Assistive Listening Knowledge Base

QuestionDisputed

Auracast, hearing loop, infrared, RF or Wi-Fi: which suits which room?

  • Affects venues, listeners, specifiers, hearing professionals, installers
  • 76 sources
  • Updated
  • First published

Technologies: Auracast, Hearing loops, Infrared, RF/FM, Wi-Fi streaming, Shared

In brief

US guidance points to infrared where speech must stay in the room and to FM for some open-air events. Loops serve telecoil users without a borrowed receiver; Wi-Fi streaming uses phones or venue receivers. Two surveys recruited through hearing-loss networks favour loops and a maker's test favoured Auracast's sound, but few listeners have Auracast and a falling share of models listed in one hearing-aid guide has a telecoil.

Why it matters

A venue choosing assistive listening today wants to serve the people who come now and still be right in ten years. Each technology reaches a different group: a built-in telecoil receives a hearing loop, built-in Auracast receives only Auracast, and FM and infrared reach listeners only through a receiver1. Guidance also points to different systems where speech must stay private, outdoors and across very large areas2,3.

What the evidence shows

Room by room

Room or settingWhat the cited sources say
Courtrooms, jury rooms and other confidential roomsUS guidance treats infrared as typically the better choice where transmission must stay confidential2, and a federal advisory committee recommends it for courtrooms4; a guide adds that windows must be covered3. The committee rules FM out of jury deliberation rooms because its signal passes through walls4, while the Swiss draft standard allows infrared or FM where eavesdropping must be prevented5. Auracast also passes through walls, so the SIG advises encrypting confidential content6, and a loop maker says a simple perimeter loop can be heard up to about four times the room's width outside it unless a low-spill design is used7.
Outdoors and sunlit roomsUS guidance says FM may be better than infrared in some open-air assemblies because infrared is less effective in sunlight2, and an advocacy page says infrared cannot be used outdoors in daytime or in glassy, sunlit venues8. In Pro Audito's independent test at an outdoor event of about 2,000 people (receiver count not stated), Auracast was reliable for virtually all tested receivers only within about 5 m of the transmitter, an FM system transmitted stably with 8 ms of delay, and streaming to phones over the mobile network covered the whole square with about 360 ms of delay9.
Reception desks and service countersEngland's guidance gives a loop as the example for reception points10. RNID finds that a maintained loop gives people without a smartphone a simpler experience at a desk than an encrypted Auracast stream11, and an advocacy guide lists counters as "yet to be solved" for Auracast12.
Small meeting roomsEngland's guidance accepts a portable loop in small meeting rooms10. The only blinded comparison of Auracast and a loop cited here, by a hearing-aid maker, was run in a 16-person meeting room13.
Theatres, cinemas and hallsRNID describes infrared as common in theatres and cinemas14. In Pro Audito's independent test in an empty 22 x 80 m theatre hall, one Auracast transmitter reached every seat, but the testers judged the 56 to 58 ms delay to the one hearing-aid model tested too long15. FM and infrared can carry several channels at once, a loop one3.
Arenas, stadiums and very large areasA guide says FM covers very large seating areas easily, while infrared costs more and is harder to install in areas such as stadiums3. A loop maker says a floor-level perimeter loop wider than 15 m varies by more than 6 dB even with no metal, which it says an elevated loop or an array corrects16. A Swiss expert puts Auracast's real indoor range at about 30 m17. One Wi-Fi maker gives up to 45 listeners in unicast mode and 1,500 in multicast, and says the network may limit both18.
Rooms with no live sound, such as TVs in bars and gymsAn advocacy group says audio over Wi-Fi works well when the live sound is off19.
Stations and transportIn RNID's March 2026 station test, published in a report funded by the Motability Foundation, most of ten hearing-device users could not understand the announcements without Auracast and found them clearer with it; nine needed a loaned phone or receiver, and seven listened through a neckloop with their telecoil20.

What listeners prefer and use

  • Loops over borrowed receivers, in two surveys recruited through hearing-loss networks. In a 2014 online survey paid for by two loop makers, an assistive listening company and two hearing-device technology makers, 81% of 243 hearing-device users, all of whom had used a loop, chose a loop over FM or infrared with a neckloop or headset; the authors call it a convenience sample, mostly HLAA members, with more profound hearing loss than typical users, and the article's figures for the 125 who had used all three systems add up to more than 100%21. In a self-selected survey of 1,519 people with hearing loss (nearly 80% seniors), run by a committee of hearing-loss advocates, among them the loop advocates Stephen O. Frazier (its chair), Juliëtte Sterkens and David Myers (funding not stated), 187 of the 312 who chose a listening system for a city council chamber chose a loop (60%), which appears to be the basis of the report's figure of over 60%; counting everyone who gave an opinion, 61% chose captions and 23% a loop, and Auracast was not offered22,23.
  • Auracast's sound over a loop's, in a maker study. In a single-blind study at GN Hearing's premises, 18 listeners with mild to moderate hearing loss preferred Auracast to a perimeter loop in 76% of trials, with the hearing aids' microphones switched off; the telecoil path lost low frequencies below about 300 Hz13. In a 2024 independent Swiss user trial run by the hearing-loss organisation Pro Audito with ETH Zurich students, 23 participants rated speech quality with Auracast as equal to or better than with a loop (the summary gives no total for that comparison), though the testers found loops simpler to operate because Auracast then needed a smartphone24.
  • Loops are used more than borrowed receivers, but owners rank streaming above the telecoil. In the CCAA survey, fewer than four in ten always or usually borrow a receiver where a venue's system needs one (37% with headsets, 39% with neckloops), while about seven in ten telecoil users who go to looped venues listen through the loop always or usually22,23. In MarkeTrak 2022, commissioned by the US Hearing Industries Association, the feature-impact table lists 429 owners fitted in person, 45 remotely and 27 self-fitters. Among owners who had each feature, 6% (fitted in person or remotely) named the telecoil among the three features that most improved their listening, against 23% and 13% for direct smartphone streaming25.

The question What do listeners prefer, and how often do they use venue systems? sets out these studies in full, with older comparisons of loops, FM and infrared21,22,13,26.

What venues install, and the reasons given

  • What listeners meet is mostly FM. Survey respondents who found an audio system found FM 51% of the time, a loop 27% and infrared 14%22. A 1999 report to the US Access Board found loops the least used of the three in the US and rarely in competition with FM and infrared for new installations, which it tied to the small share of hearing aids with telecoils, then about 30%26.
  • Cost and installation effort. A guide distributed by HLAA's loop programme lists FM as the easiest system to install, with the lowest installation cost, and loop installation as possibly difficult3. A maker that sells each of these systems lists RF as budget-friendly and simple to set up, infrared as complex to design but suited to confidential rooms, and loops as costly and intrusive to install27. Pro Audito says an Auracast transmitter with loaned neckloop receivers costs less than a loop plus Auracast, but often does not work well enough in practice28. A federal advisory committee calls a permanent loop an inexpensive option for jury assembly areas4. Bavaria's planning guidelines for state buildings, written with a hearing-loss association, rate the equipment and installation cost of a loop lowest (factor 1), FM about twice that and infrared about 2.5 times, without giving the data behind the factors29. A loop seller says site conditions can change a loop's installed cost by a factor of two to five; its 2013 worked examples for two 150-seat churches give $3,002 for a simple perimeter loop against $11,731 for a low-spill array over a concrete floor30.
  • Receivers are a running task. With FM and infrared every listener needs a receiver, which the venue must clean, issue, collect and keep charged3. An advocacy page lists staff time, batteries and hygiene among operators' burdens8, and survey respondents complained of untrained staff, dead batteries, unhygienic headsets and neckloops that did not work or were not offered22.
  • Codes name cost as a factor. Canada's model code lists cost, maintenance, suitability for the audience, ease of operation and privacy as factors in choosing a system31.

