Choosing an Auracast system for a venue: Auri, Infinium, Bettear, Opus and Avantree compared

The short answer: all five systems here send a standard Auracast broadcast that any Auracast hearing aid or earbud can join. They differ in how the audio gets in, how the unit is powered and managed, and how many separate streams one box can send. For one room with a mixing desk, any of the professional units will do the job. The choice gets real when you have many rooms, a Dante network, or more than two languages.

Prices and specifications below were checked on the makers' or resellers' pages on 11 November 2026. We have not installed these systems ourselves; this is a comparison of what the makers publish.

The five systems

Auri TX2N (Listen Technologies and Ampetronic)

Auri is the system with the most named installs: Sydney Opera House, City Recital Hall, Vue's UK cinemas and Brighton station all use it. The TX2N has two radios, and each one sends its own stream. It takes two balanced mic or line inputs with phantom power, runs from PoE, and the TX2N-D model adds a Dante port.

Listen publishes its latency: 13 ms inside the transmitter, and 29 to 45 ms from input to the ear when used with its own RX1 receiver. Setup is done over the network with Auri Manager, which runs on a Windows PC. Listen sells through resellers and does not show a price; US dealers were listing the TX2N at about US$1,900 and the Dante model at about US$2,400 when we surveyed them in October.

Williams AV Infinium

Infinium splits the job in two. The BA-T1 transmitter is a small radio unit on a single network cable that carries audio, control and power. The audio inputs (XLR, terminal block and Dante) are on a separate controller. That suits a building where the audio rack is in one place and the radios need to be up on walls and ceilings somewhere else.

Each transmitter sends two mono streams or one stereo stream. Williams' management software handles up to 150 transmitters from a web page, grouped by space, which is the strongest multi-room story of the five. Full Compass lists the BA-T1 at US$1,305 with the controller sold separately, so price the pair.

Bettear CASTER X and XD

The CASTER X won Best of Show at InfoComm this year for sending six streams from one unit, according to Aurahear. Bettear's own product page does not give a stream count, so confirm it for the model you are quoted. Six streams matters for interpretation: Bettear ran German and English streams at the EUHA congress in Hannover last month.

The X takes two balanced analogue inputs. The XD takes Dante or AES67 from the network. Both run on PoE+ and can pass power on to a second unit (on the X that needs a licence). Transmit power is adjustable, the X and XD can use an external antenna, and there is a text control API with a Crestron driver, which integrators will care about. Bettear does not publish prices.

Opus AuraGate

The AuraGate, from France, has the widest set of inputs on one box: two mic or line, S/PDIF, USB-C, and a 100 V line input. That last one lets it take its feed from an existing 100 V speaker line, which is handy in a building where the PA is already wired and nobody wants to run a new cable back to the amplifier. It is set up with Opus's AuraConnect app. AVL Gear lists it at US$1,612. We could not find an Australian distributor.

Avantree AuraPlex MX (Venucast)

This is the budget route, and it comes as a kit: one transmitter, ten clip-on receivers and a ten-slot charging base for US$799.99. Avantree pitches it at churches, classrooms and lecture halls of up to about 500 seats, and says it is not for stadiums or outdoor spaces.

The transmitter's inputs are 3.5 mm, optical and Bluetooth. There are no balanced inputs and no PoE, so it suits a room where the sound desk has a spare headphone or aux output nearby. Avantree's page contradicts itself on receivers, saying both "unlimited" and "up to 100". Visitors' own devices can join either way. If you need XLR inputs at this price, Avantree's AirCast has them.

Six questions that decide it

1. How many streams do you need at once? One for the programme is the minimum. A second covers audio description or a second language. Two-stream units (Auri, Infinium, AuraGate) cover most theatres and churches. For three or more languages, look at the CASTER X, or plan on several transmitters.

2. What is the audio source? A spare analogue output from a mixing desk works with everything here. If the building runs Dante, the Auri TX2N-D, Infinium and CASTER XD take it directly. If all you can reach is a 100 V speaker line, the AuraGate is the only one built for that.

3. How will it be powered and cabled? PoE means one network cable to a unit high on a wall, with no power point. The Auri, Infinium and CASTER are built for it, and the AuraGate takes PoE through its dock. Check the type: the Auri needs standard PoE (802.3af), while the CASTER wants the higher-power PoE+ (802.3at).

4. How many rooms? One or two rooms can be set up by hand. For a campus, a courthouse or a multiplex, central management matters more than anything on the box. Williams quotes 150 transmitters under one web interface. Auri and Bettear both have network management software.

5. What will you lend out? Some visitors will arrive without Auracast devices, and many hearing aids still need a telecoil. So you need loan receivers, some with neckloops, and somewhere to charge them. Auri has the RX1 with 4- and 16-bay docks. Williams has its own receivers. Avantree's AuraClip is about US$70. These are all standard Auracast broadcasts, so the receivers should not have to match the transmitter brand. Test a sample before you buy a fleet.

6. Who will install and support it? In Australia that narrows the list. Jands carries Auri, Amber Technology carries Williams AV, and MadisonAV carries Bettear.

Settings to get right, whichever you buy

Run a standard-quality stream. The Bluetooth SIG asks venues to make a "Standard Quality" public broadcast available, so that hearing aids, cochlear implants and earbuds can all connect. A 48 kHz high-quality stream sounds better on earbuds, but some hearing aids cannot join one. With a two-stream transmitter you can offer both.

Decide on a password deliberately. An open broadcast is the easiest to join. A password stops people outside the room listening, which matters for a courtroom or a council session and matters much less for a concert. All five systems support both.

Name the stream clearly and put the name on a sign. "Main Hall English" is better than a model number. Bettear and Listen both offer free sign generators.

Register the venue. The Bluetooth SIG registers venues that want to use the Auracast logo. Then send us the details for our own venue directory.

If the venue is in Australia

The National Construction Code requires hearing augmentation wherever there is a permanent PA. The standard that describes what counts, AS 1428.5, covers loops and infrared and does not name Auracast. The industry reading is that Auracast counts as a receiver-based system, so you need loan receivers on hand to comply, and most venues are keeping their hearing loop as well. More on why venues keep both.

Bettear and Listen both publish receiver calculators with an Australian option. Use them for a first estimate and have your building certifier confirm the number.

Our venue guide has a summary of costs by tier, and we are happy to read a quote or a drawing for you.