Available to order — fitted by the optometrist team at Rose Optometry, Hamilton, and shipped NZ-wide.
Nuance Audio Plus is EssilorLuxottica's second-generation hearing glasses, released in September 2026: prescription-ready frames with open-ear speakers and beamforming microphones built into the temples, so mild-to-moderate hearing difficulty is handled by the glasses you already wear.
Square 53 in Black
The Square 53 is the most conventional-looking frame in the Plus range and the one that suits the widest spread of faces: a clean rectangular front, a medium-to-wide 53mm eye and 40.6mm of lens depth, which is what lets a progressive lens sit properly without a cramped reading zone. When someone is unsure which Plus to choose, this is usually the answer.
Black is the discreet choice — it disappears on most faces, goes with everything, and is the colour most people choose when they want the hearing technology to be the least noticeable thing about the frame.
Fit and sizing — Square 53
- Lens 53mm · bridge 19mm · temple 145mm · lens height 40.6mm · hinge-to-hinge 128.6mm
- Frame size S (wide fit), universal bridge; rectangular shape, unisex
- Best on average-to-broad faces with a medium-to-high nose bridge. If it looks wide on you, or you have a low bridge, the Panthos 48 with its adjustable nosepads is the better fit; if you want a more lifted, feminine line, look at the Upturn 52.
Lens options for the Black Square 53
- Standard lenses — NZ$1,699. The frame arrives with demo lenses and our optometrists fit your prescription in Hamilton: single vision, progressive, occupational, blue-light or tinted. Lens pricing is quoted at your fitting.
- Transitions® Clear to Grey — NZ$1,859. Factory-fitted light-adaptive lenses: clear indoors, darkening outdoors in a tint chosen to suit the black frame.
What Nuance Audio Plus does
- Open-ear speakers hidden in the temples — nothing in the ear canal
- Beamforming directional microphones with three levels of background-noise reduction
- Frontal and All-Around listening modes, four amplification presets, volume 1–5 in the Nuance Audio app (iOS and Android)
- Answer and manage phone calls on the frame
- Around 10 hours of use per charge under typical conditions
Designed for mild-to-moderate hearing difficulty — the point where a quiet conversation is easy but a restaurant is exhausting. Not a replacement for medical hearing aids in more significant loss; if your hearing has changed noticeably, have it tested first.
Why buy Nuance Audio Plus from Rose Optometry
- Independent Hamilton optometrists — the microphones only perform when the frame is positioned correctly, so we fit and adjust in person
- Vision and hearing addressed in one appointment
- Free optometrist advice with every order · tracked NZ-wide shipping
Book a Nuance Audio Plus fitting in Hamilton → Try them on, hear them working in a real room, and leave with the app set up. Or order online and we will arrange fitting when you collect.
Nuance Audio Plus Square 53 Black — frequently asked questions
How much are Nuance Audio Plus glasses in New Zealand?
The Nuance Audio Plus Square 53 in Black is NZ$1,699 with standard demo lenses (your prescription is then fitted by Rose Optometry, quoted separately at your appointment) or NZ$1,859 with Transitions® Clear to Grey light-adaptive lenses factory-fitted. Those are EssilorLuxottica's New Zealand recommended retail prices; the original Nuance Audio range is NZ$1,320.
Where can I buy Nuance Audio Plus glasses in NZ?
Nuance Audio Plus is sold in New Zealand through authorised optical and hearing-care practices. Rose Optometry in Frankton, Hamilton stocks the full Plus range — Square 53 in Black included — and ships nationwide. You can order online here or book a fitting to try the frames on and hear them working in a real room.
How do Nuance Audio Plus hearing glasses work?
Two beamforming microphone arrays in the frame pick up the voice in front of you and suppress sound from the sides and behind; the processed sound is played through open-ear speakers hidden in the temples, so nothing sits in your ear canal. You choose Frontal or All-Around listening in the Nuance Audio app, set one of four amplification presets and a background-noise-reduction level, and adjust volume on the frame or in the app.
What is new in Nuance Audio Plus compared with the original Nuance Audio?
Battery life of around 10 hours per charge, beamforming directional microphones for clearer speech in noisy rooms, hands-free phone calls answered on the frame, a physical power switch and volume buttons, two new colours (Amber and Olive Green) and three new frame shapes — Square 53, Upturn 52 and Panthos 48 — with a wider size range including adjustable nosepads on the Panthos.
Are Nuance Audio glasses any good for hearing loss?
For mild-to-moderate hearing difficulty — the stage where one-to-one conversation is fine but restaurants and group settings are tiring — they are a real option, and the beamforming in the Plus generation makes a noticeable difference in noise. They are not a substitute for prescribed hearing aids in more significant loss. If your hearing has changed, we recommend a hearing test first; we can arrange one in Hamilton.
Can I get my prescription put in Nuance Audio Plus glasses?
Yes. The Square 53 arrives with demo lenses and our optometrists fit your prescription — single vision, progressive, occupational or blue-light — in Hamilton. Most everyday prescriptions are within range; we confirm yours at the fitting. You can also choose the factory Transitions® Clear to Grey option, which is a light-adaptive lens fitted to this frame by EssilorLuxottica.
Who makes Nuance Audio?
Nuance Audio is made by EssilorLuxottica, the French-Italian group behind Essilor and Transitions lenses and the Ray-Ban, Oakley and Oliver Peoples frame brands. Rose Optometry is an EssilorLuxottica stockist in Hamilton, New Zealand.
Which Nuance Audio Plus frame is best for my face?
Square 53 (53-19-145) suits average-to-broad faces and gives the most lens depth for progressives. Upturn 52 (52-18-140) is a soft cat-eye for narrow-to-average faces and smaller heads. Panthos 48 (48-22-145) is a round panto with adjustable nosepads for narrow faces and low bridges. This page is the Square 53 in Black; the other shapes are in the Nuance Audio collection.
See the full Nuance Audio hearing glasses range →
Supplier reference 0AW5005 06 (standard) / 04 (Transitions). Nuance Audio and Transitions are trademarks of their respective owners.