• 2 min read
Nothing Ear (3a) nails style and sound for $100
Nothing’s $100 Ear (3a) earbuds pair standout pink transparent design with stronger bass, solid ANC, and unusual recording features.
Image: ZDNET
Nothing’s Ear (3a) earbuds make a strong case at $100: they look unlike almost anything else in the category, sound better than their price suggests, and add recording tools rarely seen in rival earbuds. In ZDNET’s testing, the third-generation model earned a 4.5/5 rating.
The reviewer tested the pink version for a week while working, exercising, and commuting, and found the transparent case and buds easy to spot in a bag and conversation-starting in person. The design will not be for everyone, but it is unmistakably Nothing in a market full of safe gray hardware.
Comfort and battery life appear solid. The earbuds ship with four ear tip sizes, stayed secure during use, and offer up to 10 hours per bud on a charge, with 42 hours total using the case.
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On sound, Nothing added a new 12mm driver and says bass is boosted by 5 db. ZDNET reported noticeably richer bass along with clear audio, and said the companion app makes it easy to create custom EQ settings. Active noise cancellation has also been upgraded, with low, mid, high, and adaptive modes. In the review, the high setting was strong enough to reduce much of the New York City subway noise during a commute, while transparency mode let in outside sound without becoming distracting.
A standout addition is the extra 32 MB of flash storage, which enables two recording features:
- Audio Snapshots, recording up to two minutes by pressing both earbuds
- Call recording, capturing up to an hour of a meeting or phone call
Recordings are stored in the Nothing X app. Unlimited recordings and transcriptions require a subscription, one of the review’s main caveats.
ZDNET also highlighted fixed spatial audio, describing it as especially immersive while listening to Ariana Grande’s “no tears left to cry.” The verdict was simple: Nothing Ear (3a) competes with pricier options such as the AirPods Pro 3 and Samsung Galaxy Buds, while undercutting them on price and standing apart on design.
Gadgets Editor
Eli is obsessed with the tangible future. He reviews phones, wearables, and everything with a battery. Known for his rigorous testing protocols and unabashed teardowns, Eli has broken more review units than he cares to admit, all in the name of discovering the truth about durability and repairability.
via ZDNET
