Almost Too Good To Be True - NEW Nothing Ear(a)

These are the new Nothing Ear(a) and from my testing, they performed exceptionally well for their price. Latest price (affiliate) mikeobrienmedi...
This is Tech Today video: • Nothing Ear (2024) & N...
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Disclaimer: This video is purely based on my experiences, research, and opinions. You and only you are responsible for your actions. I made this channel to advise viewers and I truly hope to help you all out. I love making these videos and connecting with my viewers!
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ADDITIONAL VIDEO NOTES:
Nothing ear and ear(a) are new naming conventions for Nothing’s earbuds.
Nothing ear is $150 and competes with the most premium buds out there
Nothing ear(a) is $99 and kind of destroys most of the competition
Physical design
Absolutely incredible!
Teenage engineering aesthetic
The fastest a brand has gone from not existing to being iconic
3 colors - white, yellow, black
Compare to airpods case size
CONTROLS
Pinch 🙂
Can customize each feature on each bud individually
The double pinch and hold is a bit tricky
FIT/COMFORT
Comfort is great - almost exactly like the other nothing products. Also a lot like airpods
For me personally, the left bud falls out, much like airpods pro, especially when I move my jaw or do pushups or run
Mono mode = yes
Multipoint connectivity = yes, and more advanced as well. You can control it in the app
Low lag mode
Waterproofing = IP54 buds / IPX2 case (the reg ear is IP55 case)
Battery = 5.5/24.5 or 9.5/42.5 without ANC
10 min = 10 hrs charged/battery
Find my earbuds
Bluetooth 5.3
MIC TEST
SOUND
A subtle way I can usually detect good sound on a pair of earbuds is the natural volume I use. For crap earbuds, I have to turn the volume up to 60% or so because I subconsciously want the details. For these, I usually hang out around 35% volume. That’s awesome
Bass enhance is on by default - I turned it off
These sound really really good for the price
The equalizer is far less advanced than the flagship ear
Dual chamber design gives deeper bass with a smaller driver by allowing more airflow
CODECS = LDAC, AAC
Bass is very clean and smooth, but can definitely rattle your head if you dial it up
Brandon has a great video on the sound
Pretty analytical actually
The upper midrange and lower treble ranges are pretty pronounced
Overall, I prefer the ear over the ear(a) but both are really quite impressive
ANC
Claimed 45dB
My test results
COMPLAINTS:
The sound they make when they first connect still sucks
No wireless charging
WHO SHOULD NOT BUY THESE:
Hardcore audio enthusiasts. You would probably like the nothing ear better
Hardcore athletes. You may want something with wingtips to stay in your ears better - or you could buy aftermarket wing tips for these
WHY BUY THIS?
Amazing appearance. Most other (especially affordable earbuds) are ugly
These sound fantastic for the price
These feel like they were designed by an enthusiast who would probably buy them for themself. Not by a boardroom calculating market gaps.
I have a checklist of what earbuds need. These tick every box except wireless charging
I’ll make another video about the nothing ear because I think that is a bit more competitive than the $99 space here. These are my new default recommendation for anyone looking to buy new buds.

[@MikeOBrienMedia]

Latest price (affiliate): mikeobrienmedia.com/NothingEarA What should I compare these to?

[@lxrd_mxneil]

Beats Solo Buds

[@momoa3181]

Liberty 4 NC please - seems like their ANC performance are very similar and price point as well!

[@afmo500]

"you're not going to dunk these in water". Hoho, watch me put these through the washing machine in a week!

[@bigload6]

Me to a t 😂

[@Rjl41]

Pierre Trudeau in 1970: just watch me!!!

[@MarkusSchober]

I dropped my Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro case into my coffee. Ruined the poor thing. Water resistance on the case is important!!

[@ThePIeds]

​@@Rjl41and canada is a 3rd world shithole today lol

[@EdgarWoodroof-mr6jc]

LOL

[@irondennis1]

I never understand why EVERY reviewer consider lack of wireless charging as a con... do people even use it?

