Nothing is back with two new sets of earbuds — the higher-end ‘Nothing Ear’ and the more affordable Nothing Ear (a).
The company has dropped the numbers from the names of the earbuds and instead appears to be transitioning to a naming scheme that’s more in line with Apple and its AirPods line. This likely means that in a few years, we’re going to have Nothing Ear (2026) instead of something cleaner like Ear (4), but thankfully, that doesn’t take too much away from the actual products announced today.
To most, the Ear (a) will steal the show with its flashy new design and striking yellow colour (does it remind anyone else of the Playdate?). Plus, they have a cheaper price tag at $149, compared to the $200 Ear (2)s.
Beyond that, most of the specs are the same between the two models. Both have 11mm drivers and a new speaker design that improves airflow over the Ear (2). Both feature pinch controls on the stem, which is way nicer than the touch controls on the Ear (1).
On the hardware side, the Ear separates itself from the Ear (a) by including wireless charging and an IP55 water/dustproof rating on the case. This protects them from dust and splashes but not being submerged in water.
On the software side, the more expensive buds include a more advanced EQ controller, a sound personalization test, and support for the high-res LHDC 5.0 codec.
One area where the Ear (a) trumps the Ear is in battery life:
- Ear (a) — 5.5 hours with ANC (24.5 hours with case)
- Ear — 5.2 hours with ANC (24 hours with case)
For comparison, the Ear (2) from last year would play for around four hours with ANC enabled. Overall, both of the new earbuds are a welcome improvement over their predecessors and the minor differences between them won’t change much in real-world use.
I’ve only used the earbuds for a few hours, so expect my impressions early next week. But for now, both seem like solid options that offer great sound. If you have an older Ear (1) unit that you’re looking to upgrade, now is great time to pull the trigger.
You can get the earbuds on Nothing’s website.
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