SPOT.ph Roadtest: How These Noise-Cancellation Earbuds Went From Nothing to Everything
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(SPOT.ph) We first caught wind of London-based brand Nothing and its futuristic-looking Phone (1) last year. Granted, it was included in Time Magazine's best inventions in the 2022 list. But before that came Nothing's debut product, the Ear (1) wireless earbuds released in in 2021. Two years after comes its newer, better sibling—the Ear (2), which we recently got to try out for ourselves. Check out how this Nothing Ear (2) became this writer's everything:
Also read: SPOT.ph Roadtest: Tune Out the Rest of the World With Adidas’ FWD-02 Sports Wireless Earbuds
Fast facts
Price: P8,490
Where to buy: Nothing partner stores nationwide, Beyond the Box, Digital Walker, Shopee, and Lazada
Available colors: Black and White
Battery life: Promises up to 36 hours of music playback after a full charge
Charger input: USB-C
Other key features: Active Noise Cancellation, Dual Connection, Personalized listening experience
First impressions
From the packaging down to the actual case and buds itself, the Nothing Ear (2) is nothing short of aesthetic. It came in a small rectangular, black-and-white box which was fairly easy to open. The box had no excessive tapes, only a tab you need to pull in the middle to cut the outer part. Inside is the manual, the Ear (2), a few extra replacement buds, and a Type C charging cord.
The Ear (2) looks like it came straight of a sci-fi movie. They’re futuristic-looking, like its predecessor, the Ear (1), and its phone counterpart, the Nothing Phone. The buds rest in a transparent, glass-like case with a magnetic closure with the charging port and power button on one side. The buds’ stem is transparent, too. All in all, it looks and feels cool. However, it did take me a while to work out how to put the buds properly in their place.
I remember putting it on for the first time and it wasn’t as snug as I’d liked it to be. There’s that constant worry that it might fall off my ears at any given time. They don’t fall, not really, but that nagging feeling bothered me so much during the first few days of use—but turns out the buds were just not my right size. I changed them right after and I wore them more comfortably.
The buds have a 1P54 water-resistance rating while the case has an IP55.
Connecting and setting up the device was a breeze, thanks to its application, Nothing X, which you have to download as instructed. It’s available to download from the Google Play Store and the App Store. The app also features Dual Connection, which allows you to easily switch from one device to another. I connected the Ear (2) to an iPhone 11 and a Samsung Galaxy 22. Speaking of the application, it also allows you to also personalize your listening experience.
Touch controls
You won’t accidentally pause your music when you adjust your buds, well, unless you adjust it by the stem because that’s where the controls are. And you have to pinch the metal slide—it also took me a while to figure out an angle and how hard I should pinch it—for the controls.
One pinch to pause, two to skip tracks, and three pinches to repeat—at least for me. The user can easily personalize these settings through, again, the Nothing X application. You can even switch between noise cancellation modes and adjust the volume.
Listening experience
The Active Noise Cancellation, which is Nothing’s “best noise cancellation technology yet,” with up to 40 dB of noise reduction, works its magic as soon as you put the buds on. It engulfs the user into this quiet world of its own—well, not until you play the music.
You’re then transported into a recording-slash-music studio with how immersive and clear the sound is: deep thumping bass and all-time highs, but acoustic sounds better, IMO. All in all, it was a treat. You can create your Personal Sound Profile through a hearing test and adjust equalizer settings in real-time through the app to further maximize your listening experience.
Battery life
The Ear (2) promises up to 36 hours of music playback after a full charge. If you have the Nothing Phone (1), you can even reverse charge. The fast charging gives you juice that lasts up to 8 hours with just a 10-minute charge.
Price and availability
Ear (2) retails at P8,490 and is available across all partner stores of Nothing in the Philippines, including Beyond the Box, and Digital Walker, both in-store and online via Lazada and Shopee.
Conclusion: Should you buy the Nothing Ear 2?
Whether you're a casual listener or an audiophile, a premium listening experience is guaranteed when you get the Nothing Ear (2). It's more than enough for its price—how and where else can you feel like your favorite artist is singing in front of you with how clear and crisp the sound quality is? The personalization of the features is a huge bonus, too, if you're someone who values a fuss-free listening experience meant exactly for your ears only.
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