[@jimmyzhang9134]

I don't know one person that uses wireless charging at home. Only for their cars when they use it as Navi

[@thisiscuvo]

it's a plus when it's there when you need it. Like when I was out without my charger, I can flip the S22u over, turn on Wireless power share and charge my dead earbuds. It's like you dont need a car to always run in full speed, but it's also good to know that it can run very fast.

[@RiThaKilla]

I’ve basically never used wireless charging

[@ramzes3112]

I use it all the time, also at home

[@thisiscuvo]

@@ramzes3112 TBH I like wireless charging in earbuds more than in phones. The case usually sit still for hours on our desk so why not charge it at the same time. On the other hand phones are used all the time and they heat up too much while wireless charging.

[@kindofanmol]

I'm so excited for where this company is heading. Godspeed Nothing!

[@MikeOBrienMedia]

Nothing is really on the right track

[@jojojaisn]

​@@MikeOBrienMedia Nothing is actually

[@EmME1993]

I excited to see Nothing Phone 3

[@extra4542]

I turn off ANC all the time when there isn’t much environmental noise for longer battery life. Def a stat I think worth noting for consumers

[@mauromoreira3455]

How’s the anc?

[@ThisIsTechToday]

Thanks for the shout out, dude!

[@MikeOBrienMedia]

You explained the sound better in your video than I ever could

[@taylornicty1170]

The shape of the (a) case is better than the more expensive Nothing (ear) case in my opinion

[@cesarmaldonado147]

ONG, wish they had the same design

[@Jason-sz7ek]

I agree. although the extra features on the regular ear still made me buy those rather than the ear a.

[@bishopalexander6617]

⁠@@Jason-sz7ekI just wish the ear came in yellow like the ear (a). Black and white are so boring I’d love literally any other color

[@TheRealSZedric]

​@@Jason-sz7ek what are all the other features that the a don't get ?

[@mindlessk.784]

You said with anc off it last 9.5 hours with single charge, did you test it your self or just forwarding what the company says?

[@newfnshow031]

nah dude is just making a commercial

[@phunk8607]

Hmmm saying Apple copy transparent plastic look… this guy is too young to remember the late 90s and 00s Apple design language

[@gtc6366]

Friend:hey,bro,what r u wearing? Me:nothing Friend:what? Me:nothing😅

[@MikeOBrienMedia]

Genius naming. So many puns to be made

[@omdevs]

Yea XD, that'd be really funny

[@LukeR1M]

You'll own nothing, and you'll be happy.

[@Nonchalent1]

I've had the nothing ear stick for a couple months... i love making this joke

[@ericqhochuli6004]

I think you make great videos, but I have bought two products based on your recommendations recently and I have had to return both. The latest Sony tws buds and the Galaxy Fit 3. I am not sure how but you missed big flaws in both those products. The Sony's had horrible transparency mode that sounded very unnatural. The Fit 3 has major bugs in the syncing with the phone app. Keep working hard and making these excellent videos. I just wanted to point these misses out so you can keep improving. :)

[@daleycarter]

This is a constructive comment, I commend you fellow tech consumer

[@cesarvarela5438]

You could say they went from Nothing, to something

[@MikeOBrienMedia]

Definitely

[@noname-qb7ir]

Obviously a fabulous fan

[@dannywinget]

Great breakdown dude! Nailed it

[@nematjafari6143]

What are you doing here man? !

[@fadedsincedayone]

A cool feature I like is that there is a test to see which rubber replacement is better for you. You switch through all of them and then it determines which fit is better. I have regular size ears and thought the medium was best but I was wrong after the test, it determined I’m a small and sound improved by a lot.

[@gyanwire]

bro compare these with the old Nothing ear 2, those are cheaper now around the same price so it's interesting to know which of these is a better deal.

