Auracast – What is it?

What is it?

Auracast is a broadcast technology based on Bluetooth. It has been developed for portable audio devices such as ear buds, headphones and hearing aids. It has two components: a transmitting device and a receiving device. It is a one-to-many technology, so several, receiving devices can connect, or ‘tune in’ to one transmitting device. A smartphone with the relevant app is needed to detect and join an Auracast broadcast.

Resound hearing aids have had Auracast receiving capability since Nexias, and Oticon have released a firmware upgrade for Intents that enables the function. The recently released Oticon Zeals can act as Auracast receivers.

Auracast transmitters

The number of Auracast transmitters will increase to include TVs and devices for public meeting places such as cinemas and churches. Some LG and Samsung TVs already have the technology. 

I was surprised to discover that I have three Auracast transmitters in my house already. They are my Pixel 8 phone, a Creative Bluetooth USB dongle and an Avantree Audikast 4 Bluetooth TV adapter. I tried the technology with a pair of Oticon Intent demo hearing aids.

Avantree Audikast 4 TV adapter

I connected the adapter to the headphone socket of my TV. I could have used the optical socket, but I already use it for a soundbase. Using one of the TV’s USB sockets for power, I switched the device to Auracast. The Oticon Companion app has been updated to include a find Auracast broadcast button, and on pressing it the TV adapter showed up immediately. I connected and the TV sound played in the hearing aids.

The sound quality was excellent. TV dialogue was clear, and I was able to follow the action without using sub-titles. The sound in the hearing aids synchronised with that from the TV speakers or soundbase, so I could watch TV with a person who doesn’t wear hearing aids without the echo effect that I got with my Phonak aids connected to the TVs Bluetooth.

Because Auracast is a one-to-many technology, several people with Auracast audio devices could tune in and listen at the same time. 

Creative BT-W6 USB dongle

I plugged the Creative dongle into a USB socket on my PC and made sure in Settings that it was the audio output device. I switched the dongle to Auracast mode using the Creative app on the PC and tuned in the Intents using the Companion app on my phone.

I switched the aids to the My Music program and played some high-res music tracks using the Qobuz streaming app. The sound quality wasn’t Hi-Fi, but it was the best that I have heard using hearing aids. Alison Krauss’ vocals singing Hank William’s ‘My Heart Would Know’ were crystal clear and there was even decent bass on AC/DC’s Highway to Hell.

Auracast is ‘one-way’ technology, so for example the Creative dongle in Auracast mode can’t be used for two-way conversations such as in Teams. To do that you would need to use a separate microphone or use Phonak hearing aids paired with the dongle set to Classic Bluetooth mode.

Pixel Phone

I was surprised to discover that my Pixel 8 phone could be set to act as an Auracast transmitter, but I was unable to test it because the Oticon Companion app for the aids is on the same phone. To test it I would have needed a second phone with the Companion app installed to detect the broadcast.

Auracast is here

Auracast is a one-to-many broadcast technology, but my research showed that it also works well in one-to-one situations. 

The Auracast transmitting devices that I used are modestly priced, but the sound quality using hearing aids was very good. Good quality ear buds or headphones with Auracast would probably sound even better. Headphone and earbud manufacturers have models available with LE Audio and Auracast, including Sennheiser, JBL, Creative, Avantree, Samsung and LG. 

HiFi manufacturers are starting to include the technology in their latest devices. British HiFi company ARCAM has announced three new amplifiers with Auracast included in their specification.

A downside of the technology for me is that it is not possible to join an Auracast broadcast without using an app on a smartphone. I don’t usually have my phone with me when I am watching TV or listening to music and those are the times when I would be most likely to want to make use of the technology. Perhaps the hearing aid manufacturers could develop a device that would detect the presence of an Auracast broadcast without the need for a smartphone, but I suspect that would be unlikely.