Nothing’s First Open-Style Earbuds Are A Design And Sonic Triumph
by Mark Sparrow · ForbesRegular readers will know that I am not a big fan of open-style earbuds. That’s partly due to the shape of my ears and not being a jogger or a cyclist. However, some people swear by open earbuds and love being able to stay aware of their surroundings.
With open earbuds, you can listen to your music or a podcast and still stay connected with the surrounding environment for safety reasons or simply to hear some birdsong while out for a run. Now the London-based consumer tech company Nothing has joined the dash to develop open-style earbuds with its latest product, Ear (open). This is the first open wearable stereo earbuds to be launched by the company founded by Carl Pei.
Ear (open) are designed to provide great sound and enhanced comfort with their open fit. They are ideal for people who can’t stand having earbuds or earphones stuck in their ear canals. Along with the comfy fit, the new Ear (open) help users stay aware of their surroundings and stay connected to what’s going on. It’s a great safety feature for anyone exercising alone or who needs to be aware of hazards like traffic.
These new earbuds use Nothing’s Open Sound Technology, which produces an immersive listening experience while letting the wearer hear what’s going on. The open design is engineered with a Sound Seal System and directional speakers that reduce sound leakage, ensuring privacy while still serving up a convincing stereo soundstage.
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With their slim and transparent look, the Ear (open) look super stylish. Weighing just 8.1g per earbud, they fit on the ear with a hook design and place the drivers just at the entrance of each ear. Normally I have terrible problems getting open-style earbuds to fit, but these, along with the Bose Ultra Open, are the only open earbuds that fit comfortably for me and still serve up enough sound.
The charging case for the Ear (open) measures a sylph-like 19mm, making it one of the slimmest devices in the OWS category. The compact charging case and easy storage design make it easy to grab on the way out for a run. The case is small enough to fit in a pocket or a running bag.
The fit of the Ear (open) is superbly comfortable for long=term wear thanks to a three-point balance system and silicone ear hooks which sit easily on the ears. The fit also feels secure and lightweight plus Nothing claims they adapt to any ear shape. The design and the use of ultra-light components, ensure the earpieces stay in place even if you are running or cycling.
To get sufficient volume for an open-ear design, the Ear (open) have a 14.2mm titanium coated diaphragm and an ultra-light driver with a stepped design. Nothing says the custom shape reduces distortion and enhances low frequencies while the titanium coating reproduces crisp high notes. One problem with open-style earbuds is they seldom deliver enough bass but the Ear (open) have an impressive low end that sounds like an in-ear design.
The drivers are made from components that are 30% lighter than most earbuds. The stepped driver moves the speaker closer to the wearer’s ear without making the earbuds uncomfortable to wear. An automatic Bass Enhance algorithm optimizes low frequencies and that’s why the bass is richer than other open designs.
A single charge of the earbuds will provide up to eight hours of playback time which is enough even for a slow marathon. The case can hold up to 30 hours of backup charge so users can enjoy longer playtimes between charges. And should you forget to charge the Ear (open), then a 10-minute burst charge will deliver a couple of hours of listening time.
Nothing hasn’t forgotten phone calls and the built-in Clear Voice Technology produces clear calls, even when there’s a lot of background noise. Thanks to its AI-enhanced processing, trained on over 28 million noise scenarios, the Ear (open) know which noises to suppress.
Like many of the latest Bluetooth earbuds, the Ear (open) support multipoint connectivity so you can have two devices connected at the same time, such as a work and personal mobile. It’s easy to switch between the devices so you can listen to music on one phone when a business call comes in on your work phone. With a pinch of the Ear (open) controls, you can switch over seamlessly.
The way the Ear (open) pick up the wearer’s voice is impressive and the noise suppression makes clear phone calls possible, even in noisy environments that might otherwise make phone calls or video conferences difficult. For those who like to use their earphones for watching movies or playing games, the Ear (open) have a Low Lag Mode that ensures the sound and video feed are always in sync with minimal audio delay.
With the Ear (open), Nothing has continued to integrate AI-driven features into its products. Through its ChatGPT integration, users can access real-time information directly from their earbuds, boosting the usefulness of the earbuds and keeping their hands free. This feature is available via the Nothing X app and enables voice-controlled access to ChatGPT.
The sound quality of these open-style earbuds from Nothing is one of the best in its class. It’s up there with the excellent Bose Ultra Open earbuds but with a more traditional fit. The sound is superbly balanced with plenty of focus in the treble frequencies and backed up with a beefy bass. The midrange is slightly recessed but that’s going to be the case with almost any design of open-style earbud.
Other features worth mentioning include a Find My feature so you can always pinpoint where you left your earbuds. There’s also Google Fast Pair and Microsoft Swift Pair support. If you are jogging in the rain, then the IP54 waterproof rating for the earbuds and case will be welcome. Finally, there’s no support for wireless charging so you’ll have to use the supplied USB Type C cable to recharge the case.
Verdict: Considering Ear (open) is Nothing’s first foray into the open-style earbud market, the company has struck gold. Nothing continues to develop innovative earbuds that stand out from run-of-the-mill products. I am not a fan of open-style earbuds but I would wear the Ear (open) and be happy with the sound. There’s plenty of volume on offer and the software enables extensive customization, including setting up the touch controls on each earpiece just as you like. Ear (open) are ideal for exercisers or anyone who needs to be aware of their surroundings. For example, if you work from home and need to keep an ear out for a courier or other visitor, the Ear (open) let you listen to your music and stay aware of your surroundings.
Pricing & Availability: Pre-orders for Ear (open) will open on nothing.tech on September 24 in the US, Canada, UK, and Europe, and on September 27 in Japan. Ear (open) will be available for purchase globally beginning October 1 via nothing.tech priced at $149 / £129 / €149.
Tech Specs:
- Driver: 14.2 mm dynamic driver.
- Diaphragm: Titanium-coated polyethylene terephthalate.
- Tuning: Nothing custom with a bass-enhanced algorithm.
- Battery: Earbud: 64mAh / Case: 635mAh.
- Charging: USB-C.
- Playback: Earbuds: 8 hours / Earbuds + case: 30 hours.
- Talk time: Earbuds: 6 hours / Earbuds + case: 24 hours.
- Connectivity: Bluetooth 5.3.
- Compatibility: Android 5.0 and above / iOS version: 13 and above.
- Audio codecs: AAC, SBC.
- Bluetooth profiles: RFCOMM, SPP, HFP, A2DP, AVDTP, AVCTP, AVRCP.
- Waterproof rating: IP54 for earbuds and case.
- Controls: Pinch, Pinch and hold.
- Google Fast Pair: Yes.
- Microsoft Swift Pair: Yes.
- Multipoint Connection: Yes.
- AI Clear Voice Technology: Yes.
- LED charging status light: Yes.
- Custom EQ: Yes.
- Find My Earbuds: Yes
- Low Lag Mode: Yes.
- Lifecycle carbon footprint: 3.0 kg CO2e.
- Earbud weight: 8.1g.
- Case weight: 62.4g.
- Case dimensions (WxHxD): 125.9 x 44 x 19mm.