[@jax02zerotwo]

Yes, I bought the Ear 2s for just a little bit more than this two months ago. I really like them but the battery life on these new ones is really a vast improvement over the old ones

[@gavrilaize]

12:58 that digital "chirp" was so irritating i had to return my nothing ear 2 and buy Samsung buds. To be honest i reported that sound bug to Nothing and they answer was the buds needs servicing. I got a new pair of buds and still that sound was there. And immediately i could tell that is the problem with the buds and not the software. I think they could fix this problem trough an update but they don't recognize the problem!

[@Jordy-x8x]

Isn't it just the sound it makes when you put in the earbud? I think all of the nothing buds have them

[@gavrilaize]

@@Jordy-x8x yes and you couldn't turn it off either, plus the volume of the sound notification was so high that was hurting my eardrums

[@Stealth_Black_Sanji]

To get around earbuds falling out during exercise, I use a headband to cover my ears

[@tokelahti]

Low lag mode is how low? What codec? Works with apple products?

[@josephtowns]

It does work with iPhones

[@rupindesai]

Please compare these with soundcore liberty 4 nc

[@None17555]

SoundCore would be a cool comparison. We almost always get Anker for the kids because of their tendency to lose stuff. However, the plastic build quality is a noticeable problem for people who are rough on their stuff.

[@ezrapardede1921]

i mean if you only getting it for ur kids, u could've just get the $30-40 earbuds from anker, or edifier, you don't always need to go the Anker way

[@cannotkazi]

@@ezrapardede1921 Yeah. P20i/R50i come to mind. $19 - $25 = less of a bummer when lost or roughly handled.

[@magusxxx]

I have issues with their quality control. My history with SoundCore headphones (Spirit X2)... 1st Pair: Lasted about 1.5 years before I got a new phone. Then they wouldn't pair together. Only individually. 2nd Pair: Because I really liked them got another pair where within a month they lost the pairing. Would only pair individually, again. 3rd Pair: Company pleaded to give them one more try and sent me a pair. Now over a year later I have to manually pair them to my phone. (Hit the connect button under bluetooth) Somehow one of the earbuds keeps losing a charge. I will not store them in my bag anymore. I keep flat on the table before putting them in my backpack. One hour later I'll use them and sure enough one will say it's full while the other says it's medium for battery charge. Side Note: I tried SEVERAL video methods on how to fix the pairing issue with none of them working.

[@GreenPizza577]

These earbuds make me think of the retro headphones used with the first Sony Walkman just earbuds now.

[@PlaySA]

You know what I'd like? Multipoint connectivity that allows you to play two different audio sources at the SAME TIME. So I could listen to podcasts with some nice ambient behind it, or some other fun combo. Dark ambient plus a police scanner stream is kind of amazing.

[@fxETA]

interesting

[@paulmccarter908]

Rather have the ability to bond two sets of buds simultaneously

[@shido705]

I would get a pair of ear(a) just for the amazing yellow color. In a world of trying to blend in (looking at the Apple ecosystem fans), stand out 💛💛

[@daejuanobrien1399]

Are you avoiding the oneplus buds 3?

[@dallaschristensen2972]

You should compare them to the samsung Galaxy buds fe! I love your stuff!

[@MrBaskins2010]

i work in a warehouse so now ANC for me. dont wanna be a pallet sandwich

[@diegoirizarry2333]

You can turn it off or turn on transparency to help you listen

[@user-im5hq4ve9w]

You can get the ear(stick)

[@SoundblasterYT]

You know you can turn the ANC off right? And there's often a transparency mode .

[@buxycat]

Three minutes in and I don't know if they sound good or are comfortable to wear, but sure, tell me about the hinge on the case first.

[@peakproofuk]

Seem to stick out a lot - a long way from the side of your face.

[@Ali-ew9gv]

Number one yapper. This review was pure waffle. Do not recommend channel feature coming in clutch

[@Oxide53115]

It's an review he supposed to talk

[@FahadAhmed-pe5xt]

Great review mate! These seem very interesting. Could you compare these with the Soundcore liberty 4 NCS and the P40is? I found the p40is be better for their lower price than the liberty 4 NCs in general.

[@roro54321]

Nothing didn’t invent clear casing… 90s kids know.

