EssilorLuxottica has announced new clinical findings from two studies, including one in Australia, evaluating the performance of Nuance Audio glasses, the global optical group’s all-in-one open-ear hearing solution built into smart eyewear and intended for adults with mild to moderate hearing loss.
In a media release, it said the results were presented for the first time in Europe during the 69th EUHA Congress (European Union of Hearing Aid Acousticians) in Hanover, Germany, as part of the official academic program.
Dr Tami Harel, chief of audiology of Nuance Audio, EssilorLuxottica, presented the session on “Clinical Efficacy of Open-Ear Hearing Aid Glasses”, sharing outcomes from studies conducted at Western University (Canada) and the National Acoustic Laboratories (NAL, Australia).
The studies evaluated both controlled laboratory performance and real-world listening experiences, demonstrating consistent benefits for users in everyday communication.
The release said the Western study in Canada evaluated Nuance Audio glasses in controlled yet realistic noise conditions, designed to simulate daily listening environments.
Results demonstrated:
- Up to 29% improvement in speech understanding in challenging acoustic conditions.
- Significant reduction in listening effort, as measured through standardised rating scales.
- These outcomes highlight the potential of Nuance Audio glasses to support improved communication performance in noisy listening environments.
The Australian NAL study assessed both laboratory performance and short supervised real-world use. Reported outcomes included:
- 3.48 dB improvement in signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), a clinically meaningful gain in speech-in-noise performance.
- 70% of participants reported improved communication ability after only three hours of real-world use.
- Participants’ top communication goals were met in 84–95% of cases.
- Participants preferred using the glasses more as the acoustic environment became more challenging.
EssilorLuxottica said that, together, the findings showed a coherent trajectory, from measurable acoustic improvements in controlled laboratory conditions, to meaningful real-world communication benefits, and ultimately to a clear user preference for Nuance Audio glasses in more challenging listening environments.
“One insight stands out across both studies: users prefer to wear Nuance Audio glasses in the real, noisy conversations that matter most to them,” said Dr Harel.
“These results mark an important achievement in terms of the post-market clinical validation of the product for early-stage hearing support.
“These new clinical findings represent an important milestone for EssilorLuxottica,” said Stefano Genco, global head of Nuance Audio, EssilorLuxottica.
“Results from the two studies validate our vision of integrating advanced open-ear hearing technology into smart eyewear, addressed to an estimated 1.25 billion worldwide affected by mild to moderate hearing loss.”
