OR Nothing, the brainchild of its co-founder OnePlus Carl Pei, introduced a new set of wireless headphones, the Nothing Ear (2). The headphones Nothing Ear (2) value 149 dollars are remarkable both inside and out - with their elegant design, range of features and affordable price, they promise to be a tempting choice compared to the AirPods, the Galaxy Buds or the Sony LinkBuds SBut do these headphones offer enough to make them worth buying?
After all, they come from a company that isn’t known to many. The company made its big debut in 2021 when it released the Nothing Ear (1) and now, thanks to the admirable performance of Ear (stick) , it’s gained some attention here in the States due to its focus on creating an open dialogue between customers and itself.
However, Ear (2) is still relatively new to the market, and the Nothing hasn't been released in the U.S. yet. As a result, many people living in North America haven't heard of the brand.
With these headphones, you get more than just a stylish design - they also offer a great and long-lasting experience. What's more, the only limitation to their use is how long they can last on a full charge - so why not buy them
Transparent design
Nothing has created a remarkable design with the Ear (2) that is truly one of a kind. These earbuds are crafted primarily from clear plastic, giving them a sophisticated and sleek look that is unlike any other product on the market. Despite their resemblance to their predecessor, the Ear (1) , this version still provides you with a high-quality build that is designed to make you stand out from anyone else using AirPod knockoffs or tiny dot-shaped earbuds!
The case for the headphones is almost identical to the Ear (1), except it has a more scratch-resistant plastic coating. Nothing claims this will make it last longer than before.
Comfortable headphones with easy-to-learn controls
Let's just say that the Earbuds (2) bear a striking resemblance to AirPods, and that's certainly not a negative thing.
Nothing headphones are the perfect combination of comfort and usability - they provide a secure fit without causing discomfort after long listening sessions. Plus, with an IP54 rating , you don't have to worry about sweat either!
With the Nothing X companion app, nothing has made finding the right size earbuds a breeze. A unique ear-fit test feature helps you verify that your earbuds have created a seal for maximum noise cancellation and sound quality performance. And, if it suggests you switch to a larger or smaller pair – no problem! You’ll get a set of extra ear tips included in the box, so you can find exactly what fits you best.
Like AirPods, the Ear Stems (2) offer easy pinch control for media playback. A single pinch will play and pause your music, a double pinch will skip tracks or reject phone calls, and a triple pinch will skip back to previous tunes – plus, pinching and holding will activate noise cancellation. You can also customize these gestures to your liking, as there are almost no false triggers!
Excellent sound quality with many personalization options
The sound quality of any pair of headphones is absolutely essential, especially when it comes from a company that isn't as well-known as its competitors.
The truth is that the sound quality of these headphones is excellent and can compete with that of the AirPods Pro (2nd generation), Galaxy Buds 2 Pro or Sony LinkBuds S. The 11.6mm drivers are rebuilt using a two-chamber design, which amplifies softer sounds while allowing louder tones to be more distinct.
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If you want to take your music experience to the next level, Nothing has you covered with its new Personalized Sound. To create a sound profile specifically for your ears, it will run an extensive test that plays different audio signals over white noise. It can identify which frequencies and intensities are most detectable by your ear – and then adjust or turn them off to suit your preferences!
If the custom sound feature isn't what you're looking for, don't worry – we've got more! Additional EQ in the companion app can help you fine-tune your sound.
Equipped with support for the LHDC 5.0, these headphones can give you a high-resolution audio experience – as long as your phone is compatible. So far, only certain Oppo, Huawei, Honor , and Xiaomi , as well as the Nothing Phone (1).
Active noise cancellation is good
The active noise cancellation on the Ear (2) is excellent. While I wouldn't claim it beats any pair of headphones I've tried, the sound isolation this model provides certainly provides enough protection from background noise and distractions.
Additionally, Nothing's Ear (2) introduces Personalized ANC, similar to the Personalized Sound. This runs a test with audio signals of various frequencies that measure how well the microphones in the headphones can block noise from entering your ears.
