At the 2024 annual meeting of the American Academy of Optometry (AAO) this week, EssilorLuxottica is demoing a recent addition to its product lineup of consumer technology: Nuance Audio, a pair of glasses equipped with advanced hearing assistance.
Let’s start with this company.
The international eyecare and eyewear product corporation has a reputation for designing, manufacturing, and marketing major brands of ophthalmic lenses, optical equipment, prescription lenses, and sunglasses.
Now to the inevitable question: Why hearing?
Hearing loss affects over 1.5 billion individuals across the globe—and that number is expected to grow to 2.5 billion by 2050.
Even more troubling: The World Health Organization (WHO) and the Global Burden of Disease Study have estimated that more than 400 million in the world would likely benefit from using hearing aids.
- The reality, however: With less than 68 million actually using these technologies, the current coverage gap is at 83%.
And in the case of EssilorLuxottica?
The international company expanded into the hearing aid market in 2022 after acquiring Nuance Hearing, an Israeli startup, in a multi-million-dollar deal.
The key to this purchase: Nuance’s breakthrough hearing technology.
Its eyewear connection: The acquisition paved the way for EssilorLuxottica’s potential to release a line of new products combining both hearing and prescription eyewear.
The company previously noted that, while its core focus remains vision, this purchase presented a unique opportunity to “open up a new avenue for the industry by addressing the need for good hearing with innovative technologies.”
Now explain Nuance Audio.
Built in-house by Essilor’s Super Audio team, the Nuance Audio features a smartphone mobile application integrated into a general computing platform—all placed within a pair of smart glasses.
The frames pair hearing solutions and prescription-based glasses for consumers (aged 18+) with mild to moderate hearing loss.
The design: High-quality hearing technology is embedded into eyeglasses designed with the company's luxury eyewear theme of comfort and style.
Talk about this style for a moment.
The frames are available in three different styles (see here):
- Pathos 48
- Square 54
- Square 56
Plus two colors: shiny black and shiny burgundy.
And the lenses?
All Nuance Audio glasses are designed with plano Transitions lenses (GenS), complete with a “grey tint on the shiny black frame and emerald tint on the shiny burgundy frame.”
Note: These lenses are light responsive, darkening in seconds to block 100% of ultraviolet (UV)A and UVB rays before fading back to clear in under 2 minutes.
- As a bonus: Essilor noted that optical lenses can be mounted on the frames based on a wearer’s prescription and preferred taste—but sun lenses are not available.
So how are the hearing aids built into it?
The frames include embedded—“completely invisible,” according to the company—microphones designed to amplify the sounds a wearer wants to hear based on the direction of their focus.
How it does this: Via directional technology and speakers tailored to amplify these desired sounds via directional technology—including a novel open ear technology for increased user comfort and sound amplification (ensuring any sound remains private to the wearer).
- Also key to this component: Volume control accessible via a companion application as well as a pocket-sized remote control for the user to control—ideally for those who aren’t technologically adept.
- Other remote control capabilities:
- Switching on/off for hearing assistance
- Switching between conversation and “360 audio modes”
- Other remote control capabilities:
And I’m assuming these need to be charged, right?
You guessed correctly. The frames can be folded and placed on an accompanying magnetic, light-emitting diode (LED) wireless charging pad—and take approximately 3 hours to fully charge.
Note: Both the charging pad and remote control (when available … it’s currently not) are purchased separately from the frames (in the U.S. only).
Can I see a visual?
Watch below.
Do these glasses need to be fitted to a wearer?
Nope! The company also noted that no pre-programming or hearing test is required for wearers before they purchase the frames.
And how do they adjust for different sound situations?
Wearers can use the companion app to adjust the glasses’ settings to their selected preferences and to adapt to any situation—including 360 amplification.
Click here for the company’s educational content for customers—including information on hearing loss, tests, and how to use Nuance Audio.
Nice! So are these prescription-based or OTC?
Nope! The glasses are marketed as an over-the-counter (OTC) offering for consumers.
When will these glasses be available?
Essilor is expecting to launch into the U.S. commercial market space in Q1 2025, beginning with the North American market.
Any idea on the cost yet?
The Nuance Audio frames will be available for $1,100.
- Compare this price to standard prescription-based hearing aids, which can range anywhere from $1,000 to $4,000.
Transitions lenses (not mandatory for the frames) as well as the remote control will be sold separately.
Lastly … where can I demo the Nuance Audio?
EssilorLuxottica is on-site at AAOpt this weekend, so stop by booth #201 in the Exhibit Hall.
See here for more AAOpt coverage.