LIVE @ ISE 2026 - Inside Lithe Audio’s New Auracast and PoE Speakers

Ceiling audio that installs faster, covers more space, and welcomes everyone—this conversation with Amit at ISE 2026 puts a spotlight on practical innovation. We walk through an 8-inch Bluetooth and Auracast ceiling speaker with a built-in 60 W RMS amp that can broadcast a master signal up to 100 meters, creating a mesh of receivers across the room. That broadcast advantage isn’t just about effortless background music; Auracast allows compatible hearing aids and earbuds to tune in directly, so announcements, alarms, and playlists reach every listener with clarity.

We also dig into a compact amplifier designed to be the “brain” behind any passive speaker you choose. If you love a particular brand or form factor, this amp slots into the ceiling void and drives two 8-ohm or four 4-ohm speakers, bringing wireless connectivity and clean power where you need it. Power flexibility is a recurring theme: run it from standard mains or feed it with PoE when there’s Cat6 in place but no spare receptacle. That means fewer change orders, easier retrofits, and a tidier project timeline for commercial and residential jobs.

To round things out, we explore the upgraded PoE active speaker that now operates with a single cable. By consolidating power and data, Live Audio removes a common point of friction and speeds up commissioning. It’s a universal fit with their all-in-one units and the new amp, giving integrators a scalable, mix-and-match toolkit. From gyms and cafes to offices and classrooms, the focus stays on reliable coverage, simple wiring, and inclusive listening through Auracast’s broadcast model.

If streamlined installs, stronger coverage, and better accessibility are on your roadmap, you’ll find plenty to take back to your next spec. Subscribe for more hands-on product tours, share this with a colleague who lives on ladders, and leave a review to tell us which feature would save you the most time.

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Transcript

Auracast Speaker Unveiled

SPEAKER_00 0:04

We're here with uh Amit ISE 2026 at the uh live audio stand, and you've got some new products to show us this year. Can you go through those with us?

What Auracast Actually Does

SPEAKER_01 0:13

Yeah, of course, yeah. So first one, this is our new 8-inch Bluetooth and Auracast ceiling speaker. This is an active uh speaker that's got the amplifier, uh 60 watt RMS amplifier, um, and also um Auracast built in. So, Auracast, if you don't know, basically you have one master speaker that will then uh distribute the audio signal 100 meters in every direction, and you can basically create a mesh network for audio in the ceiling, um, and you then you can have as many speakers meshing to that as one.

SPEAKER_00 0:46

And how does that work? What technology is that using? Or Auracast. So it's an Auracast. Is that an RF or no?

Hearing Aid Accessibility

SPEAKER_01 0:51

It's it um it's basically a technology designed by Bluetooth themselves. So it's a new technology. It's a new protocol by Bluetooth designed for more commercial applications. We want a lot. The other thing, what it does is you know, if you've got hearing aids, uh if uh you you'd have an Auracast hearing aid, and those people will be able to tap into the signal played by the ceiling speaker so they can hear exactly what everyone else is hearing at the same time for announcements or alarms or any anything, music or whatever. Oh, fantastic. So you've got a hearing aid as well.

SPEAKER_00 1:19

That that will that will work and listen to uh everything that else is going on, so is that a hundred metres for every speaker or just the main speaker?

Use Cases And Specs

SPEAKER_01 1:26

The main speaker in the middle. And that'll that's the transmitter, and all the others you put in become receivers. 100 metres is pretty far, to be fair. So you shouldn't need to go too far. So that's only think gyms, cafes, restaurants, yeah, it's those sorts of environments.

SPEAKER_00 1:40

But that's an eight-inch driver as well. That'll give you a decent amount of bass and a decent amount of output, really. So imagine a few of those.

SPEAKER_01 1:47

Do you know you would we also do our six and a half inch, four-inch Bluetooth versions for residential? This is just you can also use it in a residential environment just as a well why not? Why wouldn't you? Eight inch more base, more depth.

Modular Amplifier As The Brain

SPEAKER_00 1:58

Have a great have a great time. Exactly. So moving along here, you've got uh another uh little little product here, and I think you showed us this earlier. It's not me being uh Iron Man or anything like that, but this is an amplifier.

SPEAKER_01 2:08

This is an amplifier, yeah. So the idea here is this is the the brain of our Pro Series speaker with all the uh amplification, all the wireless connectivity that we have built in is built in here. But instead of it being an all-in-one solution like our pros and our other speakers, this has the capability you can add any passive speaker from any brand or any type of speaker that you have choice that just gives choice of uh actual speaker, and we're the brain and technology on the back, driving, you know, amplifying and all the connectivity on the on the back end of that speaker.

SPEAKER_00 2:42

So the installer would cut the hole for their speaker, this will then fit up within the ceiling. Yeah, you then need power to that, yeah. Is that correct? Correct, and then you can then start running off the speakers cable. Yeah, wow, and what what kind of wattage are we looking at here?

Power Options: Mains And PoE

SPEAKER_01 2:55

Uh this one's a 60 watt RMS again, right? Um, and this will let you use um either up to four speakers, two speakers at eight ohm, or four speakers running at four ohms as well. So you can get um a good coverage for a single room up to four speakers. One little amplifier area. Uh you can also power it straight via a mains cable, like our like our others. You can also power it via PoE as well.

SPEAKER_00 3:19

Okay, so you can do PoE, oh fantastic because a lot of times you run in Cat 6 and you have forgot power, to be fair. So it's not always you've got a power sitting up there. So as long as they run Cat 6 up into that void or the whatever area, yeah. You can easily plug that into there.

SPEAKER_01 3:33

Plug it in and power, and you're good.

SPEAKER_00 3:35

And then last but not least, uh a PoE active speaker.

SPEAKER_01 3:40

This is basically we we already sold a PoE module uh for our speakers. We've just upgraded it and just improved it. Previously, you needed one cable for data and one for power if you wanted to utilize data and power. But what what we've done on this on here is we've got one cable in there for PoE, which gives you 60 watts of power, right? Um, and then you'd have one cable in the back going out to the back for power, and then you'd run another cable and small Ethernet cable from there into there for data. So it just means literally one cable in, split it for power and data for uh audio and for power, and you're basically good to go. So simple as that. Simple as that. But basically, just add power. Everything else is obviously built into the speaker, and that will work with uh our all-in-one unit and also the the Oh.

SPEAKER_00 4:28

Oh, okay. So that's like a universal product for both of those.

SPEAKER_01 4:32

For both of those two products, yeah.

Where To Buy And Resources

SPEAKER_00 4:34

Fantastic. Well, before we get drowned out of any more noise, yeah, um, thanks very much for your time. And uh what's the best way for uh the CI installers to get a hold of the uh the live audio products?

SPEAKER_01 4:43

So all our products are distributed in the UK through Invision or All Trade. So um, yeah, if you've got an account with those or set up an account with those and you'll be able to get trade prices. And obviously you've got your own website as well, so people can look on there if they need to. Yeah, just for information and uh get all the like spec sheets, data sheets, you can go on our website and grab all that. Or reach out to us as well.

SPEAKER_00 5:02

Exactly. Well, fantastic. Enjoy the rest of the show and thanks for your time. No, thank you. Thanks a lot.