With Adaptive Mode for the Ear (2) enabled , you no longer have to worry about the noise levels in your environment. It will automatically change the noise cancellation level as needed to eliminate gusts and provide an uninterrupted listening experience – a feature that is especially useful when it comes to mitigating wind.
Excellent companion app
The companion Nothing X app for Android and iOS is a great experience. All the branded buttons and options are laid out in a way that never overwhelms you with clutter, while the design remains fast and responsive – something that is sadly lacking in many wireless headphones. It’s clear why Nothing did it when they created this intuitive technology!
Battery life is very disappointing
Despite their numerous advantages, the Nothing Ear (2) unfortunately cannot hold a charge for long periods of time.
With ANC turned off, the earbuds can last up to 6.3 hours – an upgrade from their predecessor which only lasted six hours. However, when you turn ANC on, the battery life drops significantly to four hours! This is dismal compared to other competitors, such as Apple ’s AirPods Pro (2nd generation) which only last six hours with ANC on and Samsung ’s Galaxy Buds 2 Pro which have a battery life of five hours while using noise cancellation technology. On top of that, Google ’s Pixel Buds Pro go for a full seven hours even while using active noise cancellation features!
The charging case can provide a total of 36 hours of audio experience while ANC is off. With ANC on, users can expect up to 25-26 hours – which is in line with other popular headphones in this category – however, when removed from the case, battery life is significantly reduced.
Amazingly, you can have the best of both worlds with the Ear (2), as it offers wireless charging and a fast charging rate. With just ten minutes plugged into a power source, you'll get eight hours of listening time!
No spatial audio support
Spatial audio has become the hottest new technology in headphones lately . It offers a more immersive 360-degree audio experience when connected to compatible audio sources. From Apple 's AirPods and Google 's Pixel Buds Pro to Sony 's premium WF-1000XM4 headphones , many devices have incorporated this powerful feature into their designs.
Unfortunately, the Nothing Ear (2) doesn't have this feature. To keep the price down, they had to leave it out. While spatial audio isn't that popular yet, it's a shame for those who rely on it every day.
Transparency feature could be better
When you press and hold the stem of any earbud, you'll hear a distinctive exhalation sound to let you know that transparency has been activated. This feature allows the microphones to record the sounds of your surroundings, so you don't have to take your earbuds off to talk to other people!
After comparing the Ear (2)s ' transparency feature to other headphones, such as the AirPods Pro , Galaxy Buds 2 Pro , and LinkBuds S , it unfortunately falls short of all of them. While it's not a bad implementation per se, voices are usually too low to be easily heard - plus, higher frequencies sound muffled instead of crisp compared to competing models.
See also: Carl Pei's innovative Nothing speakers are coming!
This feature is certainly useful, especially if you want to quickly order a cup of coffee without having to take off your headphones. However, its quality doesn't compare favorably to competing offerings.
Not ideal for iPhone users
The Nothing X app is impressively consistent across multiple operating systems, with the exception of iPhones . You won't be able to use all the features supported by the Ear (2)s if they're connected to an Apple device .
Unfortunately, users can't access high-resolution – for those with an iPhone, Apple provides a proprietary codec that only works with its headphones and allows for lossless audio streaming. If you're planning on listening to music in higher definition with the Ear (2), unfortunately you won't be able to take advantage of this incredible feature, as it's exclusive to Apple products.
Unfortunately, iOS users can't take advantage of the convenient Quick Pairing pop-up feature that Android users can access during initial setup. Additionally, there's no way to sync the Ear(2)s with your Apple ID and connect them to all your devices — a feature that's readily available with Google accounts .
The Nothing Ear 2 headphones remind us that technical specifications aren't all that important. In fact, they're a slight upgrade over their predecessor - the Ear 1 headphones - with an identical design and battery life, better durability and additional software features.
If you're looking for a stylish pair of mid-range headphones, but don't want to spend the money on something like the offerings from Sony, Apple , and Samsung – look no further than the Nothing Ear 2s! At $149, they're still relatively affordable, while offering everything their predecessor has without any of the drawbacks. While they would be an even better deal if they were available for under $100, the design of these headphones is worth every penny in this price range!
Source: edition.cnn.com
