# Ray-Ban Meta Audio

> Source: https://aiwiki.ai/wiki/ray_ban_meta_audio
> Updated: 2026-09-25
> Fact-checked: 2026-09-25
> Categories: AI Hardware, AI Tools & Products, Meta AI
> License: CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) - attribute to "AI Wiki (aiwiki.ai)"
> Cite as: AI Wiki. "Ray-Ban Meta Audio." aiwiki.ai, 25 Sept 2026. https://aiwiki.ai/wiki/ray_ban_meta_audio
> From AI Wiki (https://aiwiki.ai), the free encyclopedia of artificial intelligence. Reuse freely with attribution.

**Ray-Ban Meta Audio** is a line of camera-free [AI glasses](https://aiwiki.ai/wiki/ai_glasses) made by [Meta](https://aiwiki.ai/wiki/meta) and [EssilorLuxottica](https://aiwiki.ai/wiki/essilorluxottica), announced on September 23, 2026 at [Meta Connect 2026](https://aiwiki.ai/wiki/meta_connect_2026). Meta calls the product its "first-ever audio glasses" [1]. The frames carry open-ear speakers, a six-microphone array and a button for the [Meta AI](https://aiwiki.ai/wiki/meta_ai) assistant, but no camera and no display, so they cannot take photos or record video [4][6]. Meta rates them at up to 12 hours of use per charge, with up to 48 more hours from the included charging case [1]. They come in two Ray-Ban styles, Clubmaster and Burbank, across 23 colour and lens combinations, and both styles take prescription lenses [1]. Pre-orders opened on the day of the announcement at a starting price of $349 USD, with shipping scheduled for October 13, 2026 [1]. The glasses launched on the same day as the camera-equipped Ray-Ban Meta (Gen 3), and at a time when camera-equipped smart glasses were facing bans and privacy complaints in several countries [10][12][16].

As of September 25, 2026, the glasses were available for pre-order but had not yet shipped.

## Announcement

Meta introduced Ray-Ban Meta Audio during the Connect 2026 keynote on September 23, 2026, as part of what it called "our biggest expansion of AI glasses yet" with EssilorLuxottica [1]. The same announcement covered Ray-Ban Meta (Gen 3), new Meta Glasses styles, and plans to bring [Muse](https://aiwiki.ai/wiki/muse), Meta's personal AI agent, to its glasses [1][2]. Meta tied the product to how people use its existing glasses: "Audio has been our most popular feature since day one," the company wrote, describing the new model as packing "the power of earbuds and AI into our lightest and slimmest AI glasses yet" [1]. TechCrunch reported [Mark Zuckerberg](https://aiwiki.ai/wiki/mark_zuckerberg) telling the keynote audience, "Once you get used to high-quality audio, it's just a thing that you want all the time, right?" [10].

EssilorLuxottica and Meta issued a joint press release dated September 24, 2026 (distributed at 20:00 ET on September 23) describing Ray-Ban Meta Audio as "a camera-free line of AI glasses, their lightest and slimmest yet, weighing as low as 43 grams" [3]. In the release, EssilorLuxottica chairman and CEO Francesco Milleri described Ray-Ban Meta Audio as one of the "new innovations that have long been in the works" [3].

The product had been reported before Connect. On September 15, 2026, The Information reported that Meta planned to release camera-free glasses that autumn, internally codenamed "Luna", with six microphones, a side button for Meta AI, slimmer arms, and two styles called Clubmaster and Burbank, according to later coverage of that report by TNW and MIXED [15][23]. The reported details matched the product Meta announced.

## Design and hardware

With the camera removed, the frames have thinner temple arms than Meta's camera models. Tom's Guide wrote that this allowed new styles such as the Clubmaster, which has more of a wire frame around the lenses [8]. Meta says it is the first time the Clubmaster frame has been sold as AI glasses [4]. Both styles use TR90 polycarbonate frames [4][5]. Meta's announcement lists "professional-adjustable temple tips, adjustable or swappable nose pads, and overextension hinges" [1]. The Clubmaster has adjustable gooseneck nose pads, and Meta's product page says the temple tips should be adjusted only by a professional optician, because adjusting them yourself can damage the speakers and other internal parts [4].

