Nothing Ear - My Go-To
Ear marks a fresh start for Nothing, with this being the third instalment in the Ear Series, it is also a return to the beginning, with new learnings and fresh revision. As an (insider) I’ve had my hands on a pair of Ear since late February and it’s been an awesome experience. This was a pre-release build with several firmware updates during this window.
TLDR: Ear is a firm next step for the Nothing Audio experience. New features on a proven platform make for a complete package that is really awesome.
First impressions were strong, a familiar form factor to Ear(2), it’s noticeable that Ear develops upon the foundations laid so far. The build quality of the Ear is awesome, with each element having been iterated and refined. This may prove to be subjective, but the clear elements have maintained their transparency, being far less prone to scratches that have impacted other transparent devices in the past.
Pinch controls are here as a mainstay on the Ear series, the continued responsiveness and elegance of this movement is a delight. While this does limit the inputs on the device slightly, the trade for this solution compared to trying to get fiddly buttons or pressing buds into the ear is so worthwhile.
Most of my time was spent using Adaptive ANC, letting the device choose the best-fitting ANC profile for my surroundings. From commuting noises to a lawnmower, the ANC has held up to the outside world, delivering strong audio quality in challenging conditions. I experienced hardly any “cabin-pressure” moments, and when I did, that was early days and firmware updates have improved the experience every time.
As for the battery, in the time that I’ve had Ear, I’ve only had to charge them a handful of times, Nothing has got this aspect nailed, with these being my go-to pair, I’ve been so happy with the experience and not had moments where the battery has failed me.
Along with this, Bass Boost is a new feature for Ear, offering an extra “oomph” with 5 levels of options. This is a nice choice to have and while I find it excessive at times, it can be toned down and/or switched off depending on the mood. I find it fantastic for drowning out the world and really engaging with my music, but often I have this feature switched to low, this is just my preference.
Nothing X continues to serve as a strong platform for all of the Ear series and I’m glad this platform is growing, as the central platform for controlling Ear, firmware updates, ear tip fits and personal sound profiles can all be found here along with EQ settings to fine-tune your experience.
From the Community Update, I’m so glad to see new and innovative features, like the integration with ChatGPT (which I haven’t had a chance to experience yet). But this shows that Nothing continues to experiment and deliver on something new, even while refining products.
Summary - I’ve really enjoyed using Ear, this fresh start is completely justified in how Ear delivers. A rich feature set supports a great sounding bud that I’m really excited to spend more time with and see what other people’s experiences are like!
