Nothing’s new Ear (2) look to add some substance to a not-inconsiderable amount of style
Wireless in-ear headphones | £129 | whf.cm/NothingEar_2
In the words of the company itself, “Nothing is here to make tech fun again”. With its proclivity for funky, skeletal designs and some distinctive visual marketing, Nothing has certainly become a brand that’s hard to ignore. Established just three years ago, the London-based outfit has built a name for itself with the Nothing Phone and two sets of wireless earbuds: the Ear (1) and the Ear (stick).
While we were impressed with the Ear (1)’s usability, large feature set and confident sense of style, we had our reservations when it came to delivering truly great sound. So, with the Ear (2), can Nothing do something about that?
A snug fit
Comfort and style are strong areas here. At no point do we experience excess pressure or unwanted slippage during stationary wearing, and while ears come in all shapes, sizes and dimensions, Nothing’s personalised ‘Ear Tip Fit Test’ is useful for assessing how snugly the buds are nestling inside the wearer’s lugs.
Once again, the Ear (2) arrive in a neat, ergonomically designed package with pretty much everything you need all in one place: the earphones themselves (complete with eye-catching detailing), a USB-C charging cable and a lighter, more scratch-proof charging case. Small and compact the package might be, cheap and flimsy it isn’t – everything here feels robust, stylish and genuinely well made.
2023’s long-awaited sequel brings improved touch controls and new features for greater ease of use. Battery life has also been improved, the Ear (2) boasting 36 hours in total with the case and 6.3 hours in the earbuds alone.
The earbuds can also be used with the Nothing X app, a smart application that allows a customisable user experience. Checking things like battery life is pretty standard fare, but clever tricks such as Nothing’s personalised ANC, automatic in-ear detection and low-lag mode for gaming, are welcome additions.
The Ear (2) comes with brand-new Bluetooth specifications; the onboard LHDC 5.0 codec is supposedly capable of transmitting hi-res audio data at speeds up to 1Mbps. If LHDC isn’t available on your source (current compatibility shows Huawei, Oppo and Nothing phones), the standard codecs are also supported.
