Nothing Ear (1) Open Wireless Earbuds: A Unique Audio Experience

The Nothing brand has quickly gained recognition for its cutting-edge, transparent design and disruptive approach to tech. With their latest release, the Nothing Ear Open, the company is looking to revolutionize how we experience wireless earbuds. Unlike conventional earbuds that seal off your ears, the Nothing Ear Open offers a more natural listening experience by resting on the outer ear, keeping you aware of your surroundings.

In this review, we’ll dive into every aspect of the Nothing Ear Open earbuds, including their design, audio quality, usability, features, and performance. Let’s find out if these open earbuds are the right fit for you.

What’s in the Box?

Unboxing the Nothing Ear Open is a minimal yet satisfying experience. Here’s what you get:

• Nothing Ear Open Wireless Earbuds
• USB Type-C to Type-C charging cable (small but functional)
• Safety and warranty information

That’s all you need to get started. Simple, straightforward, and with Nothing’s signature minimalist design.

Design and Build Quality: The Signature Nothing Aesthetic

Nothing sticks to its iconic transparent design with the Nothing Ear Open. The case and earbuds are encased in clear plastic, offering a futuristic look that lets you see the inner workings of the buds.

Case Design

• The case is sleek and compact, making it easily pocketable. It has a transparent lid and a long, slim design, ensuring it slips into your pocket effortlessly.
• The right earbud is marked with a red dot for easy identification, ensuring you never confuse the left and right buds.

Earbud Design

• The buds themselves are also transparent, with a flexible silicone ear hook to secure them to your ear. These ear hooks are essential since the Nothing Ear Open rests on your ear rather than plugging into the ear canal.
• At only 8 grams per bud, these are lightweight, ensuring you can wear them for hours without discomfort.

Comfort and Fit: Zero Holes Filled

For those new to open-ear earbuds, the fit may take some getting used to. Unlike traditional earbuds, the Nothing Ear Open doesn’t sit inside your ear canal. Instead, it rests on the outer ear, allowing you to stay aware of your surroundings.

• Comfort Level: The lightweight design and lack of in-ear tips make these buds incredibly comfortable, even for long sessions.
• Security: Despite their open fit, the silicone ear hooks provide enough security to keep the earbuds in place, even during physical activities like jogging or at the gym.

Water and Dust Resistance: IP54 Rating

For those who like to exercise or listen to music outdoors, the Nothing Ear Open comes with an IP54 rating, meaning they are dust and splash-resistant.

• You can wear them in light rain or while sweating it out in the gym, but avoid submerging them in water. These earbuds aren’t meant for swimming or extreme water exposure.

Features and Customization: The Power of Nothing X App

To fully unlock the potential of the Nothing Ear Open, especially if you’re not using a Nothing Phone, you’ll need the Nothing X App. Here’s what you can do with it:

• Low Latency Mode: Perfect for gamers, this mode reduces lag, ensuring audio and visuals are perfectly synced.
• Multi-Device Pairing: Seamlessly switch between two devices without needing to reconnect.
• Find My Earbuds: Misplaced your earbuds? This feature allows you to trigger a sound to locate them.
• Firmware Updates: Keep your earbuds up to date with the latest features and bug fixes.

Audio Customization with Equalizer

The Nothing X App also features an equalizer that allows you to tweak the audio to your liking.

• Presets Available:
  • Boost bass or treble
  • Vocal mode for clearer speech
• Custom Equalizer: For audiophiles, the Advanced EQ mode offers full control over the frequency range, allowing you to personalize the sound exactly to your preferences.

Control Options: Pinch Controls for Easy Use

Controlling the Nothing Ear Open earbuds is incredibly intuitive, thanks to pinch controls. You get tactile feedback when performing gestures, ensuring you never second-guess whether the command was registered.

Here’s a breakdown of the pinch controls:

This feature works flawlessly and adds to the overall user experience, making the Nothing Ear Open a breeze to use in any environment.

Sound Quality: Surprisingly Punchy for Open-Earbuds

The unique open-air design doesn’t sacrifice much in the way of audio quality, despite the lack of an in-ear seal. Nothing has optimized the Nothing Ear Open to deliver a surprisingly rich audio experience.

Audio Specs:

• Codec Support: AAC and SBC
• Driver Design: Redesigned by Nothing to emphasize low frequencies for a more balanced sound.

Bass Performance:

• The bass is shockingly good for an open-ear design. It’s not overpowering, but it adds depth to genres like rock and electronic music.
• Note: The bass enhancement feature in the app doesn’t seem to make a significant difference, but the default settings are robust enough.

Midrange and Highs:

• The mids and highs are clear and crisp. Vocals, especially in podcasts or voice-heavy tracks, come through without distortion.
• The clarity across the range is impressive, especially for an open-ear bud design.

However, without noise cancellation, using these buds in noisy environments (like a busy street or public transport) could make it difficult to hear your audio clearly. You’ll likely need to crank up the volume to compensate, which leads to potential issues with sound leakage.

Sound Leakage: Minimal for an Open Design

One concern with open earbuds is sound leakage, where people around you can hear what you’re listening to. Thankfully, Nothing has implemented rear acoustic ports to pump out reverse sound waves, minimizing this issue.

• Leakage Test: During testing, we found that even when playing music at higher volumes, there was very little leakage. You could sit in a cafe or office and enjoy your music without disturbing those around you.

Battery Life: Strong Performance for Open-Ear Buds

Battery life is a critical factor, especially for wireless earbuds. The Nothing Ear Open delivers in this department with 7-8 hours of playback on a single charge, depending on your volume levels and usage.

• Charging Case: The case can recharge the buds about three times before needing to be plugged in.
• Charging: It uses USB Type-C, but there’s no wireless charging support, which is a small drawback considering many high-end competitors offer this feature.

Voice Call Quality: Clear Voice Tech at Work

Nothing’s Clear Voice Technology ensures that your voice comes through loud and clear during calls. The dual-microphone setup effectively filters out background noise, making it ideal for noisy environments.

• In testing, we simulated heavy traffic noise, and the mics still picked up our voice clearly, even with ambient noise in the background.

Use Cases: Who Are These For?

The Nothing Ear Open isn’t designed for everyone, but it fills a niche that could appeal to a wide audience:

• Perfect For:
  • Workplace use: You can listen to music while staying aware of your colleagues.
  • Jogging or Gym: The open design lets you remain aware of your surroundings, like oncoming traffic or gym announcements.
  • At Home or Café: Enjoy music or podcasts without total isolation from the environment.
• Not Ideal For:
  • Frequent Travelers: These aren’t great for planes, trains, or noisy public spaces due to the lack of noise isolation.

Final Verdict: A Different Approach to Wireless Audio

The Nothing Ear Open earbuds are an innovative step in the open-ear audio category. While they might not suit everyone, they are an excellent choice for users who want a lightweight, comfortable earbud that keeps them connected to their surroundings.

With a solid battery life, customizable sound settings, and stylish design, the Nothing Ear Open ticks a lot of boxes, especially for users in more casual environments.

Key Takeaways:

• Pros:
  • Lightweight and comfortable
  • Unique open-ear design for environmental awareness
  • Customizable sound via the Nothing X App
  • Minimal sound leakage
• Cons:
  • No noise cancellation or isolation
  • No wireless charging support

Overall, the Nothing Ear Open is a solid pair of earbuds for specific use cases. If you’re someone who values environmental awareness and design, these buds are worth considering.