We’ve been waiting for them, here are the new ones wireless headphones from the Nothing brand. These, named Ear (stick), constitute an alternative to the first Ear (1). Indeed, although they follow the outline of their design, these true-wireless are of the open type, like the AirPods 3. In fact, they will not be for everyone.
At least, we are not dealing with a simple open version of the Ear (1), since the Ear (stick) seem to adapt intelligently to this button format.
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No real revolution in design, at least not in the headphones themselves. These still opt for a stem layout and a mostly transparent body, revealing a few key elements. Only the acoustic part is opaque white. This element constitutes the main change compared to the Ear (1), since there is no longer a cannula, but a grid oriented towards the auditory canal.
The Ear (stick) take advantage of this to lighten up a bit, going from 4.7 g to 4.4 g. The certification is IP54, which corresponds to resistance to water splashes and dust.
The big formal evolution comes from the charging case, in “lipstick” format. Original and quite imposing, it opens via a rotary system. This principle has two advantages: on the one hand, allowing one-handed opening, on the other hand, not opening in the event of a fall on the ground. Unfortunately, its layout makes it impossible to integrate a wireless charge.
Regarding ergonomics, the manufacturer is changing its tune. Exit the system of tapping and sliding the finger on the stem of the Ear (1). The Ear (stick) opt for AirPods Pro ergonomics, by pinching the stem, with haptic feedback. A port sensor is also present, in order to pause the music once one of the headphones is removed.
The ergonomics are completed by the appearance of a new dedicated application, Nothing X. This application allows you to modify the commands, deactivate the wearing sensor, activate a low-latency mode (120 ms), and even d use a three-band equalizer. For owners of the Nothing Phone (1), this interface is available natively.
Make bass with open
Main limitation of open-type headphones, the extension in the bass is rarely convincing. Apart from the AirPods 2, AirPods 3, and a few rare references, an impression of bassy rickets dominates. Nothing intends to remedy the problem in two ways: by increasing the diameter of the loudspeaker compared to the Ear (1), from 11.6 mm to 12.6 mm, and by optimizing the efficiency of the magnet-coil couple. To this is added a processing integrated into the earphones, making it possible to adapt to the auditory canal and to maintain a regular frequency response.
On the connectivity side, nothing fabulous. The built-in Bluetooth 5.2 chip only supports SBC and AAC codecs, and is not Multipoint compatible. On the other hand, we find the fast pairing Google Fast Pair.
For autonomy, we can count on seven hours on a single charge, and up to 29 hours with the case. Finally, in-call noise reduction is integrated, with an announced attenuation of up to 31 dB.
The Nothing Ear (stick) will be available in France from November 4, for a price of 119 euros. Admittedly, this price is already quite high, but good open headphones are not legion.
Source: Nothing press release
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