Nothing Ear (2)

What Hi-Fi? highlights the Nothing Ear (2) as a stylish, well-built pair of wireless earbuds that deliver a bright and immediate sound signature, supported by clever features like a user-friendly app and improved touch controls. The earbuds impress with comfort, robust design, and useful additions such as personalized ANC and a fast-charging case. However, the review expresses clear reservations about the audio quality, noting an overly harsh treble that can become fatiguing and masks subtle musical details. While the Ear (2) reveal some interesting sonic nuances, their aggressive, compressed sound profile lacks warmth and dynamic depth, making them less enjoyable for nuanced listening. Despite improvements over the original Ear (1), the Ear (2) struggle to match competitors like the JBL Live Pro 2 or Panasonic RZ-S500W, which offer better overall sound at a similar or lower price. Ultimately, What Hi-Fi? finds the Ear (2) a commendable design and feature package but falls short in delivering truly great sound.

Dagobiet Morales Alfaro, Kieran Dunn, and John Peroramas from RTINGS highlight the Nothing Ear (2) earbuds as a comfortable, well-built successor to the original model, with notable improvements like personalized adaptive ANC, a graphic EQ, and an IP54 rating for dust and water resistance. The review praises their neutral, balanced sound profile, especially the clear treble and customizable EQ, though it notes vocals can feel recessed. The earbuds perform well across various scenarios—commuting, sports, office use—with effective noise isolation and low sound leakage. However, battery life is a consistent limitation, falling short for long trips or full workdays without recharging. The microphone quality is also a drawback, producing a thin, somewhat distorted voice despite good background noise separation. Bluetooth-only connectivity and mediocre audio latency may deter gamers. Overall, the review conveys a cautiously positive tone, emphasizing solid comfort and sound customization while acknowledging key trade-offs in battery and mic performance.

Tim Gideon from PCMag praises the Nothing Ear (2) earbuds for their stylish transparent design, improved active noise cancellation (ANC), and detailed sound signature. Drawing on his extensive audio expertise, he highlights meaningful upgrades over the original Ear (1), including enhanced Bluetooth codec support (LHDC 5.0), better microphone performance, and a more refined app experience with customizable controls and personalized ANC. The earbuds deliver robust bass and clear mids and highs, appealing to listeners who appreciate nuanced audio with some subtle EQ shaping. While battery life with ANC enabled is below average, the earbuds excel in noise cancellation for their price, effectively reducing low-frequency rumble and ambient noise. The transparent charging case’s IP55 rating is a unique plus, though it is prone to scratches. Gideon notes that although the Ear (2) commands a $50 premium over competitors like Anker’s Soundcore Space A40, its distinctive design and sound quality make it an easy recommendation for style-conscious audiophiles.

Simon Lucas from WIRED highlights the Nothing Ear (2) as a significant step forward for the brand, delivering a competitive and distinctive option in a crowded true wireless earbud market. He praises the earbuds’ lightweight, comfortable design and the clear plastic aesthetic that sets them apart visually. The review emphasizes the extensive and customizable Nothing X app, which enhances the user experience with personalized EQ and ANC tuning based on hearing tests. Sound quality is described as vibrant and detailed, with strong bass control and midrange clarity, though the treble can be overly bright and fatiguing depending on the source. Active noise cancellation is effective without compromising audio fidelity, outperforming many rivals at this price point. Physical controls are less intuitive, requiring firm presses that can disrupt fit, but voice assistant and app controls help mitigate this. Overall, Lucas regards the Ear (2) as a well-rounded, enjoyable package that offers more than just incremental improvements over its predecessor.

Becca Caddy from TechRadar highlights the Nothing Ear (2) as a stylish and comfortable pair of true wireless earbuds that stand out with their distinctive transparent design and solid feature set. Praising their lightweight fit and effective active noise cancellation, she finds them enjoyable for everyday listening, especially with energetic and bass-heavy tracks. The personalized sound profile and customizable EQ add useful flexibility, though some vocal and midrange frequencies can feel slightly brash or tiring. Battery life is a notable drawback, with only about four hours per charge, which lags behind many competitors. While the earbuds don’t surpass premium rivals like the Sony WF-1000XM4 in sound quality or ANC, they offer a compelling mid-range option at half the price, especially for users seeking comfort and unique aesthetics. Caddy’s thorough real-world testing across various environments underscores the buds’ strengths and limitations, making them a solid, if not perfect, choice in a crowded market.

