Verdict
The Ear ( Open ) are a new set of wireless earbuds from Nothing , known for its smartphones and now make wave in audio . With a unique design , firm barrage fire life , great connectivity and healthy well-grounded quality , they sure as shooting make a compelling event for themselves . However , their opened convulsion stand for that for many people they just wo n’t be a pragmatic pick , while the big face reduces their portability well
Pros
Cons
Key Features
Introduction
London - base firm Nothing has , unusually for quite a new firm , managed to make something of a splash since begin . Many raw players try their workforce at the smartphone game , very few make it past the first year .
Here we are , years on however , and not only has the company determine some successwith smartphones , but with audioproducts too . These so far have maintained the now well - known Y2 special K transparency force in their excogitation , along with other thoughtful tactile sensation , carving a clear-cut expression for themselves .
The Ear ( Open ) is the in style such product from Nothing , but it comes with something of a twist . Not only does it have unequalled design , it ’s also intend as unusual by nonpayment .
Though they cause less capitulum fatigue , they also usually ensue in a less personal , less secret hearing experience . These are issues which Nothing has lay claim to mitigate , but as ever it is important to quantify whether these claim hold up to reality .
Are the Nothing Ear ( overt ) bud worthy of your difficult earned cash ? show on for our full reappraisal .
Design
Nothing , unco , has made its name not through contend specification war , or through releasing tons of handsets , but through excogitation . It has an aesthetic , a stride and a look all its own , carefully cultivated through computer software and ironware . See - through bodies , glossy plastics and analogue dials are the name of the game , as well as an LED matrix Light Within interface , unlike anything else on the market today , quite unique .
That last part definitely applies to the Nothing Ear ( Open ) , you ’ve never seen a bent of buds like them . Starting with the case , to put it gently it’shuge , the size of it of a Wispa Browning automatic rifle and a third duncical . Usually the cases that add up with TWS buds tend to be modest , that is n’t the tack Nothing has study here .
There ’s some positive to that , mainly battery life , but the downside are clear in term of warehousing . If you have big pockets , neat , however they are just not made to fit into women ’s jeans . The case has a crystalline lid with some sparse ‘ Nothing ’ delivery , and a calendered white rear . It ’s made entirely from charge plate and mission viaUSB - C.
fitly , the buds themselves are also a lilliputian eldritch and far-out . As subject ear buds , they do n’t actually insert your spike channel , just hovering over it , letting the exterior in at the same time ( hence the name , Open ) .
If you are used to ‘ normal ’ ( read ‘ in - ear ’ ) buds , the dispute is a little jarring . It is n’t just that the exterior come in a slight , you will be capable to hear everything around you . For some people , in some situations , that ’s very useful , for example jogger may wish to maintain spatial cognisance for safety reason . But for general habit , you wo n’t get the ‘ personal concert ’ experience that in - spike bud can provide .
There ’s a big advantage to the pattern of the opened bud however , as they do n’t posture in any part of your ear , there ’s little to no fatigue duty when wearing them . In general I have issues have on any buds or headphones for prolonged periods due to discomfort and fire up build - up , not so here .
I was capable to wear the buds for extended periods across multiple days with little to no discomfort , which is a definite boon . If you want to swim the human beings out , they ’re a painful selection , but if you like the mind of still being aware of your surround while listening to euphony , they work very well .
Features
Typically with a novel set of buds , and for sure at this damage point , the marketing stuff would mainly be given to talking up haphazardness cancellation as a lineament – not so with the Nothing Ear ( Open ) . So what do the buds have ?
To begin , as with many , we have touch controls . With various arrest and swipes you could pause audio , change tracks , adjust the bulk and more . As with most of these options , you ’ll likely never be able to do what you intend to , sure as shooting if you ’re on the move . touch sensation control tend to be floaty and difficult to activate , and the Nothing Ear ( Open ) are no dissimilar .
One pleasant addition is the free app which you could download , which allow forward-looking EQ adaption , allowing you to really pluck the bud to your preferences . There ’s also eight presets , if you fancy a little experiment but do n’t want to get too technical . Overall the app is well designed , well-heeled to sail and straightaway to utilise , none of which are a given from any brand .
There ’s also multi - point Bluetooth funding , as well asGoogle truehearted Pairand Microsoft Swift Pair . This mean that connecting up the Nothing Ear ( Open ) to nearly any gadget is a fast and painless process , and that you could switch between two devices without needing to re - twin . Once connected , the connection was solid , even across 7 m and two walls .
Battery living is quoted as up to 8 hour of listening time , with a further 22 hours of charge in the case , and in practice I find that to be an accurate measuring rod . The buds are ratedas IP54for dust and water resistance , mean they can survive a runnel in the rainfall , but ca n’t come near a shower or a consortium .
Sound Quality
Aside from lacking thepersonalfeel that in - ear buds give your music , there ’s one other major drawback of open design earbuds – bass or a want thereof . As there ’s no Navy SEAL , bass tends to lose its power and punch , and that ’s decidedly the case with the Nothing Ear ( Open ) .
Listening to Prototype by Outkast , the finespun guitar riff and near - falsetto vocals are well represented , however the gumptious , unstable bass miss some of the warmth and a wad of the mass that it can attain with in - ear bud .
This is n’t to say that the reasoned quality on the Nothing Ear ( Open ) is n’t good , rather the opposite . Though no frequency ambit is given , the 14.2 mm active machine driver work the mids and highs well in special . There ’s reasonable item even in more complex orchestral tracks , while vocals sound lively and rounded .
For most genres , the Nothing Ear ( Open ) will work well , with the elision of Dance , EDM and Punk ( among other more bass voice heavy case ) . If you like to play to a pounding beat , you ’d be best to look elsewhere , but for most people , on pure sound quality alone , these buds will deliver .
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Should you buy it?
The Nothing Ear ( Open ) , by nature of their design , are some of the most prosperous earbuds on the grocery store today .
With noactive noise cancellation , it ’s impossible to forget the outside world when wear out the Nothing Ear ( Open ) .
Final Thoughts
Choosing any audio machine is a personal process , only you will acknowledge what you really care , and therefore selecting the right manakin factor for your indigence is an crucial process .
The Nothing Ear ( Open ) , by their nature , are not meant for a lot of users . If you care to use music to shut out the humankind out , they just wo n’t form . It is n’t a casing of some interference begin in , alloutside dissonance will get in . For others , that ’s the main selling point , whether you have a child , want to get wind traffic or find yourself in any situation where you demand spatial knowingness but also want to jam out to a few melody .
That they have a nice fit , are comfortable , a good app , fantabulous connectivity option and overall respectable sound timber are ice on the cake . But for their oddly big case , they would be an instant recommendation . As things stand , they are execute and priced well , but just are n’t mean for the vast majority of people .
Trusted Score
How we test
We test every duad of headphones we reexamine thoroughly over an elongated menses of prison term . We use industry - standard tests to liken features properly . We ’ll always tell you what we discover . We never , ever , accept money to review a mathematical product .
Find out more about how we test in ourethics policy .
