Nothing Ear (Open): A fresh take on open-ear audio
Nothing (ear) Earbuds Open Picture: Noel Campion
Nothing, the tech brand known for its futuristic aesthetics and transparent designs, has ventured into the world of open-ear audio with the Nothing Ear (Open). Open-ear designs allow you to enjoy music while staying alert to your surroundings. Open-ear buds struggled with poor sound quality a few years ago, but that has improved dramatically. The Ear (Open) is one of the best I’ve tested in this category.
The Ear (Open) earbuds have a futuristic charm that aligns with the brand’s ethos. One interesting detail is that the earbuds aren’t marked with traditional “L” and “R” indicators; instead, they use subtle colour cues — red for the right ear and white for the left.
The charging case is as unique as the earbuds themselves. It’s impressively slim, though its pill-shaped profile makes it slightly wider than average. While it slips into pockets easily, its width can feel noticeable if you carry it around all day. That said, the case and earbuds are rated IP54, offering protection against dust and splashes of water or sweat.
The open-ear hook design is lightweight and comfortable. It sits securely on the ear without an intrusive in-ear seal. Whether walking, cycling, or doing daily tasks, the Ear (Open) stays in place without issue.
The design positions the driver close to the ear canal but not inside, enhancing the listening experience without blocking external sounds. This placement improves over typical open-ear models, often at less effective angles.
The Ear (Open) offers a unique experience that you simply don’t get with ANC headphones. I love the more expansive soundstage, the comfort, and the freedom to stay aware of my surroundings. However, this also comes with a trade-off — you can’t always block out distracting sounds when you want a fully immersive listening experience.
Using the Ear (Open) is straightforward: a single pinch pauses the music, a double pinch skips to the next track, and a triple pinch goes back.
The earbuds are designed with a Sound Seal System and directional speakers to reduce sound leakage and provide a private listening experience. They create reverse sound waves at the back openings that cancel out the sound from the front openings. This helps keep the sound focused and ensures clear audio goes directly to your ears. Those around me in the office could not hear what I was listening to. This is ideal because I could listen to music or a podcast while still hearing what’s happening around me.
While I performed most of my testing paired with the Nothing Phone (2), you don’t sacrifice anything if you pair it with an iPhone or a different Android device.
The Nothing X app is top-notch and provides a wealth of customisation options. Through the app, you can tweak the control scheme, enable multi-point pairing, locate misplaced earbuds, and even set up voice commands integrated with ChatGPT. But the app's star feature is its EQ customisation. The easy option makes it intuitive to use and tweak the sound to your liking, but those who like to tinker can choose the advanced option to explore the full spectrum of the sound frequency fully.
Open-ear designs typically sacrifice bass response to maintain environmental awareness, but the Ear (Open) defies that trend with its more ergonomic placement. This allows for a richer sound profile than generally expected from open-ear models. Coupled with the excellent EQ options in the Nothing X app, you can tailor your audio experience to their liking, from subtle treble adjustments to deep bass boosts.
The Ear (Open) connects via Bluetooth 5.3, ensuring a stable and reliable connection. While it supports AAC and SBC codecs, no high-bitrate options like aptX or LDAC exist. Given the open-ear nature of these earbuds, this isn’t surprising, as they’re not meant for audiophile-grade listening. For everyday use, the codec support should suffice for most users.
Nothing promises eight hours of playback on a single charge, which matches the battery life of many open-ear competitors. Combined with the case, you can expect up to 30 hours of total listening time. In my real-world testing, the earbuds performed as advertised, comfortably lasting a full day of moderate use with some charge to spare.
While the audio quality holds up well, the microphone performance is only adequate. Voice clarity is decent in quiet environments, but the earbuds struggle to filter out wind noise in outdoor settings, a common challenge for open-ear designs. Calls in breezy or noisy conditions may lead to less-than-ideal voice transmission, though they still work well for indoor use and controlled environments.
The Nothing Ear (Open) earbuds make a compelling case for themselves in the open-ear market. With a comfortable, secure fit and standout customisation options through the Nothing X app, they offer a lot to like. While not audiophile-level, the sound quality is impressive for open-ear earbuds, especially when enhanced with EQ tweaks.
The Nothing Ear (Open) is a solid option for those who value situational awareness and style.
€149 ie.nothing.tech