Nothing Ear (2) Review: Despite the fact that its name has led to a lot of puns and jokes about it, Nothing has fared reasonably well as a technology company in its relatively short time on the market. Its steady approach to its product lineup, which began in 2021 with the respectable Nothing Ear 1 true wireless earphones, is also commendable. After launching a few other products along the way, including its first smartphone, the Nothing Ear 2, the company’s first product of a second generation, features significant enhancements over its predecessor.
The Nothing Ear (2) is Truly Wireless’s replacement for the Nothing Ear 1. The most noticeable visual change is the case, which now has a more square appearance. These updated earbuds have a build that is very similar to their predecessor. They additionally accompany new highlights zeroed in on conveying an individualized listening experience, similar to a customized versatile dynamic commotion undoing (ANC) and a 3-band realistic EQ in the sidekick application. They also have a better IP54 rating to protect against splashes of water and dust.
Nothing Ear (2) Review
A book’s cover should never be the deciding factor. They wouldn’t be vying with the Nothing Ear 2 earbuds, which were just released over a month ago, if they did. Nothing, a technology company based in London, has introduced The Ear 2, hoping that people will look past the Jabras, Apples, and Samsungs to its innovative designs and great sounds. Even though the transparent original Ear (2) earbuds look the same, the next-generation model moves things along. The redesigned earbuds feature high-resolution audio LHDC support in addition to personalized sound and ANC. Nothing has ensured that the Ear (2) costs the same as the model it replaces, despite the fact that it includes numerous flagship features at an incredibly affordable price.
The Nothing Ear 2 will replace the Ear 1 beginning in 2022 and costs Rs 9,999. The Ear Stick earbuds, which were released in October of last year, are next to them. These noise-cancelling headphones outperform Jabra, Apple, Google, Samsung, and a slew of other brands, but can they deliver where it matters most? I’ve been using them for a while, and they’re a significant improvement over their predecessor. Let’s begin.
Nothing Ear (2) Review Details
| Article Name | Nothing Ear (2) Review: Price, Performance, Camera User Reviews & More Details |
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| Category | Tech |
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Nothing Ear (2) Review
With its Android and iOS-friendly design, The Nothing Ear (2) takes an unconventional approach to true wireless earbuds. It has the LHDC and AAC codecs, as well as ANC and a comprehensive app and other luxuries. The app’s generated personalized sound and ANC do not feel like they are custom, despite having some considerate features like IP54 and IP55 ratings for the buds and case, respectively. If you do your research, the lightweight earbuds might be worth more than their price.
Design and Comfort
For a really long time, we have seen the standard, worn out plan language for genuinely remote headphones on the lookout — Nothing has changed that. The Ear design idea developed by the Carl Pei-led company was a success. The only way to top that off would be to illuminate the case with RGB lights, giving the impression that you are holding a gamers’ den. Unfortunately, that is a wish we will keep for another time. The Nothing Ear (2) has a skeletal and translucent appearance with minor changes that adhere to the same design philosophy. It’s difficult to tell the two apart at first glance.
This time around, the case is smaller and thinner, making it easier to hold. It has a lighter feel despite being made of the same plastic. The case also undergoes subtle changes, such as a smaller dimple on the lid (don’t worry, it’s still a fidget). This is in addition to the slimming process. With the Ear (1), scratches were more likely to occur on the case’s bottom. With two distinct earbud indents, The Nothing Ear (2) improves on that. Additionally, it utilizes a divider with a matte finish that runs in the middle to prevent scratches. Although the bottom may be protected from scratches, the top still accumulates a lot. Even though we have been using the Ear (2) for more than a week, we still haven’t been able to open the case in the first place.