Who can connect

  • Fewer models listed in one guide have a telecoil, and many owners do not know whether theirs does. In the Consumer's Guide to Hearing Aids, 59% of prescription models listed in 2026 had a manual telecoil, against 79% in 201632, and the FDA declined to require telecoils in over-the-counter hearing aids, citing size, cost and innovation33. In the US Hearing Industries Association's MarkeTrak 10, 2022 and 2025 surveys, 20%, 33% and 24% of owners who acquired aids in the previous five years said their aids have a telecoil (702, 815 and 887 respondents respectively)34,25,35, and in the manufacturers' associations EHIMA and BIHIMA's EuroTrak UK survey, 63% of 718 owners did not know36. In an NIH-supported university study of 52 aids from one maker, the default telecoil had significantly lower average output than the fitted microphone at 200 and 400 Hz in a coupler; the study concerned telephone listening, so it informs the shared telecoil path rather than testing a venue loop37.
  • Few listeners have Auracast yet. The Center for Hearing Access estimates that 95% of users do not yet have hearing instruments with Auracast38, and states that fewer than 2% of facilities have installed it and that some instruments are "Auracast Ready" but cannot connect yet39. A Swiss list of 27 product lines shows 20 as Auracast capable and 7 as ready, including all three cochlear implant processors listed40. HLAA states that a phone or smartwatch is needed to select an Auracast stream41, and Android's built-in support covers select recent phones only42.
  • Receivers and phones fill the gap, unevenly. Telecoil users can reach Auracast, FM and infrared through a receiver with a neckloop39,3, but neckloop quality varies widely43. Using a personal phone for Wi-Fi streaming needs an app and the confidence to install it, and IAHA notes that a significant share of the people concerned have no smartphone44; in Pew Research Center's 2025 survey of 5,022 US adults (primarily funded by The Pew Charitable Trusts), 78% of those aged 65 and older owned one45.

The questions How many listeners carry a telecoil, an Auracast-capable device or a smartphone? and Which hearing devices can receive which systems? hold the detail25,40,45.

Hearing loops

  • No borrowed receiver for telecoil users. Listeners with telecoils need no borrowed receiver in a looped room3, and the ADA drops the hearing-aid-compatible receiver requirement where a loop serves every seat2. Australia's NCC 2025 model code sets coverage at 80% of the floor area served by the amplification system for a loop and 95% for a receiver-based system, with adoption dates varying by state and territory, without saying which kind Auracast is46.
  • One performance standard. IEC 60118-4 sets field strength and frequency response requirements for loops47, and ICC A117.1-2017 requires loops, where provided, to meet it, naming no equivalent standard for radio-based systems48.
  • The building shapes the design. A loop maker's site procedure treats a perimeter loop as suitable only if test readings vary by less than 6 dB, and says that with more variation a perimeter loop could not meet IEC 60118-416. The same maker says spill also reaches rooms above and below, and that low-spill arrays or a cancellation loop contain it but are more complex to install7. An advocacy group says a loop should never be installed purely from a computer simulation and that installers should visit the site49.
  • Other limits. A guide lists a single channel, an unencrypted signal and electromagnetic interference picked up by telecoils, which also affects neckloop users of FM and infrared3.
  • Installed loops do not always work. In 2009, RNID volunteers reported a loop not working properly in nearly half of about 500 reports on UK businesses, and no loop in nearly one in four, without a test protocol50.

Auracast

  • Range depends on the room and the crowd. A Swiss expert puts real range at about 30 m, and less in a full room with heavy Wi-Fi17. In the outdoor test, the authors suspect the many phones and other Bluetooth devices in the crowd added packet loss9.
  • The pair matters. In Pro Audito's independent test, with equipment lent free by makers and no manufacturer funding, latency ranged from 26 to 205 ms by transmitter-receiver pair, reception across the 51 pairs in the main reception comparison depended strongly on the pair, and two professional receivers received only their own brand's transmitters at the firmware tested51.
  • Installation. The Center for Hearing Access says Auracast assistive listening is not "plug and play" and needs skilled installers to connect it to existing microphones and audio-visual systems52.
  • The fitting matters, for any streaming. An independent, UK research council-funded review gives the author's personal rating of hearing-aid wireless connectivity in general, not Auracast alone, 10/10 with a closed fitting but 7/10 with an open fitting, because low frequencies leak out through the vent and room sound leaking in reduces clarity53.
  • Little clinical evidence, standards still arriving. An independent University of São Paulo scoping review, supported by FAPESP and a PIBIC scholarship, included 17 documents found through April 2025. Published in 2026, it found mostly technical, descriptive or opinion-based work and a significant gap in clinical or experimental studies54. IEC 63087:2026, for all assistive listening systems, includes sections on 2.4 GHz broadcasting to hearing aids, with its requirements in the paid text55; IEC TC 29 lists IEC 60118-17, for 2.4 GHz streaming to hearing aids, with the date November 202756.

Infrared

  • Stays in the room, with conditions. RNID says infrared does not pass through walls or around corners, which suits rooms where privacy matters but means transmitters need an unobstructed path14. One maker claims infrared "cannot pass through walls, ceilings, or glass"57, while a guide makes confidentiality conditional on covered windows3.
  • Light interferes. A 2003 Hong Kong government paper on infrared interpretation and remote controls says direct sunlight saturates receivers and fluorescent lamps on electronic ballasts can interfere with low-subcarrier systems; this is evidence about the shared infrared path, not a venue assistive-listening test58. One maker says its higher carriers resist fluorescent lighting but are not immune to sunlight or plasma displays59.
  • Line of sight. Infrared needs a line of sight to enough emitters to avoid shadows from columns and seats3, and one maker designs for emitter output falling by 40% after about 8,000 hours59.
  • A receiver for everyone. Every listener borrows a receiver3, and an advocacy group lists among infrared's drawbacks for users that they "lose dignity by “outing” their disability"8.

RF/FM

  • Range and outdoor use. A guide lists FM as highly portable and usable indoors or outdoors3. A maker gives 305 m at 72 MHz and up to 914 m line of sight at 216 MHz for its stationary transmitters60, and the courthouse committee says up to several hundred feet4.
  • Passes through walls. FM signals travel through most walls, ceilings and floors60, so a guide calls FM unsuitable where privacy matters, noting that encrypted digital systems exist3.
  • No protection from interference. In the US, 72-76 MHz systems are licence-free devices that must accept interference from others61, and 216-217 MHz systems share their band with other uses and must not interfere with channel 13 TV62. A maker says interference usually comes from a nearby venue on the same channel60.
  • Low system delay, with telecoil interference outdoors. At the outdoor event, FM measured 8 ms of delay, though its difference from the loudspeaker sound sometimes exceeded the 40 ms the authors recommend, depending on position, and neckloop users heard interference from nearby tram lines9.
  • Receivers to manage. A 1999 report to the US Access Board recommended one trained person to issue, check in and maintain receivers, and at least one neckloop for every four headphone receivers26.

