Nothing Ear (a) wireless ear buds with Active Noise Cancelling, Bass Enhance Algorithm and up to 42.5 hours of listening time - White

I’m extremely happy with these earbuds. The sound quality is outstanding. They look and feel very premium. The settings app is very simple to use. Some may not like that the EQ is quite limited (it’s parametric) but I’ve barely needed to adjust it anyway because the base sound is so good. In-ear detection is a really nice to have feature that you don’t see often at this price range. The buds pause music automatically if you take one out to listen to something. The case is very light. It’s much easier to pull the buds out than many similar types where the stalk goes inside the case. I’d prefer if it was metal but the plastic feels reasonably sturdy. The only issue for me is there are no touch controls. You can use pinch controls if you set them in the app but I find that less convenient.

Right, so I've spent a good bit of time with these Nothing Ear (2024) buds, and honestly, with a bit of attention and personalisation, they're pretty fantastic Before I start, I got these for 93 notes. The Ear (a) are 78. The CMF buds Pro 2 are 55 and the CMF buds are 34.99. Nothing have something for every budget. It just depends on if their style and sound do it for you. If you know they do then every one of these buds are the best in their class. Otherwise, it's harder. For example, the Sony WF-C710n are 99 and might be the better option for you over these. Similarly the WF-C510 are currently First off, let's talk about that case. It's got this groove on it that's just perfect for spinning. Seriously, it's become my go-to fidget spinner. Highly addictive, you've been warned! It's also extremely stylish but I can imagine the plastic wearing down pretty quickly. Now, the sound. This is where they really shine, but with a big asterisk. Out of the box, they're decent, but to truly unlock their potential, you have to mess with the EQ. I spent ages searching for different QR code EQ settings online, and once you find one that clicks, the sound is genuinely fantastic. I tried the Personal Sound feature but hated the results, so I guess it's quite hit and miss. As other reviewed have said, the bass is amazing, and the sound separation is incredible. You'll struggle to find buds that sound this good for twice or even thrice the price. The ANC is good, as is the voice clarity on a phonecall. I find the pinch controls to be absolutely horrible, but that's a me thing I think. Much prefer touch gestures. Style and comfort are also big wins. They look super stylish, and they feel really comfortable in the ear. I think they're pretty standard for stem buds as I haven't had another pair since the Huawei Freebuds 2. However, they're not as secure as buds with wingtips. My gold standard for security and comfort are the Pixel Buds Pro 2 with their twist-to-seal feature – those things are practically glued in and sound great to boot. Their price, though, is more than double these. Speaking of comfort, I had to do a fair bit of experimentation with the ear tips. It's the classic trade-off: smaller tips mean more comfort but poorer sound and security, while larger tips give you better sound and a more secure fit, but they lead to quicker ear fatigue. That's just the nature of the beast with most in-ear buds, as a better seal means more pressure. I use the largest tips for the best sound, but it means I can only wear them for about two hours maximum before my ears need a break. The Pixel Buds Pro 2, on the other hand, I can wear for 8 hours, maybe more – I've literally slept with them in and woken up unsure if they were still there, they're that comfortable. One peculiar thing I've noticed: when I'm wearing them outside with a hood up, any time the fabric of the hood touches the stem of the bud, I can actually hear and almost feel it. It's a really strange sensation, almost like a muffled scraping sound. If you run your finger over the top of them you'll know what I mean. Not a big deal at all really, but worth noting. Overall, despite a few quirks, I'm extremely impressed. They deliver sound quality that punches well above their weight class. For comfort, they're good, but nothing beats the Pixel Buds Pro 2 in that respect. If you're an audiophile on a budget and don't mind a bit of EQ tinkering, then just buy them. You really shouldn't regret it. In all honesty, you could probably buy the Ear (A) or even the CMF buds pro 2 and still have an amazing time!

ANC needs work, keeps turning off and on but good when it works. Good sound, nice looking. Oversized charging case. Custom controls need more options, weirdly limited. Pinch setting awkward to use and sometimes doesn’t respond. Good value for money on sale. Good battery.