Rita El Khoury from Android Authority praises the Nothing Ear 2 as a refined evolution of the original Ear 1, maintaining its standout ergonomic comfort while introducing meaningful improvements in build quality, controls, and sound performance. She highlights the smaller, more premium charging case, the intuitive squeeze controls, and enhanced active noise cancellation with customizable levels. The addition of Bluetooth 5.3 with Multipoint support is noted as a significant upgrade for multi-device connectivity. However, El Khoury points out notable drawbacks, particularly the middling battery life—especially when using Multipoint—and ANC performance that, while improved, remains average compared to higher-end competitors. She also critiques the limited practical benefit of LHDC 5.0 support due to device compatibility constraints. Overall, the review conveys a balanced but positive tone, recommending the Ear 2 for those valuing comfort and sound quality in the sub-$150 range, while advising users with heavy ANC or battery demands to consider alternatives.

Simon Lucas from Trusted Reviews highlights the Nothing Ear (2) as a thoughtfully improved successor to the original Ear (1), blending distinctive design with enhanced features and solid performance. He praises the earbuds’ lightweight, transparent aesthetic and robust battery life, noting up to 36 hours total playback and convenient wireless/reverse charging. The Nothing X app’s personalized hearing and ANC calibration tests stand out as unique, offering a tailored listening experience. Sound quality is described as detailed, dynamic, and well-balanced, with lively treble and controlled bass, though the top-end can become slightly harsh at high volumes. Call quality and voice assistant responsiveness also receive positive mention. While not revolutionary or market-disrupting, the Ear (2) delivers a confident, enjoyable audio experience with competitive specs and thoughtful controls, making it a compelling choice for users seeking individuality and customization at a mid-range price point. Some minor trade-offs, like the pinch controls and treble edge, temper enthusiasm but don’t overshadow the earbuds’ overall appeal.

Samuel Gibbs from The Guardian highlights the Nothing Ear (2) as competitively priced earbuds that stand out with their distinctive see-through design and solid everyday sound quality. He praises their comfortable fit, effective noise cancelling for low-frequency sounds, and excellent call quality in quiet environments. The earbuds’ Bluetooth 5.3 multipoint connectivity and cross-platform app support add practical value. However, Gibbs notes some drawbacks, including a slightly bulky charging case, limited battery life of four hours per charge, and noise cancelling that struggles with higher-pitched sounds like voices. The squeeze controls work well but can be less intuitive for volume adjustments compared to swipe gestures on rivals. While the Ear (2) improve on their predecessor and offer good value against pricier competitors, they fall short of the best-in-class earbuds, especially lacking replaceable batteries and advanced spatial audio features. Overall, the review conveys a balanced, moderately positive view with enthusiasm for the design and sound but measured reservations about certain usability and longevity aspects.

Jon Porter from The Verge highlights that the Nothing Ear (2) earbuds represent a significant improvement over their predecessor, delivering a more polished experience with refined sound quality and enhanced active noise cancellation. While the design remains stylish and largely unchanged, the Ear 2s address many of the bugs and performance issues that affected the original Ear 1s. The addition of features like multipoint connectivity adds convenience, making these earbuds a more rounded package overall. However, Porter notes the notable price increase to $149, which shifts the Ear 2s out of the entry-level bargain category and places them in a more competitive mid-range market. Some personalization options remain hit-or-miss, tempering enthusiasm slightly. Overall, the review conveys a cautiously positive tone, appreciating the earbuds’ internal upgrades and improved user experience while acknowledging that the higher price and limited customization may not appeal to all buyers.

Ben Sin from Forbes highlights the Nothing Ear (2) as a stylish and well-rounded pair of wireless earbuds that stand out primarily for their eye-catching semi-transparent design and improved features over the first generation. Praising the lighter, smaller form factor, longer battery life, and stronger active noise cancellation (ANC), Sin notes the earbuds deliver fuller, livelier sound with crisp highs, though the bass remains somewhat heavy—a characteristic some listeners may appreciate. The revamped touch controls offer solid haptic feedback but lack swipe gestures, requiring some trade-offs for volume adjustment. While the ANC is not quite on par with premium rivals like AirPods Pro or Bose QuietComfort Earbuds 2, the adaptive ANC and $149 price point make it very competitive. Additional positives include IP54 water resistance, versatile codec support, and a companion app for customization. Ultimately, Sin suggests the Nothing Ear (2)’s unique design is its strongest selling point, as most earbuds now perform well sonically and functionally, making style the key differentiator.