What you need to know
- The Nothing Ear is the premium model, while the Ear (a) is the more budget-friendly option, but both offer essential features.
- The Ear boasts the most advanced driver system yet and LHDC 5.0 support for enhanced audio.
- The Ear (a) sacrifices some features for affordability, including less water resistance, a smaller case without wireless charging, and limited sound customization options.
- Both earbuds share common features like 11mm drivers, ANC, a triple-mic setup, and LDAC support.
Nothing has launched two new wireless earbuds: the Ear and Ear (a). The Ear is the top-of-the-line model, while the Ear (a) is a more budget-friendly option with all the essentials.
Obviously, the company also revamped its earbud names by ditching the numbers. Nothing is aiming to put the spotlight squarely on the product and the user experience with this move.
To be clear, the Ear is the follow-up to the Nothing Ear (2), while the Ear (a) is a cheaper option. Both will hit store shelves later this month, and they're stepping up the game from what was already a top-notch earbud series.
With this latest version, Nothing is making some important upgrades while keeping the brand's transparent earbud style intact.
Nothing claims that the Ear rocks its most advanced driver system yet, pumping out richer sound without sacrificing performance. Plus, it's got LHDC 5.0 support to really amp up your audio experience.
The Ear (a) is the more wallet-friendly option, but there are a few trade-offs. It's not quite as water-resistant, the case is smaller and ditches wireless charging, and you can't fine-tune the sound quite as much.
They also differ in color options. While both earbuds come in black and white, the Ear (a) spices things up with a pop of yellow.
Elsewhere, these buds share a bunch of specs and features. They share 11mm drivers, active noise cancellation (ANC), a triple-mic setup, and support for LDAC for high-quality audio streaming.
Nothing has also upped the ANC game on the new earbuds. The Ear and Ear (a) can block out up to 45dB of noise, which is almost twice as strong as the previous model. And it's throwing in a "Smart ANC algorithm" to crank that up even more.
Both the Ear and Ear (a) earbuds last longer on a charge than the previous model. The Ear lasts up to 5.2 hours, while the Ear (a) edges it out with 5.5 hours, even with ANC on. Toggle ANC off, and you'll get 8.5 hours with the Ear and 9.5 hours with the Ear (a). Plus, the case holds more juice now, offering up to 42.5 hours without ANC for the Ear (a).
The Nothing Ear keeps the same $149 price tag as its predecessor, while the Ear (a) is a steal at $99. Pre-orders are open now on Nothing.tech, and they'll be available on April 22.
