Nothing Ear Review (3): Best sound in its range? Is the Super Mic useful?

The Nothing's fourth generation headphones It arrives with the promise of polishing what was already a great product, the Nothing Ear (2024), and to close the gap with heavyweight competitors like the Apple AirPods. After two weeks of thorough testing Nothing Ear (3), The feeling is that the brand has achieved a qualitative leap in several key aspects, although it still has weaknesses that should be prioritized in future iterations.

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Design and hardware: a premium evolution

The design remains true to the brand's aesthetic, but significant improvements in build quality are noticeable. The case is the first indication of this approach. premium by incorporating a aluminum finish, This gives it a more pleasant feel, a more solid construction as it's a single piece, and a superior appearance compared to its predecessor. The corners are more rounded, without any "plasticky" ridges, improving the overall ergonomics when holding it.

Regarding the earbuds, their shape has been slightly adjusted for greater comfort. Each earbud is a bit heavier, weighing 5.2 grams, although this increase doesn't hinder extended use. Nothing has placed special emphasis on ergonomics, claiming to have studied over 40 adjustment settings. The shaft, although slightly longer and thicker than the previous one, has a more natural angle. A key detail is the implementation of internal ventilation ducts designed to reduce pressure in the ear canal, making them less "clumsy" and noticeably more comfortable that the Nothing Ear (2024).

For example, when eating (and chewing) with headphones on or going for a run with them on, The grip is good., Although I do need to readjust them from time to time to make the active ANC work more effectively. That said, my favorites for exercising or eating are still the Nothing Ear (Open), They are on another level of comfort and support.

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The contents of the box and the accessories It includes Nothing Ear earphones (3) and charging case, three sizes of silicone ear tips (S, M, L), a USB-C to USB-C cable and quick start documentation.

Silver or black?

Normally, I think white (in this case, silver) is the best option, as you can easily appreciate the details. I have to say that if it weren't for that detail, I would prefer the black version. It's more elegant, feels more robust, and the "TALK" button stands out more. It's a shame it's a dust magnet, and unless you're in a very well-lit place, the details don't stand out as much.

The sound that sweeps Apple away

If there was one strong point of the Nothing Ear (2024), it was the sound, and the Ear (3) manages to surpass it. This improvement is largely due to the introduction of a powerful new sound system. 12mm dynamic driver with a PMI diaphragm and TPU surround. A qualitative leap is noticeable, with a superior ability to separate sounds and, above all, some Very good bass that are felt intensely. In this respect, I think that The Nothing Ear (3) completely outclass the AirPods Pro 2, which were already surpassed by Nothing's previous model. The ability to capture tones without losing any of the nuances is simply spectacular.

To test this capability of driver, Among several topics, I used the new song Berghain by Rosalía. It's a demanding song because of the a large number of sound layers, the voice heavily edited with reverb, and the blend of complex symphonic and electronic elements. And I can assure you that the result with the Nothing Ear (3) is simply brilliant, demonstrating the ability to accurately separate all elements of the track without saturating the bass or losing the treble.

An audio profile for each ear

The experience is further enhanced by the feature of Custom Sound within the Nothing X app. It performs a three-minute hearing test that adapts the audio profile to your specific hearing, which is a resounding success. Furthermore, in terms of connectivity, the Ear (3) have been updated to Bluetooth 5.4, incorporating support for the codec LDAC (Certified Hi-Res Audio), In addition to AAC and SBC, it guarantees high-fidelity audio transfer. For gamers, the low-latency mode reduces latency. lag total below 120 ms.

Regarding Bluetooth calls, They work without problemsThe voice can be heard crisp and clear, Only in very noisy environments might a slightly robotic tone be noticeable, although the conversation remains perfectly understandable. Using the Super Mic, we get a warmer and more detailed tone in "natural" mode, which was added in the latest update.

