Nothing continues to carve out its space in the audio market, making a whole line of Nothing earbuds that stand out as aesthetic marvels with transparent and eye-catching design, somehow both simple and intricate, along with solid noise-cancelling and sound quality built in. Nothing’s audio products are instantly recognizable, but that’s not a gimmick, since the earbuds released so far have held their own as worthy audio products, aesthetics aside. So now that Nothing has dropped its newest releases, the flagship Nothing Ear and the budget Nothing Ear (a), there’s even more to consider if you’ve wanted to get in on the Nothing train.
Comparing the Nothing Ear and the Nothing Ear (a), both earbuds are feature-rich and bring a lot to the table. It definitely doesn’t feel like the Nothing Ear (a) is a worse version of the Nothing Ear, but rather, it’s pared down to the essentials. To see exactly how the two earbuds compare and see which is more worth it for you, read on.
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Nothing Ear
The Nothing Ear is the newest flagship release from Nothing, making it the more premium option between it and the Nothing Ear (a). If you want more features like Advanced EQ, personal sound profiles, and wireless charging, the Nothing Ear has got you covered.
Pros- Intuitive touch controls
- Cool high-tech aesthetic
- Premium in-app features
Cons- In-ear pressure build up after long hours of wear
- ANC could be better
- “Sharp” sound isn’t for everyone
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Nothing Ear (a)
The Nothing Ear (a) hits all the essentials of a good pair of noise cancelling earbuds. It’s $50 less than the more premium Nothing Ear, but the Nothing Ear (a) stands on its own as a solid pair of earbuds, with good ANC, customizable sound profiles, and more.
Pros- ANC is comparable to the flagship earbuds
- Yellow colorway adds a fun pop of color
- Affordable at $99
Cons- No wireless charging
- Sound is warmer than flagship buds
Price, specs, and availability
Budget buds and a premium option
The Nothing Ear earbuds are the new flagship earbuds from Nothing, meaning they come at a more premium price of $149. The Nothing Ear (a) by contrast are budget earbuds, and come at a price of $99. So depending on your budget and which features you want to get, you could decide to save $50 and opt for no wireless charging and fewer sound profile features, or spend the extra $50 to get a more premium product.
Why the Nothing Ear are my designated Tortured Poet’s Department earbuds
Nothing dropped numerical nomenclature with its Nothing Ear earbuds, which in name and performance is simple, yet makes a statement.
Because both the Nothing Ear and Nothing Ear (a) were just released, they will both be available at the same time, starting April 22, with pre-orders starting April 18. Both earbuds can be purchased from Nothing’s website.
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Nothing Ear Nothing Ear (a) Battery Life Buds: 5.2 hrs (8.5 hours without ANC Total with case: 24 hrs (40.5 hrs without ANC) Buds: 5.5 hrs (9.5 hours without ANC Total with case: 24.5 hrs (42.5 hrs without ANC) Charging Case Included? Yes Yes Microphones 3 in each bud 3 in each bud Brand Nothing Nothing Supported codecs AAC, SBC, LHDC 5.0, LDAC 11mm custom driver Bluetooth Bluetooth v5.3 Bluetooth v5.3 Price $149 $99 IP Rating IP54 buds / IP55 case water and dust resistance IP54 buds / IPX2 case water and dust resistance Driver Size 11mm custom driver 11mm custom driver Charging type Wired charging: USB Type-C, Wireless charging: Up to 2.5W USB-C Colors Black, White Yellow, Black, White Charging Port USB-C USB-C Noise Cancellation Yes, up to 45 dB Smart ANC algorithm Transparency Mode Yes, up to 45 dB Smart ANC algorithm Transparency Mode Earbud weight 4.62g 4.8g Charging case weight 51.9g 39.6g Bluetooth profiles RFCOMM, SPP, HFP, A2DP, AVDTP, AVCTP, AVRCP RFCOMM, SPP, HFP, A2DP, AVDTP, AVCTP, AVRCP
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Design
Thoughtful, whether luxurious or bubbly
The Nothing Ear has a really similar design to the previous Nothing flagship earbuds, with transparent stems and case showing off the consistent care for good design that Nothing has delivered again and again. The earbuds come in black and white. Just like previous iterations, the Nothing Ear case is transparent and square with rounded edges, and the earbuds slot into the case diagonally. The Nothing Ear overall has the really high-tech, luxury design that Nothing strives for with its products.
The Nothing Ear overall has the really high-tech, luxury design that Nothing strives for with its products.
The Nothing Ear (a) also comes in black and white, but includes a new fun yellow colorway as well. It really evokes a bumblebee vibe, which makes the budget earbuds a little more fun. The case is still transparent like the Nothing Ear case, but it’s more compact, and the earbuds slot into the case vertically and side by side, rather than diagonally like the Nothing Ear.
The best thing about Nothing Ear (a) is they’re yellow
And with pro features, fabulous ANC, only $99, they’re just so good I have almost nothing more to say.
The added yellow colorway, which while fun, does evoke the same overall feeling of other budget tech that adds a colorful spin as a way of differentiating it from the flagship line.
