Professionals
- Attractively design with two fashions and three colours to select from
- A bit heavy however comfy to put on
- They provide efficient sound augmentation with out having something in your ears
- Some customization choices out there within the companion app
- Frontal mode helps with conversations in noisy environments
Cons
- Expensive
- Cannot stream Bluetooth audio out of your cellphone regardless of having Bluetooth to connect with companion app
- Cannot be used as a headset for taking calls
When Bose launched its Body audio glasses nearly six years in the past, audio glasses appeared able to develop into the following massive factor. Regardless of a number of Bluetooth audio glasses and sun shades releases since, the tech hasn’t actually taken off. Although Amazon nonetheless sells Echo Frames, and good glasses like Meta’s Ray-Bans embrace each audio and video parts, the listening to glasses I evaluation listed here are fully totally different.
The Nuance Audio listening to glasses considerably resemble the Meta Ray-Ban Gen 2, however are extra specialised. They do not stream Bluetooth audio out of your cellphone, seize video or interface with AI. They’re mainly glasses with listening to aids inbuilt. However relating to augmenting audio, they work higher than I assumed they’d.
Nonetheless, they do value quite a bit, itemizing for $1,200. They’re at the moment on sale for 30% off ($840).
In case you have imaginative and prescient insurance coverage or a well being plan with an allowance for over-the-counter listening to aids, you could possibly get a portion of the price of the glasses and lenses coated. You can even use funds out of your Versatile Spending Account or Well being Financial savings Account to assist pay for them.
Ray-Ban and Nuance Audio are each owned by EssilorLuxottica, the Italian eyewear conglomerate that features Oakley and Persol, in addition to frames licensed from style manufacturers akin to Chanel, Prada, Armani and Versace. EssilorLuxottica even owns retailers like Pearle Imaginative and prescient and LensCrafters, the place I had some lenses made for the Nuance Audio frames.
These frames are available in two designs and three colour choices. Should you do not want a prescription, they’re additionally out there with nonprescription transition lenses.
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The glasses are available in two shapes and three colours (shiny black, shiny crimson or deep blue).
Designed for gentle listening to loss
Like different FSA-approved OTC listening to aids, the Nuance Audio glasses are designed for folk with gentle listening to loss. They acquired FDA clearance in early 2025 after EssilorLuxottica acquired French firm Pulse Audition, which had developed AI software program for its personal listening to glasses.
In case you have a extra extreme listening to loss, it is best to contemplate medical-grade listening to aids, that are costlier and require a listening to take a look at performed by an audiologist with specialised tools tailor-made to your specific listening to impairment.
The glasses have 4 microphones on the entrance.
I take a look at headphones and earbuds for CNET. My listening to stays good, though everybody experiences some listening to loss as they age, notably within the greater frequencies, which I can attest to. Over time, I’ve tried some high-end medical-grade listening to aids from Phonak and likewise examined some OTC fashions from Bose and others.
I’ve additionally extensively reviewed the AirPods Professional 3 ($250), which have an FDA-approved Listening to Assist mode that is additionally designed for these with milder listening to loss. The AirPods Professional 3 value quite a bit lower than listening to aids, and do extra from an total audio standpoint. However the massive benefit to the Nuance Audio glasses is you could depart your ears open and put on glasses as you usually would, whereas nonetheless getting all the advantages of an OTC listening to help.
In truth, they’re marketed as “invisible” listening to aids as a result of nobody is aware of you are carrying a listening to gadget. You will not have to fret about trying eccentric whereas carrying AirPods at a restaurant or different social or work occasions, particularly when interacting with individuals.
Whereas testing the glasses, I did not preserve the hearing-aid function on on a regular basis. You activate it with an extended press on the facility button that is on the underside of the arm close to your proper temple. You may flip the glasses off in the identical means, or just fold them up. The glasses include a carrying case and a wi-fi charging pad.
I solely turned on the listening to enhancement in conditions the place I’d profit from having my audio augmented. I typically saved it off whereas strolling the noisy streets of New York, and generally, as a busy reviewer, I even wore noise-canceling earbuds in my ears. Selectively turning off the listening to enhancement helps protect the glasses’ battery life, which is rated for round 8 hours of use (mainly a full day).
Open listening to aids
As a result of the audio system had been constructed into the arms of the glasses and sit outdoors your ears, my greatest concern was that the listening to help system would not be very efficient. However that is not the case. For some individuals, the truth is, it could be too efficient.
