Here’s the Nothing Ear (1)
27.7.2021
Translation: Eva Francis
Nothing has revealed its first earbuds, the Nothing Ear (1). These much-hyped earbuds surprise with a low price and sophisticated features.
Nothing aims to offer intuitive and intelligent technology. It’s the newest hardware venture of Carl Pe, who previously co-founded OnePlus. Now his new London-based company has launched its first product at an online event: the true wireless earbuds Nothing Ear (1).
The earbuds are black, have grey attachments and include a case that’s transparent except for the built-in battery. This means you always see if a bud is missing.
The earbuds feature active noise cancelling, which is said to reduce noise by 40 decibels. This reduction is usually only achieved by large over-ear headphones. According to Nothing, ambient noise is reduced by 99.8 percent. Is this really true? Reviews will answer this question. The figure alone is to be classified between very ambitious to technically impossible. If you want to hear everything around you, the Nothing Ears also have a transparent mode.
Large drivers
The Ear (1) are equipped with 11 mm drivers. Nothing’s comparison table shows that the driver size exceeds both Apple's AirPods Pro, Sony's WF-1000XM3, the Sennheiser Momentum 2, and the Bose QC Earbuds
However, large drivers don’t automatically mean good sound. The larger a driver is, the more realistically an earphone can reproduce low frequencies, i.e. bass. When it comes to earbuds, the matching foams are also key.
Furthermore, the sound can be adjusted with an equaliser in the corresponding Nothing app. The earbuds feature tap and gesture controls, which can be set individually in the app.
Battery: average, Bluetooth 5.2
The earbuds are reported to offer 4.5 hours of playtime with noise cancelling activated. Together with the case battery, playback of a total of 30 hours is said to be possible. Without ANC, it’s six hours. The transparent case can also be charged wirelessly.
With this battery life, Nothing’s Ear (1) is average. Competitors such as Sony’s new WF-1000XM4 boast a battery life of 8 hours with active noise cancelling. however, these headphones also cost twice as much as the Nothing Ear (1).
These earbuds connect with Bluetooth 5.2, while Sennheiser, Apple and Bose all still offer Bluetooth 5.1 and 5.0. Having said that, the last three headphones have also been on the market for quite a bit longer. Unfortunately, there’s no information yet on which Bluetooth codecs Nothing uses.
IPX4 certified and compatible with iOS and Android
IPX4-certified, the Nothing Ears are protected against light splashes of water on all sides. To make sure as many people as possible can use these earbuds, Nothing promises apps for iOS and Android. The app has a find-my-earbuds feature. Activate it and your buds make a loud beeping sound, allowing you to hear them even if they're at the bottom of your backpack.
In addition to the already mentioned equaliser settings, the app also lets you customise gestures. If you remove an earbud, the music should stop automatically. Put it back and the music starts playing again.
Lightweight earbuds that are supposed to be good for making calls
One earbud weighs 4.7 grams. That’s very light. The Apple AirPods Pro, which I find very light in the ear, weigh 0.7 grams more. The Bose QC Earbuds are considerably heavier at 8.5 grams. However, these earbuds are also built differently.
Experience has shown that making phone calls with small earbuds doesn’t always work well. According to Nothing, a so-called Clear Voice Technology together with three microphones on each earbud should make sure the person you’re talking to on the phone can hear you well.
The Nothing Ear (1) can be ordered from today. We’ll publish a review about the earbuds in the next few days. Delivery will take place from 17 August 2021 onwards. Availability is limited.
Testing devices and gadgets is my thing. Some experiments lead to interesting insights, others to demolished phones. I’m hooked on series and can’t imagine life without Netflix. In summer, you’ll find me soaking up the sun by the lake or at a music festival.
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