London-based tech company, Nothing, has introduced the Nothing Ear (open) earbuds. It’s designed to rest on the outer ear rather than being inserted like traditional earbuds or in-ear models. The Nothing Ear (open) features a behind-the-ear silicone hook that’s paired with Nothing’s signature transparent bone construction look.
What Am I Looking At?
The Nothing Ear (open) features most of its signature transparent design, as it comes with a clear charging case and clear earpieces for a glimpse of the earbuds’ internal components. It features 14.2 mm drivers, an IP54 rating for water and dust resistance, and stepped drivers with custom diaphragms to hear the bass.
The earbuds also have pinch controls, which was quite easy to use thanks to the large, flat areas of its earpieces. I’ve tried some little gestures testing them out such as single, double, triple pinch, and squeeze and hold, all of which are set to toggle actions that include play, pause, go forward or back, and volume control.
My first impressions of them were how sleek the design was for open-ear earbuds. They do kind of look like hearing aids and the sides are designated by colour coordination: white for the left, red for the right. Despite this, the earbuds feel super lightweight, and the design itself is quite minimal and straightforward, to say the least.
What’s Good About It?
The sound is surprisingly good. I already knew what the company’s intentions were and it’s two things – ensuring that it provides plenty of bass, and making sure the sound is entirely directional, so you wouldn’t have to disturb others. The latter is important, mainly because there are two tiny speakers, literally sitting outside your ears.
The company already mentioned that these are made for casual listening, so it’s not really for deep-diving into vinyl records but more for outdoor usage such as jogging, cycling or hiking. For things like podcasts and audiobooks, where subtle nuances of production or instrumentation isn’t necessary, I’d still consider them as an average experience in terms of sound accuracy.
These are flagship models, meaning if you want to conduct some sound tuning, you can access the Advanced Equaliser via the Nothing X app. It’s a mix between a graphic and a parametric equaliser; you get eight bands to play with, but you can also set its frequency and its Q factor independently.
Aside from its sound quality, its battery life lasted way longer than I expected. It was surprising to see how long they could last, even after just a single charge. Specifically, it lasts an average of nine hours from full battery to needing a charge, with its charging cradle carrying an additional nine hours, plus minus a couple more hours of juice.
What’s The Catch?
To start, the charging case is kind of awkward. It’s a long, flat box that won’t easily or comfortably fit every pocket. On a related note, a more rounded build would’ve made it easy to slip in and out of whatever compartment you carry it with.
In terms of outgoing calls, I had a few mixed feelings for its response. Most people I called heard me just fine, but I was told I sound a little muffled as other people could hear background noise coming through. These may shave off quite a bit from the top-end of your voice, but I think it’s rarely an issue if you are in the habit of speaking really clearly.
Additionally, they just don’t sit right with my ears. I’ve had to adjust its fitting quite a few times, just so that it would sit properly while doing daily errands or work. There were times when I would have it on for an hour or two and it would numb my ears a bit, causing discomfort. Although they’re not meant to sit completely flush with ear canals, it still felt super uncomfortable wearing them over long periods of time.
Should I Buy It?
Overall, these are great for athletes or any professional constantly on the move. For me, it’s just not my cup of tea. It has relatively good sound quality, is lightweight, has its own fine-tuning equaliser, and the battery life holds very well considering how many times I’ve taken it out of its case this past week.
If you are particularly looking for a set of earbuds that allow you to isolate yourself and enjoy full sonic sound, you should go for in-ear models like the Nothing Ear earbuds. But if you’re looking for a hands-free set that delivers good sounds and lets you take phone calls, all the while being completely aware of traffic or what’s going on around you – that’s what the Ear (open) is for.
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