Have you ever been at a venue or event and spotted the symbol below? The symbol means the location is equipped with a hearing loop. A hearing loop is current technology that makes it so that someone with a hearing assistive device can have the venue sound system send the sound directly to their device. In the example of a hearing aid user at a concert, if the performance center has a hearing loop the hearing aid user (who has a telecoil in their device) can have the microphone essentially beamed right to their hearing aid. This system works well, for the most part, but it is costly to install. It often takes literally ripping up the floor to lay the wiring down.

The new technology coming is called Auracast, and it uses Bluetooth to transmit sound to a receiver. This is exciting for a variety of reasons. It will be much easier and significantly less expensive to deploy than current hearing loop systems, so hopefully, more places will include Auaracast since it won’t be cost prohibitive. It also has useful implications for the hearing crowd, so it is hoped that it will be implemented much more widely because everyone will use it.

The idea is that if many devices are equipped with Auracast, a lot of people will find it beneficial. For example, Samsung is currently working on approval for putting Auracast in all their TVs. Theoretically, in the future, you could go to a place like a sports bar and use Auracast to Bluetooth the game you want to watch on TV to your earbuds directly. You just need to use a phone to select the correct channel and connect to the device. Or it could be used in places like airports, where it is impossible to hear announcements, but you could just link your device to your gate’s channel. There are so many places where having the sound sent directly to you would be phenomenal for both the hearing and hard of hearing crowd.

There are a few bugs that need to be resolved. One is the use for children in schools. Currently, Auracast requires a phone to select the channel (so you hear the math classroom and not the science classroom). Many schools do not allow phones. Also, there is some complexity to figure out for implementing this for huge events like Coachella. There are so many people and so many Bluetooth devices that it gets pretty challenging. In huge venues you have to figure out time lag, as the sound from Auracast is instantaneous, where the sound from the speakers take time to get all the back to the edge of a huge venue and you can end up with echoes. It appears that Auracast developers are confident they will solve these issues.

I was able to experience Auracast at the Hearing Loss Association of America’s Convention. It had a very crisp sound, and came through perfectly. As of this moment, not many devices are equipped with Auracast. However, I learned that there are 500 applications pending, so it sounds as though Auracast capable devices are about to hit the market in droves. If you are currently thinking about upgrading your TV, hearing aid, or other tech, you may want to wait till 2025 as it sounds like that is the year Auracast devices are really going to start hitting the market. The only current hearing aids with this technology are made by GM Resound. I have heard some phones have it built in, but it isn’t live yet. It certainly is a feature you are going to want to inquire about when you are shopping for tech.

bluetooth.com/auracast/

https://hearinghealthfoundation.org/blogs/auracast-is-actually-here-and-its-not-just-about-hearing-loss