Wi-Fi streaming

  • Stated strengths. IAHA, an industry association, lists listeners' own devices, movement across large areas, several channels and fewer hygiene concerns, and says Wi-Fi can be used where loops or infrared may not be feasible44. A maker argues that Wi-Fi streaming is unaffected by sunlight and gives secure digital transmission63.
  • Delay. One maker states 40-60 ms on average without saying how it was measured64. Another gives 40-60 ms for its dedicated Wi-Fi receiver, depending on network, traffic and quality of service65, while its 2017 note gave 170-214 ms on Apple phones and 252-463 ms on Android phones66. The Center for Hearing Access says these systems "typically have 100-500+ ms latency"19, RNID that Wi-Fi networks "often add too much delay to the signal"14, and in the CCAA survey described above, 132 of 251 people who rated Wi-Fi delay (53%) found it distracting or objectionable. The charts separately show only 217 people reporting Wi-Fi use, so those denominators do not match22,23. One maker's app recommends wired headphones or induction ear hooks to avoid Bluetooth delay67.
  • Network capacity. One maker gives up to 45 listeners in unicast and 1,500 in multicast, limited by network hardware and configuration, and says a lost packet is heard as a drop-out18; another gives 100 per station64. An IETF document says Wi-Fi multicast frames are not acknowledged, that packet loss of 5% or more is not uncommon, and that multicast is generally sent at the basic rate, reducing capacity68.
  • No peer-reviewed studies. The Center for Hearing Access and IAHA both say no peer-reviewed research shows how audio over Wi-Fi works for people with hearing loss19,44. Australia's standard has an appendix heading "Why mobile phones are not suitable as receivers", whose reasoning is in the paid text69.

Delay across technologies

  • An advocacy guide gives typical ranges of about 1-20 ms for loops and infrared, 1-30 ms for FM, 36-100+ ms for Auracast and 200-300+ ms for Wi-Fi, and calls less than 30-40 ms acceptable12.
  • Measured at one outdoor event: FM 8 ms, Auracast 43 ms to a receiver and 54 ms to a hearing aid, and phone streaming over the mobile network about 360 ms9. Because the loudspeaker sound took 25 to 100 ms to reach listeners, the authors also compared each system with it: the difference was 17 to 92 ms for FM, 18 to 57 ms (receiver) and 29 to 46 ms (hearing aid) for Auracast, and 260 to 335 ms for streaming. Against the 40 ms they recommend, Auracast came closest, FM sometimes exceeded it depending on position, and streaming fell far short9. The Swiss draft standard says the difference between room sound and the assistive signal should where possible not exceed 30 ms and must not exceed 40 ms5.

Codes and standards

  • Codes name loops, FM and infrared. The 2010 ADA Standards' advisories name hard-wired, loop, infrared and FM systems, and the standards do not mention Bluetooth or Auracast2. England's guidance names loop, infrared and radio systems10, and Canada's code gives FM, infrared and loops as examples and says other types "could be considered"31. EFHOH reports that the European standard EN 17210 lists direct wire, loop, infrared, radio and Wi-Fi systems and leaves the choice to the application70.
  • The Swiss draft combines two. The SIA 500 consultation draft, which states that it has no validity and must not be applied, would require Auracast transmitters as well as inductive transmission, preferably a fixed loop, and would allow infrared and FM where eavesdropping must be prevented5.

The question Which systems satisfy the ADA and building codes, and does a listener's own phone count? sets out the codes and the dispute over newer technologies2,31,5.

Advocates' advice for the transition

  • Loops alongside Auracast. RNID recommends that new buildings install a hearing loop where feasible as well as Auracast, asks venues to keep testing and maintaining existing loops for at least five years and potentially nearer 10, and sees Auracast as a better choice than infrared or Wi-Fi where loops are impractical, because people will in time be able to use their own receivers11. EFHOH holds that loop access is needed in Europe for at least 10 to 15 years71. Swiss guidance reports Pro Audito's advice to install a fixed loop and an Auracast transmitter in parallel where possible, accepting Auracast alone where a loop is not feasible, provided loan receivers with neckloops are visible, available and easy to use72.
  • Keep the older systems. Two loop advocates advise audiologists to keep supporting loop, FM/RF and infrared installations and to add Auracast only once patients' own devices connect to it reliably73. HLAA and experts quoted by Consumer Reports advise people buying hearing devices to choose one with both a telecoil and Auracast41,32.
  • Timing. Loop advocate Juliëtte Sterkens, an audiologist, expects Auracast assistive listening to take a decade or longer to become commonplace, and one consultant says loops and telecoils will be needed for at least 10 years38.

Where sources disagree

Loop advocates write that patients prefer loops73. In two surveys recruited through hearing-loss networks, with Sterkens among the authors of both, most respondents who chose a listening system picked a loop: 81% of 243 loop users in a maker-funded survey21, and 187 of 312 in a self-selected survey of people with hearing loss, in which 61% of all who gave an opinion chose captions22,23. A hearing-aid maker's blinded test found listeners preferred Auracast's sound to a loop's13. Each of these headline figures comes from a study run or paid for by an interested party; the surveys offered no Auracast option, and the Auracast comparison used one room, one hearing-aid model and ratings rather than speech scores21,22,13.

RNID now calls Auracast "the preferred solution" in most cases where loops cannot be used14, and the manufacturer study concludes that Auracast may spread faster and more widely than loops13. Loop advocates advise keeping support for loops, FM and infrared until patients' devices connect reliably73, and other advocates stress the years before most listeners and venues are ready and the lack of independent proof-of-concept testing39,38,11. Older official documents doubted 2.4 GHz alternatives: a January 2022 ETSI report states that "Emerging technologies such as Bluetooth® Low Energy do not offer a practical alternative to HLS in most cases" (HLS: hearing loop systems), citing latency, pairing and battery life74, and Bavaria's 2019 guidelines list unresolved problems with 2.4 GHz, Bluetooth and WLAN systems, from power consumption and user limits to delay, range and missing standards29.

Telecoil figures differ with what is counted: 54% of models in a database analysis of 806 releases from 2012-2021 (using 2017-2021 releases as the 2021 market), versus 59% in a voluntary 2026 guide75,32, 11% to 33% of surveyed owners reporting that they have one36,25, and about 80% of US hearing aids dispensed in a maker's ADA guide, a figure taken from an HLAA chapter web page27.

Sources describe cost and effort differently: a maker calls loops costly and intrusive to install and infrared complex to design27, while a federal committee calls a permanent loop an inexpensive option for jury assembly areas4 and an advocacy page calls infrared relatively simple to install8. German state guidelines rank a loop's cost below FM and infrared29, while a guide distributed by HLAA's loop programme gives FM the lowest installation cost3; neither publishes the prices behind its ranking.

On privacy, a maker says infrared cannot pass through glass57, while a guide makes confidentiality conditional on covered windows3. US guidance rules FM out of jury deliberation rooms4, while the Swiss draft allows FM, like infrared, where eavesdropping must be prevented5.

