While Nothing has mostly focused its efforts thus far on creating devices that stand out from the competition through distinctive designs, the Ear (2) are proof that the young company is maturing and won’t always be relying on eye candy to sell its hardware. The follow-up to Nothing’s very first product brings some welcome under-the-hood improvements that make an excellent and affordable pair of wireless earbuds even better, even with a price bump.
When I reviewed the original Nothing Ear (1) wireless earbuds back in 2021, despite being absolutely exhausted from a long cycle of hype and teases leading up to their debut, I was impressed with what the new company had delivered: solid wireless earbuds with higher-end features like ANC for just $99. Nothing’s first smartphone might not have been groundbreaking, but the company’s second pair of wireless earbuds, the Ear (Stick), also left me impressed with what I felt was solid competition for Apple’s AirPods. The new Ear (2) wireless earbuds might not be as exciting as their predecessor, but there’s even more to like here, and they overall feel like a far more refined product.
A similar unboxing experience to the AirPods Pro 2
My unboxing experience with the Nothing Ear (2) was reminiscent of the experience I had when I first tested Apple’s AirPods Pro 2 against the original AirPods Pro: turns out the old and new versions are nearly identical, and I was worried I’d once again struggle to tell the earbuds apart while swapping them in and out of my ears.
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If you liked the distinctive look of the Nothing Ear (1) wireless earbuds, with their gratuitous use of clear plastic and exposed electronics, the Ear (2) will continue to tick all of your aesthetic preference boxes. They carry over the same protruding stem design, which feels well balanced in the ear, and still include three different sizes of white silicone ear tips.
Thankfully, unlike the AirPods Pro and AirPods Pro 2, which I have to keep in separate rooms for fear of ever mixing them up, the Ear (2) buds can be easily distinguished from the originals, as Nothing has actually labelled the stems with the product name. If you misplaced your reading glasses, however, you can also tell the two apart by the location of one of the tiny microphone holes, which has been moved closer to the wearer’s ear on the Ear (2).
Most of the physical design changes with the Ear (2) have been made to its charging case, which is slightly thinner, slightly smaller, and slightly boxier than the original, but functionality is exactly the same, including a USB-C port for a charging cable, as well as wireless charging capabilities. The case’s size reduction doesn’t come at the cost of battery life either, and instead sees it boosted by an additional two hours for the Ear (2).
I’m still a big fan of the Ear (1)‘s charging case, and the Ear (2) makes it even easier to slip into a pocket. But for a company still so focused on product design, I was really hoping Nothing would get a little more creative with the Ear (2)‘s charging case. Although it might not be quite as pocketable, the charging case for Nothing’s Ear (stick) was a great reimagining of what that accessory could be, and I often find myself grabbing those buds when heading out the door just because I really like their novel case design. (They also happen to be excellent and comfortable earbuds.)
The Nothing 2 Earbuds say say goodbye to the volume slider
It comes down to personal preference whether you’ll consider this an upgrade or not, but for the Ear (2), Nothing has removed the touch slider on each earbud’s stem, which allowed users to either tap the bud or slide their finger up and down the stem to access shortcuts like playback and volume controls.
Like the Ear (stick) and Apple’s various AirPods, the Ear (2) now feature a ‘button’ near the bottom of each bud’s stem that users can squeeze, double squeeze, or squeeze and hold to activate various shortcuts, which are extremely customizable using the Nothing X mobile app. It works, and it works more reliably than the touch interactions on the Ear (1) while eliminating accidental presses. But I personally find having to grab and squeeze the stems tends to easily dislodge the earbuds from my ears, requiring constant adjustments.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, but Sony has all but solved the issues around activating earbud shortcuts with its LinkBuds, which feature motion sensors capable of detecting taps made on the parts of the wearer’s face surrounding their ears. It’s simple, it’s incredibly effective, and there’s never any risk of the earbuds being bumped or dislodged in the process. I wish other wireless earbud makers would pursue a similar approach. Until that happens, I find a smartwatch works as a better remote control when listening to music or podcasts.
