The Sterling, Kaiapoi, New Zealand

A Bettear Auracast™ assistive listening system now provides flexible, future-ready audio across the communal spaces of The Sterling, a new retirement village in Kaiapoi.

At a glance

• Venue: The Sterling
• Location: Kaiapoi, New Zealand
• Venue type: Retirement village
• Spaces: Cinema, lounge, restaurant and multi-purpose spaces
• Bettear products: CASTER-S Auracast™ transmitters
• Partners: Vega Global NZ (installation), JPRO (Bettear’s distribution partner in New Zealand)

The challenge

Residents needed clearer sound in shared spaces, without adding complexity.

The village wanted a simple outcome: make sound more accessible to hear for everyone, whether residents are watching a film, dining with friends or attending events. The solution had to work reliably across multiple rooms, avoid frustrating dropouts and be intuitive for residents and staff alike.

The solution and products

Vega Global NZ installed a Bettear Auracast™ system, supplied in New Zealand by JPRO.

• Bettear CASTER-S. Auracast™ transmitters distribute audio across the cinema, lounge, restaurant and multi-purpose spaces, all connected through a streamlined network setup.
• Residents’ own devices. Compatible hearing aids, earbuds and smartphones connect to the broadcast in seconds.
• Receivers for everyone else. Dedicated receivers are available for residents without personal devices, so no one is left out.

Audio feeds, power and control are all handled through a clean network-based approach, and system configuration is managed through an intuitive interface that makes fine-tuning quick.

The results

Residents enjoy clearer sound in shared spaces, in a way that feels natural, personal and easy to use.

• Faster installation. Less infrastructure and a faster setup than traditional hearing loop or RF systems.
• Solid coverage. Coverage was easy to tailor to each area, with no noticeable weak spots.
• Uninterrupted listening. Residents can move between spaces and still enjoy a clear listening experience.
• Ready for the future. As more hearing aids and consumer devices become Auracast™-compatible, residents will increasingly connect with their own technology, without additional hardware.

In their words

“Compared to traditional hearing loop or RF systems, the process required less infrastructure and allowed for faster setup.”

“What really stood out once it was up and running was how solid Bettear’s Auracast™ signal is. Coverage was easy to tailor to each area and there were no noticeable weak spots.”

Craig Orr, Vega Global NZ, installer for The Sterling, Kaiapoi

Read the original story on JPRO.

Bringing Auracast™ to your venue? Our team is here to help you plan coverage, choose equipment and get it running.

Photos courtesy of JPRO.