National Audiology Advocate Shares Auracast™ Insights

Our Patient Appreciation Luau Featured Food, Fun & Innovative Tech

At Lafayette Hearing Center, we’re thankful for our patients and are always seeking to educate and empower our community. So it was a perfect fit to host renowned audiology advocate Dr. Juliëtte Sterkens to discuss audio looping and Auracast technology at our recent Patient Appreciation Luau.

Star City News recently covered the exciting event, highlighting Dr. Sterkens’ presentation and the innovative hearing technologies featured at our luau.

 

Expanding Access to Sound, Indoors and Out

Hearing loop systems (also called “audio induction loops”) have long been important resources for enhanced hearing in public spaces like theaters, churches, and airports, sending sound directly to hearing devices equipped with a telecoil (T-coil). They’ve helped empower many people and remain a crucial part of accessible hearing.

As a newer innovation, Auracast broadcast audio aims to make public and personal listening even clearer, more affordable to install, and more flexible — for hearing aid wearers, cochlear implant users, and those using earbuds or headphones. It’s part of the next generation of Bluetooth® technology, further expanding access to a world of sound.

 

Award-Winning Guest Speaker

Dr. Sterkens, an audiologist and TEDx presenter with 40+ years’ experience in audiology, hearing rehabilitation, and assistive listening, has educated professionals and consumers worldwide. She is a national advocate with the Hearing Loss Association of America and has won multiple awards over her career.

Her presentation, “Hear Your Best With Auracast and Telecoils,” gave attendees an inside look at assistive-listening options for public spaces. She broke down how loops and emerging Bluetooth Auracast technology can improve hearing clarity — even for those already using high-quality hearing aids or implants.

 

Key points from the presentation included:

• Even with high-quality hearing aids, users can still struggle to hear clearly in large or noisy public spaces — assistive technologies help bridge that gap.
• Auracast is a digital broadcast technology that delivers sound directly into hearing aids, earbuds, and smart devices (no password required unless the broadcast is made private).
• Unlike loops, Auracast can benefit people regardless of hearing level — including those using Bluetooth-enabled headphones or smartphones.
• Hearing loops remain essential, but Auracast offers exciting, complementary potential for broader accessibility in more environments.

 

 

Helping Patients Stay Ahead of the Curve

For many luau guests, the demonstrations showing Auracast in action were eye-opening. Experiencing the difference firsthand showed how much clearer sound can be. And for those who use telecoils or have heard of hearing loops, Auracast offered a compelling look at what’s next.

At Lafayette Hearing Center, we strive to ensure all of our hearing aids available from January 2025 onward are compatible with Auracast and hearing loop technology. If you’re considering cochlear implants, we recommend processors that support both Auracast and T-coil signals for enhanced accessibility.

 

At a Glance: Auracast vs. Audio Looping

1. What is Auracast?
   An emerging Bluetooth feature that streams sound from public systems directly to compatible hearing aids, earbuds, or smartphones — no pairing or telecoil required.
2. What is audio looping?
   An established system that sends sound to telecoil-equipped hearing aids or cochlear implants using a wire installed around a room or seating area.
3. How are they different?
   Both serve multiple users, but loops require a telecoil. Auracast works with a wider range of devices, including compatible hearing aids, earbuds, cochlear implants, smartphones, and headphones.
4. Who can use them?
   Loops — anyone with a T-coil-enabled hearing aid or implant; Auracast — anyone with a compatible Bluetooth LE Audio device.
5. Where are they used?
   Both can be used in participating public spaces, but Auracast is newer and still emerging. Loop systems are currently more widely available.
6. When will Auracast be available?
   Some devices already support Auracast. Broader public use is expected to grow as adoption of the technology across various electronics and venues expands.

Curious whether your hearing aids are Auracast-compatible or want to better understand how assistive listening can help in challenging spaces? The experts at Lafayette Hearing Center are here to help. Don’t wait — reach out to book your personalized hearing consultation today.

The Bluetooth® word mark and logos are registered trademarks owned by Bluetooth SIG, Inc. The Auracast™ word mark and logos are trademarks owned by Bluetooth SIG, Inc. Any use of such marks by Lafayette Hearing Center is under license.