It seems like only yesterday that Nothing was considered a new kid on the block in the tech space. Several offbeat but excellent smartphones later, as well as a collection of well received earbuds, the London-headquartered company has firmly established itself as a key alternative to the tech industry’s various established players.
Next up in the Nothing ecosystem is this, the all-new Nothing Ear (open), an over-ear headphone design that does the exact opposite of snug-fitting, noise-cancelling earbuds. As the name suggests, Ear (open) is about transparency, but not the digitally filtered and processed kind. The device loops over each ear for stability, with speakers that hover just millimetres from your eardrum.
Although it’s hard to discern with the naked eye, there’s a ‘Sound Seal System’ at work here, along with very directional speakers so as to minimise sound leakage for those around you. Those same people will relish not having to wave their arms around to attract your attention. Pinch controls on the body of the earpieces handles call answering, play/pause and volume adjustment.
Ear (open) is positioned as a more engaged listening experience, something that works especially well when cycling or running, and for things like podcasts and audio books, where subtle nuances of production or instrumentation aren’t quite so important. What makes the new device even more attractive is the signature Nothing design, starting with the lozenge-like charge case.
Ultra slim, it still packs a bigger battery than usual to add up a total listening time of 30 hours. On their own, the buds themselves should be good for up to 8 hours of audio. The earpieces themselves retain Nothing’s transparent aesthetic and are neatly packaged in the case to make removal and stowage incredibly straightforward.
Other features include being able to integrate ChatGPT into your Nothing ecosystem (phone and earbuds) as an alternative to Google Assistance, while the Nothing X app also offers a more advanced sound equaliser function, as well as a bass enhance function. Voice calls are handled by two integrated microphones, carefully placed to avoid excessive wind noise. A game mode reduces lag, while Ear (open) can also be connected over Bluetooth to two devices simultaneously.
That carefully balanced system, as well as the lightness of the buds themselves (8.1g each), make Ear (open) almost imperceptible when worn. The result are headphones that keep you cued in as to what’s going on around you. It’s very much a personal choice, of course, but anyone who leaves their earbuds firmly installed even once the music has stopped will be familiar with just how much real life is blocked out.
Nothing Ear (open), $149 USD / £129 GBP / €149 EUR, Nothing.audio, @Nothing
