Rating: 3.5/5
A recent IDC report revealed that the earwear category grew by 8.3% YoY, shipping 15.9 million units. Within earwear, the share of the Truly Wireless Stereo (TWS) segment reached 70.1% from 63.8% a year ago, growing by 19% YoY. The market seems to be booming and the companies are busy tapping the increasing demand. With this same thought, Nothing also expanded its audio lineup by launching Nothing Ear 2 true wireless earbuds in India. Priced at Rs 9,999, the Ear 2 offers a pretty promising set of features and hardware, including active noise cancellation and a promise to offer a powerful listening experience.
We spent some time with Nothing Ear 2, here’s our review.
Design
Nothing Ear 2 carries the company’s transparent design language. The true wireless earbuds feature an elegant transparent design similar to its predecessor. Both the earbuds and the charging case come with a transparent design. Except for the centre part of the charging case, all the other parts of the charging case and the earbuds are transparent. The charging case features magnets which keep the earbuds securely locked. The transparent Nothin Ear 2 buds are also securely placed inside the charging case with the help of magnets. The charging case of Nothing Ear 2 weighs 51.9 which makes it slightly lighter compared to its predecessor.
The charging case of Nothing Ear 2 features an LED indicator that acts as the tel-tel light for battery percentage and pairing. The LED indicator blinks green, red and white colours to indicate the battery status and it’s pretty handy, The case is also IP54 rated which makes it somewhat resistant to dust and water, something that’s hard to find in other similar-priced earbuds.
Coming to the earbuds, the Nothing Ear 2 earbuds sport the same transparent stem design. They are slightly lighter and smaller when compared to its predecessor. The company has also changed the placement of the microphone on the Nothing Ear 2 buds The microphone is now positioned at the back, providing improved noise cancellation during calls. The earbuds also house an optical sensor for wear detection. This will automatically pause the audio when you remove the earbuds from your ears and save the battery drainage.
The stem of the earbuds features the Nothing branding and also houses the new pinch controls. Same as the charging case, the earbuds also come with IP54 rating which makes them resistant to dust and water. The TWS offer a good fit and are also comfortable to wear.
PerformanceThe Nothing Ear 2 true wireless earbuds also deliver a satisfying audio experience. The TWS from Nothing supports Bluetooth version 5.3 and its Hi-Res Audio certification leads to an immersive audio experience. LHDC 5.0 codec technology ensures that even the finest sound details are delivered to an industry-leading standard, transmitting frequencies up to 24 bit/192 kHz @ 1 Mbps.
Paring was fast, all you need to do is turn on Bluetooth on your smartphone and open the charging case. Now press and hold the setup button and then select the Nothing Ear 2. The earbuds also come with fast pairing functionality which works with many Android smartphones and makes it easier to pair the earbuds.
The Nothing Ear 2 also comes with Microsoft Swift Pair functionality which allows users to easily connect the earbuds with Windows laptops. You can also connect two devices with the earbuds at the same time making it easier for the users to connect a smartphone and laptop with the earbuds and keep them connected at the same time. And, the feature alone makes this earbuds a practical choice.
The company has replaced the touch controls with press controls on the Nothing Ear 2. The controls enable users to adjust volume, skip songs and also switch between ANC and normal mode. You can also customise the touch controls and also create a personal sound profile with the help of the Nothing X app.
The Nothing Ear 2 comes with an 11.6mm dynamic driver with a custom diaphragm. The company has used the in-house driver in the Nothing Ear 2 which is made using polyurethane and graphene materials and it delivers rich highs and deep but subtle bass. Plus, the unique dual-chamber design creates a larger space for smoother airflow for an impressive surround sound experience.
During our testing, the Nothing Ear 2 TWS delivered a crisp and clear sound experience. The earbuds deliver powerful bass and good dynamic range as well. The mid-range frequencies present a balanced response, while the highs and lows offer a more pronounced character.
