By Annie Birnberg
Digital Engagement Coordinator for ReSound
Thanks to a new Bluetooth® technology called AuracastTM, our world is becoming more accessible, more flexible and more comfortable for everyone.
What is Auracast Broadcast Audio?
Auracast Broadcast Audio is a new way to share audio wireless using Bluetooth® Low Energy (LE) Audio. One device (like a TV, smartphone or sound system) can broadcast sound to many nearby receivers (hearing aids, earbuds, headphones) at the same time – without pairing with each listener one-by-one.
The easiest way I describe it is – it’s like “Wi-Fi for audio.” You walk into space, see the available audio broadcasts, and choose the one you want to join.
How ReSound is Bringing Auracast to Life
While Auracast is still rolling out globally, ReSound has been at the forefront of this new technology. Our latest hearing aids—like ReSound ViviaTM, ReSound ENZOTM IA, ReSound SaviTM, and ReSound NexiaTM—are designed for Auracast broadcast audio and Bluetooth LE Audio, made for hearing-in-noise, and are available in small, comfortable styles for mild to profound hearing loss.
Every day, we see Auracast being installed in new places all over the world, and by 2030, Auracast is expected to be available in 2.5 million locations—conference centers, movie theaters, transportation hubs, and more—making it easier than ever to connect to the sound you need, wherever you are.
With the ReSound Smart 3DTM app (version 1.39), Auracast broadcast audio becomes more widely available. Anyone with a compatible mobile phone and the ReSound Smart 3D app can join Auracast broadcasts or share an Auracast stream with just a simple tap.
As a proud ReSound Nexia BiCROS wearer, I’ve been able to experience this advanced technology firsthand and watch it become a reality. It’s already made a positive difference in professional settings.
Experiencing Auracast at Our New GN North America Headquarters
In early December, we announced the opening of our new GN North America headquarters in Shakopee, Minn. Our event center at our new home is named C.T. Tietgen Hall after the founder of GN. This event center accommodates 150+ people, providing a versatile space for meetings, trainings, and employee events. One of the coolest features we’ve incorporated into our event center is the Auracast broadcast audio technology.
At our first department meeting in the event center, we were told we had the opportunity to connect our compatible devices to the Auracast broadcast in the room. I decided to connect my ReSound Nexia BiCROS hearing aids, as I wanted to experience it firsthand and see what this technology offers. I’m grateful to say I’ve had the opportunity to tap into it a few times since then at the event center. Here’s what I’ve learned…
Why I’ve Enjoyed Using Auracast (in the C.T. Tietgen Hall Event Center)
What Meetings Were Like Before Auracast
Before Auracast broadcast technology was introduced, our meetings in the Event Cetner at the Bloomington, Minn., headquarters were a different experience. The room didn’t have speakers or other audio technology to enhance the presenters’ voices, so you really had to rely on where you sat to catch everything. There were television screens positioned above certain sections of the tables to help us see the slides, especially if we weren’t seated up front, but the sound itself wasn’t always easy to follow.
After I lost some hearing in my right ear, those limitations became much more noticeable. It was harder to follow the words, and I may have missed some small parts of what was being said. I found myself checking in with colleagues to make sure I hadn’t missed anything important, and I often needed to sit closer to the front and on a particular side of the room just to hear as clearly as possible.
That experience really highlighted how much of a difference the right audio technology can make—not just for people with hearing loss, but for anyone who wants to stay fully engaged and included in meetings and events.
Simple and Intuitive to Use
With the ReSound Smart 3D app, getting started is easy. When I’m in the C.T. Tietgen Hall (event center), all I have to do is open the ReSound Smart 3D app to its homepage, click the “Find a broadcast” button (shown on the lefthand side) and then tap to join. Clear names and icons (like “Event Center”) helps make it so I don’t have to guess if I’m joining the right broadcast. Once the broadcast is connected and I’m in, I hear a confirmation sound (little musical beeps) to know the program has officially switched.
When the meetings, trainings, or events are done, all I have to do is tap the “Event Center” broadcast name (where the “Find a broadcast” is) and then it switches back to my regular hearing aid settings. That’s all—there’s no complicated set up or tech stress. Just one simple tap.
Ability to Personalize My Experience
A favorite part of my experience so far is being able to personalize and control my settings to match my hearing needs. Within the app, I’m able to adjust the broadcast audio channel’s volumes and fine-tune the volumes of the presenters’ voices, as well as my surroundings (to better hear those in the audience).