For Wi-Fi streaming, one maker's app figure and another's dedicated-receiver figure of 40-60 ms sit below the advocacy range of 100-500+ ms and the latter maker's 2017 phone figures; different products and listening paths mean these are not like-for-like measurements64,65,19,66. One maker states that "Sennheiser MobileConnect is compliant to the 'Assistive Listening Systems' requirements" of the 2010 ADA Standards63; the Center for Hearing Access states "There is no known product that meets the ADA" for audio over Wi-Fi19, and IAHA that a venue "cannot guarantee compliance with ADA Table 219.3" if listeners are expected to bring their own devices44.

What would settle it

Independent comparisons of loops, Auracast and receiver-based systems in occupied rooms, with listeners' own devices, measuring speech understanding and ease of joining as well as preference. Preference and use surveys of representative samples that include Auracast and Wi-Fi. Counts of hearing aids and implants in use, rather than models listed, that have a programmed telecoil or working Auracast. A survey of venue buyers and installers on why they choose a technology, with cost comparisons: the sources found describe cost and installation effort in guides and maker material without asking buyers. Delay measured for loops, FM and infrared on the same basis as for Auracast and Wi-Fi, and independent Wi-Fi tests with real audiences. Independent tests of infrared through glass and under daylight and LED lighting. The IEC 60118-17 requirements. These gaps follow from the limited samples, product-specific figures and unpublished requirements in the cited evidence13,21,22,40,3,64,65,57,56.

Planning while it is open

  • Check whether listeners' devices are Auracast Enabled rather than Ready before relying on them39.
  • In new buildings, advocates recommend a loop as well as Auracast where feasible, and keeping existing loops tested and maintained11,72.
  • Where speech must stay in the room, US guidance points to infrared2,4, with windows covered3; encrypt confidential Auracast content6.
  • For open-air events, US guidance notes that FM may be better than infrared2; test any outdoor system with a crowd present, since an empty-site test did not reveal Auracast's limits9.
  • Before choosing a loop, test the site for metal loss and plan for spill16,7, with a site visit rather than a simulation alone49.
  • Before choosing Wi-Fi streaming, set up the network as a maker's guide for IT staff lists (voice-level quality of service, multicast support, fixed 5 GHz channels, guest isolation opened)18, and check whether listeners will also hear live sound in the room19.
  • Where FM, infrared or Auracast serves telecoil users, choose neckloops with tested frequency response, keep loan receivers visible and easy to use, and name a trained person to issue, check and maintain them43,72,26.
  • Hearing professionals: program the telecoil rather than leaving the default, for example to match the prescribed microphone response76; tell patients about telecoils and loops22; and advise people buying hearing devices to choose one with both a telecoil and Auracast41,32.

