Nothing Ear (a) Review: Good Bang for Your Buck?

The Nothing Ear (a) is the company’s latest audio offering. It is Nothing Earbuds’ younger sibling, aimed mostly at budget-conscious consumers. It features a ceramic diaphragm with an 11-mm dynamic driver and has powerful noise-cancelling capabilities with user-friendly features. The iconic transparent design continues to exist, but it has a playful twist thanks to bubble designs and new hues in vibrant yellow that make it eye-catching and fun. Read below to learn all about the new device in our Nothing Ear (a) Review.

Nothing Ear (a) Review: Design

The brand-new Nothing design language from the company comes with the Nothing Ear (a). Note that the Nothing’s Ear (a) series falls in the budget segment, similar to the Nothing Phone 2a, while the Ear series is a premium series. It comes with a clear case, which is really attractive and allows you to see the earbuds inside.

Nothing claims that although the device has a bubble-like shape, the design of the Ear (a) casing was inspired by regular pill packets. However, we think the casing seems like a tiny suitcase because of its raised contours. It is very elegant and it stands out because of its design. People will undoubtedly ask you about the TWS, wherever you take it. We still remember when we took out the Nothing Phone 1 for the first time. Many people at a cafe asked us about the phone and how gorgeous and unique it looked.

Also Read: Nothing Ear (2) review: They have hit the ball (hard) out of the park!

The battery can be charged via the type-C port, which is located at the back of the case.

We have the yellow colour variant for the review, and this is the first time that Nothing has used this kind of bright yellow colour.

Everything on the earphones is yellow, except for the stem, which is transparent. These earbuds are also quite durable and of excellent quality. It feels almost the same as the previous Nothing earbuds.

The hardware within is somewhat visible when viewed from the side of the stem. In contrast to other brands, the company uses a red and white dot to indicate left and right instead of marking the earbuds’ stem or casing. Similar to this, the earphone case has a red and white dot that you must match every time you need to place your headphones inside. 

This type of design pattern is highly engaging and user-friendly, and it has been utilised in the past. Knowing which portion the earbuds will go to is simple. On the left side of the case, there is an LED indicator that glows when the case is opened or charged.

The earphones have a great and very comfortable fit and finish. The earbuds both fit into the ears rather well. It is comfortable to wear for extended periods, and it won’t come off your ears easily. The fit is snug and secure.

The company gives you an additional pair of ear tips so you can use them according to your ear cavity size. The best thing is that they’re all colour-coordinated. It’s great that you can feel the haptic feedback from the earphones even when you pinch their stem.

Also Read: Nothing Ear (stick) Review: Great looks served with an impressive sound

Nothing Ear (a) Review: Performance 

Google FastPair compatibility is included with the Ear (a). A notification is sent to the nearby devices to connect as soon as you open the case. You must download the Nothing X app to your smartphone.

Pairing is simple. You can use the same method to connect any iOS smartphone or Android phone. 

With the Nothing X app, you can personalise your listening experience with custom settings. The game changer is its dual-device connection. It works perfectly and connects to two preset devices as soon as you open the case. However, at times you have to pause and wait for the earphones to change the audio source. 

The Nothing application provides controls for bass enhancement, noise reduction, and equalisation, as well as information about the battery level. There are four presets available on the equaliser: Voice, More Bass, More Treble, and Balanced.

It may be configured to produce the sound you desire. You can modify the sound to suit your needs using the custom option. In contrast, the Controls option allows you to personalise the earbud controls. Keep in mind that they lack volume controls on the earbuds and only have pinch controls instead of touch capability. When sleeping on one side, it can be troublesome as unintentional touches might occur, which is why pinch controls are preferable over touch controls. 

You can turn on or off the dual connection, high-quality audio, low lag mode, and in-ear detection in the settings. To enhance the game experience, the Low lag option is available that reduces latency. We’ve had a great time playing games while wearing these. No lags. Over that. three audio codecs are supported by the earphones: LHDC, LDAC, and AAC.

Three in-built microphones are also present in Ear (a), and the microphone in both earbuds is of excellent quality. During calls, the other person could clearly hear your voice, making it good for calling purposes. 

With Active Noise Cancellation enabled, background noise on the phone can be cut by up to 45 decibels. The unwanted sounds/noise in your surroundings are reduced to a large extent. You can modify noise cancellation, turn on transparency mode, and turn off the ANC with the app. Through the ‘Adaptive’ setting in the Nothing X app, Ear (a) determines the optimal amount of noise cancellation based on your environment in real-time, saving you the trouble.

Also Read: Nothing Ear 1 review: The first step in the right direction

The firm claims Ear (a) automatically checks for noise leakage between the earbud and your ear canal, then applies more noise cancellation to make up for it. 

The Ear (a) is outstanding in terms of sound quality and style. On the Nothing Ear (a), the company has integrated 11mm dynamic drivers. These possess both TPU and PMI. As said, the gadget has LDAC, SBC, and AAC capabilities. Especially in soundtracks with minimal bass, you can choose to boost the bass if you desire more bass. The device also provides a nice sound separation.

Furthermore, Ear (a) has ChatGPT integration, through which users may access pinch-to-speak action. To utilise this functionality, users must have ChatGPT and the most recent version of Nothing OS loaded on their Nothing phones. Then you can use it to access ChatGPT’s current services.

Each earbud contains a 46mAh battery, while the case has a 500mAh battery. However, there is no support for wireless charging included with these earphones. This comes with only a wired charging option. With the case, the battery lasts for 24 hours, and with the ANC turned on, you may listen to music with the buds for 5.5 hours, which increases to roughly 9 hours by turning it off. When combined with the case, the battery life is around 40 to 45 hours. 

The case is IPX2, while the audio device is IP54-certified.

Verdict

So this is our honest review of Nothing Ear (a). Ultimately, we would conclude that these are not the greatest TWS earbuds within the price range that is offered on the market. We have reviewed a lot of TWS in this price range, and if we are shelling out more than 7k for them, we anticipate a little bit more, like wireless charging. 

Saying that they do look stylish and can grab eyeballs. These also have pinch controls rather than touch controls and no volume controls. Although the case has a beautiful appearance, daily use may cause it to accumulate scratches over time, and the clear material may turn yellow and dull. Excellent ANC that can be immediately tweaked from the Nothing X app is available. The comfortable and snug fit makes it ideal for long workouts or daily trips. And yes, the devices pair with ease, and the battery life is exceptional, easily keeping them charged through the workweek. 

Nothing Ear (a) price in India: Rs 7,999

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Pros

• Unique and User-Friendly Design
• App Support
• Pinch Control
• Long Battery Life

Cons

• Lack Wireless Charging
• No Volume Control
• Priced a little higher
• Accumulate scratches