The headline weight of 43 grams is a minimum. The EssilorLuxottica release says the glasses weigh "as low as 43 grams" [3], and Meta's per-model spec sheets list the Burbank at 43.1 g (standard size) and 45.1 g (large), and the Clubmaster at 47.1 g [4][5]. TechRadar compared the 43 g figure with 49 g for the lightest Gen 2 design [9].

| Specification | Ray-Ban Meta Audio (Meta's published figures) |
|---|---|
| Styles | Clubmaster (browline, one size); Burbank (rectangle, standard and large) [4][5][6] |
| Colour and lens options | 23 combinations [1]; Clubmaster offered with sun, Transitions and clear lenses [6] |
| Frame weight | Burbank 43.1 g (standard) / 45.1 g (large); Clubmaster 47.1 g [4][5] |
| Charging case weight | 101 g [4] |
| Frame material | TR90 polycarbonate [4][5] |
| Camera | None [4][6] |
| Display | None [6] |
| Speakers | Open-ear speakers with Adaptive Volume [4] |
| Microphones | 6-mic array [4][6] |
| Loudness and bass | 76.1 dB(C) [4][5] |
| Battery (glasses) | Up to 12 hours per charge [1][4] |
| Battery (case) | Up to 48 additional hours [1][4] |
| Controls (Clubmaster) | 2-way touchpad, customizable action button, voice control, power switch [6] |
| Connectivity | Bluetooth 5.3; no Wi-Fi [4] |
| Phone compatibility | iOS 17 or later, Android 10 or later [4] |
| Prescription range | -12.00 to +6.00 total power [4][6] |
| Clubmaster dimensions | 144 mm hinge to hinge, 51 mm lens width, 44 mm lens height, 21.4 mm bridge, 156 mm temples [4] |
| In the box | Glasses, charging case, cleaning cloth, reference guide (USB-C cable not included) [4] |
| Warranty | 12 months, from EssilorLuxottica [4] |
| Age rating | Designed for ages 13 and up [4] |

## Features

Ray-Ban Meta Audio works as a pair of open-ear headphones plus a voice assistant. Meta lists music and podcast playback, phone calls, text and voice messages, reminders, calendar queries, and live translation [1][4]. Users can link Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music or Audible and start playback by saying "Hey Meta"; Meta's comparison chart also lists Shazam integration [4][6]. Meta's product page says live translation works across 20 languages, with the translation played back through the speakers [4]. According to Tom's Guide, swiping on the right arm changes the volume, and users can tap the button or say "Hey Meta" to reach the assistant [8].

Meta makes two claims about call quality. Its announcement says the glasses "capture your voice more clearly than earbuds" [1], and its product page says 90% of street noise is blocked on calls [4]. Both are Meta's own claims. The Gadgeteer pointed out that the earbud comparison "will need independent testing", and that open-ear audio generally isolates less from outside noise than sealed earbuds [19]. Meta says the speakers are directional, so people nearby usually cannot hear the audio at moderate volume, though some sound may carry at higher volume in quiet places [4].

Without a camera, the glasses lose the visual features of Meta's other AI glasses, such as asking the assistant about what the wearer is looking at [19]. Meta said at Connect that Muse would come to its AI glasses "in the coming months", and one of the Muse features it described acts "on what you're looking at" [2]. TechRadar noted that the Audio model cannot give Muse that visual context [9]. The EssilorLuxottica release says Muse is coming to all of the companies' AI glasses, in the US only [3].

Meta also announced **hearing enhancement**, FDA-cleared software for adults with perceived mild to moderate hearing loss. It is due in the US later in 2026 for "supported AI glasses", for $149.99, which MIXED and TechRadar reported is a one-time charge, or through a Meta One subscription [2][9][17]. Meta's announcement did not name the supported models [17][18]. HearingTracker quoted Zuckerberg as saying, "Hearing enhancement is coming first to Meta Glasses" [18], and Tom's Guide reported that Meta spokespeople gave it conflicting answers about whether the Audio glasses would get the feature at launch [8]. Two smaller settings that Meta said would reach "every AI glasses wearer" are audio balance, which shifts sound toward the left or right ear, and mono audio [2].

TechRadar, writing from a pre-Connect briefing, reported that the Audio glasses support Dolby Atmos, and its reviewer described a demo that switched between Atmos and stereo playback [9]. The Meta announcement and US product pages cited in this article do not mention Dolby Atmos for the Audio model [1][4][5].

