Ear and Ear (a): Nothing completely reviews its range of headphones

Nothing obviously doesn’t seem really satisfied with its Ear (2) since barely a year after their release, Carl Pei’s firm has decided to completely review its range of true wireless headphones. On the program is not one, but two pairs: the Ear which take the place of the Ear (2) at the top of the range and the Ear (a), more accessible, but nevertheless solid headphones which are aimed at a more young.

Ear: a gentle evolution

Replacing the Ear (2), the Ear shares with their predecessors a perfectly identical design, both in terms of the headphones and the case. We therefore find the iconic transparent look of Nothing headphones which always has its little effect. It is mainly on the aspect of audio performance that the focus has been placed here. The Ear therefore features a brand new 11mm driver as well as a completely redesigned acoustic architecture in order to offer “richer, clearer and more pure sound”. The Ears are also equipped with a Bluetooth chip now decoding LDAC streams.

Nothing also says it has improved the performance of active noise reduction which would be capable of reaching 45 dB of attenuation (a completely overestimated value without the slightest doubt). Particular attention has also been paid to canceling out parasitic noise caused by wind thanks to a redesigned vent system. This new microphone design should also improve the quality of voice pickup during calls. In addition, the Ears promise a clear improvement in autonomy, going from 4 hours promised for the Ears (2) to 5.2 hours here, which remains quite timid compared to the competition.

The Ear are already available in black or white at a price of €149.

Ear (a): a new challenger steps forward

Although announced as less skilled than the Ear sonically, the Ear (a) still have more than one trick up their sleeve. Visually quite similar to their high-end counterparts, they stand out with a slightly longer stem and a matte rather than shiny coating. It is especially at the level of the case that they differentiate themselves with a more compact design, but still as pleasing to the eye.

On the sound side, as we said, the Ear (a) seem less trim than the Ear. However, they promise a nice improvement compared to the Ear (2) with new 11 mm drivers. Nothing thus announces “more powerful low frequencies and crystal clear highs”. They are also LDAC compatible, and promise a battery life of 5.5 hours.

Besides the sound aspect and some visual demarcations, the Ear (a) are perfect clones of the Ear. The noise reduction and the hands-free kit promise to be just as effective, we find IP54 certification and a bass reinforcement mode (like what we find on the CMF Buds).

You will have understood that if the Ear (a) does not do too badly in terms of audio performance, they could well crush all competition especially given their price: €99, the same launch price as the Ear (1 ) 3 years ago. The Ear (a) are now available in black, white or yellow.