Michael Hare is among Australia’s first independent optometrists to offer Nuance Audio Glasses, delivering practical innovation that improves patient care while respecting professional boundaries.
When Michael Hare reflects on 50 years in optometry, he does so through the lens of innovation. Graduating in 1975 and entering clinical practice in 1976, he has seen the profession move from largely refractive care to a technology-driven healthcare discipline.
“Visual field analysis became computerised in the late ‘80s, daily disposable contact lenses came along in the ‘90s, OCT changed retinal assessment, widefield laser scans expanded what we can detect,” he says. “Access to therapeutics changed the scope of service. The intraocular lens revolutionised cataract outcomes.”
For Hare, who owns Vision Michael Hare, part of the Eyecare Plus network, these developments share a common thread: they changed how optometrists practise and how patients experience care. It is in that context that he views Nuance Audio Glasses, which manufacturer EssilorLuxottica is now supplying to independents through its wholesale business.
He was invited to Milan in early 2025 as part of a select group of Australian practitioners to see the technology showcased. “You could see straight away this was going to be different,” he says. “It’s an innovation that changes the way you practise.”
Nuance Audio Glasses are designed for adults with perceived mild to moderate hearing impairment. They use discreet, directional microphones embedded in the frame to capture sound from where the wearer is looking and open-ear speakers to deliver amplified sound without blocking the ear canal. The aim is to enhance speech in front of the wearer while reducing background noise.
“It’s ideal for someone who’s having difficulty hearing clearly in a restaurant when there’s a lot of peripheral noise,” Hare says. “They’re looking at someone, trying to follow a conversation, maybe starting to put their hand behind their ear. That’s the person who benefits.”
He emphasises that anything beyond mild to moderate hearing difficulty requires referral. “If a patient has a hearing problem, it’s important that they have that properly assessed with audiology and ENT experts. Once you get beyond moderate, Nuance glasses are no longer suitable. This is not a case of optometry trying to usurp audiology.”
That distinction shapes how the glasses are introduced in practice. During routine consultations, Hare and his team may notice signs of difficulty following conversation.
“We’re up close and personal in the consulting room,” he says. “You very quickly catch on if there are hearing issues.”
The conversation is framed as an option rather than a diagnosis. “We might say, ‘We’re not sure if you’re aware, but there are now spectacles with which you can improve your hearing.’ It opens up that discussion.”
Demonstration and response
Hare’s practice became one of the first independents in Australia to offer Nuance Audio Glasses shortly after their release. “To me, it was a no-brainer,” he says. “It’s such a significant opportunity to enhance the welfare of patients – why delay?”
Patients can trial the glasses in-store, supported by staff trained through online modules and in-practice sessions.
Once demonstrated, he says, the reaction is often immediate.
“The suppression of the peripheral surround noise and the enhancement of the voice of the person you’re looking at – that’s the key. Patients don’t just hear better, they seem to understand better. And there’s less effort. They’re more relaxed.”
The glasses are paired with the Nuance Audio App, compatible with iOS 16 or later and Android 12 or later. Through the app, users can select between frontal and all-around audio modes, choose preset amplification settings, adjust volume and modify background noise reduction. Battery life is rated at up to eight hours of continuous use under average conditions, with a full charge taking around three hours on the supplied wireless charging pad.
Most of Hare’s early adopters have been prescription spectacle wearers.
“It’s still a pair of spectacles,” he says. “They’re seeing better because they’ve got their prescription lenses in, and they simply have the hearing component as well.”
One observation Hare makes repeatedly is the issue of stigma. “As an optometrist, I never quite realised there can be an embarrassment for many people wearing hearing aids,” he says. “They don’t like admitting they’ve got a mild to moderate hearing loss.”
Because Nuance Audio Glasses look like conventional eyewear – available in styles including Panthos 48, Square 54 and Square 56, and capable of being fitted with prescription or plano lenses – he believes they offer a more discreet entry point.
“There’s no thought of anyone knowing there’s a hearing aid there. It’s just a normal pair of glasses.”
He also sees them as a potential gateway. If a patient realises there’s an option before hearing aids that can help them hear better, that may encourage them down the track to see an audiologist if their condition worsens.
For that reason, Hare argues the technology should be viewed as complementary rather than competitive.
“This is a wonderful opportunity for independent audiology groups to liaise with their local independent optometrist,” he says. “Working in cohesion, coordinating care together.”
After five decades in practice, Hare describes optometry as “a fully-fledged healthcare profession” that has continually expanded its capabilities. He points to OCT, widefield retinal imaging and therapeutic prescribing as evidence of transformation.
“You have to keep innovating to grow the profession, improve the scope of service, offer more facilities for people,” he says.
For him, Nuance Audio Glasses sit within that pattern. Not a reinvention of optometry’s role, but an incremental addition aligned with patient needs – particularly in an ageing demographic where visual and auditory decline often coexist.
“It’s a natural extension of our work as optometrists,” he says. “If we can help someone see more clearly while enjoying a conversation in a noisy restaurant a little more, that’s part of caring for people.”
