Ear (stick): Nothing launches a second pair of headphones to compete with the AirPods (3rd generation)

If they look a lot like the Ear (1) with their transparent plastic temple and their head dressed in black and white, the Ear (stick) stand out from their colleagues by their “button” or “open fit” format. A design that is already found on the AirPods (3rd generation) or the FreeBuds 4 and which, on paper, provides excellent feelings of comfort since it does not involve any intrusion into the ear canal. The Ear (stick) are therefore devoid of silicone tips and do not include active noise reduction functionality. A more than wise choice when you see the result obtained with the FreeBuds 4 for example.

The Ear (stick) are also distinguished by their charging case supposed to take the form of a lip stick (or a tube of glue, as desired). The materials used and the design, however, remain in line with what the Carl Pei brand has so far accustomed us to. To access the headphones, simply rotate the top of the tube.

In addition to their exceptional comfort, Nothing greatly praises the sound performance of its Ear (stick). Fitted with 12.6 mm speakers, the headphones include a feature called “Bass Lock”, which would make it possible to compensate in real time for the loss of bass thanks to a microphone directed towards the inside of the ears. Moreover, the Ear (stick) are also equipped with three microphones, embedding a noise reduction algorithm during calls, which are supposed to be of better quality than that present on the Ear (1).

The controls are carried out in the same way as on the Ear (1) thanks to different pinches at the level of the stem. The settings are available within the Settings app on the Phone (1) or within the Nothing X app on iOS and Android. This allows, among other things, to modify the assigned commands or to access an equalizer. Autonomy is announced at 7 hours per charge and up to 29 hours with the case.