Available to order — fitted by the optometrist team at Rose Optometry, Hamilton, and shipped NZ-wide.
Released in September 2026, Nuance Audio Plus takes the idea behind the original Nuance Audio — hearing support inside an ordinary-looking spectacle frame — and fixes the things owners asked for: longer battery, better speech-in-noise, phone calls on the frame and buttons you can feel.
Upturn 52 in Black
A soft cat-eye is a shape that has stayed in fashion for seventy years for a reason — it lifts the face. The Upturn 52 brings that line to hearing glasses for the first time, in a 52-18-140 that fits narrow-to-average faces without swamping them.
A solid black acetate finish. If you want nobody to look twice, this is the one.
Fit and sizing — Upturn 52
- Lens 52mm · bridge 18mm · temple 140mm · lens height 38.1mm · hinge-to-hinge 125.6mm
- Frame size S (regular fit), universal bridge; soft cat-eye shape, designed for women
- Best on narrow-to-average faces. The 38.1mm depth suits single vision and most progressives; if you rely on a large reading area, the Square 53 gives you more room. Temples are 140mm, so it also suits people who find standard 145mm arms too long.
Lens options for the Black Upturn 52
- 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
Speakers sit inside the temples and fire toward your ears, so nothing goes in the ear canal and you can still hear the room naturally. A beamforming microphone array lifts the voice in front of you and pushes back the clatter around you, with three noise-reduction levels. Volume and power are on the frame; presets, listening modes and battery are in the Nuance Audio app. Phone calls come through the frame too. Expect roughly 10 hours between charges.
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
Hearing glasses are only as good as their fit. Rose Optometry's optometrist team fits every pair in Frankton, Hamilton, sets the frame height that the microphones need, fits your prescription and pairs the app before you leave — or walks you through it by phone if you order online. One appointment covers your eyes and your hearing.
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 Upturn 52 Black — frequently asked questions
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.
How much are Nuance Audio Plus glasses in New Zealand?
The Nuance Audio Plus Upturn 52 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 — Upturn 52 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.
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 Upturn 52 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 Upturn 52 in Black; the other shapes are in the Nuance Audio collection.
How long does the battery last on Nuance Audio Plus?
EssilorLuxottica quotes approximately 10 hours under average conditions — enough for a working day or a long dinner out. Charging is via the supplied charger; we will show you how to top up at your fitting.
See the full Nuance Audio hearing glasses range →
Supplier reference 0AW5006 06 (standard) / 04 (Transitions). Nuance Audio and Transitions are trademarks of their respective owners.