Nothing Ear Wireless Review

Offering remarkably solid sound quality for the price, these earbuds are an excellent option for value hunters. You will have to sacrifice top-notch noise cancelling and battery life though, so they aren't the best option for travel, especially by air. As one tester put it, “If you were on an airplane and a baby was crying, you would probably hear it.”

Performance Comparison

Sound Quality

I love a well-priced pair of earbuds that surprises our test team by overdelivering — and the Nothing Ear Wireless earbuds do just that. Their sound quality outperforms a number of far more expensive options for far less. They represent the threshold of truly high-quality sound at a mid-range price, giving you 90th percentile sound quality at a 50% price.

These earbuds produce an open and expansive soundstage, surrounding you with music and immersing you in the moment. The relatively clean mix makes it easy to appreciate each instrument and voice, though busy tracks can make their locations in space feel a little fuzzy when compared to top-tier models.

With a fun, lively sound profile, the frequency mix is somewhat sculpted, with more emphasis on the bass range for added punch. It's full of personality with dramatic lows, shimmering high notes, and forward, playful mid-tones. One tester put it best, “it's like taking a great photo and turning up the saturation and contrast a few notches without using an absurd Instagram filter.” It's a little overdone, in the best way. There is room for improvement, but not much.

Songs like “Clementine Tree” by Nane showcase their dynamic range. From the track's driving bassline and warm guitars to the wide vocal range, shimmery synth, and punchy percussion — it's a sonic feast. The Nothing Ear earbuds handle with clarity, ensuring each element adds to the atmosphere without overwhelming it.

The bass range is both powerful and precise, a rarity for earbuds in this price range. Rarely, it veers into slightly distorted booms and rumbles, especially during bass-heavy moments like those in “SAME SIDE” by Jessie Reyez. For the most part though, it adds drama without distortion, and my inner bass head just can't resist.

The midrange sounds natural and realistic, bringing a wide range of vocals to life, though low male voices seem to shine the most. Instruments also sound lovely, with vivid textures, accurate attack, and agility.

Meanwhile, the warm, smooth treble tones flow across the upper register. I never noticed harsh notes, and I can be sensitive to pitchy peaks. They aren't as detailed as I'd like and they lack sparkle, but these softened highs are absolute magic when it comes to classical music. Neil Young's “Harvest Moon” harmonica solo at 3:43 is a perfect example — warm, clear, and never piercing. Slightly more developed highs and more consistent bass control would elevate this mix to the moon.

These earbuds also deliver impressive gain, handling high volumes without losing detail or balance. They maintain clarity and nuance no matter how high or low you crank the volume. For most testers, the sweet spot is just a notch below the halfway point on the volume dial.

After listening to these earbuds for hours on end, we took them to the lab, tapping our Brüel & Kjaer Type 5128 ear and head simulator and SoundCheck software for help. This setup charts the frequency response of each earbud, comparing it to our patenting our GearLab House Curve benchmark. In general, the Nothing Ear Wireless earbuds closely mirror our preferred curve. The higher frequencies drop off more quickly than we prefer, and the curve isn't as smooth as it could be, but we like the resulting sound.

User Experience

Between their thoughtful design, a versatile app, and strong feature set, these earbuds offer an impressive, well-rounded user experience. They're comfortable enough to wear all day and the app is intuitive enough to find a bevy of useful features. Responsive touch controls put key features at your fingertips. Add in a useful ear optimization test that customizes the frequency mix to suit your ear and hearing abilities, and you have a compelling list of features at a competitive price.

Comfort

With a light, airy fit, these earbuds feel nearly weightless in ear. Unlike bulkier models, like the JLab Go Air Pop+, they don't create a feeling of pressure buildup in your ear canal. Our test team had no problem wearing them for an hour or more in one go.

The no-frills design is reminiscent of Apple's long-time industry stable, the AirPods, now on their 4th generation. The silicon tip sits comfortably without needing frequent adjustments. They're so easy to use that I find myself reaching for them often. While the stem is slightly shorter than Apple's, it's still long enough to easily access the touch controls, which we'll cover in more detail below. Overall, they're a reliable, no-fuss option for everyday use.

Stability

During workouts — including a session on the elliptical — these buds stayed securely in place with a snug seal that didn't shift or loosen. They're surprisingly stable throughout the day. From big yawns to impromptu dance breaks, I never shook them loose. The one time they slipped was when I laid down for a nap, so be sure to remove them first. An IP54 rating means that they're largely dust-proof and can deal with water splashing at them from any direction, making them a solid option for outdoor adventures.

Customization

Pairing these earbuds was seamless once I discovered the Bluetooth button on the side of the case, and they work equally well with Apple and Android products. Thoughtful design touches, like color-coded dots on each earbud that match up with the slots in the case, help avoid any left/right mix-ups. The case's strong magnetic pull also ensures the buds click solidly in place, making the whole experience feel smooth and well-considered.

