Here is a detail Nothing Ear (2024) Review , starting with its pros and cons, followed by its specifications, and wrapping up with an in-depth analysis.
Nothing Ear (2024) Pros and Cons
Pros
- Amazing sound quality, with deep bass and clear highs
- The app offers a customizable EQ and helpful presets
- Wide support for Bluetooth codecs
- Sleek transparent design
- Case is resistant to dust and water
Cons
- The case may get scratched or cracked easily
Nothing Ear (2024) Specs
| Type | In-Canal |
| Wireless | Present |
| True Wireless | Present |
| Connection Type | Bluetooth |
| Water/Sweat-Resistant | Present |
| Active Noise Cancellation | Present |
Nothing Ear (2024) Review : Overview
The new Nothing Ear price is $149 and this noise-cancelling true wireless earphones for 2024 have been revamped with improved drivers, longer battery life, and expanded Bluetooth codec support compared to their predecessors. Sporting the same eye-catching transparent design, they offer a sleek look and upgraded features. One highlight is the array of audio customization options accessible through the companion app. Additionally, the active noise cancellation (ANC) performs admirably considering the price point.
However, similar to the previous model, the charging case may accumulate scratches over time. Despite this, if you value both style and sound quality, these earbuds are an easy recommendation. If you’re seeking even better noise cancellation or aiming to save some cash, then this would not be so great option.
Design: Striking Design
The transparent stems of the Nothing Ear earpieces allow you to see their internal components. I like this design and couldn’t spot any differences from the previous model. As for color options, you can choose between a white or black glossy finish for the enclosures. The $99 Nothing Ear (a) earphones are available in a vibrant yellow finish in addition to black or white.
The earbuds ship with three pairs of silicone eartips, which provide a secure and comfortable fit. Internally, 11mm ceramic drivers deliver a frequency range of 20Hz to 20kHz. These are smaller than the 11.6mm drivers for the older version, but Nothing added two vents to increase airflow and improve the bass response.
The Bluetooth 5.3-compatible earphones work with the AAC, LDAC, LHDC 5.0, and SBC codecs, offer Google Fast Pair and Microsoft Swift Pair, and support multipoint pairing with up to two devices. LDAC is a welcome addition since it lets you stream at a high bitrate on most Android devices. LHDC remains an equally high-quality choice for select phones, including the Nothing Phone (2). The Liberty 4 NC earphones also offer AAC and LDAC.
The earpiece stems support capacitive gestures that work responsively. The controls are the same on both sides by default, though the layout is sensible. Pinch either earbud once to manage playback and calls, twice to skip forward a track or decline a call, or three times to skip to the previous track. Pinch and hold to switch between the ANC and transparency modes. Finally, if you have ChatGPT and the latest version of Nothing OS on your phone, you can use a pinch-to-speak gesture to directly interact with the AI tool. In the app, you can add an off option to the noise cancellation mode cycle, as well as configure a gesture to handle volume changes and voice control access. You don’t have to keep the layout symmetrical.
This has IP54 rating meaning the earpieces are dust-resistant and can withstand splashes of water from any direction. Light rain and sweat won’t pose a threat, but you can’t submerge them.
App Experience
We got to try out the beta version of the Nothing X app, available for both Android and iOS. We didn’t run into any bugs or slow performance. When you open the app, you’ll see the battery levels for each earbud right away. And if your earphones are paired and chilling in the charging case, you’ll also see how much juice the case has left.
Now, onto the fun stuff! There are four main sections: Equalizer, Controls, Noise Control, and Bass Enhance.
In the Equalizer section, you’ve got two options: Simple and Advanced. With Simple, you can easily adjust the levels for Bass, Mids, and Treble using a cool graphic. But if you’re feeling adventurous, head to Advanced to tweak your sound with eight different bands. Don’t worry if you’re not into all that customization – there are presets like Balanced, More Bass, More Treble, and Voice. And if you’re up for it, you can even take a quick hearing test to get a personalized sound profile. Oh, and if you just want to keep things simple, you can turn on the custom EQ and leave everything flat.
