Avantree Audikast TV Adapter Review
Avantree Audikast is an easy-to-configure Auracast transmitter that can make television audio accessible to both newer Auracast hearing aids and older telecoil-equipped hearing aids used with the right receiver.
Audiast also does an exceptional job when used with Auracast earbuds and headphones.
Audikast is the transmitter in this collection that I have used the least, but my experience setting one up was very positive. More importantly, I have seen how one transmitter can help two people with very different hearing-aid technology.
Recommended by an Audiologist
I was especially happy when the audiologist of the woman featured in my About story told her about Auracast and recommended buying an Audikast.
That recommendation helped her understand the technology and made it easier for me to get her connected to the Auracast system at church.
This was encouraging because audiologists can play an important role in helping people discover Auracast. Many hearing-aid users will first learn about the technology from the professionals they already trust.
Helping a Couple With Different Hearing Aids
I set up Audikast for a blind friend and his wife.
My friend’s older hearing aids do not receive Auracast directly. Instead, he listens to the Audikast broadcast using:
Audikast → AuraClip receiver → Neck loop → Telecoil hearing aids
This gives him access to Auracast audio while he waits for insurance assistance to purchase newer Auracast-compatible hearing aids.
We then discovered that his wife’s hearing aids could already receive Auracast directly.
Before this, she often forgot to wear her hearing aids. Now she uses them to listen to television and to the Auracast broadcast at church. Having something she enjoys listening to has motivated her to wear her hearing aids regularly, and she no longer forgets them.
That has been one of my favorite Auracast experiences. The technology did more than make the television easier to hear—it gave her a positive reason to use her hearing aids.
Easy Firmware Update
Setting up Audikast was straightforward.
I updated its firmware from my Mac using the Avantree Firmware Updater. The updater also supports Windows.
Keeping the firmware current is a good first step when installing any newer Auracast product. Auracast is still developing quickly, and firmware updates may improve operation or compatibility.
Name the Broadcast
Audikast allows you to give the Auracast broadcast a recognizable name.
For a home installation, a simple name such as Living Room TV makes it easier to identify the correct broadcast.
A clear name can be especially helpful when other Auracast broadcasts are available nearby.
Optional Passcode Protection
Audikast also allows the broadcast to be protected with a passcode.
An open broadcast may be perfectly appropriate in many homes. If you do not want nearby people to discover and listen to your television broadcast, a passcode provides additional privacy.
This gives the owner a useful choice:
Leave the broadcast open for the simplest access.
Add a passcode when privacy is more important.
Make sure everyone who needs the broadcast knows how to access it before enabling protection.
My Take
My experience with Avantree Audikast is more limited than with some of the other transmitters I have tested, but setting it up was easy and its real-world impact has been meaningful.
I especially appreciate that it can serve people at different stages of hearing technology:
Newer Auracast hearing aids can receive the broadcast directly.
Older telecoil hearing aids can use an AuraClip receiver and neck loop.
The broadcast can be given a recognizable name.
A passcode can protect the broadcast when desired.
Firmware can be updated from either macOS or Windows.
Most importantly, Audikast helped one couple enjoy television through the hearing technology each person already had. It also helped motivate one of them to wear her hearing aids consistently.
Avantree Audikast is a promising and easy-to-configure Auracast transmitter for television listening, particularly for households using a mixture of newer Auracast devices and older hearing aids connected through a wearable receiver and neck loop.