Nothing has launched its latest true wireless earbuds, simply called the Nothing Ear, despite the confusing name, this is the 3-gen model Ear(3) following last year’s Ear 2 (Review), iconic transparent design remains, but the focus for this iteration is heightened sound performance.
Let’s start with what really matters – the audio quality. Nothing Ear 3 features larger 11mm ceramic drivers than its predecessors, allows for better dynamic range and clarity across highs, mids, and lows. Support has also been added for LHDC 5.0 and LDAC high-resolution Bluetooth codecs on top of the standard AAC and SBC. In our testing, audio sounded rich and full-bodied across a variety of music genres.
New sound customization features have arrived as well, there’s a bass boost mode to emphasize low-end thump, and a full equalizer with preset profiles like balanced, bass boost, voice, and more. Create your own custom EQ setting in the companion app, it’s a step up from the limited tweaks offered previously.
As for specs, the Ear (3) gets an improved 8.5 hour battery life without noise cancelling (the same with ANC on), wireless charging remains on board, as does in-ear detection to auto-pause audio. Nothing has also retained the IPX4 water resistance rating.
Where does that leave us? At $149, the Ear (3) faces stiff competition from premium earbuds like the $169 Beats Fit Pro and $179 Sony LinkBuds S. But the unique transparent design coupled with improved sonics could make Nothing’s latest an appealing option for audio enthusiasts. Is the sound quality finally good enough to match the hype? We’ll have a full review soon to find out.