This is what I imply: Similar to with common listening to aids, it’s important to get used to listening to your voice augmented together with different sounds. Even brushing your hand in opposition to your clothes or the glasses can amplify the impact.
The glasses are outfitted with six directional microphones. Within the Nuance Audio companion app for iOS and Android, you may select between 4 totally different preset settings (A, B, C or D), in addition to a “frontal” mode to give attention to face-to-face conversations, or an “all-around” mode to amplify all surrounding sounds. You can even alter the amount up or down and management the extent of background noise discount (low, commonplace and excessive).
You may tweak the settings within the app and replace the glasses firmware when updates are launched.
It takes some experimenting within the app to find out which setting you want greatest, relying on the atmosphere you are in. Though there isn’t any listening to take a look at that routinely creates a customized setting primarily based on its outcomes, a private calibration function is obtainable that adjusts the audio to the form of your head, designed to assist cut back undesirable “whistles” (suggestions) and self-voice. That mentioned, I nonetheless generally obtained whistling sounds once I held the frames in my hand.
I typically caught to the “flat” A setting, which amplifies all frequencies evenly, and saved the amount within the 60% vary. (I did not discover a significant distinction with the opposite settings regardless of their supposed capability to lean extra towards greater and decrease frequencies.) I additionally used the frontal mode to amplify conversations in eating places or social gatherings the place there was loads of background noise. I discovered the glasses efficient in most of these gatherings, and will hear individuals seated throughout from me, and even on the finish of the desk, noticeably higher.
The rounded Panthos body match my face higher than the Sq. model.
These listening to glasses would even be helpful for individuals who need to increase sound whereas watching performances and TV (within the latter case, you would not need to crank up the amount when you have a slight listening to loss). The glasses appear fairly good at not leaking sound, so individuals round you most likely will not discover the amplification.
One of many issues that impressed me essentially the most was how the glasses might amplify sound from a distance. As an illustration, my son’s soccer staff was gathered round their coach, who was giving slightly speech to them after follow. I used to be about 60 ft away and could not hear what the coach was saying till I turned the glasses on (I had used the frontal mode). Nuance Audio most likely does not need to promote the glasses’ potential capability to listen in on conversations in quieter environments, however I am simply declaring that I skilled it in a reasonably innocent means.
I might hear what my son’s coach was saying from this distance. With out the glasses, I could not make out what he was saying.
Nuance Audio Listening to glasses: closing ideas
I used to be fairly happy with how the rounded Panthos model match my face (I attempted the Sq. form, nevertheless it was slightly massive). Though they are a bit heavier than common glasses, I discovered them comfy to put on.
I assumed the glasses labored simply in addition to any OTC listening to aids I’ve used, and doubtless higher. That may be as a result of 4 of their six directional mics level straight out of the entrance of the frames, with two on both sides.
To be clear, these listening to glasses usually are not designed to fill in on your actual listening to deficiency, focusing on particular frequencies recognized in a medical-grade listening to take a look at. Whereas there are numerous presets to select from, they do not appear to vary considerably. Nonetheless, I felt the glasses excelled with normal sound augmentation and filtering for directional audio.
The largest difficulty with the Nuance Audio Listening to glasses is their excessive worth. In the event that they had been priced nearer to what the Ray-Ban Meta Gen 2 glasses value (lower than $500), I believe of us would not have a lot to complain about. However if you surpass $1,000, individuals are usually extra essential.
I might desire it if that they had a charging case just like the Ray-Ban Meta glasses, moderately than a case and a wi-fi charging pad. I used to be additionally dissatisfied that the glasses could not stream Bluetooth audio or be used as a headset for making calls. Nuance selected to give attention to the hearing-aid aspect — it says the glasses took greater than two years to develop — and that facet has been effectively applied.
Whereas Ray-Ban Meta glasses lately acquired a brand new hearing-assist perform referred to as Dialog Focus, which helps filter out background noise, they don’t seem to be almost as superior as these glasses as a listening to help gadget. Nonetheless, it would be good if the Nuance Audio glasses had been extra versatile. I am undecided if it is potential so as to add extra performance to this technology, however I think Bluetooth audio and voice calling are on the roadmap for a second-generation mannequin.
These are my solely actual gripes. In any other case, there’s quite a bit to love concerning the Nuance Listening to glasses, and so they appear to be enhancing as Nuance sporadically updates the firmware with bug fixes and tweaks.
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