Sarabec welcomes CUK Group as new UK distributor for professional assistive listening equipment

Sarabec has begun working with CUK Group, which is now the UK distributor for commercial audio-visual (AV) equipment from AUDIOropa and Bettear, including the very latest Auracast solutions.

Both ranges are already available through Sarabec (and proving to be very popular), with the new distribution arrangement helping to bring these cutting-edge assistive technologies to more professional AV installers, consultants and venue operators across the country.

The specialist equipment is designed to make sound more accessible in environments such as theatres, conference centres, museums and educational facilities, where background noise, distance and poor acoustics can often make listening especially difficult.

With growing interest in Auracast and other wireless audio technologies, the partnership is a welcome development for all organisations looking to improve accessibility in public spaces.

What does the CUK partnership mean?

CUK Group is an established distributor serving the professional AV industry across the UK and Ireland. With AUDIOropa and Bettear products now shipping from its distribution centre in East Kilbride, Scotland, the new arrangement provides a dedicated UK distribution route for these specialist technologies.

For AV installers and consultants, this means access to a broad selection of assistive listening equipment when designing new systems or upgrading existing installations. For venues, it creates further opportunities to explore technologies that can help visitors hear presentations, performances and important information more clearly.

Sarabec is pleased to see the professional equipment we already supply becoming more widely available through CUK's distribution network. We look forward to seeing how these technologies can help more organisations make clear, accessible audio part of the everyday visitor experience.

Helping even more people to hear clearly in public spaces

Whether you're attending a lecture, watching a theatre performance or joining a guided museum tour, being able to hear what's happening is an important part of the experience.

However, for people with hearing loss, these situations can present significant challenges. Even a powerful sound system doesn't necessarily guarantee clear speech. Background conversations, room acoustics and distance from the person speaking can all affect how easily someone can follow what's being said.

Assistive listening technology helps by delivering audio more directly to the listener, often through compatible hearing aids, headphones or dedicated receivers.

What equipment is included?

The new CUK distribution arrangement covers professional assistive listening products from AUDIOropa and Bettear.

AUDIOropa, the professional AV division of German hearing technology manufacturer HUMANTECHNIK, offers a range of established technologies, including:

• Induction loop systems, which transmit audio to compatible hearing aids and cochlear implant processors equipped with telecoils.

• Infrared listening systems, which use light to deliver sound to dedicated receivers.

• Window intercoms, designed to improve communication at reception desks, ticket counters and similar locations.

• Wireless listening systems and equipment for guided tours and presentations.

Alongside these products, AUDIOropa offers newer Auracast equipment, giving venues additional options when planning accessible audio installations.

Bettear, meanwhile, specialises in wireless audio distribution, including Auracast and Wi-Fi transmission systems.

Together, these ranges provide AV professionals with robust and effective equipment suitable for a variety of public and commercial environments.

What makes Auracast different?

Auracast is a Bluetooth broadcast audio technology that allows sound to be transmitted to multiple compatible devices simultaneously.

Rather than requiring every listening device to be paired individually with a transmitter, Auracast allows compatible devices to access an available audio broadcast at once. For example, at a conference where the speaker's microphone is connected to an Auracast transmitter, someone with compatible hearing aids or headphones could receive the audio directly through their listening device. This can help them follow the presentation without relying entirely on sound travelling across the room.

However, not every Bluetooth hearing aid or listening device currently supports Auracast, so traditional induction loops and other established assistive listening technologies remain important - particularly for venues welcoming larger visitor numbers with different hearing requirements.

Rather than replacing every existing solution, Auracast provides another way to improve listening accessibility across a range of spaces and devices.

Bettear offers more ways to listen

Bettear's range includes Auracast transmitters and receivers, together with equipment and software for configuring and managing audio systems. Its technology can also work alongside B-SHOW, a professional audio-over-Wi-Fi solution.

This allows venues to consider installations that combine Auracast broadcasts with Wi-Fi listening options for people using suitable personal devices. For example, one visitor might listen through Auracast-compatible hearing equipment, while another accesses audio through a smartphone and connected listening device.

This enhanced flexibility can be particularly useful in larger venues, where audiences are likely to have very different hearing requirements and equipment.

Read more

The new partnership has already attracted coverage across the professional AV and hearing technology press. You can find out more simply by exploring the following resources:

• Aurahear: CUK Group teams up with AUDIOropa and Bettear

• HearingTracker: AUDIOropa and Bettear distribution partnership

• LSi Online: CUK brings AUDIOropa, Bettear and Auracast™ to the UK

• Inavate: CUK brings accessible audio systems to the UK

• Fast-and-Wide: CUK adds AUDIOropa to its portfolio