Sources

  1. Coupling Options: Ways to Connect to Assistive Listening System Audio. Kaneb A (credited on the chart). Hearing Loss Association of America (HLAA), 2026. Nonprofit advocacy (Hearing Loss Association of America, a US consumer organisation for people with hearing loss; the chart is credited to Andrea Kaneb and names no funder) ↩︎ https://www.hearingloss.org/wp-content/uploads/documents/advocacy-resources/hlaa-coupling-options-als-chart.pdf
  2. 2010 ADA Standards for Accessible Design. US Department of Justice. US Department of Justice (ada.gov), 15 September 2010. Government (US Department of Justice) ↩︎ https://www.ada.gov/law-and-regs/design-standards/2010-stds/
  3. Comparison of Large Area Assistive Listening Systems. Compton-Conley C. Hearing Loss Association of America (reprint), 2015. Nonprofit advocacy (reprinted by HLAA with the contact address of its Get in the Hearing Loop program; written by Cynthia Compton-Conley, PhD, of Gallaudet University; who paid for the original is not stated) ↩︎ https://www.hearingloss.org/wp-content/uploads/comparison-of-large-area-assistive-listening-systems.pdf
  4. Justice for All: Designing Accessible Courthouses (recommendations from the Courthouse Access Advisory Committee). Courthouse Access Advisory Committee. US Access Board, 15 November 2006. Government (US Access Board federal advisory committee of 35 members, among them the Hearing Loss Association of America, courts, architects, code bodies and disability groups) ↩︎ https://www.access-board.gov/ada/additional-resources/designing-accessible-courthouses.html
  5. prSIA 500:2025-07 Hindernisfreie Bauten (obstacle-free buildings), consultation draft. SIA (Swiss Society of Engineers and Architects). SIA; consultation copy with highlights published by Pro Audito Schweiz (in German), July 2025. Standards body (SIA) ↩︎ https://pro-audito.ch/wp-content/uploads/prSIA500_Vernehmlassungsentwurf-mit-Hervorhebungen.pdf
  6. How to build an Auracast transmitter: technical overview, version 3. Bluetooth SIG Market Development. Bluetooth SIG, 16 September 2026. Standards body (Bluetooth SIG, an industry association funded by its member companies, which owns the Auracast trademark) ↩︎ https://www.bluetooth.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/2403_How_To_Auracast_Transmitter.pdf
  7. Combating induction or hearing loop spill. Ampetronic. Ampetronic (learning zone web page), undated (read 9 October 2026). Manufacturer (Ampetronic, which makes hearing loop drivers, including the low-spill array systems the page describes, and offers a design service) ↩︎ https://www.ampetronic.com/info-centre/learning-zone/loop-spill-explained/
  8. Infrared (IR) Assistive Listening Systems. Center for Hearing Access. Center for Hearing Access, The John G. Shedd Institute, undated (read 9 October 2026). Nonprofit advocacy (Center for Hearing Access, an initiative of The John G. Shedd Institute for the Arts; it states that it accepts no donations from hearing-related vendors) ↩︎ https://centerforhearingaccess.org/infrared/
  9. Auracast practical test outdoors. Pro Audito Schweiz. Pro Audito Schweiz; English reprint by the Center for Hearing Access, 16 September 2026. Independent (Pro Audito Schweiz, Swiss hearing-loss association) ↩︎ https://centerforhearingaccess.org/wp-content/uploads/Pro-Audito-Schweiz-Auracast-practical-test-outdoors.pdf
  10. Approved Document M, Volume 2: buildings other than dwellings (2015 edition incorporating 2020 and 2024 amendments). UK Government. Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (GOV.UK), 30 September 2024. Government (UK Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government) ↩︎ https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/66f6c5eec71e42688b65ee11/ADM__V2_with_2024_amendments.pdf
  11. Auracast: a revolution in audio accessibility (RNID Auracast report). RNID (Royal National Institute for Deaf People). RNID, 11 February 2025. Nonprofit advocacy (RNID, UK charity) ↩︎ https://rnid.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Final-Auracast-Report-110225.pdf
  12. Assistive Listening Systems Quick Guide. Center for Hearing Access (reviewed by Juliette Sterkens, AuD). Center for Hearing Access, The John G. Shedd Institute, 29 October 2025. Nonprofit advocacy (Center for Hearing Access, an initiative of The John G. Shedd Institute for the Arts; it states that it accepts no donations from hearing-related vendors) ↩︎ https://centerforhearingaccess.org/wp-content/uploads/Assistive-Listening-Systems-Quick-Guide.pdf
  13. Sound quality comparison of Auracast and teleloop systems in a real-world environment. Jespersen CT, Hashem R, Aranda de Toro MA, Fernández D. GN Hearing (ReSound) white paper M201742-26.02, 17 February 2026. Manufacturer (GN Hearing) ↩︎ https://centerforhearingaccess.org/uploads/resound-jespersen/
  14. Infrared, FM and Audio Over WiFi. RNID. RNID (Royal National Institute for Deaf People), 27 May 2026. Nonprofit advocacy (RNID, UK charity) ↩︎ https://rnid.org.uk/information-and-support/technology-and-products/assistive-listening/infrared-fm-and-audio-over-wifi/
  15. Test report: Auracast assistive listening system in a theatre. Pro Audito Schweiz. Pro Audito Schweiz (in German), 17 March 2025. Independent (Pro Audito Schweiz, Swiss hearing-loss association) ↩︎ https://pro-audito.ch/news/testbericht-auracast-hoeranlage-im-theater/
  16. HLS-2D Metal Loss Test Procedure (document UP17940-4). Ampetronic, undated (read 9 October 2026). Manufacturer (Ampetronic; the procedure is written for its own HLS-2D test driver, field strength meters, design software and loop drivers) ↩︎ https://www.ampetronic.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/UP17940-4-HLS-2D_Metal_Loss_Test_Procedure.pdf
  17. Bluetooth Auracast in theaters and event venues. Graf B (Pro Audito Schweiz). Proscenium no. 3, pp. 10-11, Swiss Association of Technical Stage and Event Industry; English reprint by the Center for Hearing Access, September 2026. Nonprofit advocacy (Pro Audito Schweiz, Swiss hearing-loss association) ↩︎ https://centerforhearingaccess.org/wp-content/uploads/Proscenium-Technical-article-Bluetooth-Auracast-in-theaters-and-event-venues-1.pdf
  18. WaveCAST Network Guide for Consultants and IT Professionals (TCH 040I). Williams AV, 2024. Manufacturer (Williams AV, maker of the WaveCAST Wi-Fi system, which also sells FM, infrared and Auracast assistive listening systems) ↩︎ https://williamsav.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/TCH-040I-Wavecast-Network-Guide-1.pdf
  19. Audio Over Wi-Fi Assistive Listening System. Center for Hearing Access. Center for Hearing Access, The John G. Shedd Institute for the Arts, undated (read 9 October 2026). Nonprofit advocacy (Center for Hearing Access, an initiative of The John G. Shedd Institute for the Arts; it asks for donations and states that it accepts none from hearing-related vendors) ↩︎ https://centerforhearingaccess.org/wi-fi/
  20. Clear Signals: improving transport accessibility for deaf people and people with hearing loss. RNID. RNID (Royal National Institute for Deaf People), 22 September 2026. Independent (RNID survey and concept test; report funded by the Motability Foundation; Ampetronic, which installed the station's transmitters, announced in July 2025 that it commissioned RNID trials there, but the read sources do not establish whether those are the March 2026 concept test) ↩︎ https://rnid.org.uk/what-we-do/policy-and-influencing/clear-signals-improving-transport-accessibility/
  21. Consumer Perceptions of the Impact of Inductively Looped Venues on the Utility of Their Hearing Devices. Kochkin S, Sterkens J, Compton-Conley C, Beck DL, Taylor B, Kricos P, Caccavo M, Holmes A, Powers TA. Hearing Review (October 2014 issue), 24 September 2014. Manufacturer (paid for by grants from Etymotic Research, Contacta, Listen Technologies, IntriCon and Univox by Edin, which the acknowledgments describe as including two hearing loop makers, an assistive listening company and two hearing-device technology makers; co-author Juliëtte Sterkens runs the Loop Wisconsin advocacy blog, one of the recruitment channels. The article prints no affiliations; from other sources, co-author Douglas L. Beck worked for the hearing-aid maker Oticon, joining as director of professional relations in 2005 (AudiologyOnline, 20 August 2005) and named director of academic sciences in 2016 (Hearing Review, 6 April 2016), and co-author Thomas A. Powers was vice-president of audiology at the hearing-aid maker Siemens Hearing Instruments (Hearing Review, 19 September 2013) and later a vice-president of its successor, Sivantos (Better Hearing Institute biography)) ↩︎ https://hearingreview.com/hearing-products/implants-bone-conduction/cochlear-implants/consumer-perceptions-impact-inductively-looped-venues-utility-hearing-devices
