because they serve completely different purposes, and Auracast is built on a vastly superior, modern audio foundation. [1, 2]
While Apple MFi is excellent for a private, one-to-one connection to your phone, Auracast is the new global standard that allows your hearing aids to tap into public audio broadcasts. [1, 2]
Key Differences At a Glance
Feature
Apple MFi Protocol
Bluetooth / Auracast
Connection Type
Private Only (One phone to one pair of aids).
Public & Private (One source to infinite devices).
Sound Quality
Moderate (Uses older compressed data protocols).
High Definition (Uses the advanced audio codec).
Power Consumption
Low (but strains to stream continuous audio).
Ultra-Low (Built from scratch for efficient audio).
Device Compatibility
Apple Ecosystem Only (iPhone, iPad, Mac).
Universal Standard (Android, Windows, TVs, public venues).
Gemini is correct. device manufacturers have been swift to adopt in part because MFi provides relatively poor streaming audio quality relative to bluetooth classic that Sonova brands and Signia are using. Ironically, bluetooth classic is the best way of getting high quality audio from Apple phones at the moment. Apple really need to support LC3 streaming. Sonova would probably be forced to add support if Apple was supporting it as well, as the battery drain is much lower and the userbase very large.
I have an iPhone 15 Pro that I stream to my SoundGear Amps. Indoors it works well but outdoors not so much. Started using an Avantree C82/ and the streaming quality is better both indoors and out.
I trialled an enabled ‘’ hearing aid and actually went to the cinema this morning with an auracast. My God, it works amazingly and it was crystal clear. I left with a smile on my face because I could not hear properly before without an auracast.
It’s safe to say I’m quite hooked on the auracast system and I am definitely looking forward to the future.
Whilst I am here, I have an iPhone 14 and am keen to buy an external microphone for the auracast. I was wondering whether the C82 Auracast USB Dongle will support my Iphone 14.
I believe that that particular dongle is USB-C. I know my iPhone 14 is the old style Apple plug, so there is a compatibility issue there. I am serious about switching over to Samsung which has native because it’s that important to me.
have an iPhone 14 and am keen to buy an external microphone for the auracast
You have a 2-part request:
You want with your iPhone: the iPhone 14 has a Lightning Port, and the C82 USB Dongle plugs into USB-C. Your iPhone 14 might have come with a cable that goes from Lightning to USB-C — perhaps that might work with the Avantree device
You want an external Microphone for Auracast: This protocol is a one-way broadcast stream, much like your Car Radio receives multiple broadcasts on the spectrum. You cannot talk into a Microphone via Auracast, it’s not a 2-way technology.
With my iPhone 15’s USB-C port, I use the Avantree C82 USB Dongle every day while walking the dog twice a day.
It’s fantastic for listening to podcasts that are streamed from the iPhone via Avantree to the Soundgear AMP .
When I receive a Phone Call on the iPhone during our walks, I switch the Sound Source to the Hearing Aids (not the Avantree device).
It’s easy to change the Sound Source by tapping on the AirPlay pyramid symbol. You can do that in the Control Center or on the Lock Screen if audio is playing.
You can call Avantree Support to ask if the Lightning to USB-C cable would work with their C82 Dongle. If yes, then the iPhone can stay in a “down low pocket” while the C82 on a Cable can be snaked up closer to the Hearing Aids.
Why do I suggest using the cable as an upwards snake❓
When the iPhone is transmitting audio as or as Auracast, the connection gets interrupted when I bend down to pick up poop or to adjust the dog’s collar.
If it was transmitting Auracast, then the disruption causes iPhone to use MFi protocol to the hearing aids.
Quality-wise, the Auracast technology has much better 1-way sound streaming to the Hearing Aids.
As has been said by many others, Apple’s MFi sound streaming is not the best. It has audio dropouts — especially if the iPhone is in a pocket or fanny pack or has a body of mass in between the iPhone and Hearing Aids.
The MFi technology works best when there is a clear line of sight between the iPhone and the Hearing Aids. If you are holding the iPhone at a “reading distance”, then the audio will not have any disruptions during your outdoor walks.
This is probably more than you wanted to know!
If you can afford it, upgrade your iPhone, and buy the Avantree C82 USB Dongle. Be aware this is just like a Radio Broadcast, you can only listen. You cannot talk on a phone call via Auracast.
I checked the specs, and the C82A version includes for hands-free calling but lacks (which the C82 has). If multi-device streaming isn’t needed, it seems (to me) more practical to choose the C82A over the C82, as the quality should be the same. Is that right? I don’t have the devices, so I’m not sure.
Vitality hearing aids offer unparalleled sound, next-gen connectivity, and benefits that go beyond better hearing to help you get the most out of life.
it seems (to me) more practical to choose the C82A over the C82, as the quality should be the same
I was able to get a C82LEA from avantree to test with my Intents, and discovered the firmware update tool allows you to change it from LEA to by clicking on the Aura prompt.
So you can essentially have it both ways, or have your cake & eat it, too!
Fyi, this was some months ago, and I haven’t revisited it, but just now looking at the support page, it’s the same f/w I used.
First post here. I’m on the factory side, we build aids in China for other brands, so Bluetooth stacks are my day job. Nothing to sell, and I won’t name products, including ours.
The Gemini answer lands on a reasonable conclusion through the wrong frame. and aren’t competitors. There are three different jobs wearing one buzzword:
MFi is Apple’s proprietary link between your phone and your aids. One to one.
unicast is the standards version of that same job, gradually replacing both MFi and .
Auracast is broadcast, built on top of LE Audio. One transmitter, unlimited listeners, no pairing. That’s Sara’s cinema, and it’s the genuinely new thing.
So the fair comparison is MFi versus LE Audio unicast for phone streaming, and then separately, whether the aid also receives Auracast for venues.
Two warnings from the manufacturing side before anyone buys a phone over this:
“Auracast ready” on a spec sheet is sometimes a firmware promise rather than a shipped feature. Ask whether broadcast receive works today, on current firmware, including the part that finds and joins streams.
And check which half a new phone actually fixes. The bottleneck right now is transmitters, not receivers. Aids that can receive are shipping far ahead of phones and venues that can send, which is why the dongles in this thread work so well. They’re not a hack, they’re the bridge era.
Rad, before you switch, confirm the specific model and software version transmits Auracast rather than just receiving it. That distinction lives in footnotes, and it’s exactly where spec sheets go quiet.
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