The audio from the broadcast is streamed clearly and directly to my hearing aids, which is a huge benefit and plays a vital role in my experience. There’s also the opportunity to click features like “Noise filter” and “Speech clarity” to further improve my listening experience. I’ve used “Speech clarity” and it helped make the speech even clearer than before and allowing me to hear the best I can.
I can stream the Audio broadcast directly to my ReSound Nexia BiCROS hearing aids, and I can also stream phone calls, music, podcasts, shows and movies from my mobile phone. If I’m not using Auracast or direct streaming, I’ll sometimes listen through my computer with headphones instead.
In the C.T. Tietgen Hall event center, the Auracast broadcast gives me the best speech clarity. It cuts through background noise and makes it much easier to follow presentations without worrying about missing words from the presenters. Streaming from my phone to my hearing aids also feels natural and comfortable for every day listening, with a sound I really like. Headphones or headsets just or as natural to me, so I don’t enjoy them as much. The only thing to remember is that streaming can use more battery, so it’s good to keep an eye on your battery level.
Clear and Stable Audio
The presenters wear microphones or use hand-held microphones that are connected to the Auracast broadcast in the event center. Their voices and sound from the microphones then stream directly to my hearing aids. Once I’m connected to the Auracast broadcast, the audio stream stays put. Whether I change seats, move to the back of the room or walk to another area in the room, I don’t lose the audio connection. It’s incredibly freeing and allows me to sit in a seat that’s right for me. It also makes it, so I don’t have to sit up front.
Reduces Listening Effort and End-of-Day Fatigue
Listening fatigue, often called “listening effort” or “auditory fatigue” is the mental and physical tiredness you feel after spending a lot of time trying to listen and comprehend sound—especially in challenging environments like noisy places, meetings, or video calls. People with hearing loss like me tend to experience listening fatigue more often as we have to work extra hard to make sure, we don’t miss a single word.
Because speech from meetings or presentations in the C.T. Tietgen Hall are streamed directly to my hearing aids, Auracast helps reduce my listening fatigue. It cuts through the background noise and keeps speech clearer and more consistent, so it’s easier to stay engaged and catch all the details.
In meetings, I can also adjust the volume of the presenter’s voice while also fine-tuning my surroundings. When my colleagues in the audience use the hand-held microphones connected to Auracast, their voices go straight to my hearing aids. Even if they don’t use microphones, I’m still able to hear them clearly. And presenters often repeat the questions in their microphones for those who are joining virtually through Microsoft Teams.
A More Discreet Experience
Every setting for Auracast broadcast audio is able to be controlled through the ReSound Smart 3D app on my iPhone from what I can tell. This makes it a more discreet experience for me and others. It doesn’t draw attention and makes it, so I don’t have to disrupt the meeting to ask the presenters to turn up and down the volume, as an example. It makes it a more comfortable experience for all attending.
Familiar and Consistent Experience
Once you’ve learned how to join an Auracast broadcast through the app, it’s the same process. When I tried out the Auracast technology in the event center for my second time, I noticed how much quicker and easier it was the second go around. It was just a simple tap of the “Find a broadcast” button towards the bottom of the sceen to join and even to leave the broadcast. I love how consistent and familiar its become as it’s beneficial to use during meetings and presentations.
Seamless Technology that Stays in the Background
I love how seamless Auracast feels. Once I’m connected, I almost forget there’s special technology running behind-the-scenes—I just notice I’m hearing better. It doesn’t change the flow of the meeting or require presenters to do anything different, other than hold or wear the microphone. And the fact that it’s all managed from within the ReSound Smart 3D app makes it feel like a true one-stop shop.
Ensuring Better Hearing in Shakopee, Minn. Headquarters
Having Auracast rolled out in C.F. Tietgen Hall turns the event center into a live, working example of the advanced listening experiences we talk about as a company. It’s exciting to be at the forefront of this technology—not just in theory, but in the spaces where we actually meet, share ideas, and work together. It also gives us a powerful way to showcase our Auracast-enabled hearing devices in action, with real-time demonstrations during the trainings and events we host.
Overall, Auracast has already been a gamechanger for me and others—making meetings, trainings, and events clearer, more comfortable, more inclusive and more memorable. I’m looking forward to seeing this technology roll out in more places globally, and to keep using it within and beyond our Shakopee headquarters.
To
explore our Auracast-enabled hearing aids, visit: https://www.resound.com/en-us/hearing-aids/auracast-hearing-aids.