After my old earbuds stopped working, I did some research and opted to give these a go. I was considering going for the more expensive ones, above the 2(a); but, given my varied past experiences with other brands, I chose to test out the more affordable 2(a) first. Long story short, I’m mind-blown! As a musician, I’m astounded by Nothing’s top-tier functions. First, compared to previous earbuds that I’ve owned, from Sennheiser to Bose to JBL, these offer an exceptional music-listening experience for the relative low cost. I’d put these just behind—if not, on par—with those priced at +£200. Second, my biggest pet peeve across all previous brands were connectivity and latency issues. With the 2(a), say goodbye to that! These stay connected consistently, without falling out, even at a distance. (I’ve sometimes been two rooms apart from the connected device, and the sound quality has remained exceptional, no latency issues.) Third, these earbuds stay super-comfortable after long use. The noise cancellation is so soothing, I often keep them on even when I’m not listening to anything. (I highly recommend them to anyone who’s neurodivergent: ADHD, autism/ASD etc.) Fourth, the set-up is extremely easy (no loud connexion/disconnexion noise), and you can customise your audio experience through the mobile Nothing app. Your custom settings will carry on across all devices, unless you choose to change those settings later. If I really had to look for something to critique, I’d say the battery: I do wish that it lasted a little bit longer. That being said, though, the earbuds do recharge really quickly! So, it’s a really quick fix. Altogether, as a musician, I’m beyond impressed by these earbuds. I’ve had friends and family ask me for recommendations. Now, I know what I’d recommend in a heat beat: the Nothing 2(a). They’re top-tier!

The audio quality is excellent, the fit is excellent, battery is excellent so far and the app is great. The touch controls work great, no awkward swiping. Theyve never fallen out of my ears. The design is great. The case is excellent and charges the earphones. It feels super solid. So whats the problem? I was promised ANC of 45dB - and these DO NOT deliver. This is the reason I bought these, I could just use cheap wired headphones... Ive tried larger earbud tips (in the package) - no difference. Ive checked the fit in the app - I have a great fit apparently, and this makes no difference. I can scarcely see any difference at all when I have ANC on vs when I dont. Im also testing these on "stable" white noise - e.g. standing beside a running river - it cant handle it AT ALL (seriously), or listening to jet engine airplane noises on youtube through my laptop (noise level low or high), the ANC can barely scratch the surface and is very very weak. I almost feel like ive been missold this product, given how much of a big deal is made of the ANC capabilities - and the fact that the app tells me the headphones have a good fit. Ive attempted to put on silicone tips from other headphones from other manufacturers - but, hey presto, they dont fit the nothing ear (a) - the tips of these where the silicone tips are pulled on is oval, so needs to have a perfectly matching shape to suit. I hope the ANC can be fixed by a better algorithm in a future firmware update. Even at a relatively cheap £60 for these I feel cheated and im not pleased. I already have plenty of other wired headphones with excellent audio, I bought these for the ANC, which is rubbish.

After 20 months of usage by a person who handles gadgets very carefully, the current status of the earphones is very poor. The left bud lasts for 1 hour (if you are lucky) and loses charge much faster than the right one. Battery life has fallen off a cliff while the sound quality and noise cancellation remains okay. The buttons work well, 2-device connection is seamless. Too bad I could not get more out of this for the money I paid for.

Pros: App is very well designed and useful. They are stylish and look nice on, charging case is a nice size and again is a stylish design. Sound quality is great for me with options to increase or reduce bass. ANC is very good for this price point, sufficient to drown out background noise. I don’t use them for hours on end so can’t really comment on battery life but it seems fine and the case holds extra battery life. Also has wireless charging which is great! They are very comfortable for moderate use, when worn for over an hour I start to get a little bit of ear fatigue but that’s the same with all in-ear buds. You get three sizes of tips included, medium is best fit for me. They connected easily to my iPhone and AppleTV. You can actually connect to multiple devices at once through the app. Cons: I suppose they are a little pricey for a brand that is not a market leader like Apple or Bose etc. Personalised sound feature is fine for music but sounds bizarre when watching videos (tried two movies), I had to switch it off (which fixed the issue) as it was making a strange interference sound. I’m not keen on the ‘in-ear recognition’ feature as sound stops playing when just ONE earbud is removed, I’d prefer it to be activated when BOTH are removed, that said you can disable this feature in the app so I’ve done that. Also I’m not keen on the tap controls, they are a little temperamental and tricky to get the hang of (they can be amended in the app but not entirely, there are limits).

