Ray-Ban Meta Audio Glasses Win Reviewers by Leaving Camera Out

The glasses come in two frame styles: Burbank, a thinner Wayfarer-like shape, and Clubmaster, a recognizable Ray-Ban design. Engadget’s reviewer chose Clubmaster, which comes in more colors. The front looks like ordinary eyewear, with no camera or front-facing LED. The right arm has a touchpad for volume, calls and other controls, an inward-facing notification LED and a small action button. Engadget reported that Meta Vice President of Wearables Ming Hua said the company rebuilt the speaker and microphone setup to fit a smaller frame.

The redesign paid off in comfort. Engadget said the Clubmaster weighs 47 grams, only 2 grams less than Ray-Ban Meta Optics, but feels significantly lighter because less weight presses on the nose. The reviewer, who often struggles with fit on Meta glasses, said these stayed in place and could be worn for long stretches without feeling like smart glasses. The Verge’s reviewer wore them around dozens of people while running, ordering coffee, reading and taking calls; no one noticed, and the reviewer said they did not feel like a creep.

Audio performance is central. Both reviews note six microphones and open-ear speakers. Engadget said music, podcasts and calls sounded as good as its second-generation Meta glasses. The microphones moved, with two on the front of the frames replacing nosepad mics and four on the arms, but Engadget said callers found the audio clearer than with second-generation AirPods Pro. The Verge called the open-ear audio good and the battery life long.

Battery life is a major advantage. Meta says the audio-only frames can run 12 hours with mixed use and up to six hours of continuous audio playback. Engadget had close to 50 percent battery after five hours of streaming audio and a one-hour phone call. If users are not listening for hours, the glasses can last all day without recharging, according to the review.

Without a camera, the glasses still support many Meta AI features, including live translation and walking navigation. Meta plans to bring its AI agent, Muse, to the glasses in the coming months; for now they ship with the less powerful Muse Spark model. The Verge said Muse Spark is better than the 2023 Ray-Bans but still mediocre, and that complex requests often make it faster to pull out a phone. It can handle short queries, reminders, calendar access, messaging and location sharing. The Verge was not convinced AI is the killer app for the glasses.

Control limitations drew attention in both reviews. Engadget was frustrated that on the audio-only frames the action button has only two options, while camera-equipped Meta glasses offer more shortcuts such as call muting or music controls. The Verge noted that users can disable the always-listening wake word and use a customizable button on the right temple arm instead, and that live translation must be manually started. There is no native way to record a conversation directly from the glasses.

Privacy messaging is more prominent during setup, according to The Verge. A screen explains how visual data from AI experiences is handled, though these glasses have no visual data; users can opt out of Meta using data to improve AI, but voice data is still used. They can also opt out of sharing additional data. The Verge said removing the camera reduces the unease people feel about smart glasses, even if always-listening capabilities may still concern some users.

Accessibility trade-offs remain. The Verge said a camera-equipped model is more helpful for low-vision and blind users. For hard-of-hearing users, the FDA-cleared hearing assistance feature is not available yet. For deaf users, the Meta Ray-Ban Display may be more useful because it supports live captioning.

Both reviews cite the $349 price. The Verge listed the price as expensive for what the glasses do and said it remains unconvinced by AI as the main reason to buy them. Engadget concluded that normal-looking glasses with solid audio and much better battery life are a win, and that no camera is no problem.