Auracast is a new technology from the Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG) which enables ‘one to many’ audio broadcasting. Auracast, AKA Bluetooth Low Energy Audio, has been made available as part of the upgrades in the latest Bluetooth version – V5.2.
AURACAST BLE broadcast audio will eventually be available on new & updated models of headphones, earbuds, hearing aids and the like making the sharing of audio, both in private and public settings, much easier.
One transmitter can broadcast an audio signal to an unlimited number of in-range receivers such as your compatible headphones, hearing aids or a dedicated personal receiver with wired headphones or an inductive neck loop. Multiple channels are available enabling easy access to soundtracks in different languages etc.
Longer battery performance, low latency and longer operating range are prime benefits of AURACAST and although this technology will be useful to everyone, it is particularly useful in the field of assistive listening in public places.
Bluetooth Low Energy audio broadcasting can be used alongside other assistive listening technologies such as induction loop or infrared systems.
Many of the latest digital hearing aids do not have a Telecoil switch so are not compatible with induction loops. Despite advanced filtering and user selectable settings on these hearing aids, it is still difficult to isolate the required audio from the background sound. So, when manufacturers upgrade software or release new models with Bluetooth Version 5.2 built in, AURACASTs’ ability to enhance hearing clarity in environments with high ambient noise will be a game changer.
So, whether you are watching your Auracast enabled television, sharing music on your smart phone with a friend, watching the TV in your doctors waiting room, a film at the cinema or a show at the theatre, BLE audio broadcasting will change your life!!
We are delighted to offer the *Listen Technologies AURI range of AURACAST equipment and look forward to further advancements in this technology as it develops. For more information, please get in touch – we’d be delighted to hear from you!
*Listen Technologies is a sister company to Ampetronic – a well established manufacturer of assistive hearing devices.
Auracast is Bluetooth LE Audio broadcast. One transmitter sends a programme to any number of in-range bodypack receivers. The user then connects compatible headphones / earbuds or a neck loop to listen via Telecoil equipped hearing aids. Eventually, hearing aids and mobile phones will be directly compatible, removing the need for personal receivers. It is aimed at assistive listening in theatres, cinemas, waiting rooms and similar public spaces.
A loop needs a T-coil in the hearing aid. Many newer digital aids have no telecoil, so a loop does nothing for them. Auracast sends audio by Bluetooth LE instead which can be listened to using a receiver and headphones (or a neck loop if the aid has a telecoil). Auracast won’t replace induction loops until all smart phones and hearing aids are directly compatible
Infrared stays in the room and needs a line of sight to a radiator. Auracast is a radio broadcast, so it is not stopped by a pillar in the same way, but it is not private in the way IR is. IR still suits courtrooms and other applications which require confidentiality. Auracast suits venues that want phone and hearing-aid users on the same feed.
No. The aid, earbuds or headphones must support Bluetooth LE Audio / Auracast. Older aids will not. Until that is common, venues still need dedicated Auracast receivers, and often a loop or IR system as well.
It picks up the broadcast for someone whose own aid or headphones cannot. Output is to wired headphones, or to a neck loop. A neck loop still only works if that person’s hearing aid has a T-coil.
Yes. One transmitter can feed an unlimited number of in-range receivers, and multi-channel units can carry a second language or feed. Range and building layout still matter. “Unlimited” means no receiver licence count, not infinite distance.
Selected transmitters have a Dante input, so the assistive feed can come from the same DSP as the room PA. Others take a conventional line input. Dante does not remove the need for receivers and a charger.
Docking stations charge and store them, in small trays or larger 16-way docks. Issue them charged, and collect them after the event. A transmitter with no receivers is not a working system.
Not on its own, while many users still rely on a T-coil. It is an extra path for aids and headphones that support LE Audio. A counter or room that must serve today’s hearing-aid users will usually still need a loop or another proven system.
Commercial Audio Solutions stocks the Listen Technologies Auri range, including Dante transmitters, receivers and docks. Call 01663 767888 or email sales@commercialaudiosolutions.com with the venue type and whether the audio is already on Dante.
