If you are choosing hearing aids for the first time, you may have come across Auracast™ in the list of features. But what is it, and why might it matter to you?
Put simply, Auracast is a Bluetooth technology that allows sound to be broadcast wirelessly and streamed directly to compatible hearing aids. It has been designed to make it easier to hear audio from televisions, public address systems and other sound sources, particularly in places where distance, background noise or poor acoustics can make listening difficult.
Think of Auracast as the “Wi-Fi for sound”.
Most of us are familiar with connecting a phone or laptop to a Wi-Fi network to enable internet access. You see the networks available nearby, choose the one you want and connect. Auracast brings a similar idea to sound.
A venue or compatible device can broadcast an audio stream. Your phone or hearing aid app can then help you find the available broadcasts and select the one you want to hear. That sound can be delivered directly to compatible hearing aids. (Bluetooth® Technology Website)
Unlike traditional Bluetooth audio, which usually involves pairing two individual devices, Auracast can broadcast from one source to many compatible listening devices at the same time. ( Bluetooth® Technology Website )
Where might I use Auracast?
One of the most exciting things about Auracast for hearing aid wearers is its potential in public spaces.
Imagine you're sitting at a busy airport waiting for your flight. There are people talking around you, suitcases moving and other sounds competing with an announcement over the public address system.
In an Auracast-equipped airport, you could potentially receive announcements for your departure gate directly through your hearing aids.
The technology is designed for use in places such as:
- Airports and railway stations , for public announcements
- Theatres and cinemas , to receive the performance or film audio
- Conference and lecture halls , to hear a speaker more clearly
- Churches and other places of worship , to receive the service directly
- Museums and visitor attractions , for talks and guided tours
- Gyms, waiting rooms and other public spaces , to listen to otherwise silent televisions
- Meeting and conference venues , including broadcasts offering different languages or translations
Auracast is being positioned as a new generation of assistive listening technology for public venues. (Bluetooth® Technology Website)
Why could Auracast be particularly helpful with hearing aids?
Modern hearing aids are very good at helping you make sense of the sounds around you, but some environments remain naturally challenging. Distance is a good example.
If you're sitting towards the back of a lecture hall, your hearing aids are listening to sound that has travelled across the room, along with all the other sounds around you.
With Auracast, the venue's audio can instead be broadcast directly to your compatible hearing aids.
That can provide a much more direct route between the sound you want to hear and your ears, giving them better access to the original audio signal.
Could Auracast replace hearing loops?
You may already be familiar with the hearing loop or T-loop symbol found in theatres, banks, churches and other public buildings.
Hearing loops have provided valuable support to people with hearing loss for many years. Auracast is intended to become a new generation of assistive listening technology , offering another way for venues to transmit sound directly to people's personal listening devices.
One major difference is that Auracast isn't exclusively a hearing-loss technology. Compatible hearing aids, cochlear implants, earbuds and headphones can all potentially receive Auracast broadcasts.
This could encourage the technology to appear in many more everyday consumer devices and locations over time.
Can Auracast connect to a television?
Yes, provided the necessary equipment is compatible.
An Auracast-enabled television or transmitter can broadcast its audio to compatible hearing aids and other listening devices. This could allow you to listen at a comfortable volume through your hearing aids while somebody else listens to the television normally.
Auracast also opens up an interesting possibility outside the home.
Think about all the televisions you see with the sound switched off in gyms, airports and waiting rooms. An Auracast-enabled screen could make its audio available for you to select and listen to through your own hearing aids.
How do you connect to Auracast?
The exact process depends on your hearing aids, phone and the venue or device providing the broadcast.
Typically, you may be able to find nearby Auracast broadcasts through a compatible smartphone or hearing aid app and choose the one you want, rather like selecting a Wi-Fi network.
Some systems can also allow you to join by scanning a QR code. Broadcasts can be public or, where privacy is required, protected so that only authorised listeners can join.
Once connected, the audio can then stream to your compatible hearing aids.
Is Auracast available everywhere?
Not yet. This is important if you're considering a hearing aid because you've seen Auracast advertised as a feature.
Auracast-compatible hearing aids and consumer devices are already available, and adoption in public venues is developing, but you shouldn't expect to walk into every cinema, airport, church or theatre today and find an Auracast broadcast.
RNID also advises that some products described as "Auracast ready" may not yet have the functionality enabled, so compatibility should be checked when choosing a device. (RNID)
The value of choosing Auracast-enabled hearing aids is therefore partly about what you can use today and partly about making your hearing technology ready for a more connected future.
Do I need Auracast in my hearing aids?
Not everyone needs every hearing aid feature, and your Audiologist should recommend technology based on your hearing and lifestyle rather than a specification sheet.
However, Auracast could be worth considering if connectivity is important to you, particularly if you regularly visit theatres, conferences, places of worship, transport hubs or other public venues , or like the idea of receiving compatible audio directly through your hearing aids as the technology becomes more widely available.
And because hearing aids are typically an investment you'll use for several years, considering compatibility with emerging technology can be worthwhile when comparing different options.
Choosing Auracast-compatible hearing aids
A growing number of the latest hearing aids support Bluetooth LE Audio and Auracast, but compatibility and functionality vary between hearing aids, smartphones and other devices.
At House of Hearing, our Audiologists can explain which hearing aids support Auracast, what you'll be able to use with your current devices and, most importantly, whether those features are actually useful for your hearing and your lifestyle .
Book a Free Hearing Test to talk to one of our Audiologists about the latest hearing technology.