  22. Consumer use of and preferences for assistive communication technology in public places. Committee for Communication Access in America (Frazier SO, Bailey A, Cadwell B, Clifford C, Liebe K, Myers D, Sterkens J). Committee for Communication Access in America, 8 January 2024. Nonprofit advocacy (an ad hoc committee of hearing-loss advocates, chaired by Stephen O. Frazier (Loop New Mexico; a founding member of HLAA's Get in the Hearing Loop initiative), the report's correspondence author; funding not stated; data collected and analysed by the Frost Center for Data and Social Research at Hope College. The committee's site lists David Myers (founder of hearingloop.org) and Juliette Sterkens (HLAA hearing loop advocate) among its members, with Abram Bailey (founder of HearingTracker), Blake Cadwell (founder and CEO of Soundly), Kevin Liebe (hearinghealthmatters.org) and Carol Clifford (audiologist, former ReSound training director)) ↩︎ https://www.ccaa.name/Report_Final_1-12-24.pdf
  23. CCAA Survey on Assistive Communication Technology: Graphs. Committee for Communication Access in America. Committee for Communication Access in America (ccaa.name), 2023. Nonprofit advocacy (an ad hoc committee of hearing-loss advocates chaired by Stephen O. Frazier (Loop New Mexico; a founding member of HLAA's Get in the Hearing Loop initiative), among them hearing loop advocates David Myers and Juliette Sterkens; funding not stated; the survey page says the responses were recorded by the Frost Center for Data and Social Research at Hope College) ↩︎ https://www.ccaa.name/CCAA_Graphs.pdf
  24. Auracast: the webinar and the results of the Pro Audito and ETH Zurich test. Pro Audito Schweiz; questionnaire evaluation by ETH Zurich students Kaufmann R and Brasser A; product tests by Graf B. Pro Audito Schweiz (in German), 20 June 2024. Independent (Pro Audito Schweiz, Swiss hearing-loss association, with ETH Zurich students) ↩︎ https://pro-audito.ch/news/auracast-so-war-das-webinar-und-das-sind-die-ergebnisse/
  25. Hearing Aid Benefit and Satisfaction Results from the MarkeTrak 2022 Survey: Importance of Features and Hearing Care Professionals. Picou EM. Seminars in Hearing 43(4):301-316 (Thieme), 1 December 2022. Trade body (MarkeTrak is supported by the Hearing Industries Association, the US hearing aid industry's association; the issue editorial identifies guest editor Thomas Powers with Powers Consulting, not HIA; the author, of Vanderbilt University Medical Center, declares no conflicts of interest) ↩︎ https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9715311/
  26. Large area assistive listening systems (ALS): review and recommendations. Bakke MH, Levitt H, Ross M, Erickson F. Final report to the U.S. Access Board; Lexington School for the Deaf, Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center on Hearing Enhancement, December 1999. Government (U.S. Department of Education, NIDRR grant H133E30015; final report to the U.S. Access Board) ↩︎ https://www.access-board.gov/files/research/assistive-listening-systems.pdf
  27. Understanding the Assistive Listening Americans with Disabilities Act. Listen Technologies, 25 October 2023. Manufacturer (Listen Technologies, which sells RF/FM, infrared, hearing loop, Wi-Fi and Auracast assistive listening products; owned since February 2023 by Allvida, which also owns the hearing-loop maker Ampetronic) ↩︎ https://www.listentech.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/ADA-White-Paper-2023-10-25-vA1-WEB.pdf
  28. Can Bluetooth Auracast be used as an assistive listening system?. Pro Audito Schweiz. Pro Audito Schweiz (in German), 17 February 2025. Nonprofit advocacy (Pro Audito Schweiz, Swiss hearing-loss association) ↩︎ https://pro-audito.ch/news/kann-bluetooth-auracast-als-hoeranlage-eingesetzt-werden/
  29. Induktive Höranlagen beim Freistaat Bayern: Planungsrichtlinien, Stand 01.01.2019 (Hearing loops in Bavarian state buildings: planning guidelines). Bavarian State Ministry for Housing, Building and Transport; text by Ertl F (Government of the Upper Palatinate) and Jaggo T (Landesverband Bayern der Schwerhörigen und Ertaubten). Bayerisches Staatsministerium für Wohnen, Bau und Verkehr, 1 January 2019. Government (Bavarian State Ministry for Housing, Building and Transport, for state building projects; written with the technical officer of the Bavarian association of hard-of-hearing and deafened people, a hearing-loss organisation, and including a comparison table used with the permission of an engineer from the German hard-of-hearing association) ↩︎ https://mobilitaet.bayern.de/assets/stmi/min/181217-induktive-hoeranlagen.pdf
  30. Installing Hearing Loop Systems and Costing. Listen Technologies. SynAudCon (prosoundtraining.com), 12 August 2013. Manufacturer (Listen Technologies, which sells the loop drivers, phased array kits and design service priced in the examples; published on the audio training site of SynAudCon) ↩︎ https://www.prosoundtraining.com/2013/08/12/installing-hearing-loop-systems-costing/
  31. National Building Code of Canada 2025: assistive listening systems (Articles 3.8.2.9 and 3.8.3.19, Note A-3.8.3.19). Canadian Board for Harmonized Construction Codes. National Research Council Canada, 22 December 2025. Government (National Research Council Canada) ↩︎ https://doi.org/10.4224/26fz-gg26
  32. A Telecoil is One of the Best Hearing Aid Features. Many Still Aren't Using It.. Roberts C. Consumer Reports, 7 May 2026. Independent (Consumer Reports, a nonprofit consumer organisation; article by Catherine Roberts, a health and science journalist on its staff, quoting loop advocates from the Center for Hearing Access and HLAA and an assistive listening installer) ↩︎ https://www.consumerreports.org/health/hearing-aids/one-of-best-hearing-aid-features-many-still-arent-using-a4102935824/
  33. Medical Devices; Ear, Nose, and Throat Devices; Establishing Over-the-Counter Hearing Aids (final rule, 87 FR 50698). US Food and Drug Administration. Federal Register, Vol. 87, No. 158, 17 August 2022. Government (US Food and Drug Administration) ↩︎ https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2022/08/17/2022-17230/medical-devices-ear-nose-and-throat-devices-establishing-over-the-counter-hearing-aids
  34. MarkeTrak 10 (MT10) Survey Results Demonstrate High Satisfaction with and Benefits from Hearing Aids. Picou EM. Seminars in Hearing 41(1):21-36 (Thieme), 10 February 2020. Trade body (MarkeTrak is commissioned by the Hearing Industries Association, the US hearing aid industry's association; the author, of Vanderbilt University Medical Center, declares research funding from Sonova, GN ReSound and Signia as well as the National Institutes of Health) ↩︎ https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7010487/
  35. MarkeTrak 2025: Hearing Aids in the Age of OTCs and Wearables. Sobek Dobyan B, Powers TA. Hearing Review 32(4):8-14 (July/August 2025 issue), 13 August 2025. Trade body (MarkeTrak is commissioned by the Hearing Industries Association, the US hearing aid industry's association; the first author is HIA's executive director and the second runs a consultancy serving the hearing health industry) ↩︎ https://hearingreview.com/inside-hearing/research/marketrak-2025-hearing-aids-in-the-age-of-otcs-and-wearables
  36. EuroTrak UK 2025. Anovum. European Hearing Instrument Manufacturers Association (EHIMA), 2025. Trade body (commissioned by EHIMA and BIHIMA, the European and British-Irish hearing instrument manufacturers' associations; designed, fielded and analysed by the research firm Anovum with a panel company, and EHIMA approved the questionnaire) ↩︎ https://www.ehima.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/EuroTrak_UK_2025.pdf