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On the right side, it still has the USB-Type C port and the pairing button. The earbuds are secure and do not easily slip out of the case. The earbuds are IP54-rated for water and dust resistance, while the case is IP55-rated. This is an improvement over last year’s IPX4 rating. Compared to last year, each earbud weighs 4.7 grams. They were still able to include a slightly larger battery despite the weight reduction. Except for the etched “Nothing Ear (2)” label on the stem, the earbuds themselves do not differ visually. You get the identical naked design that lets you look inside. The stem is painted black and the shell is painted white, and the entire body is made of high-quality plastic. The earbuds are angled to fit comfortably in your ears.
In terms of comfort, the Nothing Ear (2) is among the most comfortable earbuds we’ve ever worn. We like the in-ear design of the buds that come with them. The standard silicone tip is flush with our ear canal, making it impossible for outside noise to escape. We weren’t able to yawn, laugh, or shake our heads at the earbuds. the same test that failed the Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro. We used the earbuds while traveling, playing badminton, and jogging—there were never any issues. To avoid confusion, the left earbud has a white mark while the right one still has a red mark. The earbuds feel quite premium and sturdy overall.
The earbuds now have pressure-sensitive controls instead of capacitive touch controls, which is a subtle change from the previous generation. The Nothing Ear (2) might have been slightly better with it, despite the fact that we are not big fans of the latter. It is simple to press the buttons that respond to pressure. To avoid interrupting a call or putting the music on hold, we tended to pick the buds up with the shell rather than the stem. We can live with everything else, but the volume controls bothered us the most. It would have been more convenient to just swipe either upward or downward. The Nothing X app lets you set the controls—more on that in a moment.
Audio Performance and Features
An adapted dynamic driver measuring 11.6 mm is used in the earbuds. The diaphragm of the earbuds is constructed from a combination of polyurethane and graphene, in contrast to the previous model, which aids in the delivery of richer sounds. Additionally, it employs a dual-chamber design, which is typical of IEMs. When compared to the Ear, this contributes to improved airflow, which results in crisper high-end frequencies (1). These enhancements are commendable, but the support for LHDC 5.0, which basically means that you can listen to high-resolution audio provided your smartphone supports it, is even more welcome. This codec upholds up to 192kHz inspecting rates and up to 1Mbps bit rate.
SBC and AAC codecs are supported by The Ear (2), but aptX is not. Sadly, not every Android device supports LHDC. It is incompatible with devices like the powerful Samsung Galaxy S23+. So, we tried it on the Nothing Phone (1) (Review), which has LHDC support thanks to a recent update. You need to be aware that the majority of popular music can also be enjoyed on basic codecs like SBC and AAC—in fact, the iPhone only supports these—despite the fact that the whole codecs game can be a little bit confusing. Using Google Fast Pair and Microsoft Swift Pair, the earbuds can be connected quickly. Additionally, it supports multi-connection, which ensures seamless operation between Android, iOS, and Windows devices.
With an emphasis on the lower frequencies, The Nothing Ear (2) provides an energetic and vibrant sound experience. It has a sound signature that is shaped like a V and produces lively bass, which is especially evident in songs like “Heat Waves” by Glass Animals, “Pull Up” by KSI and JME, and “Escapism” by 070 Shake and Raye. However, despite the fact that the earbuds provide clear vocals and detailed highs, the treble in certain tracks, such as Heat Waves, where the snare is quite prominent, occasionally scares us.
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The earbuds focused on almost every aspect of Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody, making listening to classics like that enjoyable. Additionally, the earbuds provide excellent instrument separation, making them quite adaptable. Movie and television dialogue was also clear. The equalizer in the Nothing X app can assist you in slightly adjusting the levels if you prefer a different sound. Presets include Balanced, More Bass, which completely masks the mids, More Treble, and Voice, among others. We didn’t really like using these presets because each one had its own flaws. Balance was the way to go. You can also take a five-minute test for a personalized sound profile through the app. The app also has buttons for dual connection, in-ear detection, low lag mode, ANC settings, find my earbuds, and more.
