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Nothing’s Ear (a) earbuds launched at $109, which always felt a little ambitious for a midrange pair trying to punch above its weight. But at their current sale price of $58.99 right now, their lowest price to date (according to price trackers ), they’re in a range where the design, sound quality, and software finally make sense for the money.
The Ear (a) look unmistakably Nothing, with a transparent shell that shows off the internals. They fit snugly without much fiddling, and the IP54 rating means sweat, dust, and light rain won’t be a problem. That said, the case itself is only IPX2, so it can handle splashes but not much else.
Sound is where these earbuds mostly earn their keep. The 11mm dynamic drivers deliver a bass-forward presentation that still manages to stay relatively balanced. Low-end hits with real weight, especially at moderate to higher volumes, and doesn’t immediately swallow vocals or guitars, notes this PCMag review . You can tweak things further in the Nothing app, either by choosing preset EQ modes or manually adjusting bass, mids, and highs. Codec support is strong for the money, with AAC, SBC, and LDAC all on board over Bluetooth 5.3, plus multipoint for two devices at once. Noise cancellation is effective for the price, particularly on the default High setting. It reduces low-frequency rumble and busy background sounds well, though rivals from Sony or Bose still do more heavy lifting in this area.
The controls are stem-based pinches and feel consistent once you learn them. Playback, calls, track skipping, and noise modes are all handled without needing to pull out your phone, and the app lets you customize most gestures. There’s even a pinch-to-speak ChatGPT feature if you’re using a Nothing phone . Battery life lands around 9.5 hours with ANC off or 5.5 hours with it on, with the case extending that to roughly 33 or 19 hours, respectively. Those numbers will drop if you use higher-quality codecs or listen at a loud volume, but they’re competitive. In short, Nothing Ear (a) makes the most sense for someone who values sound tuning, bass-heavy audio, and a slick design, all for under $60.