  37. Difference Between the Default Telecoil (T-Coil) and Programmed Microphone Frequency Response in Behind-the-Ear (BTE) Hearing Aids. Putterman DB, Valente M. Journal of the American Academy of Audiology 23(5):366-378, May 2012. Independent (Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine; supported by NIH National Center for Research Resources grant TL1 RR024995; Frye Electronics provided test equipment) ↩︎ https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4354810/
  38. Auracast streamed assistive listening system (resource page). Center for Hearing Access, undated (read 9 October 2026). Nonprofit advocacy (Center for Hearing Access, an initiative of The John G. Shedd Institute for the Arts; it states that it accepts no donations from hearing-related vendors) ↩︎ https://centerforhearingaccess.org/auracast/
  39. "Worldwide Access" hearing instruments list. Center for Hearing Access (The John G. Shedd Institute). Center for Hearing Access, 11 September 2026. Nonprofit advocacy (Center for Hearing Access, an initiative of The John G. Shedd Institute for the Arts; it states that it accepts no donations from hearing-related vendors) ↩︎ https://centerforhearingaccess.org/wp-content/uploads/Worldwide-Access-Hearing-Instruments-List.pdf
  40. Hearing aids and implants with Auracast function (status 31 August 2026). Pro Audito Schweiz. Pro Audito Schweiz (in German), 31 August 2026. Nonprofit advocacy (Pro Audito Schweiz, Swiss hearing-loss association) ↩︎ https://pro-audito.ch/wp-content/uploads/Hoersysteme_mit_Auracast_260831.pdf
  41. Auracast Systems (technology and accessibility page). Hearing Loss Association of America. Hearing Loss Association of America (HLAA), 28 September 2026. Nonprofit advocacy (Hearing Loss Association of America, a US consumer organisation for people with hearing loss; its site asks for memberships and donations and lists corporate partners and advertising) ↩︎ https://www.hearingloss.org/technology-and-accessibility/auracast/
  42. Share your world of sound with LE Audio on Android. Ray P (Product Manager, Android). Google, The Keyword blog, 3 September 2025. Manufacturer (Google) ↩︎ https://blog.google/products/android/le-audio-auracast-support/
  43. Which inductive neck loops are suitable for Auracast/FM/IR receivers?. Pro Audito Schweiz. Pro Audito Schweiz; English reprint by the Center for Hearing Access, 8 September 2026. Independent (Pro Audito Schweiz, Swiss hearing-loss association) ↩︎ https://centerforhearingaccess.org/wp-content/uploads/Pro-Audito-Schweiz-Which-inductive-neck-loops-are-suitable-for-AuracastFMIR-receivers.pdf
  44. Audio Over Wi-Fi Assistive Listening Systems. International Association for Hearing Accessibility (IAHA), undated (read 9 October 2026). Trade body (IAHA; its members include manufacturers of assistive listening technologies and other organisations that create or install assistive listening systems, as well as groups supporting people with hearing loss; its funding is not stated) ↩︎ https://iaha-global.com/assistive-listening-technologies/audio-over-wifi/
  45. Mobile Fact Sheet. Pew Research Center, 20 November 2025. Independent (Pew Research Center is a subsidiary of The Pew Charitable Trusts, its primary funder; the survey was conducted for the Center by SSRS) ↩︎ https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/fact-sheet/mobile/
  46. National Construction Code 2025, Volume One, Part D4: D4D7 Signage and D4D8 Hearing augmentation. Australian Building Codes Board. Australian Building Codes Board (NCC online), 1 May 2026. Government (Australian Building Codes Board) ↩︎ https://ncc.abcb.gov.au/editions/ncc-2025/adopted/volume-one/d-access-and-egress/part-d4-access-people-disability
  47. IEC 60118-4:2014 Electroacoustics - Hearing aids - Part 4: Induction-loop systems for hearing aid purposes - System performance requirements. IEC TC 29 (Electroacoustics). International Electrotechnical Commission, 11 December 2014. Standards body (International Electrotechnical Commission; the full text is sold, and only the abstract is public) ↩︎ https://webstore.iec.ch/en/publication/798
  48. ICC A117.1-2017 Accessible and Usable Buildings and Facilities, Section 706 Assistive Listening Systems. International Code Council. International Code Council (ICC Digital Codes), 2017. Standards body (International Code Council) ↩︎ https://codes.iccsafe.org/content/icca117-12017/chapter-7-communication-elements-and-features
  49. Hearing Loops: Installations. Center for Hearing Access (The John G. Shedd Institute). Center for Hearing Access, undated (read 13 October 2026). Nonprofit advocacy (Center for Hearing Access, a 501(c)(3) advocacy and education initiative of The John G. Shedd Institute for the Arts, founded in 2024, whose website succeeded hearingloop.org; it states that it accepts no donations from hearing-related vendors) ↩︎ https://centerforhearingaccess.org/biz-hearing-loop-installation/
  50. RNID calls for businesses to do better on induction loops. Disability News Service, 23 May 2009. Nonprofit advocacy (reports gathered by campaign volunteers of the UK charity RNID and released for its Deaf Awareness Week campaign; reported by Disability News Service; labelled advocacy rather than an independent test because the reports were gathered for a campaign, with no test protocol described in the news report) ↩︎ https://www.disabilitynewsservice.com/rnid-calls-for-businesses-to-do-better-on-induction-loops/
  51. Auracast transmitter-receiver compatibility test (with data workbook). Pro Audito Schweiz, 6 October 2025. Independent (Pro Audito Schweiz, Swiss hearing-loss association; no manufacturer funding, test products lent free by manufacturers) ↩︎ https://pro-audito.ch/news/auracast-transmitter-receiver-compatibility-test/
  52. What is needed for Auracast streamed assistive listening systems to be available and usable. Center for Hearing Access (reviewed by Juliette Sterkens, AuD). Center for Hearing Access, The John G. Shedd Institute, 15 December 2024. Nonprofit advocacy (Center for Hearing Access, an initiative of The John G. Shedd Institute for the Arts; it states that it accepts no donations from hearing-related vendors) ↩︎ https://centerforhearingaccess.org/wp-content/uploads/What-is-needed-for-Auracast-streamed-ALS-to-be-available-and-usable.pdf
  53. Hearing aids: what works well and what can be improved. Moore BCJ. Journal of the Association for Research in Otolaryngology 27:123-135, 13 February 2026. Independent (University of Cambridge; UK research council grant) ↩︎ https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10162-026-01031-5
  54. Auracast and hearing devices: a scoping review on connectivity and accessibility for individuals with hearing loss in public environments. Gonçalves LM, Ortega AVM, Angelo TCS, Moret ALM, Lopes NBF, Jacob RTS. CoDAS 38(4):e20250241 (University of São Paulo), 6 July 2026. Independent (University of São Paulo; FAPESP grant and a PIBIC scholarship) ↩︎ https://www.scielo.br/j/codas/a/B6cCLqxHb3XwKcLPLtZfZ6p/?lang=en
  55. IEC 63087:2026 Assistive listening devices and systems for active assisted living. IEC TC 100. International Electrotechnical Commission, 18 September 2026. Standards body (International Electrotechnical Commission; the full text is sold, and only a preview is public) ↩︎ https://webstore.iec.ch/en/publication/95094
  56. IEC 60118-17 (in preparation): assistive listening system for hearing aid users based on 2.4 GHz audio streaming. IEC TC 29 WG 13. International Electrotechnical Commission, undated (read 13 October 2026). Standards body (International Electrotechnical Commission) ↩︎ https://tc29.iec.ch/tc-activity/standards-under-preparation/
  57. Why Use Infrared? The Unique Benefits of ListenIR for Privacy and Security. Listen Team (Listen Technologies). Listen Technologies (blog), 10 October 2025. Manufacturer (Listen Technologies, which sells the ListenIR products described as well as FM, hearing loop, Wi-Fi and Auracast systems) ↩︎ https://www.listentech.com/secure-infrared-assistive-listening-listenir/
  58. Interference Problems of Fluorescent Lamps Operating on High Frequency Electronic Ballasts with Infrared Remote Control Equipment and Infrared Simultaneous Interpretation System. Wu M (Martin Wu Kwok-tin). Energy Efficiency Office, Electrical and Mechanical Services Department, Hong Kong SAR Government, August 2003. Government (Electrical and Mechanical Services Department, Hong Kong SAR Government; written by a department engineer) ↩︎ https://www.emsd.gov.hk/filemanager/en/content_764/infrared_interference_emsdweb.pdf
