Nothing Ear and Ear (a) review: eye-catching designs meet high-end tech, for less

Sounds like something you'll need, but which is right for you?

Nothing Ear review; black ear buds on a wooden table
(Image: © Nothing / Future)

Our Verdict

Both Ear and Ear (a) offer excellent audio quality combined with sharp design and detailed custom features (for Ear only), for a good price. What's not to love about the new Nothing Ear and Ear (a)?

For

  • Clever, smart design
  • Crisp and rich audio
  • Fantastic app

Against

  • Noise cancelling could be better

Why you can trust Creative Bloq Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about how we test.

I've been using Nothing phones since they launched but I've always used Apple AirPods with my smartphone, which has raised eyebrows from people who like things just so. I mean, why wouldn't I complete the package? 

Honestly, until the release of the new Nothing Ear and Ear (a) I hadn't felt the need to change-up my in-ear audio. But with Ear and Ear (a), Nothing's third-gen earbuds, I've found a replacement. Naming of Nothing's earbud's is… odd. The previous earbuds are the Ear (1), Ear Stick and Ear (2), so the new releases feel like drawing a line through past earbuds, Nothing simply now has Ear and Ear (a). 

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The Verdict
9

out of 10

Nothing Ear

Both Ear and Ear (a) offer excellent audio quality combined with sharp design and detailed custom features (for Ear only), for a good price. What's not to love about the new Nothing Ear and Ear (a)?

Editor, Digital Arts & 3D

Ian Dean is Editor, Digital Arts & 3D at Creative Bloq, and the former editor of many leading magazines. These titles included ImagineFX, 3D World and video game titles Play and Official PlayStation Magazine. Ian launched Xbox magazine X360 and edited PlayStation World. For Creative Bloq, Ian combines his experiences to bring the latest news on digital art, VFX and video games and tech, and in his spare time he doodles in Procreate, ArtRage, and Rebelle while finding time to play Xbox and PS5.