As mentioned above, the Nothing Ear 2 comes with Active Noise Cancellation with up to 40 dB of noise reduction. With Personalised Active Noise Cancellation tailored to the exact shape of a user’s ear canal and Adaptive Mode that automatically adjusts the noise reduction level based on your environment in real-time, Ear (2) provides the optimal noise cancellation experience. Also, the wide frequency range effectively eliminates a broader spectrum of background noise, ensuring an immersive audio experience even in busy environments.
Apart from active noise cancellation, the true wireless earbuds from Nothing also come with call noise cancellation, which uses clear voice technology for calls. With three high-definition microphones on each earbud and an AI noise reduction algorithm that can filter out over 20 million sound samples, Ear (2) can eliminate background noise and enhance the user’s voice during calls in real time.
BatteryThe Nothing Ear 2 true wireless earbuds house 33mAh battery in each earbud. The company claims that the earbuds can deliver up to 6.3 hours of battery backup without ANC on a single charge. On the other hand, with the ANC on, the true wireless earbuds promise to offer up to 4 hours of battery backup. During our testing, the Nothing Ear 2 managed to offer up to 3.5 hours of music playback with active noise cancellation. Also, without ANC, the earbuds can easily last for up to 5.5 hours. The charging case of the Nothing Ear 2 packs a 484mAh battery which is slightly less when compared to its predecessor. With the charging case, we managed to get up to 25 hours of battery backup. The earbuds also come with fast charging support and it promises to offer up to 8 hours of battery backup with 10 minutes of charge. Along with this, the earbuds also come with Qi wireless charging support allowing you to charge the hearables wirelessly. To sum up, the earbuds offer a decent battery performance.
Verdict
The Nothing Ear 2 can be a fine option for those seeking high-quality ANC earbuds under Rs 10,000. These true wireless earbuds provide good audio experience and effective active noise cancellation. For those who don’t want to spend a lot, the Nothing Ear 2 can be a good buy.
A recent IDC report revealed that the earwear category grew by 8.3% YoY, shipping 15.9 million units. Within earwear, the share of the Truly Wireless Stereo (TWS) segment reached 70.1% from 63.8% a year ago, growing by 19% YoY. The market seems to be booming and the companies are busy tapping the increasing demand. With this same thought, Nothing also expanded its audio lineup by launching Nothing Ear 2 true wireless earbuds in India. Priced at Rs 9,999, the Ear 2 offers a pretty promising set of features and hardware, including active noise cancellation and a promise to offer a powerful listening experience.
We spent some time with Nothing Ear 2, here’s our review.
Design
Nothing Ear 2 carries the company’s transparent design language. The true wireless earbuds feature an elegant transparent design similar to its predecessor. Both the earbuds and the charging case come with a transparent design. Except for the centre part of the charging case, all the other parts of the charging case and the earbuds are transparent. The charging case features magnets which keep the earbuds securely locked. The transparent Nothin Ear 2 buds are also securely placed inside the charging case with the help of magnets. The charging case of Nothing Ear 2 weighs 51.9 which makes it slightly lighter compared to its predecessor.
The charging case of Nothing Ear 2 features an LED indicator that acts as the tel-tel light for battery percentage and pairing. The LED indicator blinks green, red and white colours to indicate the battery status and it’s pretty handy, The case is also IP54 rated which makes it somewhat resistant to dust and water, something that’s hard to find in other similar-priced earbuds.
Coming to the earbuds, the Nothing Ear 2 earbuds sport the same transparent stem design. They are slightly lighter and smaller when compared to its predecessor. The company has also changed the placement of the microphone on the Nothing Ear 2 buds The microphone is now positioned at the back, providing improved noise cancellation during calls. The earbuds also house an optical sensor for wear detection. This will automatically pause the audio when you remove the earbuds from your ears and save the battery drainage.