In our use, the Ear (2) performed well and effectively muffled background noise. The earbuds proved their worth in a variety of settings, from the bustling Delhi streets to a canteen full of office gossipers. The app lets you choose between three different ANC modes: Transparency, noise cancellation, and off Depending on your preference, you can set the level anywhere from High to Adaptive. There are also six microphones in all, three on each earbud. Additionally, the call quality was excellent, with a clear voice and little background noise.
We compared the Nothing Ear’s sound to some of its counterparts in order to gain a deeper comprehension of it. Starting with the Nothing Ear (1), the sound is somewhat comparable, with the more recent model focusing more on the lower end and having a profile that sounds spacious due to the dual chamber design. Even though the fit and comfort are similar, ANC performs slightly better on the ear (2).
When we compared this to the OnePlus Buds 2 Pro, it really made our heads spin. The OnePlus emphasizes the treble more than the mids, resulting in a similar sound signature. The OnePlus Buds Pro 2 has dual drivers for 11mm woofers and 6mm tweeters. Additionally, we found that the Nothing Ear (2) fit our ears better. The Buds 2 Pro’s wider case makes it nearly impossible to open with one hand without performing thumb acrobatics, whereas the Ear does not have this problem (pun intended) (2). The Nothing Ear (2) had a better fit and better ANC than the Apple AirPods (3rd Generation), with silicon tips playing a small role. The AirPods, on the other hand, have a sound that is solid and well-balanced with less emphasis on the bass.
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Battery Life and Charging
With the case, the Nothing Ear (2) can play music for 36 hours (ANC off) and 6.3 hours with just the earbuds. The battery in the case is 485 mAh, and the battery in the earbuds is 33 mAh, which is a small improvement over last year. With noise cancellation enabled, we spent the majority of our time wearing the earbuds. In conclusion, the battery life was not particularly satisfactory. We barely managed to watch John Wick 2 and John Wick 3 in one sitting with ANC on: Parabellum before the buds must be taken care of. We were able to use the earbuds for a maximum of four hours while switching between two devices and listening to music. This is a problem that comes up often from the ear (1).
We also noticed that there was a difference between the two earbuds—the right one was always 10% lower than the left one. In addition, the earbuds have a low battery sound prompt that, due to its high volume, initially frightened us. Using a standard 20W PD charger, the case can be fully charged from dead in about 40 minutes. Reverse wireless charging and wireless charging are also supported.
Conclusion
Nothing Ear (2) has moved up the cost ladder, starting at Rs 9,999. Sadly, this means that it cannot be compared to its budget-friendly counterparts but rather to premium options like the OnePlus Buds Pro 2, Oppo Enco X, and Google Pixel Buds A. Soundstages and design approaches vary across each of them. With its transparent design, the company came up with a winning strategy. The Ear (2) is now a significantly improved version of the Ear (1) with some minor sculpting and refinements. The audio is lively and detailed thanks to the bespoke drivers. The inclusion of LHDC 5.0 and dual connection support are welcome additions. There are a lot of customization options in the Nothing X app, but the presets are useless in their current state. The battery is still a weakness in the armor of the ANC, despite its slight improvement.
Nothing Ear (2) Review FAQ’S
Is nothing ear good or bad?
The Nothing Ear 1 buds are super comfortable, sound good, and feature decent noise-canceling abilities. Nothing's signature transparent design philosophy reflects in the form factor of the earbuds, and you get all of this for a very comfortable price.
What is the difference between nothing ear 1 and 2?
Both have similar designs, build quality, stability, and comfort. While the Ear (2) have slightly worse-performing ANC than the Ear (1), their mic has improved significantly, making your voice sound more natural and better isolated from background noise during a call.
Does nothing ear 2 have spatial audio?
Folks interested in spatial audio can find it on the Google Pixel Buds Pro, but not on the Nothing Ear 2.
Is Nothing Ear 1 worth buying?
The Nothing Ear (1) offer decent sound for the price but you still won't get great bass. With fine if unremarkable battery life, the Nothing Ear (1) won't blow your mind if you need lots of battery. It's great there's a Nothing app but not being able to tweak the equalizer fully isn't ideal.
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