Last fall, we tested the Nothing Ear Stick, a pair of stylish, but otherwise quite ordinary headphones. Now it’s time for another pair of true wireless headphones from Nothing – the Nothing Ear 2, which as the name suggests is an update of the Nothing Ear 1 from autumn 2021.
Rating 4 out of 5
Opinion
Nothing Ear 2 is, just like its predecessors, a pair of really stylish and delicious headphones that stand out from the crowd in terms of appearance. They also have a really good sound, are easy to control and feature-rich. Unfortunately, the noise reduction is really bad, which prevents them from getting a real top rating.
Positive
- Delicious design
- Good sound
- functional app
Negative
- Poor noise reduction
- Takes a while to get used to the controls
Just like the previous two headphones, the Nothing Ear 2 are really stylish and well designed. The feel is very futuristic and the headphones look like something out of a science fiction movie. However, the test-tube-like storage box from last time has had to give way to a more traditional square box in transparent plastic. A stylish, elegant and practical solution as the box, in addition to charging with a USB C cable, also supports wireless charging.
Both the headphones and the charging case are also very small and light. The earphones weigh only 4.5 grams per earphone and the charging case weighs 52 grams. Compared to the Ear 1, there is a marginal reduction of 0.2 grams per earbud and four grams for the charging case.
Despite only three pairs of “plumps” included, the fit is really good. The headphones sit firmly and comfortably both in my somewhat larger ears and in the smaller ears of other family members.
Just like its predecessors, Nothing Ear 2 also has different controls. Here it is not touch that applies (which it is for most other true wireless headphones), but instead a “pinch and press” in the same way as, for example, the Huawei Freebuds Pro 2.
However, these controls work really well and I managed absolutely no misprints during my testing. It is also possible to change what the various presses should do in the associated app.
Good app
The accompanying app is also beautifully designed, but is also pleasingly feature-rich. As I said, it is possible to change the functions of the controls, but there are also functions such as an equalizer, automatic start/stop of playback when the headphones are put in the ears, the possibility to test how well the headphones fit in the ears and a function to find the headphones using an audible signal.
There is also a function for “Low lag mode”, i.e. a function to reduce the delay between what is shown on the screen and what is heard in the ears when, for example, mobile gaming. It’s the same function that Urbanista Seoul has and here too it works really well.
Finally, it is also possible to fine-tune the settings for the noise reduction (and of course to turn it on/off completely).
Good sound, poor noise reduction
Unfortunately, this noise reduction is a continuing mourning child for Nothing. It was completely missing in Nothing Ear Stick and wasn’t very good in Nothing Ear 1. Again, it’s disappointing. Sure, Nothing Ear 2 manages to achieve some noise reduction, but it’s not much to cheer about. In fact, in some situations I had a hard time hearing any difference between maximum noise reduction or noise reduction off.
When listening to “normal” music, this was not a major problem, but with classical music, audiobooks and podcasts in a noisy environment, the outside world sounds leaked through in a disturbing way.
Happily, the sound quality turned out to be really good, especially considering the price tag. There has been an improvement here since the last time. A relatively heavy bass, clear midrange and clean and clear treble that can be further refined with the equalizer in the app.
Even during phone calls, it sounds good and interference-free, with only a slightly muffled audio image for the called party.
The battery life is largely unchanged from before. With the noise reduction switched on, you can get four hours per charge and a total of 24 hours of listening with the charging box. Without noise reduction, the figures are 6.5 hours per charge and a total of 36 hours of listening with the charging box. To compare with previous 4/24 hours with noise reduction and 6/34 without. Quite okay numbers in other words.
Nothing Ear 2 also supports “Dual connection” and wireless charging of the charger.
With its price tag of SEK 1,800, Noting Ear 2 is a pair of affordable true wireless headphones that can be recommended. However, with better noise reduction, the rating would have been even better.
Specifications
Product: Nothing Ear 2
Tested: Mars 2023
Manufacturer/contact: Nothing
Connections: Bluetooth 5.3
System Requirements: IOS or Android
Associated app: And
Active Noise Reduction: And
Handsfree function: No
Voice control support: And
IP certification: IP54 (Dustproof and scratchproof)
Colors: Vit
Weight (two headphones): 9 gram
Weight of charging case without headphones: 52 gram
Drawer size: 5,6 x 5,6 x 2,2 centimeter
Battery life only music total: 36 hours
Battery life music only per charge: 6.5 hours
Wireless charging of the box: And
Approx price: SEK 1,777 at Amazon Sweden
