Lithe Audio has launched “its most advanced speaker to date”, featuring Auracast technology to support residential, commercial and assisted living audio installations.
The new eight-inch Bluetooth Auracast Ceiling Speaker (BT8) is built on the next-generation Bluetooth 5.4 LE Audio standard, working with an integrated Class D amplifier to eliminate the need for an external amplifier.
Unlike traditional Bluetooth which pairs one device to one receiver, its Auracast capabilities mean a single audio source can broadcast simultaneously to a large number of compatible in-range receivers.
Even more interestingly, the broadcast audio standard can stream directly to compatible hearing aids, offering a modern alternative or complement to legacy assistive listening systems.
Amit Ravat, co-founder of Lithe Audio, said: “We’ve brought amplification, Bluetooth streaming and Auracast broadcast audio together in one discreet ceiling speaker, giving installers, homeowners and commercial specifiers a more flexible way to deliver audio across modern spaces.
“For us, this is not just another speaker launch — it is a glimpse of where installed audio is heading."
Alongside scalable wireless audio, another advantage of Auracast is its underlying technology platform, LE Audio, which uses the LC3 codec to deliver improved sound quality at lower data rates, compared to traditional Bluetooth.
As well as residential, the IP44-rated ceiling speaker caters to public spaces, hospitality, and healthcare environments.