NEW YORK — Nuance Audio, the hearing technology business of EssilorLuxottica, has introduced Nuance Audio Plus, the next generation of its over-the-counter hearing glasses, with updates aimed at improving amplification, speech clarity in noise, battery life and everyday usability.
The new model builds on the original Nuance Audio Glasses, combining open-ear hearing technology with traditional eyewear for adults with perceived mild-to-moderate hearing loss. Nuance Audio Plus maintains that integrated approach while introducing updated audio performance, additional frame options and new ways for users to control the device directly from the glasses.
According to the company, the Plus platform provides stronger amplification and improved clarity in noisy environments, along with more natural perception of the wearer’s own voice. The glasses use six microphones and two open-ear speakers, with directional processing designed to help users focus on speech while reducing interference from surrounding noise.
New Controls and Hands-Free Calling
One of the more noticeable changes is the addition of controls directly on the glasses. Users can adjust amplification through five volume levels without relying solely on the Nuance Audio app or optional remote.
Nuance Audio Plus also adds support for hands-free phone calls with compatible iPhones. Users can answer or end a call with a double tap on the glasses. The feature is supported on iPhones running iOS 16 or later through Apple’s Made for iPhone (MFi) framework.
The accompanying Nuance Audio app remains central to personalization, allowing users to calibrate the glasses and adjust hearing settings for different environments.
Longer Battery Life
Battery performance has also been extended. Nuance Audio lists up to 10 hours of use for Plus, compared with up to eight hours for the original Nuance Audio Glasses.
The company has also developed a new charging case for Plus, providing another charging option in addition to the charging pad. A separate Remote Plus is also available.
Expanded Frame Selection
Nuance Audio Plus expands the eyewear choices available to users, with Panthos, Square and Upturn frame designs and additional colors, including new Amber and green options.
The glasses can be configured with prescription lenses, including Transitions lenses and blue-violet light filtering options. Non-prescription versions are also available.
Building on the First Generation
EssilorLuxottica received FDA clearance for the Nuance Audio Hearing Aid Software in early 2025, paving the way for the company’s entry into the U.S. OTC hearing aid market. The original Nuance Audio Glasses subsequently launched in the United States in April 2025 through EssilorLuxottica’s optical retail network and other authorized providers.
Unlike conventional hearing aids that sit behind or inside the ear, Nuance Audio integrates microphones, speakers and hearing processing within the eyewear itself. Directional microphones and beamforming are used to emphasize speech coming from the direction the wearer is facing, while open-ear speakers deliver amplified sound without an earpiece occupying the ear canal.
The approach has also begun accumulating clinical evidence. A study published earlier this year by researchers at Western University’s National Centre for Audiology found that the first-generation Nuance Audio Glasses significantly improved speech recognition in noise and reduced listening effort among adults with mild-to-moderate hearing loss.
In one of the more challenging test conditions, average speech recognition increased from 34.2% unaided to 63.2% with the glasses. Participants also demonstrated an average 2.21 dB improvement in speech reception threshold on the American English Matrix test. The researchers noted that additional field studies would be needed to better understand longer-term performance and real-world use.
Nuance Audio has increasingly positioned the technology around people at earlier stages of hearing difficulty. Earlier this year, the company highlighted the impact of mild-to-moderate hearing loss, including difficulties understanding speech in noise, increased listening effort and the tendency for many adults to delay adopting hearing technology.
Hearing Glasses Attract Growing Interest
Nuance Audio Plus also arrives amid increasing interest in eyewear as a platform for hearing assistance.
In August, Boston-based startup Legato emerged from stealth with $12 million in funding and unveiled plans for AI-powered hearing glasses developed by a team with previous experience at Bose and Apple. Legato expects its first Frames products to reach the U.S. market later this year.
Other companies have also begun exploring the form factor, while the broader growth of smart glasses has made microphones, open-ear speakers, wireless connectivity and on-device processing increasingly familiar features in everyday eyewear.
Hearing technology built into eyeglasses itself is not new. Eyeglass hearing aids were commercially available decades ago, but advances in miniaturization, digital signal processing, directional audio and wireless technology have opened the door to substantially different implementations of the concept.
For consumers who already wear glasses, combining vision correction and hearing assistance in a single product could provide an alternative to wearing a separate hearing device. Whether the emerging form factor can meaningfully increase hearing technology adoption remains to be seen, but the growing number of entrants suggests hearing glasses are receiving renewed attention from both established companies and startups.
With Nuance Audio Plus, EssilorLuxottica is now moving into the second generation of its approach, emphasizing improved hearing performance, longer daily use and a broader selection of eyewear styles.
About EssilorLuxottica
EssilorLuxottica is a global leader in the design, manufacture, and distribution of ophthalmic lenses, frames, and sunglasses. With a presence in 150 countries, over 200,000 employees, and a vast network of 650 operations facilities and 18,000 stores, the company generated €25.4 billion in revenue in 2023. Its mission is to help people worldwide see more and be more by addressing both vision needs and personal style aspirations.
The company is home to advanced lens technologies such as Varilux, Stellest, and Transitions, as well as iconic eyewear brands like Ray-Ban and Oakley. It also operates leading global retailers including LensCrafters and Sunglass Hut. Through its OneSight EssilorLuxottica Foundation, the company has provided sustainable vision care to over 760 million people in underserved communities. EssilorLuxottica is publicly traded on Euronext Paris and is included in the Euro Stoxx 50 and CAC 40 indices. More information is available at www.essilorluxottica.com.
Source: Nuance Audio
