Verdict
A true wireless that will be perfect for some and imperfect for others , the Nothing Ear ( stick ) ’s classifiable pattern will pique interest group , but there is n’t enough content to the sound to overpower its undoubted style .
Pros
Cons
Key Features
Introduction
Nothing emerged on the audio scene , backed by Carl Pei of OnePlus fame , with theEar ( 1 ) true wireless , subsequently following that up with thePhone ( 1)and now , the Ear ( stick ) .
Nothing has pluck up a report for devices that ooze a vernal vibe and stylish mouthful , owners of its devices are more likely to be hanging out with the style cognoscenti than babble about the difference between FLAC and ALAC .
That focal point can , however , lead to charge of manner over marrow . On the flip side , it could be say that style is very much the substance as far as Nothing is concerned .
Design
The Nothing Ear ( stick ) prefer for an candid - ear innovation in comparison to the closed in design of the Ear ( 1 ) , and that necessarily brings egress to the fore .
Some prefer the capable - spike approach as they not only dislike the impression of buds inside their spike , but they also choose the comfort earphones resting on the earlobe provide – as well as a degree of situational cognizance they propose . After all , there ’s a reason whyApple AirPodsare so popular .
So , in that regard , the Ear ( stick ) has fulfilled the design legal brief , as these earphone are imposingly scant ( 4.4 gravitational constant each ) , barely noticeable when worn , and you’re able to , quite clearly , get a line what ’s going on around you .
But the obvious limitation is a lack of isolation . With no pinna tips to subdue the smother environment , I could heareverything . This becomes problematic in second where you want to concentrate on the audio . I wore the Ear ( stick ) to a supermarket , and it was hard to insulate what I was hearing from the whiz sound of fridge freezer and the clanging of shoppers invest nutrient into their streetcar – the audio and the environment wash out together uncomfortably .
These earphones ’ fit is unaffixed , and while there ’s a level of cause when go for a walking , they never fell out and stayed put despite vigorous shakes of the head . With an IP54 rating , they propose resistance against rubble , H2O and sweat , so using them for exercise is an option . These buds only come in a white-hot finish , which meant the content of my pinna were often visible when I removed them .
The Ear ( stick ) earbuds use a force play sensor on the stem , and this work well than most due to some well - pitch sensitivity : I was n’t left fumbling for the control as I have with some other earphones . I ’m notusuallya fan of force detector , but this is one of the better implementations I ’ve come across .
control are simple enough : one nip to play / pause , two to skip forrad , and three to bound off back . A hold turns the volume up or down , depending on the bud , while a duple press and grasp is not assigned but can be designated as the voice assistant in the Nothing X app .
The Ear ( stick ) has a singular coming into court as the crystalline conception leave a look at the circuitry within its glass encasing , afford the impression of wear something that seems like high - tech jewellery .
The transparent cylindrical charging case is a dainty touch too , looking like a lip rouge holder in the same vein as theHuawei FreeBuds Lipstick – except the Ear ( stick ) ’s design is perfect for fidgeting with . You ’ll discover yourself roll the case about in your hands and flicking it give more frequently than you ’d take on . The coarse grain of the case ’s control surface makes it grippy to reserve , and it ’s of a reasonable size of it to slot into a pocket .
A twist of the case break the earphones nestled inside and a light that indicates the battery level . Dirt can get in - between the vitrine and its glass screen , which can be difficult to extract . On top of the lawsuit is aUSB - century portfor charging , and next to it is a button for originate Bluetooth pairing .
Features
Nothing claim that the Ear ( stick ) ’s battery living is about 7 hours of hearing – an hour and a scrap more than the noise - delete Ear ( 1 ) . But that fig falls to about 3 hours if you ’re primarily using these headphone for calls . But bestow the typeface , and it ’s a healthy 29 hours of total listening time , or 12 hour of calls .
With regular economic consumption , 2 hours of consumption resulted in a drop of 20 % of battery , which is a promising human body ( and this was after a recent update ) . The buds commit comparatively fast too , and if you need a boost , 10 - minutes will give you another 2 hour .
Bluetooth is supported up to v5.2 , with SBC and AAC wireless sound recording . Initially , when I walked through the compact concourses of Waterloo and Victoria train stations the connective was choppy , but since I download the update , the strength of the Bluetooth connection has startle in the other direction . The earphones have been outstandingly stable and the signaling has n’t come near to faltering .
There ’s no noise cancellation or transparency way , which is served by the more expensive Nothing Ear ( 1 ) ( it is , apparently , more expensive to produce ) .
The in - capitulum detection gets on its motorcycle and intermission / restarts promptly , and call lineament impresses as well . I ’d have carry phone with an open pattern to struggle against the elements , but they picked up my voice well and relay it to the somebody on the other ending of the call without nibble up much noise .
People talking close by were audible , and the somebody on the other oddment did note that everything sounded loud , but my voice came across as well-defined and intelligible . On that front , the Ear ( stick ) spend with fly colours .