## Pricing and availability

| Market | Starting price | Status as of September 25, 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| United States | $349 USD [1] | Pre-order from September 23; shipping October 13 [1] |
| United Kingdom | £319 [7] | Pre-order on Meta's UK store [7] |
| Australia | AU$529 (as reported by TechRadar) [9] | Not confirmed from a Meta source |

In Meta's US store, both styles start at $349 with clear lenses [4]. Lens upgrades cost more: a Burbank with Transitions lenses was listed at $429 [4][5]. On September 25, 2026, Meta's US store gave an estimated delivery date of November 2 for a Shiny Black Clubmaster with clear lenses later than the October 13 ship date [4]. The National reported, citing launch information, that the glasses would be sold in 14 European markets, including the UK, France, Italy and Germany [12].

The $349 price put the Audio model $100 below the $449 starting price of Ray-Ban Meta (Gen 3) [1]. Tom's Guide pointed out that it was only $30 below the Gen 2 glasses, which still started at $379 and do have a camera [8].

## Positioning and privacy context

Meta's launch materials did not present Ray-Ban Meta Audio as a response to privacy criticism, although Silicon Republic, citing Bloomberg, reported that CTO Andrew Bosworth said the glasses had been in development for about two years and that Meta was "a little bit fortunate" to have an audio-only product given the "privacy narrative playing out around glasses globally" [24]. TechRadar said that in its pre-Connect briefing "Meta didn't attempt to link its Audio glasses with the privacy backlash," and focused on battery life instead [9]. The National reported that Meta said the product responds to how people use its glasses, not to criticism [12].

Most coverage connected the two anyway. Meta's camera glasses had been nicknamed "pervert glasses" after people used them to record others without consent [10]. TechCrunch reported that Meta had earlier released an update that disables the camera if the recording LED is tampered with [10]. Yahoo Finance reported that the backlash had led "cities, states, and businesses worldwide" to restrict camera-equipped smart glasses in some settings [13]. The National cited cinema bans in the UK and questions to France's data protection authority from businesses that wanted to restrict the glasses at work [12]. TNW reported that Western Australia had banned smart glasses from every public school in the week of Connect [16]. Dezeen suggested the backlash may have been a driver behind the product, citing among other things a Swedish news investigation which found that videos from wearers' cameras were being streamed to subcontractors in Kenya [14]. For the wider debate, see [smart glasses and privacy](https://aiwiki.ai/wiki/smart_glasses_privacy).

Taking out the camera does not remove every privacy concern. The glasses still have microphones and connect to Meta's AI services, which TechRadar, The Gadgeteer and The National all noted [9][12][19]. TNW reported that some analysts told Reuters they doubted a camera-free model could ease privacy concerns about a device that can still record audio, and that dropping the camera could reduce demand because photo and video capture is among the most popular features [16].

The launch came while Meta led the AI glasses market by a wide margin, although trackers give different figures:

| Tracker | Period | Figure | Reported by |
|---|---|---|---|
| Omdia | First half of 2026 | Meta shipped 3.4 million of 4.2 million AI glasses (81.3%) | TNW [16] |
| IDC | Q2 2026 | Meta held 68.7% of global smart glasses shipments | Yahoo Finance [13] |
| Counterpoint Research | First half of 2026 | Meta shipped 94% of display-less AI glasses | Dezeen [14] |

Omdia's count placed Even Realities second, with 102,000 units (2.4%); its G2 glasses have neither a camera nor speakers [16].

## Reception

Early coverage was based on short demos at Connect, not full reviews. Scott Younker of Tom's Guide found the glasses "fairly comfortable", said the experience was the same as on the camera models, and singled out the Clubmaster frames for their looks. His main complaint was the price: he called it high "for glasses that offer fewer features than the normal ones", since older Ray-Ban Meta models were still on sale for less or about the same [8]. He described the speakers as sounding about the same as on the camera Ray-Bans [8]. Hamish Hector of TechRadar said the fit adjustments made them "some of Meta's comfiest yet", while noting that his demo lasted only about 20 minutes [9]. TechCrunch described the product as "clunkily named" [10]. James Pero of Gizmodo wrote that the product's main significance was that it existed at all [11]. The Gadgeteer suggested the glasses suit people who already wear glasses, prefer open-ear listening, and have little interest in first-person photography [19].

