Summary:
- The StarBay Theater reopened on July 18, 2026, with a fresh set of upgrades, including the Auracast Hearing Assistance system.
- In addition to the 45-minute shows about space and Earth, the space also hosts lectures and other events throughout the year.
- The setup includes eight Auri receivers, two docking stations, and a two-channel transmitter with Dante support.
The St. Louis landmark, the James S. McDonnell Planetarium, is home to the Bill and Laura Orthwein StarBay Theater. This 80-foot dome recently reopened with a new Auri system installed, as the venue hosts live, educator-led shows which play out under the dome for around 150 guests at a time, mixing upright and reclining chairs so everyone can comfortably take in the overhead view. These 45-minute shows take guests on a quest through space and Earth, with options to ask questions along the way.
The StarBay Theater had been getting by with an older assistive listening system that checked the ADA compliance boxes. Unfortunately, because of the concrete construction and the mix of upright and reclining chairs in the theater, guests with hearing loss never got a great experience out of it.
The team wanted more than a box-checking fit. They wanted something that would actually make the experience better for guests, hold up inside an older concrete building, and handle two different listening needs at once: regular room audio (like speakers, sound effects, and music) and a separate, cleaner narration-only feed for anyone who wants to tune out distracting noise.
The planetarium reached out to SenseArt to learn what options were available for assistive listening. After trying a couple of options, they landed on the Auri system. The Auri receivers are small and easy to use, so guests of any age can pick one up and use it right away. Since the whole planetarium experience depends on darkness, the design mattered a lot as well. Auri receivers only light up for a brief moment when you adjust the volume, then go dark again. Auri’s all-in-one transmitter also meant skipping the rack mount and separate transmitter the competing system needed. Finally, the adjustable coverage gave the team more control over how far the signal reaches, something they’re planning to lean on more as they look at spaces where they don’t want just anyone listening in.
The setup includes eight Auri receivers, two docking stations, and a two-channel transmitter with Dante support. This setup gives the planetarium two audio streams running at once and multiple ways for guests to tune in—through receivers, a neckloop/receiver combo, or their own devices. Guests learn about the assistive listening options at the planetarium through signage around the venue, slides that play before each show, info on the planetarium’s website, and details shown when they buy tickets online.
Requests for assistive listening at the planetarium were usually pretty rare. However, since the system went live, these requests have really taken off. On the very first day of the install, five or six guests asked for a receiver, which was way more interest than the team had seen before. Since then, guests have kept coming back with great feedback about the audio quality. The system also hasn’t had any issues with latency or dropped signal.
It’s also been easy on the staff side. Receivers are set up to power on and go to the right channel the moment they’re pulled off the dock, so there hasn’t been any extra hassle for the team in terms of setting up receivers. The only learning curve they’ve run into is helping guests who are trying to connect with their own device. Since there are so many apps and devices, staff don’t always know how to make it work. However, they expect things to get easier after they’ve worked with several different types of devices and apps.
