New Nothing Ear and Ear (a) earbuds: audio innovation with a retro nod

Nothing’s newest audio package includes not one but two pairs of earbuds. As the must-have accessory to the brand’s distinctive Nothing (2) and Nothing (2a) smartphones, the Ear range has always punched above its weight, combining distinctive design with feature rich audio playback and a keen price point.

First up is the freshly simplified Nothing Ear, which takes the form factor and case shape of the original Ear (1) and Ear (2) and gives them an injection of new technology. As the flagship audio product of the range, Ear offers over five hours of listening time (eight hours without the powerful Automatic Noise Cancelling); pair it with a fully charged case and you should be able to get 40 hours of sound out of the package. 

Nothing Ear

The Nothing Ear case can also be wirelessly charged. The earbuds are equipped with the latest version of Nothing’s Clear Voice Technology, as well as a newly developed ceramic diaphragm, Nothing Ear is more powerful, with a new ‘Bass Enhance’ algorithm and personalised equalisation.

This involves using the updated Nothing X companion app and running the Personal Sound Profile, a set of tests that ensures you’re using the best fitted ear tip (small, medium and large are included), as well as a complete hearing test. Once these parameters have been established, Nothing Ear can compensate for your hearing discrepancies in real-time, creating a personal profile that can be shared and stored.

Nothing Ear (a)

Ear (a) is a more playful offering, marking the first time Nothing has branched away from its signature black, white and red palette. Available in white as well as vivid yellow, Ear (a) makes an unmistakable visual analogy with the iconic Sony Sports Walkman range, first introduced in 1984. Our recent tour of Nothing’s London studio revealed one of these distinctive personal cassette players in amongst the team’s accumulation of inspirational electronics, old and new.

The smaller case means that wireless charging isn’t offered, but otherwise the Ear (a) is very much on a par with the dearer model. Both earbuds feature the 3.0 version of Clear Voice, with AI-powered noise reduction and both pairs include Nothing’s ‘Find my earbuds’ feature, along with the ability to pair up with two devices at a time.

The slim stem is where the action is: a combination of pinches and holds can be customised to pause and start playback, answer calls, and cycle through the levels of noise cancelling. If you’re in the market for no-nonsense earbuds, Nothing’s newest offerings will do very nicely. 

Nothing Ear, £129 / $149 / €149, Nothing Ear (a), £99 / $99 / €99, Nothing.tech, @Nothing