Nothing's second pair of wireless earbuds strike a perfect balance of performance and value.
The Nothing Ear in their cylindrical charging case next to the Nothing Ear in their smaller charging case .For the Ear , Nothing has packed the wireless earbuds in a cylindrical charging case that feels like a super-sized tube of Chapstick, particularly when slipped into a pocket.The Nothing Ear ‘s cylindrical charging case compared to the third-gen AirPods very compact charging case .
I wish the Ear ‘s charging case was asymmetrically weighted so it was less prone to rolling off a desk.Nothing likes to point out that the rotating case’s design means it won’t pop open on its own after an accidental fall, ejecting the wireless earbuds inside.
, but Nothing takes a more brutalist approach to the bud’s design with sharper angles and less contouring.PhotoThe Ear earbuds are only slightly heavier than the third-gen AirPods—4.4 grams compared to 4.28 grams, respectively—and are extremely comfortable to wear, even for longer periods.PhotoThe large bulb that sits just inside the ear is more or less the same size as the one atop the third-gen AirPods, however, I found that Nothing’s design sat more securely in my ear.
Call quality was also good, although, with a little more emphasis on higher and lower frequencies than the mid-range, I found. One person I called complained that higher frequencies, including sibilant consonants, were over-pronounced and uncomfortably high-pitched, although most couldn’t tell I was using wireless earbuds instead of my iPhone’s mic.With the new Ear , Nothing once again demonstrates that very good wireless earbuds don’t need to cost a small fortune.