[@dazone705]

Excellent review thank you. I bought two pairs of these, and really like them. Volume up and down is very awkward when you program them with the optional button press. Sound is excellent. If they auto power off, there seems to be no way to turn them back on without the case.

[@Benveniste1822]

Does the ANC work on ios as well? Do you have another pair of earbuds which have a great anc and work well on ios under 100? Thank you

[@IAmSarlosCantana]

I can’t speak from personal use experience but the ANC should work on all devices

[@charredice96]

Where do they stand against One Plus buds 3?

[@jhoeljgc1237]

So are they worse than Buds FE?

[@noorgaloody9781]

As a person who works out a lot, If I had 100$ to spend on earbuds I would go with the GALAXY BUDS FE

[@MikeOBrienMedia]

Those wing tips are awesome

[@ezrapardede1921]

from how it's priced in my country, Nothing seems like a class above, bcs here the fe would cost only like 50usd while the Nothing cost almost 100usd, with that in mind, i would without a doubt choose the Samsung, but if they're the same price, i would definitely pick Nothing, bcs atleast from many review i watched, it legitimately compete with higher priced earbuds sound, and noise cancelling wise, and it's control gesture better than a lot of other earbuds

[@omarreid7222]

Love the wingtips hate the sound

[@noorgaloody9781]

I mean the sound isn't that bad, its just not competing with other earbuds@@omarreid7222

[@ImR1mpl0]

That's exactly what I did except I got them at 40% off

[@Batsboem1]

we should get a phone in that yellow colour but now im gonna buy the white ear a one becase it fits better with my phone 2 white

[@chrisd997]

cut this BS with the wireless charging for serving a sub market which should not exist due to terrible performance, efficiency

[@Rafael-ng6wx]

How does the anc compare to the flagship model, is it the same or has a little difference?

[@EverythingIsPhotogenic]

I have to think some of the costs are stripped out of the materials in the case and the marketing for the brand. Honestly, that is probably $100 right there. Brand tax is "nothing" for now. I think these could probably position themselves above the galaxy buds price wise, and wouldn't be surprised to see them get there after 6 months. I can't imagine they stay at $99 for now, their margin is probably trash.... unless they really are using trash components but I would think you could tell. You don't usually see seemingly good build and sound quality with terrible reliability... but who knows

[@antonyp6617]

How do they compare to the ear 2? The ear 2 are at the same price right now thanks to discounts, so I wonder which ones would be the best deal.

[@flyingwalri3782]

I read somewhere Teenage Engineering has designed previous nothing products, explains why it seems like their design language

[@smellyshirley]

Really? I've never heard that. Please provide sources. I'm really interested.

[@michaelle7963]

Yes, it appears you are advertising for nothing. Its design is the ugliest earbuds on the market.

[@rogerpriestwell6379]

lolll, I'm one of the very few people that don't use ANC many times on my ANC buds

[@potion95]

I don't use it either. I much prefer transparency mode if the model allows.

[@newfnshow031]

also I listen to my pixel buds pro at 95 percent minimum so I'm pretty suspect on your analysis

[@benjaminbutcher]

Really loved this review until mans dropped an affiliate link. In what world can anyone trust what you’ve said here? I look forward to eclipsing your channel. 😌

[@MiguelHernandez-ie3fh]

Would you recommend waiting for the galaxy buds 3(supposed to come out sometime this year) or get the nothing ear(a)? from a galaxy user

[@siggistef192]

The ear (a)’s are so inexpensive i think they will always be a better option for the money

[@GeloMeme]

They look cheap, they feel cheap, the performance is cheap.

[@jorgecisne]

"a busy road" just 3 cars pass by 😂😂

[@mauludianto]

Please do a comparison to a CMF Buds Pro

[@JSGilbert]

Microphone sounds pretty lousy. I have a number of microphones with noise cancelling features, several deliver a very. natural sound. I also have a variety of ear buds, with varying microphone quality. These sound muffled, compressed and somewhat robotic. I don’t think that if I were engaged with you, I could listen for more than a few minutes before my ears started to hurt.

