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LE Audio and the Future of Hearing

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Should be in progress as I already have an open ticket with you. Had a response from your colleague on the 23rd suggesting it will ship around the 30th. Thanks though

I worry about receiving legit merch from AliExpress. If it is something where you don’t care if it is a knock-off, then fine. Maybe that applies in this case, I dunno.

WH

I’ve ordered from AliExpress countless times and overwhelmingly it has been a good experience. I also got my Noahlink there.

Something like this is almost 100% genuine. Avantree is simply not a big enough brand to make it worthwhile to create knock-offs.

Maybe @PhoebeY can confirm whether they have a legit store on Aliexpress…

I’m not saying knock-offs don’t exist (and you can find them on Amazon as well), but at this point most Chinese companies would rather create their own recognizable brand vs. copying others.

Anker or Xiaomi would be good examples of Chinese companies that now have a pretty decent reputation and name recognition.

Shipping time is usually about 10 days to Canada. Might not be an option any more for people in the US thanks to tariffs.

Just wanted to share a quick note from one of our customers:

“Your device is 5 times less expensive than the TV streamer sold by ReSound ($270), but does the exact same thing. I paid only $50 for yours — brilliant!”

We’re Avantree, and we’ve been working hard to make & streaming more accessible.
Our lineup includes:

  • Audikast 4 – For TVs, supports both classic Bluetooth and Auracast
  • Voyager – A portable Auracast transmitter with 3.5mm input, great for mobile or travel use
  • C82 LEA dongle – Supports LE Audio CIS, tested successfully with Starkey hearing aids

Many hearing aids that don’t yet support Auracast can still connect via LE Audio (CIS) — and we’re adding more support through firmware updates soon.

If anyone here is interested in testing or sharing feedback, we’d love to hear from you.
Let’s work together to make hearing tech more affordable and user-friendly!

A cheap and easy way to upgrade your Windows 11 computer to support is the ASUS USB-BT540:

USB-BT540｜Adapters｜ASUS Global19

This is a native Windows Bluetooth solution instead of USB Audio dongles like Flairmesh FM120 etc. Keep in mind you need the latest drivers to enable the LE Audio option in Windows 11:
https://www.asus.com/networking-iot-servers/adapters/all-series/usb-bt540/helpdesk_download?model2Name=USB-BT54015

They are very similar right now. In the future, 4 will be discontinued and replaced by 4B which is mainly for classic bluetooth devices and headphones, while 4HA will default works well with hearing aids. Hope this answers your question.

Ok, so what should we choose when we want to support transmission at home simultaneously for a person wearing with Auracast (e.g. GN Nexia) and another person wearing headphones with Auracast standard (e.g. Sony WH1000XM6)?

Good question. As of today, this is not yet possible. You can either choose hearing aids or headphones. But we will launch update for dual streaming soon and offer firmware update, hopefully in Q4, 2025.

In reply to @Franciszek_K

Sorry that the above reply is not correct. Our engineer confirmed that Audikast 4 transmitter can stream to hearing aids and headphones at the same time. Just both under 24K. In Q4 we will launch Oasis Aura with 24K for hearing aids and 48K for headphones.

Windows 11 Gets Support for Super Wideband Stereo Bluetooth LE Audio | TechPowerUp6

In a blog post, Microsoft has announced that Windows 11 is getting support for super wideband stereo Bluetooth . That might sound like mumbo-jumbo, but so far, Windows has had some issues when it comes to using Bluetooth headset and audio. The standard Bluetooth SBC audio codec suffers from an issue where the speakers in a headset switches to mono audio if the microphone is being used. This is something Bluetooth LE Audio addressed by allowing for stereo audio while the microphone is in use, in combination with the new audio codec. However, Microsoft had as yet to implement it in Windows 11, which is the main part of the announcement in the blog post.

The super wideband stereo part on the other hand is largely marketing for 32 kHz audio being recorded from the microphone, versus a mere 8 kHz for the old SBC codec. This apparently allows for spatial audio in Teams calls, assuming you have the correct hardware, but it also improves game audio when playing with a Bluetooth headset and using the built-in microphone for in game chats.

Edited

Just got back from the Bluetooth UPF Testing event in San Francisco last week — really exciting news! :tada:

The biggest takeaway: is now a major focus across the industry. From Microsoft to Intel, Google, Apple, and nearly every hearing aid and headphone brand, everyone is aligning on LE Audio technology.

What this means:

  • Wider compatibility between hearing aids, earbuds, and other audio devices.

  • Better sound quality with the codec, even when the microphone is in use.

  • A rapid expansion of broadcast features, opening up new group-listening and assistive applications.

We should expect to see a wave of LE Audio–enabled products very soon. For hearing aid users, this could be a real game-changer — improving everyday listening and making connections more seamless than ever.

Full article here - Auracast Hearing Aids 2025 Readiness: Who’s Leading the Way – Avantree17

We have published a Hearing Aids Auracast up-to-date Check List. FYI

Compatibility Checker7

Never hear the same again! Let us enhance your audio experience with our wireless headphones for TV, Bluetooth transmitters, wireless TV adapters and more!

I wonder what Phonak and their other white label hearing aid brands will end up doing. Will classic Bluetooth in hearing aids become obsolete? Phonak has outperformed all other brands in terms of Bluetooth historically. Even at Costco, (LEA) is available in most hearing aids. Samsung Galaxy phones seem excellent for LEA and iPhone is seriously falling behind here. They seem to have no plans to adapt. Will Phonak abandon Bluetooth classic in favor of LE Audio even if Apple refuses to implement it into their phones?

@monke said:

Will Phonak abandon Bluetooth classic in favor of LE Audio even if Apple refuses to implement it into their phones?

I doubt it. Not for a while anyway. There’s a huge base of people out there who love the connectivity to their Bluetooth Classic devices. And supporting two different flavours of Bluetooth in the one device would be a nightmare. I’m sure it’s hard enough as it is.

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