Next up, Controls! Here, you can tweak what each gesture does on your earbuds. You can’t mess with the single pinch gesture, but pretty much everything else is fair game. It’s nice to have so much control over how you interact with your earphones.
Now, let’s talk about Noise Control. This is where you can switch between Noise Cancellation, Transparency, and Off modes. And if you’re into fine-tuning, you can choose from High, Mid, Low, or Adaptive levels for Noise Cancellation mode.
The app also comes with a cool feature called Bass Enhance. It’s turned on by default and basically makes your low frequencies sound even better. It’s like magic for your ears!
Last but not least, the settings menu has greatoptions. You can turn on in-ear detection, activate Low Lag mode (which is awesome for gaming on the Nothing phone), use the Find My Earbuds tool, check your eartip fit, and download firmware updates.
Overall, the app is super user-friendly and packed with cool features to enhance your listening experience.
Noise Cancellation: Competent for the Price
The noise cancellation on the Nothing Ear earphones is pretty good, slightly better than average. Stick with the High setting for the best results; the other modes, including Adaptive, don’t work as well. In tests, they did a good job reducing low-frequency sounds like rumbling and made noisy places like restaurants quieter, though some mid and high sounds still came through. Overall, they perform about as expected for their price, but if you need even better noise cancellation, you might want to check out the more affordable Liberty 4 NC earbuds.
The Transparency mode lets you hear what’s going on around you, but at a slightly lower volume than similar modes on other earphones. It doesn’t boost or change the sounds, which is nice if you want a natural listening experience. However, the app doesn’t let you adjust how much outside noise you hear, unlike some other earphones like the Jabra Elite Active 8, which give you more control. So, if you prefer more flexibility, you might want to explore other options.
Sound: Drivers Lean Toward Accuracy
When I played around with the EQ settings in the app, I noticed something interesting. The Balanced EQ preset sounds quite different from a completely flat custom one. The main thing I noticed is that the custom one has a lower volume, probably to handle any big bass boosts you add with the custom EQ. But I don’t see this as a bad thing. The Bass Enhance feature lets you tweak the sound even more, but it works best when it’s set to the middle default.
On songs with a lot of deep bass, like The Knife’s “Silent Shout,” the earphones handle it really well. The bass sounds full and doesn’t get thin or distorted, even at higher volumes. Boosting the bass with either the Bass Enhance feature or the custom EQ works pretty well overall, though sometimes the digital signal processing (DSP) steps in a bit.
They have no problem handling the deep bass in Kendrick Lamar’s “Loyalty.” The lowest sub-bass notes come through with a nice rumble, almost like a subwoofer. When you adjust the EQ, it mostly boosts the drum loop rather than the sub-bass. The vocals sound clear and don’t get lost in the mix, especially in the default balanced mode.
On songs with less deep bass, like Bill Callahan’s “Drover,” the drums sound natural by default. But if you boost the bass, they can get really powerful. Callahan’s voice sounds rich, and you can hear all the details in the higher-pitched sounds. There’s some tweaking happening here, but not as much as with other earphones. Using the More Bass or More Treble modes messes with the balance.
Classical music sounds natural too. The lower instruments stand out a bit more, while the higher ones stay clear and bright. The default Balanced EQ preset works nicely with classical and jazz music.
The voice mic works well too. I could hear everything clearly from a recording on my iPhone. And just like the Transparency mode, the sound isn’t changed or messed with.
An Appealing Mix of Sound and Style
The new Nothing Ear earphones bring better sound, longer battery life, and more Bluetooth options compared to the older version, all while keeping that sleek transparent design. If you want to rock a stylish look while enjoying top-notch tunes from your Android phone, these earphones are a great choice. But if you’re all about getting the most bang for your buck in noise cancellation, you might want to check out other options like Anker Soundcore Liberty 4 NC earphones at $99.99. They offer fantastic value.
