Nothing ear (a) review: everything you need
A TEST REPORT from Nils Ahrensmeier 
on April 18, 2024, 12:24 p.m. | Write a comment
With the Nothing ear (a), the London manufacturer has introduced new in-ears. We tested them extensively in everyday life.
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What's in the box
The Nothing ear (a) comes with smaller and larger attachments as well as a USB-C to USB-C cable. The headphones are delivered without plastic, just in a paper box. Very nice!
The Nothing ear a are delivered in cardboard packaging. (Picture: TechnikNews)
design, processing
If you already know Nothing, the design of the ear (a) shouldn't really surprise you. The headphones are again available in a transparent design, directly in black and in white. This year there is also a yellow version for the first time, which I liked in the render images.
The white headphones now have a white rod, otherwise there are no visual changes to the headphones themselves compared to the earphones, apart from the missing microphones.
The Nothing ear a have a well-known design. (Picture: TechnikNews)
The design of the case was also adjusted, making it wider and simpler for the ear (a). However, the case is well made and showed slight scratches on the underside during the test period.
comfort
A category I've never been in at Nothing ProThe problem I had was the comfort. For me, the headphones always fit really well and provide good protection even without ANC, but that always depends on your own ears. Nothing offers a “fit test” in the Nothing X app to determine the appropriate size for the attachments. ProBeer through all of them and then you'll know which one suits you best.
The Nothing headphones have always fit me well, and it's the same with the Ear a. (Picture: TechnikNews)
Battery life
Nothing states the battery life is a whopping 9.5 hours in one charge, as the battery cell in the headphones lasts a full 40 Procenter should be larger than the ear (2). The battery in the charging cradle should provide a total running time of 42.5 hours.
With ANC and bass boost activated, I got around seven hours of continuous music enjoyment, but without ANC this value should be closer to 9 hours. I also mostly listened at high volume during the trip, which drained the battery even more quickly.
Overall, Nothing has delivered excellent battery life on the ear (a) and makes a big leap compared to the ear (2).
sound quality
Nothing advertises the ear (a) as having LDAC certification and “high audio quality”. Before buying, you should check whether your smartphone supports the LDAC codec. Many more modern devices with Qualcomm Snapdragon or MediaTek Processors do this, but a search on Google won't do any harm.
The ear (a) have a pleasant, rich sound with a clear focus on the bass. In terms of sound, I would put them on the same level as the ear (2), although I like the bass of the ear (a) better. Nothing talks about how they “made this one twice as good”, I wouldn’t go that far. Especially compared to more expensive headphones like the AirPods Pro or the Freebuds Pro 2 you can still hear a clear difference.
You definitely get a lot for the price, as long as you support the appropriate codec.
Nothing ear(a): App and smart features
The headphones are connected to Android devices with “Fast Pair”, which all devices now support. You can then directly download the Nothing-X app, in which you can adjust the headphones and install updates.
The ANC is available in four levels (High, Medium, Weak, Adaptive), although I mostly used “High”. This gives you reasonable noise cancellation for most situations, but it won't completely isolate you. You can definitely hear the tinkling in the subway, the loudspeaker announcement on the plane or the squealing of car tires. But I didn't expect more in this price range, as the strongest ANC headphones cost 200 euros and more.
Some settings can be made in the Nothing X app. (Picture: TechnikNews)
The headphones can be controlled with a pressure surface, which provides both haptic and software feedback when pressed. You can pause a current track, skip it or switch between ANC modes with a long press. I definitely miss the volume control via the pressure surface (swipe up and down), this is only reserved for the ear. But you can use it to double or triple press.
Otherwise you will find a simple equalizer and a “Bass Enhancer” mode in the app where you can adjust the sound.
Overall, the Nothing
Prices and availability
The Nothing ear (a) are now available for pre-order in black, white and yellow for 99 euros.
Nothing ear (a): Conclusion
The Nothing ear (a) live up to their price of 99 euros in many respects and therefore offer an excellent all-round package. Only customers who are looking for special functions such as wireless charging of the charging cradle or a fancy equalizer should take a look at the ear. I would also look at the OnePlus Buds 3 or Galaxy Buds 2 as the strongest competitors in the price range, which also offer a lot for their money.