  59. LT-82 & LA-140 User Manual: Stationary IR Transmitter and Stationary IR Radiator. Listen Technologies, 26 September 2022. Manufacturer (Listen Technologies, maker of the ListenIR transmitter and radiator described) ↩︎ https://www.listentech.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/LT-82-_-LA-140-User-Manual-2022-09-26.pdf
  60. Should I Use 72 MHz or 216 MHz?. Listen Team (Listen Technologies). Listen Technologies (blog), 24 February 2010. Manufacturer (Listen Technologies, which sells the FM systems compared here as well as infrared, hearing loop, Wi-Fi and Auracast assistive listening products) ↩︎ https://www.listentech.com/should-i-use-72-mhz-or-216-mhz/
  61. 47 CFR 15.237: operation in the bands 72.0-73.0 MHz, 74.6-74.8 MHz and 75.2-76.0 MHz. US Federal Communications Commission. Electronic Code of Federal Regulations (eCFR), 11 June 2013. Government (US Federal Communications Commission) ↩︎ https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-47/section-15.237
  62. 47 CFR Part 95, Subpart G: Low Power Radio Service (216-217 MHz). US Federal Communications Commission. Electronic Code of Federal Regulations (eCFR), 10 February 2026. Government (US Federal Communications Commission) ↩︎ https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-47/part-95/subpart-G
  63. MobileConnect ADA Compliancy Statement. Sennheiser Streaming Technologies GmbH. Sennheiser, June 2021. Manufacturer (Sennheiser, maker of the MobileConnect Wi-Fi system) ↩︎ https://www.sennheiser.com/globalassets/digizuite/41165-en-mobileconnect_ada_compliancy_statement.pdf
  64. System Specification (V1.2): MobileConnect Assistive Listening. Sennheiser. Sennheiser electronic GmbH & Co. KG, 2023. Manufacturer (Sennheiser, maker of the MobileConnect Wi-Fi system) ↩︎ https://assets.sennheiser.com/download/assets/MobileConnect_System_Specification_v1.2_EN.pdf/ea3cf3b2e7b711f097eaea55b5d2fb86
  65. ListenWIFI Wi-Fi Audio Receiver (LWR-1050). Listen Technologies. Listen Technologies (product page), 1 February 2024. Manufacturer (Listen Technologies, maker of the ListenWIFI system and receiver described, which also sells RF/FM, infrared, hearing loop and Auracast assistive listening products) ↩︎ https://www.listentech.com/shop/product/listenwifi-wi-fi-audio-receiver/
  66. Understanding & Minimizing Wi-Fi Latency (Listen Tech-Note LTN0012). Listen Technologies, 27 April 2017. Manufacturer (Listen Technologies, maker of the ListenWiFi system described) ↩︎ https://www.listentech.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/LTN0012_Wifi-Latency-Tech-Note_042717.pdf
  67. Sennheiser MobileConnect (App Store listing, version 6.3.1). Sennheiser. Apple App Store (seller: Sennheiser electronic SE & Co. KG), 4 May 2026. Manufacturer (Sennheiser, maker of the MobileConnect Wi-Fi system; the listing and its privacy label are written by the developer) ↩︎ https://apps.apple.com/us/app/sennheiser-mobileconnect/id848127271
  68. Multicast Considerations over IEEE 802 Wireless Media (RFC 9119). Perkins C, McBride M, Stanley D, Kumari W, Zúñiga JC. Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF), RFC Editor, October 2021. Standards body (IETF; an Informational RFC that represents IETF consensus but is not a standard; the authors were with Lupin Lodge, Futurewei, HPE, Google and SIGFOX) ↩︎ https://www.rfc-editor.org/rfc/rfc9119.html
  69. AS 1428.5:2021 Design for access and mobility, Part 5: Communication for people who are deaf or hearing impaired. Standards Australia. Standards Australia (Standards Store), 3 September 2021. Standards body (Standards Australia) ↩︎ https://store.standards.org.au/product/as-1428-5-2021
  70. EU standard for hearing access in the built environment. European Federation of Hard of Hearing People (EFHOH). EFHOH, 14 March 2024. Nonprofit advocacy (European federation of hard of hearing people's organisations; its site states that its 2024-2026 publications are co-funded by the EU CERV programme) ↩︎ https://efhoh.org/2024/03/eu-standard-for-hearing-access-in-the-built-environment/
  71. Position statement on Auracast and telecoils. European Federation of Hard of Hearing People (EFHOH). EFHOH, 18 October 2024. Nonprofit advocacy (European federation; EFHOH states that its 2024-2026 publications are co-funded by the EU CERV programme) ↩︎ https://efhoh.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/EFHOH-position-statement-on-concerns-about-withdrawal-from-telecoils-FINAL97.pdf
  72. Höranlagen heute und morgen. Was ändert sich mit der neuen Technologie Auracast? (Hearing systems today and tomorrow: what changes with Auracast?). Hindernisfreie Architektur, the Swiss national centre for barrier-free architecture, with recommendations from Pro Audito Schweiz. hindernisfreie-architektur.ch (in German), 19 May 2025. Nonprofit advocacy (donation-funded Swiss specialist centre) ↩︎ https://hindernisfreie-architektur.ch/fachinformation/hoeranlagen-heute-und-morgen-was-aendert-sich-mit-der-neuen-technologie-auracast/
  73. Helping People Hear Anywhere with Telecoils and Auracast. Sterkens J, Whyman W. Canadian Audiologist 12(1), January 2025. Nonprofit advocacy (both authors work with the Center for Hearing Access: Wynne Whyman as its director of communication and advocacy, Juliëtte Sterkens as its hearing access advocate; Sterkens left practice in 2012 to work as HLAA's national hearing loop advocate, with outreach funded by the David & Carol Myers Foundation) ↩︎ https://canadianaudiologist.ca/helping-people-hear-anywhere-with-telecoils-and-auracast/
  74. ETSI TR 103 614 V1.1.1: Electromagnetic compatibility and Radio spectrum Matters (ERM); Hearing Loop System (HLS) intended to assist the hearing impaired in the frequency range 0 Hz to 9 kHz; System Reference Document. ETSI Technical Committee ERM. European Telecommunications Standards Institute, January 2022. Standards body (ETSI, the European telecommunications standards organisation, whose members include manufacturers; a system reference document that asks European spectrum regulators to keep 10 Hz to 9 kHz available for hearing loops, and that supports a radio-equipment standard it says the International Hearing Loop Manufacturers Association is drafting) ↩︎ https://www.etsi.org/deliver/etsi_tr/103600_103699/103614/01.01.01_60/tr_103614v010101p.pdf
  75. Trends in Audio Streaming for Hearing Aids and Hearing Aid Compatibility for Wireless Phones. Kozma-Spytek L. HearingTracker, 22 July 2022. Independent (analysis prepared to inform the ATIS Hearing Aid Compatibility Task Force by Linda Kozma-Spytek, whose author note describes the author as a technology consultant to HLAA and an investigator at Gallaudet University's DHH Tech RERC; data from HearingTracker's product database, provided by its CEO Abram Bailey; published by HearingTracker, a consumer hearing aid site that carries advertising) ↩︎ https://www.hearingtracker.com/news/trends-in-audio-streaming-for-hearing-aids
  76. The Telecoil: The Lonely Transducer that Can Be a Big Producer. Valente M. AudiologyOnline (article 11911), 24 June 2013. Independent (Michael Valente, professor and director of adult audiology at Washington University School of Medicine; published by AudiologyOnline, a commercial continuing-education site; the author declares no commercial interest in the manufacturers whose fitting software is shown) ↩︎ https://www.audiologyonline.com/articles/telecoil-lonely-transducer-that-big-11911

Change log

  • Published with 76 sources.
  • Qualified survey denominators, funding, technology comparisons and draft-code scope; added supporting citations.
  • Independent audit narrowed the telecoil finding to the readable abstract and clarified the reception sample.

Cite this question

Equal Access Audio. “Auracast, hearing loop, infrared, RF or Wi-Fi: which suits which room?” Assistive Listening Knowledge Base. Updated 13 October 2026. https://assistivelisteningknowledgebase.org/questions/which-technology/ (accessed the date you read it).

Every finding here cites its source, and who funded each source is labelled. This site does not recommend products. Found an error or a missing study? Suggest a correction, or see how suggestions are handled.