Summary
Purchasing these a month (and some change) after launch, I was excited to get my hands on the Ear(Open) after my positive relationship with Ear(Stick) https://nothing.community/d/1895-earstick-long-term-discussion. In summary, I’m really glad I’ve made the purchase and these continue to complement my wider audio consumption methods.
Open-Ear Experience
Ear(Open) has no user noise cancelling features, these embrace the open-ear target market and lend themselves to becoming the soundtrack to the wearer’s life. Imagine the opening scene from Baby Driver, dancing through the world, while being acutely aware of everything in your surroundings, Ear(Open) will have you dancing down the street like you’re in a movie.
Ear(Stick) Comparison
Ear(Stick) became a go-to for going on a walk while consuming podcasts because they still enabled me to hear the world, but enjoy an audiobook/spoken word. I specifically call out voice-heavy media because that’s what I felt Ear(Stick) excelled at, but their downfall was complex music tracks against a busy background. While Ear(Stick) is capable of delivering solid sound in good conditions, Ear(Open) unlocks this capacity for music tracks in more challenging scenarios, not only that, but with a quiet background, the sound they deliver is punchy, clear and full. With the benefit of the arm wrapping around the ear, Ear(Open) also feel very secure, which was always a concern with Ear(Stick) requiring adjustments every so often.
Sound
With minimal background noise, at ~60% volume, I’ve been surprised by the level of base generated by Ear(Open), at first I felt this didn’t quite balance right for my preference, but with the full EQ suite of Nothing X, I’ve been able to dial my listening experience into what I desire. This same EQ feature enabled me to create a couple of profiles for different environments such as while working, walking near a busy road or in the middle of a busy town on market day, with these profiles, I can then make the most of Ear(Open)'s sound quality despite still being able to hear my surroundings.
Design
Nothing’s design language is clearly on display as ever with Ear(Open), the case is sleek and fits well into the pocket (@Derren compared this to a Google TV Controller which is very accurate), a particular point for me is the hinge on the device, as with other Ear products, the metal hinge is solid and firm, resulting in a satisfying close. With the buds in the case, there is a slight rattle from the batteries, but this will only be annoying if you don’t carry something else like keys which will rattle more!
The buds themselves are lightweight, and comfortable and feel as though they disappear while being worn after a minute or so, the PCB layers are clearly on display as would be expected from a Nothing product, with distinct components visible, they look as premium as they feel. They fit nicely into my ear and don’t interfere with my glasses, that said this might be a subjective experience as I know a few people who have tried these on and not been able to make them sit comfortably, one being my wife whose ears are almost filled by the bud.
Ear(Open)'s arm wrapping around the ear results in a more secure feeling and while this may be targetted toward runners/exercise users (@Mr Steel with the handstand!) I believe this style of bud can fit into many lifestyles, be that walking a dog, not wanting to have in-ear experience or complimenting a set of Ear throughout the day.
2 Connected Devices
While I know the ability to connect to two devices at once is a feature on most modern earbuds, this is the first device in which I’ve embraced it by keeping Ear(Open) connected to both my phone and work laptop enables me to bounce from meeting to Spotify and back without any challenges. This lends to the open nature of the device, disappearing into the background as I go from task to task, desk to a walk and never getting in the way.
Battery
The battery life on them is impressive, lasting the full day of meetings and music, they’ve gone on as I open my laptop and come off when my day finishes; there is no concern that these will keep up with my lifestyle.
Conclusion
I’m very happy with the Ear(Open), they fit into the same space as Ear(Stick) for my use case, but have a few notable improvements to improve comfort, listening experience and overall performance. If you haven’t experienced Open-Ear Buds but wish you could have a soundtrack to your life without the interference of In-Ear buds or headphones, Ear(Open) will deliver in a sleek premium package.