The stem of the earbuds features the Nothing branding and also houses the new pinch controls. Same as the charging case, the earbuds also come with IP54 rating which makes them resistant to dust and water. The TWS offer a good fit and are also comfortable to wear.
PerformanceThe Nothing Ear 2 true wireless earbuds also deliver a satisfying audio experience. The TWS from Nothing supports Bluetooth version 5.3 and its Hi-Res Audio certification leads to an immersive audio experience. LHDC 5.0 codec technology ensures that even the finest sound details are delivered to an industry-leading standard, transmitting frequencies up to 24 bit/192 kHz @ 1 Mbps.
Paring was fast, all you need to do is turn on Bluetooth on your smartphone and open the charging case. Now press and hold the setup button and then select the Nothing Ear 2. The earbuds also come with fast pairing functionality which works with many Android smartphones and makes it easier to pair the earbuds.
The Nothing Ear 2 also comes with Microsoft Swift Pair functionality which allows users to easily connect the earbuds with Windows laptops. You can also connect two devices with the earbuds at the same time making it easier for the users to connect a smartphone and laptop with the earbuds and keep them connected at the same time. And, the feature alone makes this earbuds a practical choice.
The company has replaced the touch controls with press controls on the Nothing Ear 2. The controls enable users to adjust volume, skip songs and also switch between ANC and normal mode. You can also customise the touch controls and also create a personal sound profile with the help of the Nothing X app.
The Nothing Ear 2 comes with an 11.6mm dynamic driver with a custom diaphragm. The company has used the in-house driver in the Nothing Ear 2 which is made using polyurethane and graphene materials and it delivers rich highs and deep but subtle bass. Plus, the unique dual-chamber design creates a larger space for smoother airflow for an impressive surround sound experience.
During our testing, the Nothing Ear 2 TWS delivered a crisp and clear sound experience. The earbuds deliver powerful bass and good dynamic range as well. The mid-range frequencies present a balanced response, while the highs and lows offer a more pronounced character.
As mentioned above, the Nothing Ear 2 comes with Active Noise Cancellation with up to 40 dB of noise reduction. With Personalised Active Noise Cancellation tailored to the exact shape of a user’s ear canal and Adaptive Mode that automatically adjusts the noise reduction level based on your environment in real-time, Ear (2) provides the optimal noise cancellation experience. Also, the wide frequency range effectively eliminates a broader spectrum of background noise, ensuring an immersive audio experience even in busy environments.
Apart from active noise cancellation, the true wireless earbuds from Nothing also come with call noise cancellation, which uses clear voice technology for calls. With three high-definition microphones on each earbud and an AI noise reduction algorithm that can filter out over 20 million sound samples, Ear (2) can eliminate background noise and enhance the user’s voice during calls in real time.
BatteryThe Nothing Ear 2 true wireless earbuds house 33mAh battery in each earbud. The company claims that the earbuds can deliver up to 6.3 hours of battery backup without ANC on a single charge. On the other hand, with the ANC on, the true wireless earbuds promise to offer up to 4 hours of battery backup. During our testing, the Nothing Ear 2 managed to offer up to 3.5 hours of music playback with active noise cancellation. Also, without ANC, the earbuds can easily last for up to 5.5 hours. The charging case of the Nothing Ear 2 packs a 484mAh battery which is slightly less when compared to its predecessor. With the charging case, we managed to get up to 25 hours of battery backup. The earbuds also come with fast charging support and it promises to offer up to 8 hours of battery backup with 10 minutes of charge. Along with this, the earbuds also come with Qi wireless charging support allowing you to charge the hearables wirelessly. To sum up, the earbuds offer a decent battery performance.
Verdict
The Nothing Ear 2 can be a fine option for those seeking high-quality ANC earbuds under Rs 10,000. These true wireless earbuds provide good audio experience and effective active noise cancellation. For those who don’t want to spend a lot, the Nothing Ear 2 can be a good buy.