The Nothing X app offers customisation , with access to changing the controls or modifying the EQ . With the latter , there ’s the selection of more bass ( a tiny mo more ) , more treble ( a flimsy increment ) , balanced ( the default choice ) and the Voice mode , which crudely amplifies vocals . Custom way set aside you to lift on a computer graphic and exsert the bass , mid and treble ( from -6 to +6 ) .
Other feature admit make do the in - ear detective work and the low lag mode that minimises latent period ( the bud can flip to this mode automatically when gaming on a Nothing ( 1 ) earpiece ) . Lose the phone and you’re able to turn up them with the Find My … feature that trigger a chirping phone . update are also allow for through the app and , so far , do n’t take too longsighted to download and install .
When used with a Nothing ( 1 ) Phone , the Ear ( stick ) integrates on a organisation level – much like Apple AirPods do with an iPhone . You get accession to the same configurations as you would in the app , but they ’re usable by swiping down from the top of your screen . Other features includeGoogle Fast Pairwith Android devices , along with Microsoft Swift Pair for connecting to Windows devices .
Sound Quality
Featuring a large , 12.6 mm custom - designed dynamic equipment driver , for the Ear ( stick ) , Nothing has created the Bass Lock Technology to prevent sound leakage from the undefendable design , with software system that detects basso loss and melody the equalizer curve to compensate .
It ’s a sign of the zodiac that Nothing is aware of the issues a design such as this can provoke and resolve to be proactive in managing it , but there are those aforementioned issues the Ear ( stick ) ’s audio ca n’t circumvent . When it gets loud alfresco , it meshes with the audio recording to the item where you ca n’t hear what ’s being let the cat out of the bag , and it also has the effect of nerfing the earphones ’ sea bass performance .
They vocalise better indoors than outside and there ’s more detail to hear without outside misdirection . The bud ’ smell err more towards a achromatic and curt representation ( at least with the Balanced EQ preset ) , but it ’s a soundstage portrayed in compact terms despite the large impost driver , with a midrange that sound thin and vocals and instruments that deficiency system of weights .
Give it a track like Amon Tobin ’s Get Your Snack On , and bass is not the Ear ( stick ) ’s strongest item , but neither is it completely ignored within the frequency reach . The high frequencies are crisp in smell but not always the most elaborated or brightest : the lead and trail edges ( the beginnings and end of notes ) of cymbal crashes tend to morph into one less distinct sound .
The song ’s dynamics feel muted , as does its overall sense of dynamism , and while you could hear the various beat and instrument , there ’s not much place either around each one or between them , leading to a slenderly drippy mother wit of definition and rhythm .
In Christina Aguilera ’s Mercy on Me , the singer ’s vocal have a becoming grasp and dynamism , but the fineness to the Ear ( stick ) ’s midrange rob her voice and instruments of a more melodious tone . It ’s a performance that go a trivial too curt and sparse – cold rather than rich . While it ’s listenable , it does n’t captivate , especially with a voice like Aguilera ’s .
I had like outcome with Columba ’ Black and White Town . Here , Jez Williams ’ vocal do n’t have the size or heft to make an impact , and the quality of his representative sound slightly off – a bit hollow and coarse . Meanwhile , Elbow ’s The Loneliness of a Tower Crane Driver can inch its path towards fricative tones with Guy Garvey ’s vocals .
Playing Gossip ’s Standing In the path of Control , the Ear ( reefer ) ’s grasp of dynamics and calendar method of birth control is a bit good . The drumbeat has some decent punch , and there ’s an intensity to the more up-and-coming parts of the track . But from a tone perspective , there ’s just something a little common cold about these earphones ’ performance .
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Should you buy it?
The Ear ( stick ) phone are very light to jade for recollective stretches of fourth dimension . Also , Nothing Phone ( 1 ) users will prize the tight system of rules - horizontal surface integration .
These earphones look swell but the open excogitation does n’t do the sound any favours in noisy areas . The Nothing Ear ( 1 ) is a better alternative if you ’re interested in Nothing headphones specifically .
Final Thoughts
The Nothing Ear ( peg ) is a well - designed and well - sport true wireless couplet , but its design is its biggest sticking point ( pun not quite intended ) . The candid design allows sounds to wash out through , which is a trouble in fussy places . While some will make the case for the consolation and awareness this plan supply , should that be at the expense of the audio ?
I do n’t think it should be . While these phone extend comme il faut audio , it ’s compact by the design . Bass is miss , the midrange is on the thin side , and the high relative frequency are n’t the brightest . It all makes for a public presentation that feels restrained rather than expressive .
I ’d play these earphones will be perfect for some and progressive tense for others . If you prefer this design and can dwell with the intrusions from the outside man , the Ear ( stick ) is a true wireless that ’s well thought out for the most part , but the most authoritative aspect of its performance is also its weakest part .
Trusted Score
How We Test
We test every headphone set we review thoroughly over an protracted full stop of time . We use industriousness standard tests to compare features properly . We ’ll always tell you what we find . We never , ever , live with money to review a product .
Find out more about how we test in ourethics policy .
FAQs
There is no wireless charging patronage by the Ear ( stick ) , only musical accompaniment for tight - charging . The more expensive Ear ( 1 ) ANC earphone does support wireless charging , however .
Full Specs
