Love
Sound!
NB: I’m not an audiophile.
I compared the sound with Nothing Ear (a), Apple AirPod Pro 2nd Gen, and KZ - PR1 Pro Wired IEM as reference earphones. (I haven’t tried any other open ear wireless earphones.) I came with very low expectations for this product, since the sound unit sits outside the ear. I was expecting it to sound not so great, especially the bass, but wow! Somehow, it sounds so good with really good bass. It sounds better than the Ear (a) and almost as good as the AirPod Pro 2, I actually prefer the sound from Ear (Open)! I assume it’s mainly because of the larger and more advanced driver (14mm vs 11mm), and the position of the sound unit helps make the music sound fuller and more natural. This will be my default earphone for music from now on.
Fit and Comfort
To be honest, it took me two minutes to figure out how to place this in my ears. Even after placing it, I wasn’t sure if it was in the right position, but I immediately noticed how light it felt. Even though each bud is almost twice as heavy as regular in-ear buds, since the weight is distributed all over the ear, you barely feel anything. There’s no pressure buildup in the ear canal, and you’re not disconnected from your surroundings. I love that. After a few tries, it became second nature to put them on my ear. I can now place each bud in my ear with one hand, just like a regular bud, and in the same amount of time. I haven’t had the chance to go for a run with these, but I did some indoor exercises, including a handstand, and they didn’t budge.
Openness
I love ANC when needed, but most of the time, I don’t need it (maybe I’m lucky). This is the first open wireless earbud I’m trying, and I get it. The experience of wearing these is amazing because of the open design. The sound feels rich, and you’re not disconnected from surroundings. Sometimes it almost sounds like the music is coming from a speaker. It’s something you need to experience to fully understand.
Battery Life
Eight hours of playback in a world where 3-4 hours is huge. Whenever I use the Ear (a), I need to keep an eye on the battery if I’m planning to use them for long hours, especially for calls. You don’t have to think about that with these. It’s like when smartphones went from needing to charge 2-3 times a day to having all-day battery life.
Design
Most people don’t care much about visual aesthetics—they just want something functional and reliable. To be honest, I also placed visual aesthetics lower on my list of preferences. I was very skeptical when Nothing introduced the Ear (1) with transparent aesthetics. How much functionality and stability did they sacrifice for the design? Though they did a fine job delivering a good package, some issues arose with the aesthetic choices. For example, to keep it visually clean, they had to use less glue and hid the glue visually, making the joints weak compared to other buds, causing the shells to come off after a while for some users. I was one of them. However, they’ve since figured it out. I used the Ear (1), Ear (2), Ear (a), and now Ear (Open). The last two generations really nailed functionality, reliability, and aesthetics. Ear (Open) is one of those gadgets you’ll talk about decades later out of nostalgia beacause of the design.
Hate
Price
I’m an average Indian. Most Indians make less than the price of these earphones (₹18k/$150) in a month. This is a luxury product for the majority. It’s definitely not targeted towards the masses. I understand the cost comes from the R&D of a first-gen product. I hope the next generations will become cheaper and more accessible. For now, it’s not like the Ear (a), which was priced for most people. This is aimed at a specific audience with particular requirements.
Visually Too Much
People are used to seeing regular stem-based designs, and that’s the norm. These will definitely catch people’s eyes. If you’re someone who becomes super self-conscious when people are looking at you in public (I don’t mind that much), think twice before wearing these.
Color
I wish there was a black option. For someone like me with dark skin, a white product stands out a lot, especially something with this much volume. I know most people don’t care about color, and some even prefer a contrasting option, but I’m not one of them. Knowing Nothing, I can see a black variant coming in the future. And a black varient could have solved the previous con easily.
Case Size
The case is impressive in terms of thickness and actually fits well in the pocket compared to regular buds cases, which are half as long. But if you’re used to smaller cases, this might feel massive. Technically, Nothing could have made it shorter by rotating and packing the buds efficiently, but it would break the visual symmetry and (maybe be a bit wider?). It’s not the end of the world, just something to get used to.
I don’t have a fifth point in the “Hate” section, I just wanted to make a good title.
Final verdict: Amazing product, great sound, and great fit. If you’re okay with not having ANC and can afford the price, go for it!