I am very pleased with these buds they fit snuggly into my ears using the medium cups that they come fitted with and they tend to stay put. They produce a pleasant sound which is relatively loud, connect quickly and disconnect when removed from your ear. One click to pause, two clicks next track. I haven’t tried the noise cancellation yet but I would guess that it’s adequate. The battery life seems good as well. For the price they seem to punch above their weight. The built in mics also allow for clear phone calls. I saw a comment about the case not looking strong but the case seems fine to me and they have a nice click when returned to their charge ports. Their name: Nothing… shows that they are masters of understatement. They gat a thumbs up 👍 from me. Why pay three figures when you can bag these for £50. If they prove to be durable, I would probably purchase them again.

Love the sound. I lost my Nothing earpiece and got this as a replacement. Will definitely recommend.

ممتاز

Second update: After finally being able to connect with the seller, they were the definition of excellent with their customer service. I reached out to them during the holiday rush and had a replacement unit that seems to be completely new sent to me. The bus are add amazing as the first pair were. This time I will be more mindful of where I keep my favorite earbuds, and fart far away from the washing machine. Thank you Essential Tech and Nothing. In the past two years, I have used or owned just about every single pair of earbuds under $500. I use the nothing year 2024 version every day and sometimes I don’t even think to grab the other ones. Everything comes with some form of trade-off any with the nothing I would say these these are battery life and sound. Both of these trade offs are minimal. The battery life is fine and because of wireless charging they get back to useable levels quickly. In terms of sound I personally rank the Sennheiser Momentum 4 as the buds that have sounded the best to me, an arbitrary “10”. If the M4 are a 10 I’d say the nothing are an 8, unless you just love bass, if you do, these are a 9.5. Pros: Comfort- as comfortable as a stem style earbud I’ve ever used. I wear these in any sweaty environment and they DO NOT Fall out..looking at you Apple and Samsung Pro 3 Connectivity- again another place where these are as good as any bud with multiple devices except the Technics AZ80, which can pair to 3 devices (something I never used once) Controls- this is where I believe the buds start to stand out. You have many options to choose from how you want these to work, almost anyone can find a setup that works. The one thing they don't do is slide for volume control. Call/mic quality- from everyone I’ve talked there is a Night and Day difference in me talking with these buds and anything else, yes even Apple AirPod pros. Apparently they block out most of the background noise as well. This might be the biggest selling point for the buds. It’s Exceptional Durability- I mentioned before that these stay in no matter what sweaty activity I’m doing they also push through no matter what activity I’m doing whether it’s sweat rain splashes of water, falling in water the case has held up to exposure to water everything it’s one of the stronger qualities of the buds, and the case, is the durability. IP54 does don't protect against a washing machine or total submersion. Transparency mode- Again, transparency mode is one of those things that it just does really well very similar to the call quality it’s top of the line in terms of the way the transparency mode operates and functions. It’s one of the best that there are right now. App functionality- I mentioned that the controls are amazing and they are just a part of an amazing app for these buds. You can find any sound profile that you love and as I mentioned in the sound earlier if you love bass bass is a thing that you must have with earbuds. These are the best style earbuds. I’ve ever used it. It’s it’s a level that is disruptive. That’s how there’s controls you can’t even fathom EQ settings. As far as you can imagine it’s really top-notch. I would say that the app is a 10 out of 10 for all of the functionality that you can use for these buds and if you just want to use default stuff it works really well there too the app is another amazing point. Trade offs: Noise cancellation- if the Bose quiet comfort and the Sennheiser and the Sony are tens, then the nothings are probably eight or 8 1/2 the Bose could be by themselves, but the little hissing white noise that’s with them when you not running music bothers me to no end so I can’t rank them a 10. I think these are just a few marks below any of the premium top 2 to 3 times the price of these earbuds noise cancellation performance more than doable. Sound- Well, I said the app gives you great flexibility for sound and even sound quality they don’t stack up to the higher budget earbuds in this regard they notice don’t sound as good or is clear or as crisp as the Sennheiser momentum force not many earbuds. Do they are clearly not there once again. I probably put these in about an eight or 8 1/2 if the Sennheiser are number one. But the sound is good enough for me to pick these up every single time I’m leaving the house and just taking earbuds just in case or when I’m going to the guy I know that these will always be good enough customization next level that you can get really close, especially if you have a phone that supports higher and codec, you’ll notice that increase just a little bit and that makes that little bump each way up ahead of other earbuds like Bose, Samsung, and AirPods and all the other ones in that price range they sound better than jabra which are almost $300. Battery- battery is the spot that the nothings have made the biggest improvement on because previously their batteries were not very good at all and now they’re passable. They’re quite decent and get about six hours out of them using Hi-Rez Kodex and ANC about six hours maybe 5 1/2 just kind of depending on circumstances and everything else but about 5 1/2 six hours that’s about what you get out of most of them the Sony or a 10 in this area these would be, I don’t know previously they were five or four so nice improvement in terms of the battery like I said it being rechargeable via wireless charging is really helpful. It just makes it quick and easy. Throw it on the back of your phone if it supports it in 10 minutes 20 minutes you got enough charge to get going and do whatever you need so it’s not terrible like it was it makes it very doable and passable now. TL;DR These earbuds are a significant improvement over the previous generation for anything in their price range. They are right up there at the top as far as the best or close to the best in this price range I luckily got mine on sale on Amazon. I think they were 115 120 for the amount of money there’s nothing that touches these. I have the momentum 4s, I have the technic AZ80s, I’ve had several AirPod pros, I have the Samsung buds Pro three and the budsPro 2, list the earbuds under $400. I’ve had them or still own them and these earbuds check enough of the boxes that matter to me that I use these consistently more than the other ones , probably one of the biggest good sound good ANC great quality, multipoint connection and durability. These aspects make them, the go anywhere earbud, they consistently deliver what I want from them. I love this purchase and will absolutely recommend these buds to anyone who seeks these qualities from their buds, especially in the stem style.

