Compass Cloud Combines Speed with Greater Clinical Control
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TJ Goebig, a Hearing Instrument Specialist at Audiologic Services in Glen Ellyn, Illinois, works within a practice with a long history of fitting patients with Widex hearing aids, including extensive recent experience with Allure hearing aids. That familiarity has given Goebig a clear view of how Compass™ Cloud has evolved from the original cloud-based platform to an updated version.
From the start, Goebig appreciated how Compass Cloud made the fitting process faster and more streamlined.
"What stood out immediately was how quick Compass Cloud was," Goebig said. "Because it’s cloud-based, updates are fast, and fittings are streamlined, efficient, and effective. With Compass Cloud, we now have more of the adjustment options we’re accustomed to, while maintaining that speed."
For Goebig, one of the standout additions in Compass Cloud is SmartSpeak, which uses spoken prompts such as “left ready” and “right ready” and identifies hearing aid programs, rather than relying solely on tonal beeps. Many of his longtime Widex patients remembered the feature from earlier hearing aids and were eager to have it back.
"SmartSpeak gives patients clear guidance instead of asking them to remember what one beep or two beeps mean," Goebig said. "It tells them which program they’re using and confirms that the left and right hearing aids are in the correct ears. My patients have found it overwhelmingly helpful to have that guidance back."
Goebig also points to the return of individual Sound Class Adjustments as a meaningful improvement, allowing clinicians to address a patient's needs in a specific listening environment without changing the overall gain curve.
"If a patient has a specific concern in a particular listening situation, it’s much easier to address it within the relevant sound class," he said. "That gives us more precision than adjusting an overall gain curve, which affects hearing across all sound classes. It’s been great to have that capability back."
He also sees potential in the expanded sound-class data logging, which offers greater visibility into a patient's listening environments and can help inform future conversations about their hearing needs.
As an Allure wearer himself, Goebig enabled SmartSpeak on his own hearing aids, leading to an unexpected discovery.
"The first time I put my hearing aids in, the ‘left ready’ prompt sounded a little grainy in my left ear," Goebig said. "I replaced the receiver and discovered that it was beginning to fail. Even as a hearing instrument specialist, it can be difficult to recognize when a hearing aid isn’t working optimally. SmartSpeak helped me identify the issue right away."
For HCPs who haven't used Compass Cloud yet, Goebig says the platform offers an approachable way to deliver efficient, personalized fittings.
"Compass Cloud is one of the easiest fitting platforms to use, and the fittings are both quick and effective," he said. "Compass Cloud is built on that streamlined experience by restoring more of the adjustment capabilities HCPs value. That combination gives me the control to personalize fittings when needed while helping reduce the need for follow-up adjustments."
From the start, Goebig appreciated how Compass Cloud made the fitting process faster and more streamlined.
"What stood out immediately was how quick Compass Cloud was," Goebig said. "Because it’s cloud-based, updates are fast, and fittings are streamlined, efficient, and effective. With Compass Cloud, we now have more of the adjustment options we’re accustomed to, while maintaining that speed."
THE RETURN OF SMARTSPEAK
For Goebig, one of the standout additions in Compass Cloud is SmartSpeak, which uses spoken prompts such as “left ready” and “right ready” and identifies hearing aid programs, rather than relying solely on tonal beeps. Many of his longtime Widex patients remembered the feature from earlier hearing aids and were eager to have it back.
"SmartSpeak gives patients clear guidance instead of asking them to remember what one beep or two beeps mean," Goebig said. "It tells them which program they’re using and confirms that the left and right hearing aids are in the correct ears. My patients have found it overwhelmingly helpful to have that guidance back."
MORE PRECISE ADJUSTMENTS, WITHOUT LOSING SPEED
Goebig also points to the return of individual Sound Class Adjustments as a meaningful improvement, allowing clinicians to address a patient's needs in a specific listening environment without changing the overall gain curve.
"If a patient has a specific concern in a particular listening situation, it’s much easier to address it within the relevant sound class," he said. "That gives us more precision than adjusting an overall gain curve, which affects hearing across all sound classes. It’s been great to have that capability back."
He also sees potential in the expanded sound-class data logging, which offers greater visibility into a patient's listening environments and can help inform future conversations about their hearing needs.
A PERSONAL STORY: CATCHING A FAILING RECEIVER
As an Allure wearer himself, Goebig enabled SmartSpeak on his own hearing aids, leading to an unexpected discovery.
"The first time I put my hearing aids in, the ‘left ready’ prompt sounded a little grainy in my left ear," Goebig said. "I replaced the receiver and discovered that it was beginning to fail. Even as a hearing instrument specialist, it can be difficult to recognize when a hearing aid isn’t working optimally. SmartSpeak helped me identify the issue right away."
WHY HE'D RECOMMEND IT
For HCPs who haven't used Compass Cloud yet, Goebig says the platform offers an approachable way to deliver efficient, personalized fittings.
"Compass Cloud is one of the easiest fitting platforms to use, and the fittings are both quick and effective," he said. "Compass Cloud is built on that streamlined experience by restoring more of the adjustment capabilities HCPs value. That combination gives me the control to personalize fittings when needed while helping reduce the need for follow-up adjustments."