Nothing Ear 2 Review: These Lightweight Earbuds Are A Thorough Upgrade From The Ear 1 

One should never judge a book by its cover. If they did, then they wouldn’t be vibing to the Nothing Ear 2 earbuds that just launched over a month ago.  

The Ear 2, launched by London-based tech firm Nothing, is hoping one would look away from the Jabras, Apples, and Samsungs, and see-through its novel designs and great sounds. 

The Nothing Ear 2 retails for Rs 9,999 and replaces the outgoing Ear 1 from 2022. They sit alongside the Ear Stick earbuds, launched in October of last year. These noise-cancelling earbuds undercut Jabra, Apple, Google, Samsung and many other earbuds, but can they deliver where it truly matters? I’ve been using them for quite some time now, and they are a true upgrade over their predecessor. Let’s dive in. 

See-Through Design 

Just like the company’s first-ever product, the Ear 2 has a see-through stalk that hangs down from the silicone ear tips. There are minor design differences from Ear 1. You’ll have to squint to tell them apart when holding them side-by-side. The Ear 2 case is slimmer and lighter. The earbuds are slightly taller and somehow, lighter. The Ear 2 case, according to the company, is made using more durable plastic. Theoretically, this should reduce the number of scratches as to what was witnessed with the Ear 1’s case. So far, the Ear 2 case has been holding up without any major scratches. Only time will tell though. 

The case comes with a USB Type-C port for charging, as well as a physical button to enter the pairing mode. The case, like its predecessor, supports wireless charging. The case (as well as the earbuds) are water-resistant. The case is IP55 rated, while the earbuds come with an IP54 rating. 

Overall, the case and the earbuds are beautiful to look at and will attract attention from neighbours in the metro. 

The Crux Of The Nothing Ear 2 

Every day listening to music, podcasts and more with the Ear 2 is the crux of the experience. If the sound quality isn’t good, then what’s the point of splurging money only for the attractive and unique design? Well, if you judge a book by its cover, as I mentioned at the top, then you’d be disappointed. The Ear 2s, let me be frank, aren’t properly tuned out of the box. 

Once tuned, from the excellent Nothing X app, you get a great sound that outdoes most of the competition at this price. They may not push the bass, but they are well-rounded and can get low notes spot on. Separation of instruments is something that the Ear 2s excel at. 

What I also noticed is that no matter the genre, the Ear 2s shine. From jazz to rap and everything else in between, you get a full, rich sound experience from the Ear 2s. There were certain songs where the notes fell flat, but those are few and far between. 

The Ear 2s are up there for sure, but they won’t be troubling the best (like the Oppo Enco X2). For certain Android phones, the earbuds support hi-res audio. 

The Ear 2s have better noise cancellation than its predecessor. At maximum, the Ear 2s do a good job of quieting down the sounds around you. If you’re a loud typer, then something like that may still be heard, but on the whole, most of the sounds were drowned out. I listened to podcasts while on the Delhi Metro and had absolutely no problems. 

There’s also an awareness mode (as on most competitors’ earbuds) and that works as intended.  

Last but not least, using the Ear 2 for calls was a blissful experience. There was good suppression of background noise and neither of the participants complained of any noise or interruptions. The calls are crystal clear. 

Where The Ear 2 Faltered 

The Ear 1s featured tap controls. The Ear 2s, like Apple’s AirPods, are controlled by squeezing the stems. The controls, customisable in the Nothing X app, were hard to get used to. Squeezing twice to change to the next song was a hit-and-miss experience for me. The good part is that there weren’t any accidental activations.  

With ANC turned on, the Ear 2s offer just four hours of playback (same as with the Ear 1) from the buds on a single charge. That pales in comparison to many of the competitors out there, many of which offer six-plus hours on a single charge. With the case, this number rises to 22.5 hours of playback. 

With ANC turned off, the Ear 2s offer 6.3 hours (slightly better than the Ear 1s) on a single charge and 36 hours with the case. I was hoping for more from the battery life of the Ear 2s, but alas, that didn’t happen. 

Verdict: Are The Ear 2s A Worthy Upgrade? 

The simple answer is yes. If you don’t already own the Ear 1s, the Ear 2s are refined, with a great everyday sound, a unique look (standing out from the crowd) and a competitive price point. There’s good (but not the best) ANC and instrument separation is great. 

The Ear 2s features multipoint connectivity (can connect to two devices at once) and cross-platform compatibility (for both Android and iPhone). 

The Ear 2s are comfortable to wear and also have clear call quality. They do falter in batter life and playback controls, but at Rs 9,999, they are seriously a great buy, especially if you’re entering the Nothing ecosystem for the first time. 

Overall, the Ear 2s are a worthy upgrade over the Ear 1s and should be near the top of your shopping list if you’re after truly-wireless earbuds for under Rs 10,000.