A noticeable improvement over the Nothing Ear (1)
Like the AirPods Pro 2, the Ear (2)‘s biggest upgrades are really only apparent when you stick them in your ears. Although I found the Ear (1)‘s sound performance to be quite good given their original $99 price tag, the Ear (2) are a very noticeable improvement, thanks in part to Nothing finally having enough of a presence in the tech world to implement a custom-designed, 11.6-millimeter driver this time around, instead of having to rely on off-the-shelf components.
Music sounds more expansive through the Ear (2), with lows that deliver a more satisfying thump paired with clearer, more present highs. They definitely hold their own against pricier alternatives like the AirPods Pro 2, but still don’t quite outperform the listening experience that Apple delivers, which sounds more polished and better balanced. If the AirPods Pro 2 were the earbud equivalent of a Porsche that’s been incrementally improved over the decades to offer an incredibly satisfying driving experience right off the lot, the Ear (2) are more like the street racers from The Fast and the Furious, pairing performance with customizability through the Nothing X app to suit every user’s specific tastes.
If you don’t like how the Ear (2) sound right out of the box, you can adjust their sound profile through a handful of presets, or manually adjust the balance of the bass, mid, and treble frequencies. It’s not as robust as the adjustable EQs other wireless earbuds offer, but it’s good enough for a pair of $149 earbuds.
Active noise cancellation on wireless earbuds isn’t the best way to describe that feature, because unwanted noises are definitely not being completely cancelled on tech this small. The Ear (2)‘s ANC is definitely one of its more disappointing upgrades. It offers slightly better performance than the ANC the Ear (1) offered, but not by much. It’s most capable of cutting out lower-end frequencies, like the deep roar of a jet’s engines inside a plane’s cabin, or the rumble of a subway car, but most higher-end din still easily slips through.
The quiet trickle of water flowing through a hydroponic garden some 20 feet away from me still easily slipped past the Ear (2)‘s ANC. If ANC is important to you, stick with over-ear headphones, which are far more effective. If you want a less effective but less intrusive solution, the Apple AirPods Pro 2 justify their more expensive price tag by running circles around the Ear (2)‘s ANC.
Personalized Sound Profiles? Personally, It’s a Pass For Me.
One of the features I was most excited about when the Nothing Ear (2) were announced was being able to personalize the sound through a simple hearing test, instead of having to manually make EQ adjustments in the Nothing X app.
It’s a feature I first tested on the Grell Audio TWS/1 wireless earbuds last year, which worked alongside the Sonarworks’ SoundID app. There, the app has users listen to a series of A/B tests featuring audio tracks with different mixes and simply select which one they prefer each time. The results are then compiled into a unique sound profile that can be turned on or off, and it really did make my playlists sound noticeably better through the TWS/1.
Unfortunately, I can’t say the same for the sound personalization on the Ear (2). The test offered in the Nothing X app, based on the Mimi app, is more like the hearing tests administered by a doctor. Users are asked to find a quiet place and turn off any other sounds on the device that could be a distraction. During the test, the user hears mostly white noise through the Ear (2) earbuds, with a quiet beeping sound that occasionally fades in and out. When you hear it, you simply hold down a large button on screen until you don’t hear it any more.
After about five minutes of testing, a customized sound profile is created that is designed to account for hearing loss, boosting frequencies that the user’s ears may not detect. The approach seems logical, but the results are kind of unpleasant, and make it sound like the Ear (2) are overly compensating. You can turn down the intensity of the custom sound profile to find a happy medium, but it didn’t take long for me to abandon this approach altogether.
Are the Nothing Ear (2) Earbuds Better Enough?
When the Nothing Ear (stick) arrived last November for $99, the Ear (1) got a $50 price bump to $149, making the earbuds, which were a year-and-a-half old at that point, a harder sell. For $150, alternatives like the Beats Studio Buds offered better sound and ANC.
But I definitely think the improvements made to the Nothing Ear (2) help justify that $50 price bump. The sound improvements alone now help them better compete with the competition’s offerings at that $150 price point, and while the Ear (2)‘s ANC feels like it’s starting to fall farther and farther behind what’s offered on other wireless earbuds, more reliable connectivity might be an even more compelling reason for Ear (1) users to upgrade. The best Ear (2) experience comes with pairing it to Nothing’s smartphone, but the earbuds remain a compelling option for those also wanting something that just looks different.
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