Ray-Ban Meta Audio review: Great specs. Shame about the price, though

Ray-Ban Meta Audio glasses attempt to curb the controversy by removing the cameras, and while they’re still an excellent product, the price makes them harder to recommend. This has been a bit of a rollercoaster year for Meta wearables. Meta’s VR division shrank considerably earlier this year, then later announced a massively redesigned follow-up that’ll launch next year. And while Meta has debuted dozens of new smart glasses styles throughout the year that have sold quite well, the company can’t seem to get away from controversy. That’s where Ray-Ban Meta Audio glasses come in. Ray-Ban Meta Audio glasses do exactly what they sound like. It’s a pair of smart glasses powered by Meta AI and only includes the audio part of the Ray-Ban Meta experience. There are exactly zero cameras on these glasses, and the hope (obviously) is that they’ll provide a smart experience without the potential privacy problems. The problem, for me at least, is that they’re simply too expensive despite lacking standout features. 👓Ray-Ban Meta Audio Clubmaster – starting at $349 🕶️Ray-Ban Meta Audio Burbank – starting at $349 Now, that doesn’t mean Ray-Ban Meta Audio glasses aren’t worthwhile. They feature a much wider prescription range (-12 to +6) than the majority of Meta smart glasses models, which often cap out at -6 to +6. The battery life is also significantly better thanks to the lack of a camera and other improvements in the hardware. And, of course, if you want a pair of AI glasses but don’t want the camera, these are the only options from Meta. If I were to choose between the two available models, I’d pick the Clubmaster style every time. Not only do they look better overall and feature the thinnest frames of any Meta smart glasses, but they also have substantially better nosepads that are adjustable and can be easily replaced. The Burbank model looks just fine, but the nosepads aren’t the same, and the glasses feel more rigid overall (which I find less comfortable). Both models come in lots of colors with many different lens options, including clear, tinted, polarized, Transitions, and prescription. Both models feature a touchpad on the outside of the right temple arm, as well as a small, circular button up top to activate Meta AI. You can alternatively use the “Hey, Meta” keywords to activate Meta AI. The button and touchpad can be disabled if you like. Only the touchpad has an alternative function, and that alternative function only controls music playback via Spotify or Amazon Music. Other Meta glasses offer far more options. Both styles are the lightest Meta glasses available. Most Meta smart glasses with cameras weigh in around the 54g mark. Ray-Ban Meta Audio glasses weigh just 44g. They’re not as light as Even Realities G2, RayNeo iO, or MemoMind One, but 44g is still considered pretty light for smart glasses. Ray-Ban Meta Audio glasses reuse the case from Ray-Ban Meta Gen 2, which looks more like a traditional Ray-Ban case rather than the foldable one that ships with Meta Ray-Ban Display or the 2026 Meta Camera Glasses. I don’t have an issue with Ray-Ban Meta Audio’s case at all, but I really enjoy the foldable one and wish it were included. Audio playback on these is great, and while the speakers are identical to all other Meta glasses products, using them as spatial surround sound “headphones” while watching a movie with surround sound is a fantastic experience. They also have spatial audio recording and truly excellent noise cancellation thanks to the 6-mic setup. But the lack of the newer processor from Ray-Ban Meta Gen 3 means the glasses don’t support the new hearing aid function. To me, that’s a massive missed opportunity since these are audio-only glasses. When I asked Meta about it, they only said it wasn’t available on Ray-Ban Meta Audio for now, so this problem could be fixed in an upcoming update. And that’s actually where Meta’s glasses might shine brightest: software updates. The company has been exemplary with update cadence on all of its products, and its smart glasses constantly get new, innovative features that surprise and delight. While I’m a little underwhelmed with the number of features available on these glasses today, this product will likely look quite different a year from now, a fact that’s backed up by years of Meta significantly improving product feature sets over time. If you buy these glasses today, know that you’re mainly investing in them for the future. They’re fine enough for today’s usage, especially if you’re interested in a hands-free way to use Meta AI products like Muse or just want an open-ear way to listen to music and take phone calls, but Meta’s penchant for continually adding new features is, undoubtedly, going to be the highlight for everyone who ever buys them. 👓Ray-Ban Meta Audio Clubmaster – starting at $349 🕶️Ray-Ban Meta Audio Burbank – starting at $349 Ray-Ban Meta Audio glasses attempt to thwart all the controversy by getting rid of the camera, but keeping all the useful Meta AI tools intact. While they’re too pricey for their own good, Ray-Ban Meta Audio glasses offer a wider prescription than standard Meta glasses, feature 50% longer battery life, 10g lighter weight, and most Meta AI features that don’t require a camera. Pros Wide prescription range (-12 to +6) Meta AI can be very useful Excellent integration with messages and other phone notifications Surround sound from speakers is superb Cons Lacking features Pricey Burbank model has worse nosepads FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.