Nothing's Ear (2) truly-wireless earbuds look nearly identical to the Ear (1) which preceded them, but it's the internal changes that give the Ear (2) a boost, including upgrades to sound quality, connectivity, and active noise cancelation. Ear (1) launched in August 2021 as the first product from Nothing, a tech startup led by Carl Pei, one of the founders of OnePlus. The earbuds had a compelling starting price of $99 at launch, but the cost was raised to $149 a little over a year after the Ear (1) debuted.
The new features and better sound quality that makes the Ear (2) a much more enjoyable product than Ear (1). But should buyers looking for a new pair of earbuds choose the Nothing Ear (2) over the competition? After spending two weeks with the Ear (2), Screen Rant has the answer.
Sound Quality: A Personalized Experience
Nothing Ear (2) packs sound quality and active noise cancelation improvements that pushes it ahead of the former Ear (1). It's certified for Hi-Res audio and s the AAC, SBC, and LHDC 5.0 audio codecs. Each earbud has an 11.6 mm dynamic driver, which Nothing says has a custom diaphragm. In everyday listening, the Ear (2) has a familiar sound profile to the Ear (1), but sounds a bit sharper. Ear (2) excels when listening to songs that are heavy in bass, producing surprisingly-rich low-ends for a pair of in-ear headphones. As a consequence, the low-ends can sometimes drown out the mids and highs, depending on the track.
Luckily, unlike some popular earbuds on the market, the Ear (2) is incredibly customizable. With the Nothing X app — available on both iOS and Android — s can tailor the sound of the Ear (2) to their individual preferences. For s that know exactly what they're looking for, Nothing lets s manually change the equalizer on the Ear (2) in the Nothing X app. s can choose between four different presets: Balanced (default), More Bass, More Treble, and Voice. Otherwise, s can create a custom equalizer that adjusts the Ear (2) sound profile in real time as music is playing.
Ear (2) includes a few different software-based tests that make it easy for s to personalize their sound without the hassle. With Personal Sound Profile, s take a test in the app to determine a 's hearing ability. After the test, Ear (2) adjusts the sound profile of the earbuds to restore audio elements that would be lost by using the default profile. "By understanding how you hear, Sound Personalization adapts the stereo to your hearing ability and compensates for important details previously lost in complex soundscapes," the Nothing X app explains. "As a result, sound intelligibility improves, providing you with a long-lasting, healthier and more involving sound experience even at reduced volume levels."
The test is somewhat strange, and takes a few minutes to complete. s hear a background noise that can be painful or irritating, and try to discern when they hear a beeping noise above that background noise. When they hear the beeping noise, s are asked to press and hold a button. As soon as the beeping noise fades, s are asked to release the button. Through this process — which must be done for each ear — the Ear (2) and the Nothing X app can determine the limitations of a person's hearing and adjust the earbuds' sound accordingly.
Active Noise Cancelation & Adaptive Mode
Nothing's Ear (2) hangs with the best active noise-canceling earbuds on the market, and provides Personalized Active Noise Cancelation to block out more sound. The earbuds have three levels of ANC that can reach up to 40 decibels and can be triggered manually, or Adaptive Mode can adjust the strength of ANC based on the 's sound environment. The Ear (2) was tested on a six-hour flight, and the earbuds' active noise-canceling blocked out all the unwanted sounds of an airplane without issue. They also remained comfortable even after hours of listening, and although the AirPods Pro and AirPods Max were brought on the same flight, the Ear (2) buds held their own and were kept on the entire way.
However, the active noise cancelation does take a hit when faced with windy environments. Instead of blocking out the sound of strong winds, the Ear (2) has a tendency to amplify the sound of the wind, disrupting the effectiveness of the earbuds' active noise-canceling. In these environments, it was better to switch off ANC altogether. This isn't necessarily a dealbreaker, but it's something to keep in mind for s that live in places that routinely see strong winds.
With Personalized Active Noise Cancelation, the Nothing Ear (2) can adjust the ANC based on the exact shape of a 's ear. It starts by taking the Ear Tip Fit Test, which determines whether the installed ear tips are creating a good seal. Once the Ear Tip Fit Test is completed, s can enable Personalized ANC in the Nothing X app. The process detects the amount of sound loss and adjusts the ANC levels accordingly, so it is tailored to the 's individual ear canal.
Should You Buy Nothing Ear (2)?
Nothing Ear (2) features up to 36 hours of battery life, but that number is less with ANC turned on. It charges via USB-C or wireless charging, and can fast charge, with a 10-minute charge giving up to eight hours of battery life. Ear (2) has all the specs and features to be a compelling choice for people looking for a pair of truly-wireless headphones, and at $149, it undercuts the price of some other available options. But due to the price increase, it isn't a steal either.
With those factors in mind, the Ear (2) is the best choice for people who appreciate Nothing's design language. Nothing's Ear (2) isn't the best or the cheapest pair of truly-wireless earbuds on the market, but it just might be the most fun.
Source: Nothing