The Nothing X app is minimalist, with just a touch of futuristic style, and easy to navigate. It mixes essential features with in-depth customization options. The most important functions are front and center, with extras like the ear fit test, adjustable EQ, and presets tucked into the settings.

Feature-wise, these earbuds pack in a lot, including a Find My Buds feature that plays a cricket-like chirp through the earbuds. It only seems to work with the buds themselves, though, not the case. They offer ANC and transparency modes, with options for high, medium, low, or adaptive noise canceling. There's a “bass enhance” toggle, which did seem to improve the sound, especially when paired with a custom EQ profile. Keep looking and you'll find a low-lag gaming mode, dual device connection (multi-point), and a surprisingly effective ear fit test that helps optimize performance.

Touch controls let you play or pause the music, answer calls, activate ANC mode, or skip tracks. On the downside, the earbuds' connectivity can be spotty at times. On several occasions, one bud would cut out or fall slightly out of sync with the other. It didn't happen often enough to be a dealbreaker for our testers.

Noise Cancellation

Earbuds block out the world to some extent by simply blocking your ear canal. Snug-fitting models can create a physical seal that passively dampens distractions, an effect known as passive isolation. Increasingly, modern earbuds also offer active noise cancellation (ANC) technology that works to negate noise. These earbuds provide a bit of both, but their ANC is not particularly effective, which isn't a surprise at this price point.

In short, don't buy these earbuds if you need effective noise cancellation. They do very little to reduce the noise of the outside world. I was dog sitting when I tested these, and their shrill barks cut right through, though they do take a bit of the edge off.

It's impressive that these earbuds include a transparency mode, which uses external mics to bypass the dampening effects of the seal so you can hear what's going on around you. But the result sounds grating and artificial. I don't enjoy chatting with coworkers using it.

Our team verified my impressions with Darwin, our head and ear simulator, and SoundCheck software. You can listen to the test in the video above, which shows that the earbuds do turn down the volume when you put them in your ears, and the ANC does reduce the low hum in the background. The chart below also shows that the earbuds do their strongest work while blocking out lower-frequency sounds. Unfortunately, they're less effective in the mid to high ranges.

Battery Life

After leaving these earbuds playing nonstop in the lab until they died, I found that they offer an average playback time of 7 hours and 42 minutes per charge. That means these earbuds can get you through the bulk of your workday. A quick-charge feature gives you an additional hour in just 10 minutes - perfect in a pinch. Most impressively, though, the case itself carries an additional five charges.

Most other models only provide three or four. If you're traveling, with limited access to a power outlet, this is a game-changer.

Call Quality

When you need to make a call, earbuds often seek to isolate your voice from ambient sounds so you're easy to understand. To test this effect, we recorded a woman's voice and a man's, playing them through the speaker in Darwin's mouth with various recordings playing in the background — a quiet room, a humming office, and a busy subway station. Surprisingly, the Nothing Ear Wireless buds do a better job in loud environments than calm ones.

In the quiet room, both voices sounded boxy, like they were talking through a cardboard tube. The female voice also sounds a bit fuzzy, as you can hear in the recording below. That said, both voices were loud enough to hear and easy enough to understand.

In the office simulation, these buds blocked nearly all of the background noise, but the voices still sound thin and a bit distorted. And when the software kicks in to block out ambient sounds, it seems to turn down the volume of their voices as well.

Then, on an obnoxiously loud subway platform, these earbuds came through. If you listen to the audio below, you'll barely hear the roaring backdrop, which is a feat, considering how incredibly grating the subway track is. While the voices are still a bit blurry at the edges, and the volume dips a few times, the voices remain surprisingly clear and easy to follow.

Should You Buy the Nothing Ear Wireless?

Whether you're working at a desk, walking around town, or getting a quick workout in, these earbuds are a great daily companion. Their comfort and stability mean you won't have to worry about them constantly, and we never notice pressure points building, even after hours of wear. While many of our testers enjoy them at the office, those who are easily distracted would prefer an option with a more effective ANC.

What Other Earbuds Should You Consider?

If noise cancellation or call quality are your top priorities, consider the Samsung Galaxy Buds2 Pro, Jabra Elite 10 Gen 2, or Bose QuietComfort Ultra. They offer more refined ANC performance and better voice isolation, making them a stronger choice for loud offices and frequent phone calls. The Jabra Elite 8 Active buds are another comfortable option with excellent stability and durability, with solid sound quality and a rugged design. A water-resistant construction that makes them ideal for workouts, and they sound great. They're both more expensive than the Nothing Ear Wireless, but may be worth the extra investment if you're easily distracted. If you want to save some money without sacrificing much aside from call quality, look to the EarFun Air Pro 4.