Nothing started off as an audio brand, though its phone offerings, complete with their funky designs and Glyph interface, have grabbed more limelight in recent times. The Nothing Ear (1) (review) which launched in 2021, marked not just the debut of the brand, but also set the tone for the transparent design language which is quickly becoming iconic. Nothing followed that up with the Ear (stick) (review) and Ear (2) (review) TWS buds, and now, has two new contenders in the audio segment in the form of the Nothing Ear and the Nothing Ear (a). The former follows in the footsteps of its predecessors, at least in terms of the overall design, but the Ear (a) brings a fresh perspective into the mix. The Ear (a) comes as a more affordable version of the Ear (review), cutting down on some of the frills such as wireless charging, but retaining the best features such as ANC.
Table of Contents
Design
Maybe it’s just me, but each time I look at it, the Nothing Ear (a) reminds me of a miniature tiffin box, complete with a couple of poached eggs inside, visible in all their glory through the transparent lid. Blame it on the shape of the case these TWS buds come in, and the bright yellow colour theme. To be more specific, the top half of the case, which is essentially its lid, uses transparent, clear plastic, while the bottom half and the buds are done in bright yellow. Of course, instead of yellow, you could go with the black or white version, but where’s the fun in that? The case is reasonably compact, with its flat design making it quite pocketable, without an unsightly bulge visible when they’re resting inside your pocket.
A type-C port is located at the back, while a tiny LED and an almost invisible pairing button are located alongside the buds’ resting positions inside the case. The buds themselves retain the familiar oval shape the brand has used before, with transparent stems that show their innards. The fit and finish of the buds are great, and they’re quite lightweight (just under 5 grams each) and comfortable to wear for long periods. The case, however, could be susceptible to scuffs and scratches and does feel a tad bit plasticky.
Specifications and features
On offer are 11mm drivers, Bluetooth 5.3 connectivity, and IP54 splash resistance. Supported audio codecs include SBC, AAC, and LDAC. The Ear (a) support dual connection and can switch between two paired audio sources seamlessly. In addition, there’s a low-lag mode for gaming as well. A bunch of functions can be controlled via pinch actions, i.e. by squeezing the stems.
A single pinch is mapped to play/pause and answer/end calls, while a double pinch skips forward, a triple pinch moves back, and a long pinch switches between sound modes (ANC, transparency etc). Of course, these can be customised via the companion app. I found these controls slightly finicky to master in the beginning, since the stems need to be pinched right in the middle for the action to register. However, it was smooth going once I had figured that out.
Also, seeing how AI is the buzzword these days, Nothing’s efforts to integrate ChatGPT with its latest TWS offerings is interesting. So if you have one of the Nothing phones running its latest Nothing OS 2.5.5 build and ChatGPT installed, you can invoke the latter as a smart assistant using a pinch and hold gesture. I tried it using a Nothing Phone (2a) without much success, so it looks like it’s still a tad iffy for now. Still, the brand deserves credit for its attempt — and hopefully, it’ll evolve into something useful down the line.
App
Nothing X works as the companion app, and as usual, you can find it to download both on the Apple App Store as well as the Google Play Store. The app uses Nothing’s signature dotted font, and right up front, offers options to set EQ, customise controls, switch sound modes, and tweak bass. The bass enhance feature has five different levels, and ANC has three, with an additional adaptive option being available too. The equaliser is set to More Bass by default, but you can choose balanced, more treble, or voice mode, or set a custom one as per your preferences.
Suffice it to say, there are quite a few options available to customise the sound as per your taste. Diving into settings allows to toggle features like in-ear detection, low lag mode, and dual connection. There’s a find my earbuds feature too, along with an ear fit test which guides the user on finding the ideal fit for the ANC to be effective.
Sound quality and ANC
Speaking of, the 45dB ANC is reasonably effective and drowns out ambient noise rather well. I like the transparency mode as well. it’s quite useful when one wants to stay aware of the surroundings without needing to remove the buds from the ears. Call quality is decent as well. The overall audio quality is tuned towards bass by default, but you can change it around and enjoy a rich, full, and balanced sound that works well across genres. The soundstage is wide and the buds can deliver crisp highs and mids, without letting the bass get too overwhelming. If you like your bass though, the bass boost feature helps deliver punchy beats. All in all, you shouldn’t be disappointed with what the Nothing Ear (a) have to offer in terms of sound quality. Battery life
Unlike the pricier Ear, the Ear (a) don’t offer wireless charging. But they can be juiced up fast and when full, the buds alone promise to deliver up to 5.5 hours of battery life with ANC on, with that time going up to 42.5 hours if the reserve tank in the case is included. In my usage, I was only able to shave off about half the charge in a week’s worth of usage, using the buds daily for varying lengths of time each day. I’d say the battery life is pretty good.
Verdict
Priced at Rs 5,999 initially and eventually moving up to Rs 7,999, the Nothing Ear (a) makes for a worthy purchase and comes across as better value for money as compared to its pricier siblings. Close rivals for the Ear (a) include the OnePlus Buds 3 (review) and the OPPO Enco Air 3 Pro (review), and these are worth close consideration as well, especially considering they can be had for less. The Nothing Ear (a), at its full price of Rs 7,999, feels priced on the higher side, but for your money, you get a funky-looking pair of TWS buds that offer great sound and battery life, and a useful set of features as well.
Editor’s rating: 8 / 10
Pros:
- Funky design
- Lightweight & comfortable
- Good ANC & sound quality
- Long battery life
Cons:
- Prone to scuffs & scratches
- Case feels plasticky
- Priced on the higher side
