High-quality in-ear headphones at a fair price — Nothing Ear (3a) review
The Nothing Ear (3a) aim to deliver powerful sound, effective active noise cancellation (ANC), and a wide range of features at a relatively low price. This model targets a broad audience, seeking to provide modern functionality without the premium markup. In this review, we will find out how well they achieve this, how the battery performs, and where Nothing made compromises to keep the price at a $99 MSRP.
Design and Ergonomics: Signature Nothing Aesthetic
In terms of design, the Nothing Ear (3a) stays true to the brand's signature aesthetic. The partially transparent stems reveal technical details, ensuring high brand recognition. While the housing is primarily made of plastic, the build quality is clean, with no noticeable gaps or seams, and the charging case feels sturdy and compact.
Thanks to their light weight of 4.53g per earbud, they sit comfortably in the ear. The silicone tips are available in several sizes, ensuring a good fit for most users. Once inserted, the earbuds stay securely in place without causing uncomfortable pressure, even during longer listening sessions. Control is managed via pressure-sensitive areas on the stems, which reduces accidental inputs compared to traditional touch surfaces. The earbuds are also protected against dust and splashes with an IP54 rating.
Features and the Nothing X App
The feature set of the Nothing Ear (3a) is impressive for the price. In addition to ANC and transparency mode, they support Multipoint for simultaneous connection to two devices and LDAC for high-resolution audio transmission. The Nothing X app serves as a comprehensive control center, allowing users to customize ANC, gestures, and sound settings through a detailed equalizer.
A standout feature is the call recording function. Before recording begins, an announcement plays to inform participants that the call is being recorded. The recording is then saved in the Nothing X app, where it can be listened to or exported as an audio file. Additionally, a transcription service is available: basic local transcription is free, while the more powerful Pro service processes recordings in the cloud and offers 120 minutes per month for free during a three-month trial. It remains unclear how Nothing plans to price the Pro service once the trial period ends.
Sound Performance: Clarity vs. Bass Depth
The sound signature of the Nothing Ear (3a) makes a good overall impression. It feels balanced and pleasant, with clearly separated voices and instruments, and detailed highs that do not become unpleasantly sharp. Our measurements confirm low distortion, with a total harmonic distortion (THD) of just 0.025% at a 1 kHz test signal.
However, bass enthusiasts might find the low end lacking in depth. While the bass remains clean, controlled, and does not intrude on the midrange, it lacks physical body and resonance in the lowest frequency ranges. This is particularly noticeable in music that relies on deep low notes, such as piano pieces, where the characteristic resonance does not fully fill the space.
Battery Life and ANC
The active noise cancellation (ANC) performs impressively, particularly in reducing steady low-frequency noises like engines or fans. The transparency mode makes the surroundings clearly audible, though it does not quite match the natural sound of open-ear listening. During calls, the microphones effectively block out ambient noise, maintaining good speech intelligibility.
Battery life is solid but not outstanding. When using the LDAC codec with ANC enabled, the earbuds last around 4.5 hours, which is fairly average. For those requiring maximum playback time, switching to the AAC codec allows for significantly longer listening sessions with ANC enabled.
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