The Godfather II, The Empire Strikes Back, Terminator 2: Judgement Day – who doesn’t love a good sequel? That’s what I hoped for from the Nothing Ear (2), the successor to the impressively designed Nothing Ear (1), and for the most part, Nothing has delivered…on pretty much every count. Better sound, better noise cancellation, a tighter design and even a bunch of new features. Is this the new sub-10,000 true wireless earphones to recommend? Let’s dive right in…
What’s good about the Nothing Ear (2)?
Nothing hasn’t reinvented the wheel with the Ear (2), but there’s clearly a degree of refinement to the already standout, eye-catching design we saw on the Ear (1). Available in a single white-transparent colorway for now (the Ear (1) saw a black version released later), the buds look unchanged with their in-ear-canal fit for a tight seal needed for active noise cancellation. Three changes – first, the on-stem controls have moved from tap gestures to force touch/press controls not unlike what we’ve seen on the AirPods Pro, which makes operating the buds a lot easier and less prone to accidental activation. The Ear (2) buds also have a slightly more rugged design, in that the IP54 durability rating ensures that they have some added resistance to handle dust and water splashes. The case hasn’t been ignored – it’s slimmer and lighter, comes with a IP55 rating and Nothing claims it’s using a more durable plastic to reduce wear and tear over time. The whole package screams quality.
Now, while the Ear (2) may pack the same 11.6mm drivers that we saw in the Ear (1), Nothing has taken big strides in delivering a custom sound profile for your ears. When you first set them up with the companion Nothing X app, you can take a five-minute hearing test for the app to set up the earphones better for your ears…and then there’s the further tweaking you can do with the equalizer settings. The app also lets you customize ANC levels, create personalized sound and ANC profiles, or enable multi-point connectivity (more on that later).
The bigger deal is the support for the LHDC 5.0 Bluetooth codec (apart from the standard SBC/AAC support) – LHDC allows the Ear (2) buds to stream high-res audio at up to 24-bit/192kHz, essentially allowing more audio data to be transmitted from a compatible smartphone for better sound quality. LHDC support is rare for wireless earbuds, let alone a pair that cost under Rs. 10,000, so the potential of adding this codec support is huge. I say “potential” since the reality is that I was only able to test this out with the Nothing Phone (1), with the OnePlus and the Samsung I had on hand either not supporting the codec or not connecting over the codec despite phone support. With an iPhone – the home of lossless Apple Music – you’re limited to AAC over a Bluetooth wireless connection anyway, so there’s that. One should see LDHC support roll out over time to other Android brands, so for the time being, the Nothing Phone (1) it was… and the results were impressive.
Connecting to the Ear (2) and streaming high-resolution Apple Music tracks, the difference in codecs was staggeringly impressive, even more so when you consider the price point at which the Ear (2) retails. Having tweaked the equalizer to a sound profile I preferred previously, I played a variety of tracks – from the massy OK Jaanu soundtrack to the relatively unknown Trampoline by SHAED – and the additional detail, both in the bass attack and the individual instruments, were downright category defying. I quite liked the open soundstage on a number of tracks as well. To be fair, I tested this on an iPhone streaming over AAC, and while the earbuds retained their sonic signature and punch, the extra elements of detail went missing. Are they better than the Ear (1)? They sounded more vibrant and refined, for sure.
Finally, the Ear (2) add support for Bluetooth multipoint, which really benefits anyone who connects to two devices at the same time – a smartphone and a laptop, for instance. You could be listening to music on the laptop and then have a call come in on the phone, and the audio switches without missing a beat. Oddly enough, this is activated only via the Nothing X app.
What needs work?
Aside from the personalised noise cancellation profiles and the adaptive noise cancellation that auto adjusts the ANC based on the ambient noise, there hasn’t been much of a generational leap from the Ear (1). When the Ear (1) first launched at the low Rs. 5,999 launch price, I called the ANC “middling to good” but at the higher price point that the Ear (2) lands, it’s fairly average. I’m wearing the Ear (2) as I type this, and I can hear the hum of the Dyson air purifier in the room. Some folks have reported the unpleasant in-ear vacuum effect with the Ear (2), but I haven’t experienced it in my testing. Also, the transparency mode did its job pretty well, to be fair.
Battery life, while improved from the Ear (1) to a little over four hours of use on a single charge with ANC (the smaller case adds another four charges), is still in middling territory. Fast charging adds 8 hours of battery life to the case in 10 mins, and you can use Qi charging on the case in a pinch, so one didn’t really think too much about battery life with these buds.
What's the verdict?
With the bump up to the Rs. 9,999 price point, the Nothing Ear (2) goes up against the formidable Oppo Enco X2 and the OnePlus Buds Pro 2 and manages to hold its own, except for the average ANC. Clearly, these sound like a mature second-gen product that’s ready to punch above its weight class, particularly if you get to rock the LHDC codec. If you have a Nothing Phone (1), this is a no-brainer, but even with other smartphones, the Ear (2) make for a good purchase. It helps they’re clearly the most thoughtfully designed and nicest looking of the lot!
Nothing Ear(2)
Pros: Good fit, improved controls, companion app, lively sonic signature, LHDC and multipoint are bonuses, fast charging
Cons: Average ANC, middling battery life
Rating: 8/10
Price: INR 9,999