Kota
I’ve been using ear (1) for over a week now, and I’m finally ready to share some of my thoughts. I’ll start by noting that I didn’t strictly ‘test’ the product, I simply used them in the same way that I used the product they’re replacing in my life - the Oneplus Buds Z. You won’t find any obscure drop or frequency response tests here, just what I learnt through what I would consider regular day-to-day use. I hope that this perspective is of use to the majority of people.
Design
The design of ear (1) is by far its most unique feature and appears to be one of the more controversial topics of discussion among professional tech reviewers. I like the design - in a world saturated by white plastic AirPod clones, ear (1) offers a breath of fresh air with a design that gives the wearer a feeling of pride for breaking convention and looking unique.
Ear (1) is home to micro details that deserve closer inspection to be fully appreciated. The dotted texture inside the charging case, the impossibly small silver meshes that cover the microphones and the perfectly shiny, tiny magnets to hold everything together; the scale and precision of these elements will be fiddly to manufacture - proof if needed, that Nothing has sweated the small stuff with this first product and did not settle for a basic design simply because it’s easier to achieve.
The exposed circuitry on the rear of the earbud stems is a highlight design element for me; a satisfying showcase of components that illustrates the skill that went into designing the product. I think the exhibition of internals is something that could have been taken further with ear (1), the secrets within the earbud chambers and the charging case are yet to be revealed but perhaps these components were less easy to make beautiful…I suppose we’ll have to wait until iFixit can get their hands on a pair to find out!
A concern is the case scratching issue, which is already well documented. As a result, I’ve been very conscious of my ear (1)’s sharing a pocket with keys or loose change. It is worth considering, however, whether the end-user should be expected to treat a device with such caution? I don’t think many buyers will be pleased with the vulnerability of the plastics used throughout ear (1)’s build. The durability of the plastic is something that will need to be improved when it comes to translating ear (1)s design elements into other products, such as phones.
Sound
I am not an audiophile, I have never spent considerable money on a pair of head/earphones and, at £99, I don’t think the ear (1)s are designed for such people.
The internet is awash with polarising views, claiming that ear (1) either sounds awful or sounds brilliant; I think they sound great, better than the Oneplus Buds Z’s, with plenty of volume and a broader soundstage than I’m used to. The balanced EQ setting is the easiest aspect to recommend. I thought they lacked a low-end punch, to begin with, but quickly realised my Z’s were just very bass-heavy. I spent a lot of time listening to songs I know intimately and can confidently say that I started hearing details in those tracks that I’ve not heard before (I’m listening to the end of M83’s Outro, appreciating the subtle strings over the final piano section).
(A tip for OnePlus users, I would recommend turning off scenario-based enhancement in your Dirac audio tuner settings, so as not to interfere with Teenage Engineering’s tuning efforts.)
Active Noise Cancellation (ANC)
I recall the excitement here in the forums when we learnt of ANC making its way into Nothing’s inaugural product. By a busy road, or on the metro, this feature excels - turning it off, you realise just how loud the ambient world is. The ANC is less successful in more complex environments such as at the gym where music is playing loudly, or in an arcade, but the feature is still very useful for improving the overall listening experience. I can’t draw a comparison to other noise-cancelling devices, as until now, I’ve never owned one, so I’m happy that the feature is present and I think that this alone will help sell a lot of units.
Comfort and Fit
The earbuds are very lightweight - the bulbous curved chambers rest comfortably in the ear and distribute what weight there is across a broad area. There also appear to be vents on the buds that prevent the sensation of a pressured seal in your head (particularly important when working out or travelling by plane). The earbud stems are long enough to perform volume control gestures, but not so long that they can rest on your face, as my Z’s used to. Wearing the earbuds for 40+ minutes never resulted in any discomfort and I only needed to re-seat them in my ears a few times whilst at the gym.
During my first few days with ear (1) I found that periodically music would cut out while walking, something I didn’t expect from a brand new device and it was very frustrating. I soon realised this was being caused by the in-ear detection feature. This was easily fixed by turning the feature off through the app although it is a shame to sacrifice the autoplay/pause ability in order to solve this problem.
Battery and Charging
The battery life of ear (1) so far has been very good and I have yet to fully discharge the buds from a single listening session. The passive charging that occurs whilst the buds are stored in the case means they’re always topped up and ready to go. I have observed the issue where the app is displaying incorrect charge levels (particularly the right earbud), however, it has not been detrimental to my overall experience.
Charging over USB-C is super convenient but the included cable is very short; I’ve been using my OnePlus charger when required instead. Charge times are very fast and the external LED shows the charging status clearly. I have yet to use wireless charging but I imagine this feature is convenient for those who charge their phones via Qi already.
ear (1) App
Aside from the initial setup, the ear (1) companion app doesn’t offer a great deal of day-to-day functionality to justify a place on my phone’s home screen. I think this is a positive thing - ear (1)’s settings only needed to be configured once before I enjoyed listening. There are, however, a number of features that add genuine value to the app and make customisation easy: ‘Find My Earbud’, firmware updates, device renaming and equaliser toggles in particular.
Final Thoughts
The ear (1) is easy to recommend with a standout design and premium features offered at a mid-low end price point. There are some minor issues (such as the in-ear sensor and the incorrect battery display) but these could be easily fixed via an OTA update.
For me, the experience of owning ear (1) extends beyond sound and specifications; they’re a conversation starter, a fidget toy and probably one of the most uniquely designed products I’ve ever bought. If ear (1) is anything to go by, Nothing is poised to shake up whatever product category it targets next, challenging norms by making other devices look boring.
