Nuance Audio Hearing Glasses, Now at Eye Spy
Ever left a busy cafe or family dinner exhausted from straining to follow the conversation? You are not alone, and there is now a clever option that lives in your glasses. Nuance Audio by EssilorLuxottica is eyewear with open-ear hearing help built in: discreet microphones and tiny speakers in the frames lift the voices in front of you, without anything inside your ear. We are now fitting Nuance Audio at Visique Eye Spy in Palmerston North, and here is how it works.
In brief
Nuance Audio is eyewear with open-ear hearing help built into the frame, made by EssilorLuxottica, the group behind Ray-Ban and many lens brands.
Directional microphones focus on the voices in front of you and dampen background noise, while small speakers in the temple tips lift that sound without blocking your ear.
You control the volume, noise reduction and listening modes from a simple phone app, with around a full day of listening per charge.
It suits mild to moderate hearing difficulty in everyday situations, and we fit and set it up for you in-store.
What is Nuance Audio?
Nuance Audio is a new kind of eyewear that helps you hear, made by EssilorLuxottica, the group behind Ray-Ban and many of the lenses we fit every day. At a glance it looks like an ordinary pair of glasses. The difference is inside the frame: a discreet hearing system that lifts the voices around you, with nothing sitting in or over your ear. For people who find conversation hard work in noisy places but are not keen on traditional hearing aids, it is a genuinely new option, and one that happens to sit naturally in an optometrist’s world.
How do Nuance Audio glasses work?
The clever part is how these open-ear hearing glasses capture and deliver sound. Directional microphones along the front of the frame pick up the voices in front of you and gently dampen the noise around you, so a conversation stands out from the clatter of a cafe. Small open-ear speakers are built into the tips of the temples, just above each ear. They bring that sound closer without blocking your ear canal, so you still hear the room naturally. You just hear the person you are talking to more clearly.
You stay in control through a simple phone app, adjusting the volume, reducing background noise and switching between listening modes for different settings. A charge lasts around a full day of listening, and the glasses sit in a charging case overnight.
Who are they for, and who are they not for?
Nuance Audio is designed for mild to moderate hearing difficulty and for everyday situations: catching up over coffee, following a meeting, hearing across the dinner table, or watching television without turning it up. If you often ask people to repeat themselves in noisy places, or find you are reading lips more than you used to, they may be worth a look.
It is just as important to be clear about what they are not. Nuance Audio is not a replacement for a prescription hearing aid where there is significant or more advanced hearing loss. And while we can fit the glasses, we are optometrists, not audiologists, so if you have real concerns about your hearing, the right first step is to have your hearing properly assessed. What we can do is talk you through whether this technology suits your situation, and set it up for you if it does.
Fitting Nuance Audio at Eye Spy
Because Nuance Audio is eyewear first, it fits naturally into what we do. As a Visique practice, we can supply Nuance Audio at Eye Spy and set it up for you in-store, including pairing it with your own prescription lenses if you need them, so one pair of glasses looks after both your vision and your hearing. If you would like prescription lenses, a current comprehensive eye examination makes sure your prescription is up to date first. And because you are buying locally, we are here afterwards to help you get comfortable with the fit and the app. You are welcome to browse our range of eyewear while you are in.
Come and try them in Palmerston North
The best way to understand Nuance Audio is to experience it. If you or someone in your family struggles to hear in noisy places, come in and try a pair at Eye Spy on Broadway Avenue, and we will show you how they work and whether they are a good fit for you.
To arrange a look, book a Nuance Audio demo in Palmerston North, or get in touch with our team on 06 354 6666 with any questions.
Frequently asked questions
Are Nuance Audio glasses hearing aids?
They are hearing glasses, sometimes searched for as glasses with hearing aids, though they work a little differently. Open-ear speakers in the frame lift the voices around you without sitting in your ear. They are made for mild to moderate hearing difficulty and are not a replacement for a prescription hearing aid where there is more significant hearing loss.
Will they work with my prescription?
Yes. Nuance Audio can be fitted with your own prescription lenses, so a single pair looks after both your vision and your hearing. If you need prescription lenses, we will make sure your prescription is current first.
Who are they best suited to?
People with mild to moderate hearing difficulty who want a discreet, easy option for everyday situations like conversations, meetings, restaurants and television, and who like the idea of it being built into their glasses rather than worn in the ear.
Can I try them before deciding?
Of course. The best way to know if they suit you is to experience them, so pop into Eye Spy in Palmerston North and we will show you how they work.