[@Mike_The_Hog_A_Nator]

I used to like Nothing until the stems started coming apart in the heat. I've had 2 pairs do this & you cannot glue them back together. Then, I bought the Earfun Air Pro 3's for $55. There's a huge difference in sound & volume. ANC is about the same but, I don't need ANC with my Earfun's. 60% volume on my Earfun's drown out all noise & to get that same volume out of my Nothings? I have to crank them up to 85%. Just over hyped

[@bbbt8090]

I love the design of the 2's, but the pinch control isn't to my liking. Also, they were very uncomfortable in my ears. Sound quality wasn't worth the $130-$150

[@jedw9983]

I've just bought a pair of Nothings having "downgraded" from the Sony XM4s, and using the equaliser on the app I'd say these are just as good at half the price, and then some. I'm delighted.

[@sikertsok225]

As my now I think 3 year old Redmi Buds 3 Pros are dieing, I think I found my next set of duds. Especially, that I use a Nothing phone (1) as my daily.

[@pjmq]

Nothing shat themselves with the CMF line of stuff. Given how bad the software and support is for the CMF Watch Pro, i'll never buy a nothing product again.

[@AllelineNguyen]

I buy ANC earbuds and I don't turn on the ANC, because it provides little value to me in term of noise rejection and just eat at my battery. It just happens that a lot of high end earbuds with good audio quality happens to also have ANC. My god, the mic quality of these earbuds sounds horrible in your test. l'm going to skip on these, regardless of great battery life.

[@zamaankhan9591]

No reviews state how these work with other phones???? I have a Samsung s24 ultra would these work hands free to make calls ? other voice assistant features ? I already know I can’t use chat gpt but I wanted to know if they can assist my new phone to make calls , texts and other useful stuff whilst driving .

[@shanespencer]

Really great review! I have the yellow ones and I agree with everything you said - the pinching is more finicky than the Ear (which feels more tactile) and the transparency is not useful at all. I absolutely love mine!

[@Amer-Adel]

Which headphone Anker Liberty 4 NC or Nothing ear a is better in terms of noise cancellation and microphone quality in particular? Because I spoke to someone wearing both, I noticed an intermittent and noticeable deterioration in the sound quality of Anker Liberty 4 NC in all noise cancellation modes.

[@Peterstarzynskitech]

That clear and orange doesnt do it for me.

[@ShipMaple]

You can get it in black or white too, I like the orange

[@Peterstarzynskitech]

@@ShipMaple Oh good. It's just that the color mixture just looks off with the orange. But that's just me.

[@MikeOBrienMedia]

Perhaps you will like the blacked out version. It honestly looks really good and much less vibrant

[@Peterstarzynskitech]

@@MikeOBrienMedia Oh yeah I would for sure.

[@TheCodeda]

I'm literally only considering getting them because of the yellow color (orange) great to have options!

[@insanityrooster6386]

I want someone to do a comparison between Moondrop Space Travel and Nothing Ear A Bcz I dunno if I should upgrade to Ear A or nah 😭

[@josephsanki9046]

When will these come out

[@Bruceneuman]

Voice test: nice and loud - could be a bit clearer both inside and outside. Nice price for what looks like a quality set of earbuds.

[@deebyh23]

hii mike could you do a review for realme buds air 5 pro, i heard that it is a good earbuds for calling and anc under 100 usd, it compete well with other brands with the same price including samsung, nothing, soundcore

[@Things_explained_by_me]

I have heard that it also has AI, is this true?

[@ayushkushwaha3434]

Yes it has chat gpt

[@ishanperusinghe]

You should caveat review by saying at this point of time . As nothing give update with update firmware of buds . Just got the cmf ear buds had some bad ish review but as soon I go them had an update as soon as I got that addressed issues.

