Nothing's latest set of wireless earbuds have arrived. It hasn't been too long since the quirky audio brand revealed its first pair of over-ears to the world in the shape of the Headphone (1), but Nothing is back on more familiar territory here, as it expands its considerable roster of true wireless earbuds.
The Nothing Ear (3), unsurprisingly, act as the sequel to the likeable but flawed Nothing Ear (2) we reviewed in the middle of 2023.
It's a noise-cancelling pair with a strong feature set at a pleasingly mid-range price tag, so we are interested to see if the new contenders can topple the likes of the Sony WF-C7100N (£100 / $120 / AU$200), the mega-battery-boasting Cambridge Audio Melomania M100 (£169 / $219) or, of course, the Apple AirPods 4 with ANC (£179 / $179 / AU$299).
While we found the overly bright, slightly thin profile of the Nothing Ear (2) to be a little wearing, the third-generation buds promise a “rich, dynamic sound” thanks to their upgraded 12mm dynamic drivers.
Nothing has made a big deal of the wireless earbuds' new ‘Super Mic’ which ensures “crystal-clear voice calls” thanks to a dual-microphone system which focuses on human speech and filters out surrounding environmental noise.
You're treated to real-time adaptive noise-cancelling which adjusts to your surroundings for a consistent experience.
Further features include LDAC Bluetooth codec compatibility and Google Fast Pair for Android devices, as well as an IP54-rating for protection against light rain and general dust ingress.
The transparent case and bud design of their predecessors returns, but with new metal components for greater durability and a more premium look than before. We liked the clear, funky design of the Ear (2), so we're happy to see it return for the 2025 update.
The case is a little different, too. It uses recycled aluminium and has a thinner design, as well as adding a microphone on the unit itself to bolster those ‘Super Mic’ capabilities.
Battery life clocks in at a solid 10 hours, extending to up to 38 hours with the case, with that in-bud performance beating the roughly 6.5 hours offered by the outgoing model.
While we admire Nothing for its competitively priced products and forward-looking designs, we still await a set of earbuds or headphones from the company that really deliver the sonic goods.
If it can rectify the issues of their predecessors, the Ear (3) could be just what we’ve been waiting for. The Ear (3) are available for pre-order now, priced at £179 / $179, with a choice of either a black or white finish.
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