Introduction
Hi everyone, I recently got my hands on the Nothing Ear (open) and wanted to share my thoughts. Here’s a full review of my experience using them for the past week.
I’ve been using in-ear headphones for as long as I can remember. I’ve always liked that it seals your ear, so you can only hear the music. Later on, with the introduction of ANC, this feeling was even more emphasised. I’ve always been satisfied with this experience, which led me to stop exploring other types of headphones. Because of this, I never took the opportunity to try this category. So I was in for a surprise. I’ve always assumed that it wouldn’t sound as good as in-ears, but I was wrong…
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Design & Comfort
Instead of the square case we’re used to seeing from Ear, this time we get a pill (or stadium) shaped case. The case has that iconic transparent lid with the snappy magnet lock to keep it closed. There are magnets where the buds are located, so they automatically get positioned for the charging pins. There’s another dimple in the centre of the lid, which is great for playing with! If you have large hands, you can even keep it between your index finger and thumb and spin it around. The only slight issue I noticed is that when the earbuds are in the case, there’s a little bit of movement between the batteries and the case, which can create a bit of rattling noise when shaking the case. It’s a minor issue, but it’s something that could be improved in the design. I might try using a small piece of electrical tape to see if that fills the gap.
The earbuds themselves are lightweight. The white silicone feels really soft and flexible, and I like the look of the aluminium end caps (which hold the battery). It might even help with weight distribution, which would increase comfort, but that’s just my assumption. They fit my ear really well and after just a few minutes I’m already forgetting I’m wearing them, which really shows how comfortable they are! The next day, I decided to put them through their paces with an endurance test. While I was working from home, I started wearing them at 9 am and took them off at 5 pm. I wasn’t allowed to take them out at any point during this time. I wanted to see what effect they would have on ear fatigue. To sum up, I wore them for 8 hours: I didn’t experience any ear fatigue, as I mentioned before. You barely even notice they’re still there. They fit my ear really well, so they don’t move at all. I’m really happy with how this has gone. While I can wear in-ears for longer periods, I still get a bit of itchiness every now and then. I didn’t experience any discomfort with the Ear (open).
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Sound Quality
The first song I put on absolutely surprised me. I was prepared for a flat and probably bass-less sound, but my expectations were definitely wrong. I was going through my notes and I noticed the following quote:
It’s hard to describe what I’m hearing right now, but I’m smiling which means it’s good.
This is still the case – it really is something you have to experience for yourself to understand. I was surprised at how full the sound was and there was some decent bass too! It can’t quite match the bass of Ear, but this is a different kind of audio product. At that moment, I realised this isn’t about whether it’s better or as good as Ear. It’s more about experiencing something totally new. It’s the first time in over 15 years of using in-ears that I’ve been able to hear the music in my ears while still being able to hear my surroundings just as well. Of course, we have Transparency mode on the Ear, but it doesn’t come close to this level of transparency with Ear (open). You don’t even have to pause the audio when you’re interacting with others.
Next, let’s talk about sound leakage. With the open aspect, will others around me hear it too?
In a completely quiet room, the other person can still hear some sound, but it’s limited to the highs. As soon as there’s background noise, like a TV, people chatting or just the usual office sounds, no one can hear anything at all.
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Features
I had to pause the music a couple of times during my 8-hour endurance test because I got an incoming call on a different device. That meant I didn’t reach a full 8 hours of runtime, but I definitely got 7+ hours. When I finished the test, I still had 30% battery left! I was really impressed that they lasted this long without charging. This means they’re great for getting you through a full working day. I haven’t had a chance to try them out as my headset yet, but that’s definitely something I’m looking forward to doing. Based on the spec list, the talk time should be 6 hours, which seems realistic given the playback time I managed to reach.
It also comes with Fast Pair, which means I could open the case and it would already pair them with my Nothing Phone 2. Once you add them to the Nothing X app, you can start customising them if you want to.
In terms of connectivity, It supports the AAC and SBC codecs. Some people might be surprised by the lack of LDAC/LHDC, but honestly, in this audio category, I don’t think you can even hear the difference between codecs. So, for me, it’s not something I miss at all. By default on my phone (2), it uses AAC, which is labelled as HD-Audio.
It has the same Pinch Control which I got used to from the previous Nothing Audio Products, with a small remark that this required a little adjustment in the angle of approach, but I got used to it in a short time already.
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Usability
To come back to a point a made earlier in this review: Using Ear (open) unlocked a new way for me how I like to listen to music in certain situations. With in-ears I was always isolating myself away from everything else besides the music. Although this still has my preference for lets say commuting, focussing myself in a busy office or crowded places, it also has its downsides. While wearing Ear in the office and getting a coffee, I always felt a bit awkward as soon as someone else walked in there. In most cases I had to remove my Ear and excuse myself for not hearing what they said.
The Ear (open) enabled a way more casual listening experience for me during times I don’t really need the isolation. It gives me the ability to always hear my music ‘in the background’ while still being fully aware of my surroundings. I definitely didn’t expect this experience to be that pleasant for me.
During the last week I haven’t been able to try them during my work-outs, but that definitely on my list and might even happen today already. I want to know if they’re able to hold position during my handstand walks! So I will have to update my review as soon as I have some experience while working out.
Update: Handstand walk approved ✅
One thing I didn’t mention yet, but definitely don’t want to skip: Besides the pleasant experience of using them to listen to music, they also perform really great while listening to Podcasts and YouTube videos. Voices sound really clear and in combination with the ‘open’ aspect feels very natural. When I go out for a walk from now on, I probably will take the Ear (open) with me. Listening to a Podcast and still hearing the sounds of nature during your walk is 👌
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Conclusion
I come to a point where both Ear and Ear (open) have their own use case depending on the situation you’re in. It’s not a matter of is one able to replace the other, but which fits better to the environment I’m stepping into to.
The Nothing Ear (open) has pleasantly surprised me with its design, comfort, and sound quality. Despite my initial scepticism, these earbuds offer a unique listening experience, allowing me to enjoy music while staying aware of my surroundings. The comfort level is great, with no ear fatigue or itches even after extended use. The sound quality, though different from in-ears, is impressive in this category. The battery life add to the overall positive experience. While they may not replace in-ears for all situations, they have certainly found a place in my daily routine for more casual listening.
