aids typically only carry two brands. The one I've contacted sells Oticon (models Zircon, Exceed, and Ruby) and Bernafon (models Viron, Alpha (XT) 5, and Leox 7). Other models from these manufacturers are also available but are only in the "free market" category, so they are not an option.

Options from other vendors include:

• Phonak (Audio Paradise P50, Sky Marvel M50)
• Widex (Enjoy 330)
• Starkey (Evolve AI 1600)
• Resound (Omnia 560/561/571/577/588)
• Unitron (Moxi B5, Stride M7)
• Audio Service (Mood 8, P 8)
• Interton (Move 661/662/665/670/680/690)
• Coselgi (Mojo M5, Effect E6)

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

I have used several Oticon hearing aid models, including the OPN 3, More 1, and currently, I'm testing the Intent 1. These are all (mini)RITE-type aids, where the device sits behind the ear, and the speaker goes into the ear canal. There is, of course, a wire connecting the device to the speaker. A silicone tip, which comes in various sizes, is attached to the speaker to fit different ear canal sizes. I'm not sure if this type of aid would be suitable for you.

Oticon has a software called "Genie 2," which audiologists also use for adjustments. It used to be freely available for download, but now it requires registration, and I'm not sure if regular users can still register for access. However, on the "Hearing Tracker" forum, in the DIY section, you can ask for help, and someone may be able to provide you with a link to the Genie 2 software.