[@thetattooedguy1413]

Yeah but how good is the actual ANC ?? That’s what I care about ?? If they sound good, then great - but the ANC has to be stellar for me to buy them

[@ΔημητρηςΓαλανοματης-ζ7ψ]

ive had the first i have the second and maybe ill get them,for now im keeping the ear2 ,the first when i run fell off my ears the second don do that,the first died in the washingmachine the second survived it ,the sound of the first blew me out the water the second didnt really , i run then without of noice canseling cause it doesnt work for higher frequency,i dont have a problem with the pinch control,transparency was and still is shit

[@stv4563]

The battery life of 2-nd generation was declared to be the same as airpods'. In fact it was twice less though. Waiting for real reviews and tests

[@ickna2002]

We need more good quality earbuds that actually stay in peoples ears. These are shaped just like all thr rest if them and so if this type dint stay in ear uou are limited on what you can buy. Its very disappointing

[@shashikantsuman1659]

Whats the actual battery life with ANC..I had airpod pro which had terrible battery life of max 3 hr with ANC

[@kod4130]

In 2024 do we really need earbuds above $150 like the airpods, sony wf 1000 xm5?

[@steveroysston3808]

No doubt these are one of the best earphones in this budget. The sound quality is outstanding. The only concern is still the gloss finish case which is basically a scratch magnet.

[@Moonbearchop]

I actually never turn on ANC on any earbuds, sound a bit too aritificial to me. I just use the bluetooth earbuds because they are wireless, not because of anc.

[@GeorgeeeGXG]

No rubber tips for me. I can’t wear any of them. I’m with HUAWEI freebuds 5.

[@JoeyBoBoey]

Is the battery still struggling to hit 4 hours. That’s why I took the ear 2s back. It was unacceptable.

[@justcore69]

I don't know why exactly, but this thing gives me some strong solarpunk-ish vibes

[@FT__Cool_Stuff______-of5pi]

Instead of these I bought the Moondrop Space Travel and I am really happy with them so far.

[@Honk_Clank]

one plus 3/link buds s/galaxy buds 2 pro seem like comparable alternatives

[@tomgillotti]

Sold me at the find my earbuds feature. I just lost a pair of earbuds for two months (found them in a winter coat pocket).

[@sherylmeasel2165]

Which ANC earbud is best for a side sleeper trying to sleep with traffic noise. No music needed, just long battery life and quiet. Thanks p.s. is the quieton3.1 good?

[@r3drift]

Deal breaker for all “nothing” buds are low battery life. After that I’m sold

[@kevinand13]

I'm BTW these and the anker liberty 4 NC, which one would be better?

[@diogodwrt]

The ANC is really as good as the 4NC´s?! Someone have tried bought?

[@Oliver0909]

You convinced me to get a pair :)

[@TheLoneBrit101]

Which aftermarket wingtips would you recommend?

[@yahyandanusa7834]

Samsung Galaxy buds 2 pro costs roughly the same over here. Hard pass

[@sukinelson2153]

Would love to see a comparison between these and some soundcore earbuds in the similar price range. But Nothing has something special here imo.

[@newfnshow031]

$99 is a lot for something with no warranty contact nothing support and see how it goes...

[@timmyreckage]

Will you do a video on the nothing ear as well?

[@MikeOBrienMedia]

Yep

[@titusjoyc88]

Fuck Mike! No review on NOTHING EAR-3 ? 😱

[@oOPriestOo]

I shouldnt watch this video. Now I have to choose between sony linkbuds s and this one.

[@Basthey]

Thanks for the review. I think it would be nice to include Airpods Pro 1 in the comparisons because I can imagine a lot of people still use these.

[@Soussdagoose]

They’d sell more if it was black or white - not orange.

[@iamwichy]

I do, personally it controls myself by using my phone too much

[@reii5745]

How does this compare to Sony’s CN700?

[@rdsreference]

I bought the ear two last year admittedly making a direct comparison with Sony WF-1000 XM4. I kept them for 1 day. Hopefully the new ear will be a big improvement. However in the design department they can't be beaten they look so so good.

[@darkstar223]

It’s Great you went with the colour which is called ear wax yellow ….original and most people not choose that you are not like most people

[@SuperZippocollector]

I got these for my gaming setup and the beats Pro for working out