It was an open secret and now a reality. The new Ear headphones (2) from the Nothing firm have just become official in a brief company keynote and with this you can finally learn about all its benefits. Not only that. We have been testing them for several weeks, so in addition to telling you about their main qualities, we are going to focus on what we liked the most about this new generation of in-ears -and, hey, I’ll advance you since there are not a few things. Be comfortable.
Ear (2): welcome, new generation
The leak that took place a little over a week ago has subtracted some of the excitement from the presentation, but the new Ear (2) from Nothing does not stop being interesting. With a much more continuous design than expected -it must also be taken into account that they cannot be innovating all the time; let’s not be so picky- ears (2) They come in a slightly smaller box, with stronger plastic and a better closure, compared to the previous generation.
The headset itself is slightly smaller (although the difference is not noticeable) and once again shows off that original and characteristic look of the brand with a transparent chassis that reveals its insides.
Nothing confesses to us that the first Ear (1) were created in the midst of a pandemic, encountering many limitations and not being as close to the end user as they would have liked. That changes completely in the Ear (2), where they have taken good note of the feedback of your community to implement interesting improvements.
Thus, the new in-ears come with custom drivers (such as the Ear Stick) of 11.6 mm and materials such as graphene (which makes them lighter and at the same time more resistant) and polyurethane (which is softer and therefore helps some achieve deeper bass -what things, huh?-).
Water resistant (IP54), one of the most important changes is also in its handling. While the Ear (1) were controlled by touch, in the Ear (2) you will have to touch two fingers to the sides of your swab and apply light pressure to execute different actions like this: skip songs, switch between noise cancellation modes and adjust the volume – you can customize it from the app, which I will talk about below.
The battery life has been extended thanks to the use of a chip that optimizes energy consumption, so that it can reach up to 36 hours of music playback after a full charge of the case (with active noise cancellation turned off, mind you). It accepts wireless charging, is compatible with reverse charging and allows you to reach up to 8 hours of autonomy with only 10 minutes of charging.
Another of the most important novelties (although in this case I have not been able to test) is the high-resolution audio certification, being compatible with the technology of LHDC 5.0 codec. To take advantage of it, yes, you will have to have a compatible smartphone.
A complete and highly customizable app
Manufacturers are taking their earphone apps more and more seriously and Nothing is no exception. The Ear app (2) seems very simple a priori but it is nothing more than an attempt to maintain aesthetics and coherence also in its software.
And it is that through its options you will be able to manage numerous aspects such as the noise controlwhose effectiveness in its cancellation (very effective) and transparent mode (let a very natural and little robotic sound pass through) have surprised me more than expected and in which you will have the option to do a test so that it adjusts as much as possible to you .
It’s not the only one personalization possible. As expected, it also offers from modes of equalization presets to its own, which is set after performing a thorough test for which you will need a few minutes and a completely silent environment for optimal configuration. You will also find a personal sound profile -It even suggests you if you have to change the pad for another of a different size- to establish the best sound reproduction according to your age, preferences and that you can also configure through a test.
What I liked the most (and what I liked the least) about the Nothing Ear (2)
Having reviewed all its qualities -in which it has also been inevitable to mix my impressions-, I am going to detail the qualities that I liked the most and those that I would change in these headphones.
The best
- Its design, although continuous, is still very original and attractive
- Effective noise cancellation and transparent mode
- They are comfortable to wear even if you have them on for hours
Worst
- The change of control by gestures does not seem the most successful to me: it has been difficult for me to get the feel of the stick and I see the old “tap” as more comfortable. But it is a matter of personal taste.
Where and at what price to buy them
From today you have the Ear (2) of Nothing available on the official website of the brand with a price of 149 euros.
As of the 28th of this month of March, you can also find them available at regular distributors such as Amazon.
