Nuance Audio Glasses: Road Test

It’s an ingenious idea: a pair of spectacles that incorporates sound amplification technology for the hard of hearing. What will they think of next?

Stylish: the Nuance Audio Glasses look like a regular pair of specs

WHAT IS IT? A godsend for anyone who’s hard of hearing but doesn’t want to wear hearing aids. It’s a pair of spectacles that also functions as a hearing booster.

GO ON… They have tiny microphones in the front of the frames (they’re directional, focusing on where you’re looking), and tiny speakers in the arms, just above your ears.

CLEVER. Yes, it’s a collaboration with Essilor Luxottica, which owns brands like Ray-Ban and Oakley. These glasses use ingenious “Beamforming” technology that magnifies the voice you’re trying to hear, while filtering out background noise. There’s an accompanying smartphone app to fine-tune your experience.

ANYTHING ELSE? The glasses, which have just launched in the US and will be on sale here later this year, are aimed at those with mild to moderate hearing loss. The frames can take clear or prescription lenses, and come in two colours and two styles. You’ll get about eight hours of battery life per charge; there’s a little button to turn off the audio function when you don’t need it, to save battery.

Price TBA, nuanceaudio.com