Nothing Ear vs Nothing Ear (2): What’s different?
It seems like the Nothing brand is going full-send this year. Not long after the launch of the Phone (2a), the brand has now expanded its line of audio wearables with the Nothing Ear, and Ear (a).
To avoid any initial confusion, these are the successors to the Ear (2) released in 2023, even if the name suggests otherwise. Nothing has given the naming conventions a re-think and have decided to do away with numbers altogether.
So all we’re left with now is the Ear and Ear (a).
If you’re wondering which is the direct upgrade from the Ear (2), that would be the Nothing Ear. The Ear (a), on the other hand, serves to be an affordable watered-down version of the Ear.
We’ll do a piece on the Ear (a) soon enough, but for now, here’s what’s different between the Nothing Ear and Nothing Ear (2).
| Nothing Ear | Nothing Ear (2) | |
| Driver | 11mm Dynamic | 11.6mm Dynamic |
| Codec | AAC, SBC, LDAC, LHDC 5.0 | AAC, SBC, LHDC |
| Noise Cancellation | Up to 45dB; 5,000Hz frequency range | Up to 40dB; 5,000Hz frequency range |
| Clear Voice Technology | Yes | Yes |
| Mics | 3 mics per bud | 3 mics per bud |
| Battery Capacity | 500mAh (case); 46mAh (buds) | 485mAh (case); 33mAh (buds) |
| Battery Lifespan (Max) | 40.5 hours with case; 8.5 hours buds only | 36 hours with case; 6.3 hours buds only |
| Wired Charging | 10 mins for 10 hours (ANC off) | 10 mins for 8 hours (ANC off) |
| Wireless Charging | 2.5W | 2.5W |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.3 | 5.3 |
| Resistance | IP54 (buds); IP55 (case) | IP54 (buds); IP55 (case) |
| Nothing X support | Yes | Yes |
| Price | RM659 | RM599 |
Put the white versions of the Nothing Ear and Ear (2) side by side and you’ll be hard-pressed to tell them apart. The only real indication is the tiny dot-matrix branding emblazoned on the case. For the record, if you see the words “NOTHING” on the case, it belongs to the Ear, and if you see “ear (case)” on the case, it belongs to the Ear (2). Read that again if you have to.
As for the black design, there’s a lighter shade of gray accents used for the newer Nothing Ear, but it’s forgivable if you still mistake one for the other.
The earbuds itself are pretty similar, with both maintaining the semi-transparent stem that’s iconic to Nothing’s audio products.
Aesthetics aside, there are improvements in a few key areas on the Ear. Firstly, Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) has received a boost with the Ear boasting up to 45dB compared to the 40dB on the Ear (2). There’s also Smart ANC now, which detects noise leakages creeping through the spaces between the earbuds and the ear canal and applies more noise cancellation to fully block out external noise.
Like all Nothing and CMF products, settings for the earbuds can be adjusted via the Nothing X app. Access to Noise Cancellation levels, Equalizer settings, Sound Profiles, Dual Connection, Bass enhancements, and more can be toggled easily through your smartphone.
Elsewhere, batteries have also been improved from the Ear (2). The Nothing Ear case now carries 500mAh battery capacity, while the buds have 46mAh each. Inclusive of the case, the Ear should amount to a total of 40.5 hours listening time, provided you have ANC turned off. Depending on your usage, the earbuds alone can last you up to 8.5 hours on a single charge.
This is a much-welcomed upgrade from the Ear (2), which carried only a 485mAh battery in the case and 33mAh in the buds, amounting to up to 36 hours listening time. Still pretty decent, but as with all things battery-related, the longer you can keep it off the charger the better.
On that note, like the Ear (2), you can charge the Ear either via a USB Type-C cable or 2.5W wireless charging.
The Ear now also has broader codec compatibility, with the buds now supporting LDAC and LHDC 5.0, apart from the more common AAC and SBC codecs.
Nevertheless, there are a few key similarities across the two audio wearables. Hi-Res Audio certification is one of them, allowing support for high quality audio. Dust and water resistance is another, with the buds being IP54-rated and the case IP55-rated for either models.
You’ll also get Clear Voice Technology, as well as the standard 3 mics per bud.
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