Nothing Ear (3a) Review: the perfect excuse to avoid overspending on in-ear earphones

I've been thoroughly testing the new Nothing Ear (3a) for a few weeks now, and the question that keeps coming to mind is clear: is it really worth paying extra for the flagship range when you have this option on the table? In this review, I'll share my impressions after putting them through their paces these past weeks, going over everything from their surprising sound quality and impressive noise cancellation to those everyday details you should keep in mind before buying them.

By the way, a curious detail right out of the box during the unboxing: they are the brand's first earbuds to omit the USB-C charging cable. It's nothing to get worked up about, since at this point we all surely have fifty cables scattered around drawers at home, but it's still a noteworthy detail.

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A familiar design that shines up close

Aesthetically, it is clear that these Nothing Ear (a)bear a huge resemblance to the Nothing Ear (a). They maintain that characteristic pillbox shape, with a more playful touch compared to the higher-end models. However, in the hand, you can notice subtle yet welcome changes. The edges are better finished and more rounded, which gives them a more refined and stylish feel in hand. Carrying them in a pants pocket remains extremely comfortable.

Ear (3a) vs Ear (a) technical comparison – Click here

If I had to give them a single drawback for day-to-day use, it's that sometimes I struggle to open the case on the first try. It’s nothing major, but to the touch, it isn't easy to find the exact spot to place your fingers, and you end up spending a fraction of a second more on it than you should.

What seems like a complete win to me is the mini Glyph Bar they integrated into the case. Moving from the traditional single LED to having three light pixels allows you to see the charging status of the case in much greater detail. Plus, they included small animations when charging them or updating the firmware, one of those little details we love so much from Nothing.

Ergonomics: the importance of choosing the right eartips

Moving on to the earbuds themselves, in terms of shape and ergonomics, I would say they are practically identical to the Nothing Ear (3). They are lightweight and small. That said, here is a basic recommendation: make sure to try out the different eartips included in the box. In my case, after trying several sizes, I discovered that with the XL size, the fit in my ear canal is perfect and I barely have to readjust them over time, something that did happen to me with size M.

As for durability, both the earbuds and the case itself feature an IP54 rating. I have used them while working out and sweating profusely with them on, and they handle it with zero issues.

Sound with powerful bass

When talking about audio, much of the secret to the performance of these Nothing Ear (3a) lies in their 12mm dynamic driver with an impedance of 32 Ω. This technical combination directly translates in practice: they offer crisp sound, excellent frequency separation, and, above all, punchy and deep bass. The balanced mode is a absolute joy. They aren't looking for a neutral studio sound, but rather a deep signature sound with plenty of punch. Nowadays, the technical and sound quality is so high that it is hard to justify stepping up to more expensive tiers unless you are an exacting audiophile or prefer a more neutral audio profile.

That said, just like what happened to me with the Ear (3), I feel that to enjoy the best experience, you need to keep Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) turned on. If you disable it, the sound becomes airier and loses quite a bit of punch in the low frequencies.

ANC and Transparency Mode

Speaking of ANC, it was a massive surprise. I don't know exactly what internal adjustments they made, but the improvement is very obvious. I ran the test of putting them on while vacuuming around the house, and combining the good seal of the XL eartips with the ANC set to high, the vacuum motor noise was reduced to a mere distant hum.

On the other hand, transparency mode remains, in my opinion, the Achilles' heel of the brand's in-ear models. When speaking with this mode on, I still feel like my ears are blocked, an uncomfortable resonance that is even more noticeable when pronouncing letters like M or N. Knowing how well it performs on devices like the Headphone (1) or the comfort of the Ear (Open), I think Nothing still has room to improve in this area.

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Nothing X is still king

The Nothing X app remains a marvel that makes all the difference. It gives us dual connection, control customization, and a comprehensive manual equalizer to tune them to our liking. It's true that this time around we don't find the direct "Bass Boost" option or the personalized audio profile via a hearing test, but tweaking the equalizer for a few seconds lets you achieve whichever sound signature you want. Personally, I haven't missed it.

When controlling gestures from the stem, adjusting the volume up and down remains somewhat tedious. For that very reason, the default configuration doesn't include it, and hopefully in the future they will come up with a more fluid solution.

Audio Snapshot

The big software feature deserves a chapter of its own: Audio Snapshot. On paper, the idea is fantastic. With a simple pinch on the earbud, you can capture up to a minute of media audio on the fly, or even configure the feature to retroactively save the 30 seconds prior to the moment you decide to start recording.

The tool is designed to log up to 2 hours of online conversations or meetings and then manage everything from Nothing X: listen to recordings, generate automatic summaries, identify speakers, extract quotes, or send reminders to your calendar.

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That said, there are two key aspects you need to know. First, it requires disabling the LDAC codec beforehand in the app so it operates under AAC. Second, currently in Spain, due to legal regulations, the feature only allows recording the internal audio played by the phone, excluding calls and ambient sound. For now, being able to record only internal audio makes this new feature practically irrelevant in Spain. A shame, really.

Fortunately, it seems we will be able to get this feature soon. Apparently, when you pinch the earbuds, a message will be played to the caller so they know you are starting the recording. Once this feature becomes available, I will update the review with my experience.

One thing you won't like as much, although it was to be expected, is that Nothing is starting to test the waters with a subscription model. The purchase of the Ear (3a) includes three free months of "Transcription Pro" (limited to 120 minutes per month), the service that offers transcripts and quick AI summaries. I think it will become increasingly common to see such interesting software features getting tied to recurring payments once the trial period ends.

Battery, wireless coverage and calls

In terms of battery life, it is well-equipped, offering up to 10 hours of playback per charge (without ANC) and up to 6 hours with ANC enabled. It features fast charging via USB-C cable, fully charging the device in just over an hour. As expected given its price range, they omit wireless charging.

Regarding connectivity, I put it through my usual test: I leave the phone in the upstairs office and head down to the lower floor. Playback on my podcasts didn't suffer a single dropout anywhere in the house, only starting to stutter once I stepped outside at a considerable distance with several thick walls in between.

To wrap up, call performance is flawless. The three microphones per earbud, along with the noise-cancellation algorithm, ensure that your voice comes through clear and clean at all times, maintaining the high standard we have come to expect from Nothing.

The new price-to-performance king?

At 99 euros, these Nothing Ear (3a) strike me as one of the smartest buys in the current in-ear lineup. They sound virtually as good as their bigger sibling, offer fantastic battery performance, and the mini Glyph Bar on the case adds a great signature touch. If you are looking for design, audio punch, and functionality without overspending, you really can't go wrong with them. Got any questions I haven't covered in the review? Don't hesitate to drop your thoughts or questions in the comments!

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