Nothing Ear: the art of technological minimalism

Design and Usability

Smartphones and accessories from Nothing stand out in design among other devices on the market. The Nothing Ear (a) headphones are original and unique. Their packaging is equally impressive. Inside the neatly designed box, there is a USB-C cable, instructions, and three pairs of interchangeable ear tips.

The Nothing style is easily distinguishable from all others; the translucent design cannot be confused with any other. The Nothing Ear (a) headphones are available in three colors: white, yellow, and black. The design is well thought out, with complete harmony, and the silicone tips are also color-coordinated.

As is traditional, the glossy case is compact, lightweight, and small. The case is made from a mix of opaque and transparent plastic, giving it an original look. The Nothing Ear (a) case differs from previous models of the company, resembling a small pillbox. This is not speculation, but a confirmed fact. Designers drew inspiration specifically from pillboxes, as stated on the company's official website.

The latch works thanks to a magnet, and the lid is held on a hinge. The headphones are positioned in the center, rather than at the corners as was previously the case with Nothing. There is only one button on the body, which is hidden under the lid. The flat button in the lower right corner activates Bluetooth pairing mode.

The magnets hold the headphones securely, but if you apply force and shake the case with the lid open, they may fall out. Is it dangerous? It’s unlikely that such a scenario would occur in practice, and who besides gadget reviewers would test it.

The headphones themselves with transparent legs are impossible to confuse, no matter how hard you try. The right one has a red mark, while the left one has a white one. The headphones weigh almost nothing — 4.8 grams, so they are hardly felt in the ears, as if weightless.

Even after five to six hours of continuous use, there is no discomfort. The ergonomics turned out well, the headphones are comfortable, and you don't want to part with them. They fit snugly in the ears, are securely fixed, and you don't have to worry about them accidentally falling out during sports activities.

The headphones are protected to IP54 standard, they are not afraid of sweat or rain, unlike the case with minimal IPX2 protection.

Intuitive controls

Unlike the common touch controls, which often suffer from accidental touches, the presses on the Ear (a) work more accurately and reliably. Everything is intuitive and convenient: volume adjustment, track switching, and mode activation. The sensors responsible for ear detection also work stably. The function operates without failures, and it doesn't pause the music for no reason.

In the standard settings, a single press on the earbud pauses the music, starts playback, answers a call, or ends it. A double press skips to the next track or declines a call, while a triple press returns to the previous song. If you hold it, you can switch between noise-canceling modes.

Great sound

The specifications are all in order. The Nothing Ear (a) headphones have dynamic 11mm drivers. They support LDAC, SBC, and AAC codecs, with a frequency range from 20 Hz to 20,000 Hz. There is no ceramic diaphragm like in more expensive models, so the high frequencies are slightly less clear, but this does not prevent you from enjoying the music. The vocals sound rich and are not overshadowed by the instruments, while the hi-hats remain clear, not turning into a hiss. The volume reserve is also impressive; it's better not to turn it up to maximum power to avoid damaging your hearing.

The Nothing Ear (a) headphones are suitable for various music genres, making it hard to pick a favorite. Whether it's electronic music, jazz, or heavy rock — they cater to different moods and are balanced for all tastes. Even complex compositions by Jimi Hendrix are reproduced effortlessly, "untangling" intricate musical knots. The soundstage is well-defined: high frequencies are separated from mids, while the bass remains rich and textured, avoiding muddiness.

Particularly noteworthy is the handling of bass. The Nothing X app includes a Bass Enhance feature, which works not just as standard low-frequency boosting but uses dynamic real-time adjustment. The feature has five levels of intensity. I tried the maximum — and in most cases, the music took on new colors, with the bass becoming even deeper and more expressive. However, for heavy electronic music, I would recommend lowering the setting a couple of notches to avoid overload and excessive boominess. This feature truly adds flexibility and allows for sound adaptation to specific tracks.

Noise Cancellation

Each earphone is equipped with three microphones. They enhance call quality and are responsible for active noise cancellation. The ANC system handles noises up to 45 dB — a commendable figure considering their price. It feels most comfortable to use the adaptive mode, which automatically selects optimal parameters based on the environment. However, if needed, the Nothing X app allows for manual adjustment, choosing low, medium, high, or adaptive settings.

The transparency mode also works well: you can hear car signals or announcements in the subway. The adaptive noise cancellation mode quickly adjusts to the surrounding environment, providing comfortable listening even in noisy places. While listening to podcasts, outside noises do not interfere. You can fully concentrate on the narrative without being distracted by external sounds.

App

The Nothing X app is fully localized in Russian, intuitive, and works reliably. It is available for iOS and Android devices. The interface is easy to navigate, designed in a minimalist style, but includes everything necessary. Quick connection, no glitches, and no annoying long registrations — everything is well thought out. The app regularly notifies about new firmware releases, and the software downloads quickly.

You can choose from ready-made presets (boosting highs, lows, or vocals) or adjust everything manually. The default sound is well-balanced, but if you want to play with frequency settings, try the equalizer.

And a few more words about the app's features:

• Bass Enhance: a separate bass adjustment.

• Ear cushion selection: the app helps choose the right size for a perfect fit and sound isolation.

• Multipoint: headphones can be connected to two devices at once.

• Low latency mode for gaming.

• Headphone finder: lost Ear (a) can emit a signal if you happen to lose them.

• Control customization.

The manufacturer claims such indicators. With noise cancellation enabled, it provides about 5.5 hours of operation, while without it, it offers 9.5 hours. In tandem with the case, we get 42 hours of operation with noise cancellation turned off, and 24 hours with it on. In the end, it turns out that the case needs to be charged about once a week, using the headphones daily for 5-6 hours.

Conclusion

The Nothing Ear (a) headphones turned out to be convenient for daily use. They have excellent battery life, an expressive and eye-catching design. And of course, the sound cannot be overlooked — they play interestingly, leaving deep bass lovers indifferent. Effective noise cancellation is also another strong point of the model — but it's better to try it yourself and evaluate it in practice. We should also add to the list of strong qualities the IP54 moisture and dust protection, convenient controls, and the Nothing X app with a bunch of settings.