The Ear (a) does feel less luxurious in contrast to the Nothing Ear, especially since the case is more lightweight, weighing in at 39.6g in contrast to the Nothing Ear’s 51.9g case, and it has a simpler, more bubbly case design. Additionally, the added yellow colorway, which while fun, does evoke the same overall feeling of other budget tech that adds a colorful spin as a way of differentiating it from the flagship line.
In-app features
Both are feature-rich, though the Ear (a) is pared down
The Nothing Ear earbuds have a wide variety of new features that improve on the previous flagship earbuds from Nothing. This includes more advanced noise control, including better noise- cancellation, as well as a Smart ANC algorithm that adapts noise-cancellation based on your fit in real time, adaptive ANC that adapts noise-cancellation automatically based on your surroundings, and transparency mode. The Nothing Ear also has new features in the Nothing X app, like advanced EQ, Bass enhance, Find My Earbuds, and a new ear tips fit test. It’s also more durable than any other model, with IP54 water- and dust-resistant earbuds and an IP55 case. This means the earbuds have some dust resistance while not fully dust-tight, and can withstand sprays of water from any direction. The case has the same dust resistance, and is even more water-resistant, being able to withstand low pressure water jets from any direction. The Nothing Ear also supports wireless charging, like the previous flagship model.
Rather than the Ear (a) being a sub-par product in terms of features, I see it more like the Nothing Ear allowing you to pay extra for more non-essential but advanced features.
Interestingly, the Nothing Ear (a) actually has a lot of these new features as well. The biggest differences are that the Nothing Ear (a) has Custom EQ but not Advanced EQ with profile sharing like the Nothing Ear does, and doesn’t have a personal sound profile feature in the app. The earbuds have the same water- and dust-resistance, but the case is only IPX2, meaning it can only handle some water dropping, and has no dust resistance. It also lacks wireless charging.
The biggest differences are that the Nothing Ear (a) has Custom EQ but not Advanced EQ with profile sharing like the Nothing Ear does, and doesn’t have a personal sound profile feature in the app.
These features the Nothing Ear (a) lacks are not essential features for any earbuds, so rather than the Ear (a) being a sub-par product in terms of features, I see it more like the Nothing Ear allowing you to pay extra for more non-essential but advanced features.
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Sound quality
Great sound quality from both, with more customizability on the Nothing Ear
The Nothing Ear and Nothing Ear (a) both come with more sound features than other earbuds from Nothing, including a Bass Enhance algorithm that boosts bass in real time, and LDAC support for higher-resolution music streaming. Both earbuds also have 11mm dynamic drivers, which bring great sound quality with more compact engineering than previous Nothing earbuds.
However, the Nothing Ear does have sound features that the Ear (a) lacks, like an Advanced Equalizer in the app that allows you to customize a lot more about your sound profile, and the ability to share your EQ using a QR code. The Nothing Ear also has a personal sound profile feature that records data from your ear tip fit test, followed by a hearing test, to custom-make a sound profile for you.
In terms of actual listening, both earbuds sound really similar in use, the only difference being that when the Nothing Ear (a) has the most basic bass level turned on and transparency mode on, it sounds a bit more compressed than the Nothing Ear on the same settings, but not enough to pose any problems.
Battery life
Solid battery life from both will last you through the week
The battery life of the Nothing Ear is quite good, lasting 5.2 hours with ANC on and 8.5 with ANC off, and the case adds an additional 24 hours of battery life. This kind of battery life is pretty standard for wireless earbuds, and will definitely serve you well throughout your week, whether you’re commuting, using them at work, or using them while running errands.
The Nothing Ear (a) lasts even longer, with a 5.5 hour battery life with ANC on and 9.5 with ANC off, with an additional 24.5 hours of battery life provided by the case. This makes the Nothing Ear (a) just slightly better in terms of battery life, and they have the best battery life out of any Nothing earbuds released so far.
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Nothing Ear (a) vs Nothing Ear: Which should you buy?
If you want a more premium pair of earbuds, including wireless charge, advanced EQ features, and a more water- and dust-resistant case, you’ll probably prefer the Nothing Ear. It definitely feels like a pair of flagship earbuds in contrast to the Nothing Ear (a), and the more advanced sound profile features in the Nothing X app make for a very customizable listening experience.
Nothing Ear (a)
Editor’s Choice
If you’re looking to save some money but still want a solid pair of earbuds, especially ones with a cool design, the Nothing Ear (a) is still a great choice. They’re $50 cheaper, have a slightly longer battery life, and still have great noise-cancelling and sound quality. These are especially the better option if you don’t mind having fewer EQ options, especially since the more advanced EQ options on the Nothing Ear, while they seem cool, don’t seem completely necessary for everybody. The Nothing Ear (a) retains some of the best features that the Nothing Ear does, so they’re not at all a worse pair of earbuds, they’re just pared down more to the essentials, and stand as a great pair of earbuds on their own.
Nothing Ear
Great flagship choice
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