Electronics device manufacturer Nothing recently launched its second pair of true wireless earbuds in India. The Nothing Ear (2) is the latest offering from the young brand and replaces the Nothing Ear (1) as the company flagship true wireless earbuds. At a starting price of Rs 9,999 in India, the Nothing Ear (2) has received quite the price hike over its predecessor.
However, this price hike brings with it new features and improved hardware. But how does the Nothing Ear (2) fare in the highly competitive true wireless earbuds under Rs 10,000 segment in India? Let’s find out in our full review.
Design & Build
Fans of the transparent design of the Nothing Ear (1) will be pleased to see the same design principles executed on the Ear (2) buds. Both the case and the stems of the earbuds are transparent, while the buds are completed with white and black colours. The red and white dots on the back of each earbud allows you to differentiate between the left and right bud. While the Ear (2) buds look identical to their predecessors, Nothing has managed to shrink the size of its earbuds this time out.
The Nothing Ear (2) is visibly smaller than its predecessor, making it more convenient to drop into a pocket. Moreover, the earbuds weigh 4.5 grams each, while the case weighs 51.9 grams. Additionally, the case and buds feature a plastic build that feels quite solid. Moreover, Nothing also offers an IP54 rating on the buds and an IP55 rating on the case for dust, water, and sweat resistance. You get multiple silicone ear tips, while the earbuds come in plastic wrap-free packaging. The circuit board is also produced with 100 percent recycled material.
I did have to switch the silicone tips for the earbuds but once I found the ones with the right fit, they were comfortable to use over pre-longed periods. The earbuds feature a pretty secure fit, although accessing the touch controls, located in the stem of each bud, could make the earbuds come lose. I saw this as more of an annoyance than a major flaw. Overall, the Nothing Ear (2) true wireless earbuds are comfortable to use and provide a secure fit while working out.
The transparent case design of the Nothing Ear (2) buds looks great, although it is prone to scratching in the long run as I experienced the same on the Nothing Ear (1). The case has a sturdy hinge on the back and a magnetic lid, which look identical. The earbuds can also be easily placed inside the case with the aid of the magnets near the charging pins. Additionally, there’s a pairing button and USB Type-C port located on the side of the case, while the LED indicators is placed inside.
Software
The Nothing Ear (2) is accompanied by the Nothing X app on both Android and iOS. While Nothing allows you to use the earbuds without the app, several features can be accessed through the software. You can also switch between noise cancellation and transparency modes using the Nothing X app. Additionally, it allows you to access the equaliser to adjust the sound to your liking.
The customisable touch controls are also displayed on the app. You can also enable and disable the ‘in-ear’ detection and the low lag mode via the app. There’s also a ‘Find My Earbuds’ option in the app. The software also shows battery percentage of the buds and the case. Overall, the Nothing X app makes it easy to control several aspects of the Ear (2) wireless earbuds, while offering a ton of utility.
Audio & ANC Quality
The Nothing Ear (2) delivers excellent audio quality for a pair of true wireless earbuds under Rs 10,000. The buds deliver powerful bass courtesy of the 11.6mm driver, although Nothing has updated the design to output more balanced sound. The earbuds also deliver good instrument separation and detailed highs, while the mids sound more pronounced than on the Ear (1).
On the other hand, the treble lacked detail and the audio does sound muffled at times because of this. However, you do get a customisable EQ to fine tune the audio to your liking via the app. The Ear (2) earphones also support AAC and SBC codecs as well as the high-quality LDHC 5.0 codes. You can also take a test on the app, and Nothing will offer a personalised sound profile suited to your listening profile.
The Ear (2) cancels up to 40db of noise, according to the company. This translates to a real-world performance that is well-above average for the most part. The Ear 2 easily takes care of low-frequency sounds, although they go a little bit further by cancelling out most surrounding noise from traffic and motors. However, you will hear horns and rumbling engines close to you. But for the most part, the Ear 2 does a good job of providing an immersive experience.
Additionally, Nothing also offers several different levels of noise cancellation include High, Mid, and Low or you can switch to the Adaptive mode that can change the intensity of ANC depending on your surroundings. However, there wasn’t much difference and I preferred using the buds on ‘High’. You can also switch off noise cancellation all together or use the earbuds on transparency mode, which works well.
But I preferred removing the earbuds instead of switching to the mode as my voice didn’t sound very clear. The Nothing Ear 2 does a solid job when answering calls in different environments. For a sub-10K TWS earbuds, they did well while taking calls outdoors in the middle of traffic. They also worked well indoors, despite fairly loud renovation work outside the room. However, they do struggle in more windy environments, but overall call quality is well above average.
Features
The one thing the Nothing Ear (2) is not short on are features. Its earbuds come with multipoint connectivity, which is quite useful when switching between the laptop and phone. The earbuds also support Google Fast Pair and Microsoft Swift Pair. The earbuds also come with a low latency mode for gaming, which is decent to say the least. You can also use the Nothing X app to check the fit of the earbuds’ silicone tips.
Battery
Nothing has improved the battery life on the Ear (2), despite shrinking the size of the buds and the case. The earbuds deliver around six to seven hours of battery life without ANC, although turning ANC on brings down the battery life to around four and a half hours. With the case, you get around 36 hours of battery life without ANC, according to Nothing. We found these claims more or less accurate.
Moreover, the Ear (2) charges over a USB-C port and supports Qi wireless charging, which is another highlight at this price. Additionally, you also get fast charging support, delivering a full charge to the buds in just 10 minutes. Overall, the Nothing Ear 2 buds deliver bang-on average battery life and good charging support.
Verdict
The Nothing Ear (2) picks up where the Ear (1)’s left off. While Nothing has bumped up the price of the Ear (2) buds, it has improved the earphones in every department, providing better sound quality and active noise cancellation, while also adding more features to the mix. Additionally, Nothing has also shrunk the size of its flagship earbuds, while stepping up its battery game. Then there’s the attractive design and solid build quality.
However, Nothing’s new flagship earbuds aren’t without their caveats.
Audio quality is not quite as good as the competition from Sony and Apple, while battery life still leaves a bit to be desired. Moreover, the transparent design on the Nothing Ear (1) didn’t quite stand the test of time, so we wonder if it’ll be the same with the Ear (2). Cons aside, the Nothing Ear 2 is still an excellent pair of true wireless earbuds under Rs 10,000.
This earns the Nothing Ear (2) an easy recommendation in our book and also earns its spot among the top TWS earbuds under Rs 10,000 in India.
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