## Comparison with Ray-Ban Meta (Gen 3)

Ray-Ban Meta (Gen 3) was announced the same day and went on sale immediately [1].

| | Ray-Ban Meta Audio | Ray-Ban Meta (Gen 3) |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price (US) | $349 [1] | $449 [1] |
| Availability | Pre-order; ships October 13, 2026 [1] | Available from September 23, 2026 [1] |
| Camera | None [4] | 12 MP; up to 3K video at 30 fps [1][6] |
| Capture LED | Not applicable | Yes [1] |
| Battery (glasses) | Up to 12 hours [1] | Up to 9 hours [1] |
| Extra battery from case | Up to 48 hours [1] | Up to 50 hours [6] |
| Microphones | 6-mic array [6] | 6-mic array [1][6] |
| Styles | Clubmaster, Burbank [1] | Aviator, Zena, Wayfarer [1] |
| Colour and lens combinations | 23 [1] | 27 [1] |
| Lens types | Sun, Transitions, clear (Clubmaster) [6] | Sun, polarized, Transitions, clear (Wayfarer) [6] |
| Prescription range | -12.00 to +6.00 [6] | -12.00 to +6.00 [6] |

## Earlier audio-only glasses

Glasses with speakers and no camera existed well before Meta's model. Its main difference from earlier products is that it comes from the market leader and carries the Ray-Ban name. MIXED noted a few days before Connect that every pair of AI glasses Meta was then selling had a camera [23]; the Ray-Ban line itself began in 2021 with the camera-equipped Ray-Ban Stories (see [Meta Ray-Ban AI Glasses](https://aiwiki.ai/wiki/meta_ray_ban_ai)).

| Product | Announced | Launch price (US) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bose Frames | December 4, 2018 | $199 | Open-ear audio sunglasses, 45 g, with a microphone for calls and phone voice assistants; the first product with Bose's audio augmented reality platform [20] |
| [Amazon Echo Frames](https://aiwiki.ai/wiki/amazon_echo_frames) | September 25, 2019 | $179.99 (by invitation) | Alexa glasses with four beamforming micro speakers and no camera or display [21] |
| Razer Anzu | March 4, 2021 | $199.99 | Open-ear audio glasses with blue-light and polarized sunglass lenses, more than 5 hours of battery, IPX4 [22] |
| Ray-Ban Meta Audio | September 23, 2026 | $349 | Six microphones, Meta AI, up to 12 hours of battery [1][4] |

EssilorLuxottica separately sells Nuance Audio hearing-aid glasses. HearingTracker reported that a new model, Nuance Audio Plus, was released in the same week as Connect [18].

## See also

- [AI glasses](https://aiwiki.ai/wiki/ai_glasses)
- [Meta Ray-Ban AI Glasses](https://aiwiki.ai/wiki/meta_ray_ban_ai)
- [Meta Glasses](https://aiwiki.ai/wiki/meta_glasses)
- [Meta Ray-Ban Display](https://aiwiki.ai/wiki/meta_ray_ban_display)
- [Oakley Meta](https://aiwiki.ai/wiki/oakley_meta)
- [Even Realities](https://aiwiki.ai/wiki/even_realities)
- [Smart glasses and privacy](https://aiwiki.ai/wiki/smart_glasses_privacy)

