Legato Launches $999 AI Hearing Glasses With On-Device Voice AI

Legato put its $999 Frames on sale, pitching open-ear glasses as a cheaper, less self-conscious alternative to traditional hearing aids for adults with up to moderate hearing loss. TechCrunch reports the device integrates the company's patented hearing-assistance technology into the arms of eyewear frames and runs its voice-isolation AI on the glasses themselves, with no cameras and no audio recording.

The pitch is explicit about the category it wants to displace. Per TechCrunch, the product stems from Legato's stated goal of "making hearing care more accessible by addressing the cost, comfort, and stigma associated with traditional hearing aids." The company's SpeechSense system is designed to separate speech from background noise, and a dual-speaker array directs audio at the wearer while, per the company, "reducing sound by 99% just a few inches away from the ear."

The frames weigh 34 grams with lenses, claim 10 to 12 hours of battery life, support prescription lenses and Bluetooth, and ship in three styles. Buyers go through Legato's website or select US eye care providers, where the Frames are eligible for vision insurance coverage, a reimbursement channel most over-the-counter hearing devices do not have.

The commercial launch arrives weeks after Legato emerged from stealth with $12 million from Neotribe Ventures, Listen, and Village Global. Co-founder Mehul Trivedi led the creation of the original Bose Frames and then directed smart eyewear at EssilorLuxottica, including work on the Meta Ray-Ban glasses; co-founder Steve Romine ran Bose's hearing aids division and later served as COO of hearing care company Audicus.