It looks like this is now ready for a proper product release. The last time there were reports of this it did not have a brand name and could not connect to hearing aids. Now it’s using BLE and is Auracast ready apparently. Don’t know about the price:
Wow. The potential of this if it works as claimed is just huge. There’s only one LE Audio earbud out that I know of, though, so who’s going to buy it?
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Could it work to smartphones instead of just earbuds?
That way a HA user whose HAs connect to their smartphone could then pick up the signal from this device.
I believe the smartphone will just be the intermediary that controls the bluetooth connection between the HA and the device. Probably via an app. I don’t think the audio signal will be sent to the smartphone as such.
I think it’s technically possible if the phone manufacturers choose to allow it. They didn’t with A2DP (classic Bluetooth audio) so I’m not confident.
My apologies if this has been covered before.
Is it expected that the Phonak Lumity’s will be upgradeable via firmware to support Auracast? I believe they’re currently at the BT 4.2 level which I’m thinking might pose a challenge.
And is it safe to assume the Phonak Real 1’s will be able to support Auracast since it already supports BT 5.2?
I realize a phone or other intermediate device will be needed – in addition to HA support – to choose the desired Auracast stream and perform other functions.
As I keep my HAs around 5 years I’d like to be future-proof for Auracast. I can’t remember the last time I didn’t have trouble hearing an airport announcement or seeing a play. Would love to participate in the brave new Auracast world when it arrives.
Thanks.
Drew
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Some of us believe that Phonak might be the last manufacturer to support LE Audio and Auracast because they are riding the gravy train with their support for BT Classic Audio.
Is it something they’re going to build themselves do you think, or is it a reference design they are trying to sell to potential partners.
Looking at at the topic from mid last year, the only thing that I think has changed is the addition of LE Audio. That makes sense because how else can it be wirelessly and universally accessible? But, as we all know, LE Audio is moving at glacial speeds.
I’ve looked at the videos and if it works like they say, this could be a watershed moment. But they need an accessible product and without LE Audio in our hearing aids and buds they haven’t got one. I really, really hope they find their partners and make this thing work. It looks amazing.
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Slight pet peeve–they keep referring to BT LE, not BT LE Audio. Plenty of devices already support BT LE, so their not using the correct terminology just leads to potential confusion amongst those who might not know the difference between the BT standards.
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Me too. They’re inconsistent actually. They use “LE Audio” correctly in some places. It wasn’t until I found those places that I accepted that I had understood them correctly, The entire internet is rife with experts who refer to BLE when they mean “LE Audio”. I think the Bluetooth SIG really dropped the ball on that one.
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This article by my favourite tech journalist fleshes things out a little:
https://audioxpress.com/news/audiotelligence-announces-orsana-le-audio-assistive-listening-device
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How would you listen to the smartphone? Having it close to your ear like when taking a phone call?
@jfranek43 My comment above where I asked if the device would connect to a smartphone was not fully thought through. I had the wrong assumption that audio sounds from the device could pass via the HA app on my smartphone into my HAs, but this is not possible.
So the only way for a HA user to listen to the device’s audio output is by listening to the speaker on the smartphone (as if taking a phone call). This is impractical.
PS I am waiting instead for Apple to enable Mic Mode on the Live Listening feature in their iPhones. This will give me similar functionality to what this device provides.
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Thanks for sharing. That was an interesting read.
One concern I have with Auracast is I don’t see a killer use case on the consumer side that will drive wider adoption. While I’m sure it will be very useful for a small group at a restaurant or sporting event to share a single audio stream, I’m not sure the product addresses anything more than an edge case. And I really can’t think of any other consumer application that’s likely to spur investment in Auracast by offering a major, new consumer benefit.
Another issue is a true end-to-end Auracast solution for HA users will likely require cooperation from three separate parties – transmitter vendors, phone manufacturers (to allow selection of specific streams, QR codes, etc), and HA manufacturers. While, in theory, separate products following a standard Bluetooth protocol should work together, the reality is quite different. Vendors can implement the same standard differently and there’s always a requirement for end-to-end testing.
I worked as a product manager for a major software company for many years and gaining legal and technical cooperation from different vendors was high up on my list of “avoid if at all possible” activities. It’s just really hard to partner with different parties when financial and technical agendas can be so different.
Anyway, just wanted to share my perspective. Someone is going to have to really believe in the Auracast business case (i.e. potential revenues are considerable more than certain costs) and I’m not sure I see that happening.
So… it looks like they haven’t found their partner and have launched an Indiegogo campaign to raise money to build the thing themselves. The table-top device will ship with earbuds. The FAQ states the connection is proprietary, even though they had been developing a LE Audio solution. No idea why they moved away from that. Expected to ship in February 2024 and to the UK only. There are new promotional videos on YouTube. Search for ‘Orsana’.
Personally, I have to think they’ve saved me from myself by not shipping world-wide. The demos make a good case for the tech, but I’ve lost confidence a bit in the company. They were promoting a “big reveal” for the 9th and missed the deadline. There was no mention of the UK-only shipping until today’s launch. It seems like they’re scrambling to gain traction. Even so, I think an interoperable remote mic solution is desperately needed. I wish them well.
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Thanks for this. It’s disappointing from the point of view of those of us who wear hearing aids. It’s not an assistive device that can be used with existing hearing aids via bluetooth or any other means of communication.
Cannot fathom why they have not partnered with one of the lesser known hearing aid companies who want to raise their profile and market share. I say lesser because I would imagine that the major companies believe they are well on their way to developing their own solutions - Demnant, Sonova, WS Audiology etc.
For me the market share they are aiming at are likely to need hearing aids as well. Otherwise I assume they are aiming at a segment that have difficulty in noise but can hear in quiet situations. How big that latter market is, I don’t know.
The irony is that they have produced a wonderful solution for people with moderate to severe, severe to profound hearing loss, who cannot access it.
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Someone like Lexie maybe. It would be a killer combination. The major companies are pretty happy with themselves the way things are. Can you imaginge Phonak’s response?
Big enough I think. Their timing sucks. If they put themselves in a cryogenic chamber for a couple of years they’d be in good shape at the end of it. They needed LE Audio to be a strong presence in the market by now. No other type of connection makes sense. Without interoperability, they can’t grow their market. Am I going to spend money on a solution that doesn’t allow an upgrade path to better buds or hearing aids? No.
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They have a movies on their site, one with comparison of Orsana with Starkey table mic. I feel Starkey sounds much better. Is it just me who thinks so? or you too?
This movie: https://m.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=169&v=Rjv4jGCJY3Q&embeds_referring_euri=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.indiegogo.com%2F&embeds_referring_origin=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.indiegogo.com&source_ve_path=MzY4NDIsMTM5MTE3LDI4NjY2&feature=emb_logo