ANC, spatial mode, and the loss of bass in transparency mode

Here we find the great but main. While the audio is excellent, this quality seems to be tied to the mode ANC active. The difference is abysmal, because when switching to transparent or closed mode, the bass is drastically lost, and the sound becomes more... canned and aerated. My personal hypothesis is that this loss of serious symptoms is directly related to those internal ventilation ducts. While they're fantastic for adding extra comfort, they could be blurring the impact of the serious when ANC processing is not active to compensate. It's a curious limitation, as it forces me to keep ANC active to enjoy the best music quality.

In addition to this, the implementation of Space Mode It is, frankly, something that I do not recommend using For music. Instead of creating an immersive soundstage, it produces a "noise" effect and the feeling of being trapped in a box. Perhaps its performance is better for TV series or games, but it doesn't justify its use for everyday music listening.

The Super Mic: it works, but it's missing a great opportunity.

The big news in terms of hardware is the incorporation of Super Mic, a system of dual MEMS microphones integrated into the case itself of charging to improve voice pickup in extremely noisy environments. While tests show a slight improvement in clarity and naturalness over microphones that already work well, I perceive it more as a «advertising "hook" which as an essential characteristic.

I think Nothing missed an opportunity to turn it into a functional "lapel" microphone for content creators; it would have been much more appealing than its current use (voice notes and occasional calls).

The weak point: transparency mode and ANC

This remains the weakest and most urgent aspect to improve, despite Nothing's advanced specifications, which include real-time adaptive cancellation capable of adjusting the profile every 600 ms and fix leaks every 1.875 ms.

In my testing, I've been switching between these headphones and the Ear (2024) and it is It's difficult to notice significant differences in ANC mode.. The transparency mode, although functional (better than the previous model), It's still far from the performance of the AirPods., which are the standard in this field.

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The experience with transparency mode This remains a point that personally disappoints me. It's true that it has improved significantly compared to the previous model, now reaching an acceptable level. However, The annoying feeling of blocked ear persists, especially when pronouncing certain consonants such as the letter M or N, although to a lesser extent than in the Ear (2024).

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As a positive detail in the ANC, there have been corrected certain errors which the previous model presented, where sudden sound frequencies, such as the "click" when closing my dog's leash, were increased or accentuated by the system instead of attenuating them.

Controls, battery life, and the excellent Nothing X app

The Nothing X application It consolidates itself as the crown jewel of these headphones. Their software is exquisite, allowing you to configure detailed equalizers, use custom sound, and manage the dual connection (use with two devices simultaneously), which works perfectly.

However, the pinch controls (Squeezing the earbud's stem) remains the biggest obstacle to interaction. Although the app allows you to configure each gesture with multiple options, I really miss the convenience of the touch system on the AirPods Pro 2 for volume management. Currently, increasing or decreasing the volume is tedious and slow. Nothing should innovate in future installments and surprise us just as they did with the wonderful touch buttons of the Nothing Headphone (1).

In terms of battery life, the Ear (3) offers robust, average performance. Each earbud integrates 55 mAh and the case a capacity of 500 mAh. This translates to a range of up to 5.5 hours with the ANC active (reaching 22 hours with the case) and up 10 hours without ANC (reaching 38 hours with the charging case), a slight improvement over the Nothing Ear. Fast charging via USB-C allows for 10 hours of playback with just 10 minutes of charging, in addition to the Qi wireless charging.

Conclusions and purchase recommendation

The Nothing Ear (3) are, undoubtedly, headphones with a Very good value for money If you prioritize pure sound (with active ANC) and design, they've achieved a more refined product. premium and with a sound excellent, clearly surpassing its competition in audio quality. Dual connectivity and Nothing X application, with its numerous customization options, are its best assets.

• Should you upgrade if you already have Nothing Ear (2024)? In my opinion, no. There isn't a sufficient qualitative leap in all areas to justify the investment.
• Should you buy them if you're upgrading from older models or lower-segment devices? Absolutely. They're a fantastic option if you're looking for some of the best sound on the market in their price range.

In short, they are brilliant headphones in the essentials, but their price of €180 already demands a higher level in the ANC and, above all, in transparency mode, aspects where Nothing has yet to quite hit the right note.

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