Despite launching several smartphones under its belt over the past couple of years, Nothing’s penchant for developing wireless audio accessories under its Ear lineup remains steadfast, and the company recently expanded its range with the new Nothing Ear (Open), which as you can probably tell from the name are open-styled earbuds which differ from the company’s usual offerings. With that in mind, the Nothing Ear (Open) earbuds are all about design, comfort, and situational awareness – but what else can you expect?
Take one look at the Nothing Ear (Open), and you can see that the design is quite unique. They’re incredibly lightweight, feeling like you’re wearing nothing at all, and the charging case is one of the slimmest on the market, featuring all the essentials like a USB-C port for charging and pairing button. With eight hours of listening time per earbud and an additional 30 hours in the case, you’ll have plenty of juice, although unfortunately it doesn’t support wireless charging.
Unboxing the earbuds, you’ll find the earbuds themselves, the charging case, a USB-C cable, and a manual. The earbuds feature a sound-sealed system with directional speakers to minimize sound leakage, and the 50-degree tilt positions the speakers directly over your ear for optimal comfort. Meanwhile, the three-point balance system ensures a comfortable fit, and the silicone tips are flexible and gentle on your ears. The ear hooks are made of nickel titanium wire, making them flexible and resilient, and each earbud weighs only 8.1 grams, making them incredibly lightweight.
The Nothing Ear (Open) buds come with 14.2 mm dynamic drivers with a stepped driver design, which is unique to Nothing and patented, featuring a uniquely-shaped diaphragm for improved sound quality. The earbuds have a 64 mAh battery which can provide up to six hours of non-stop conversation or 24 hours with the case. The dual microphones and AI technology ensure clear voice quality for phone calls. One of our favourite features is dual connectivity, which allows users to connect to two devices simultaneously to the earbuds and makes switching between devices a breeze.
You can tweak the sound to your liking via the Nothing X app which is available for iOS and Android and offers additional features, especially when used with a Nothing phone. It supports fast pair for quick connections and Microsoft Swift Pair for Windows PCs. The app allows you to customize various settings, including low lag mode for gaming, dual connection, find my earbuds, and equalizer presets.
Let’s talk about the sound quality. These earbuds are open-ear, so you’ll still be able to hear your surroundings (no active noise cancellation on here unfortunately). This can affect the sound quality, especially compared to in-ear earbuds with noise cancellation. The bass may not be as deep, and the overall sound experience may not be as immersive. However, the sound quality is still quite good for an open-ear design.
If you’re looking for earbuds that allow you to stay aware of your surroundings while enjoying music, the Nothing Ear (Open) is a great option. However, if you prefer a more immersive listening experience with noise cancellation, you may want to consider other options.