Direct answer The Nothing earbuds deliver a striking combination of show-stopping design, dependable battery life, and very good sound for the price, making them one of the best value true‑wireless options on the market. Comfort and design Nothing’s transparent aesthetic immediately sets these buds apart and also feels thoughtfully executed rather than gimmicky; the lightweight stems and snug silicone tips make them comfortable for long listening sessions and workouts. The compact charging case is pocket-friendly and well finished, though it can show scratches if you’re rough with it. Sound and performance Audio is balanced and engaging — rich enough in the bass to satisfy modern pop and electronic tracks while retaining clarity in the mids and treble for vocals and acoustic layers. The earbuds support higher-quality codecs on compatible Android devices, and the companion app provides useful EQ and bass‑boost options so you can tailor the sound to your taste. Noise cancellation and call quality Active noise cancellation is impressive for this price tier and noticeably reduces commute and office noise; transparency/ambient mode is clear and realistic for conversations and street awareness. Call quality is solid in most environments, though voices can sometimes sound slightly processed on very windy days.[3][1] Battery and connectivity Battery life is reliable for day-to-day use — several hours per charge with multiple full charges from the case — and fast charging gives short top-ups quickly when you need them. Bluetooth connectivity is stable and supports multipoint pairing so you can stay connected to two devices at once. What I liked - Unique, attractive transparent design that actually works. - Strong value: sound and ANC punch above the price point. - Comfortable, lightweight fit for long sessions or runs. - Helpful app features: EQ, fit test, and customisation. Minor drawbacks - No easy battery replacement (buds and case aren’t repairable), which affects long‑term sustainability. - Case can scuff; some advanced features (full spatial head‑tracking) are missing at this price. - A few rivals offer slightly better ANC or mic performance if you spend significantly more.

2 weeks in... Was very skeptical about buying these. Now I am no audiophile, but I do love music of all descriptions. I was tossing up very much between high end, high price tag headphones and the reviews were very mixed about these headphones. I am comparing these to previous buds Marshall Minor 3, Samsung Buds (original) and Sony XM3 buds. I have to say these probably exceed all of them. Very punchy bass, like surprisingly powerful for buds! It might be too much for some at standard settings but easily corrected in the EQ. I like the fact that if I want bass it's definitely an option. They look great, sounds great, App is really nice and refined and the price tag was great. The ANC is decent enough that at about 70-80% phone volume and ANC on high I can drown out my Gyms rubbish music which was important. Fit is comfortable, nice and light and have not had them pop out with vigorous runs on the treadmill. All in all I think it'd be hard to get better buds at this price