## References

1. Meta. "Introducing Ray-Ban Meta Audio and More AI Glasses Styles." Meta Newsroom, September 23, 2026. https://about.fb.com/news/2026/09/introducing-ray-ban-meta-audio-glasses-new-styles-plus-muse/
2. Meta. "The Biggest News From Connect 2026." Meta Newsroom, September 24, 2026. https://about.fb.com/news/2026/09/the-biggest-news-from-connect-2026/
3. EssilorLuxottica and Meta. "EssilorLuxottica and Meta further advance AI glasses category with new products revealed at Meta Connect." GlobeNewswire, September 24, 2026. https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2026/09/24/3367915/0/en/essilorluxottica-and-meta-further-advance-ai-glasses-category-with-new-products-revealed-at-meta-connect.html
4. Meta. "Ray-Ban Meta Audio Clubmaster" product page (specifications and FAQ). Meta Store (US), accessed September 25, 2026. https://www.meta.com/ai-glasses/ray-ban-meta-audio-clubmaster/
5. Meta. "Ray-Ban Meta Audio Burbank, Shiny Black, Transitions" product page. Meta Store (US), accessed September 25, 2026. https://www.meta.com/ai-glasses/ray-ban-meta-audio-burbank-shiny-black-grey-transitions/
6. Meta. "Compare AI glasses." Meta Store (US), accessed September 25, 2026. https://www.meta.com/ai-glasses/compare/
7. Meta. "Ray-Ban Meta Audio." Meta Store (UK), accessed September 25, 2026. https://www.meta.com/gb/ai-glasses/ray-ban-meta-audio/
8. Scott Younker. "Ray-Ban Meta Audio hands-on - an attempt to allay privacy concerns." Tom's Guide, September 23, 2026. https://www.tomsguide.com/computing/smart-glasses/ray-ban-meta-audio-hands-on-an-attempt-to-allay-privacy-concerns
9. Hamish Hector. "The Ray-Ban Meta Audio glasses lose the cameras, but gain better battery life and Dolby Atmos." TechRadar, September 24, 2026. https://www.techradar.com/computing/virtual-reality-augmented-reality/the-ray-ban-meta-audio-glasses-remove-the-cameras-for-better-battery-life-and-dolby-atmos
10. Sarah Perez. "Meta introduces camera-free AI glasses." TechCrunch, September 23, 2026. https://techcrunch.com/2026/09/23/meta-introduces-camera-free-ai-glasses/
11. James Pero. "Meta Introduces Audio-Only Smart Glasses to Avoid the 'Perv' Problem." Gizmodo, September 23, 2026. https://gizmodo.com/meta-introduces-audio-only-smart-glasses-to-avoid-the-perv-problem-2000815782
12. "Will Ray-Ban Meta's new audio-only glasses be enough to ease privacy concerns?" The National, September 24, 2026. https://www.thenationalnews.com/magazine/2026/09/24/will-ray-ban-metas-new-audio-only-glasses-be-enough-to-ease-privacy-concerns/
13. Daniel Howley. "Meta unveils $1,299 VR Glasses, camera-less smart glasses at Meta Connect." Yahoo Finance, September 24, 2026. https://finance.yahoo.com/technology/article/meta-unveils-1299-vr-glasses-camera-less-smart-glasses-at-meta-connect-235611909.html
14. Rima Sabina Aouf. "Meta unveils lightweight VR glasses and camera-free AI glasses at Connect 2026." Dezeen, September 24, 2026. https://www.dezeen.com/2026/09/24/meta-vr-glasses-audio-ai-glasses-connect-2026/
15. "Meta plans camera-free smart glasses this autumn, The Information reports." TNW, September 17, 2026. https://thenextweb.com/news/meta-luna-camera-free-smart-glasses-connect
16. "Meta shipped 81% of the world's AI glasses, and the runner-up has no camera." TNW, September 23, 2026. https://thenextweb.com/news/ai-glasses-shipments-omdia-meta-even-realities-camera-free
17. "Meta says its new hearing feature for AI glasses is FDA-cleared, and it costs $149.99." MIXED, September 24, 2026. https://mixed-news.com/en/meta-ai-glasses-hearing-enhancement-149-99-fda-cleared/
18. "Meta Smart Glasses to Get FDA-Cleared OTC Hearing Aid Feature." HearingTracker, September 24, 2026. https://www.hearingtracker.com/news/meta-smart-glasses-to-get-fda-cleared-otc-hearing-aid-feature
19. Rei Padla. "Ray-Ban Meta Audio Drops the Camera but Keeps the Smart Glasses Part." The Gadgeteer, September 23, 2026. https://the-gadgeteer.com/2026/09/23/ray-ban-meta-audio-no-camera-smart-glasses/
20. Bose. "Bose Announces Frames - A Revolutionary New Wearable." PR Newswire, December 4, 2018. https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/bose-announces-frames---a-revolutionary-new-wearable-300759789.html
21. Amazon. "Amazon Introduces 8 New Echo Devices." Amazon Press Center, September 25, 2019. https://press.aboutamazon.com/2019/9/amazon-introduces-8-new-echo-devices
22. Razer. "Razer Anzu smart glasses combine multi-lens eyecare and open-ear audio to connect in style." Razer Newsroom, March 4, 2021. https://www.razer.com/newsroom/product-news/razer-anzu-smart-glasses-combine-multi-lens-eyecare-and-open-ear-audio-to-connect-in-style
23. "Meta's next AI glasses reportedly have no camera, six microphones and a Meta AI button." MIXED, September 21, 2026. https://mixed-news.com/en/meta-luna-camera-free-ai-glasses-six-microphones-report/
24. Tim Barnwell. "Meta unveils camera-free, audio-only smart glasses." Silicon Republic, September 24, 2026. https://www.siliconrepublic.com/business/meta-unveils-camera-free-audio-only-smart-glasses-ai-connect