Exploring the Nothing Ear 2: A Comprehensive Review with Nothing to Lose – Unveiling the Sleek Design, Impressive Features, and Sonic Excellence.
Nothing Ear 2 Review:
Despite its name, which may lead to various jokes and puns, Nothing has established itself reasonably well as a technology company in its relatively short existence. What's even more commendable is the company's consistent approach to its product lineup. It all began with the introduction of the decent Nothing Ear 1 true wireless earphones in 2021. Along the way, the company has expanded its portfolio with other products, including its inaugural smartphone. Now, marking a significant step forward, Nothing introduces its first-ever second-generation product, the Nothing Ear 2, boasting noteworthy improvements over its predecessor.
Priced at Rs. 9,999 in India, the Nothing Ear 2 comes with promises of substantial enhancements compared to the Ear 1, featuring support for the LHDC Bluetooth codec and an improved app experience. In a competitive market, facing off against strong contenders like OnePlus and Jabra, the big question looms – is the Nothing Ear 2 the ultimate true wireless headset under Rs. 10,000 that deserves your consideration? Dive into this review to find out.
Aesthetic Continuity: Exploring the Design and Features of Nothing Ear 2
The distinctive and innovative design of the Nothing Ear 1 left a lasting impression in 2021, and it still holds up well with the Nothing Ear 2, even though it's no longer a novel concept. At first glance, the new headset closely resembles its predecessor, with the primary distinguishing factor being the inclusion of the ‘NOTHING ear (2)' name printed on each earpiece stem. Opting to maintain this design seems like a sensible choice, and it remains just as visually appealing as it was before.
Currently, the Nothing Ear 2 is only offered in a single color option – a combination of transparent and white. In contrast to the Nothing Ear Stick, the Ear 2 boasts a proper in-canal fit, ensuring a secure seal for effective passive noise isolation, a crucial element for optimal active noise cancellation.
A significant alteration lies in the controls; the previous tap gestures have been replaced by a force-touch system, reminiscent of the AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) and OnePlus Buds Pro 2. As I've mentioned before, and it holds true here – this system proves to be considerably better and more accurate than simple touch controls.
What's particularly beneficial is that these controls are customizable through the companion app. Users have the flexibility to control playback, adjust volume, invoke the voice assistant, and switch between ANC and transparency modes. The earpieces also feature in-ear detection for automatic music play and pause when putting on or taking off the earphones. However, during my review, I found this feature to be somewhat unreliable, and I opted to manually control play and pause as needed.
In addition to the mentioned features, the Nothing Ear 2 earpieces come with an IP54 rating for dust and water resistance. Notably, the charging case has a slightly higher IP55 rating, making both capable of handling splashes of water and some exposure to dirt. Each earpiece is equipped with three microphones, collaborating for both Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) and voice functionality.
Included in the sales package of the Nothing Ear 2 are a USB Type-C to Type-C charging cable and three pairs of silicone ear tips in different sizes, ensuring users can find the most comfortable fit. This thoughtful packaging adds to the overall convenience and usability of the product.
The charging case of the Nothing Ear 2 is noticeably smaller compared to that of the Ear 1 and comes with a slightly lower battery capacity of 485mAh. However, Nothing assures users that optimizations and improved battery efficiency in the earpieces compensate for this, resulting in a comparable overall battery life. While I'll delve into the specifics of battery life later in this review, it's worth noting that this case is significantly more convenient and pocket-friendly. Additionally, it supports Qi wireless charging (up to 2.5W), and users have the option to charge it with a standard USB Type-C cable. This versatility adds to the practicality of the charging case.
Exploring the Nothing Ear 2: App Functionality and Technical Specifications
The Nothing Ear 2 retains the 11.6mm dynamic drivers from its predecessor, ensuring consistent audio quality. However, notable improvements are evident in the Bluetooth connectivity of the newer headset. The Ear 2 is equipped with Bluetooth 5.3, supporting a range of codecs including SBC, AAC, and the advanced LHDC. Additionally, the headset features support for Google Fast Pair, Microsoft Swift Pair, and multipoint connectivity, allowing users to connect with two audio sources simultaneously.
The LHDC codec, a 24-bit advanced audio codec, enhances sound quality by enabling the headset to receive more audio data from compatible source devices. It's worth noting that LHDC is currently supported on select Android devices, and during my testing, I found it functional only with the Nothing Phone 1.
Efforts to utilize the LHDC codec with a OnePlus 9 Pro, a device that supports it, proved unsuccessful. Despite activating the option in the app and through the phone's developer settings, I was restricted to the AAC codec. For iPhone users, the limitation to the AAC codec is inevitable. The impact of these limitations on sound quality will be discussed in detail later in this review.
The Nothing X app, accessible on both iOS and Android, serves as the central tool for optimizing the performance of the Nothing Ear 2 headset. When using this headset with the Nothing Phone 1, many core functions of the app, such as checking battery levels, toggling ANC mode, adjusting equalizer settings, and modifying gesture controls, can be conveniently managed directly within the phone's user interface. However, it's noteworthy that specific functions, like activating multipoint connectivity, are exclusively accessible through the Nothing X app.
The app is thoughtfully designed, presenting a plethora of valuable features. Users can create personalized profiles for sound and ANC individually, set equalizer presets, and adjust the ANC intensity level to suit their preferences. While there may be a lot to explore within the app, the effort is worthwhile as it allows you to tailor the headset according to your liking.
Exploring the Performance and Battery Life of the Nothing Ear 2
Leveraging the benefits of an integrated ecosystem has become a significant trend, with numerous brands emulating Apple and Samsung by ensuring seamless compatibility among their products. In the case of Nothing, which shares similar ideologies with OnePlus due to the involvement of Nothing founder Carl Pei in co-founding OnePlus, you can observe these philosophies in action with the synergy between the Nothing Ear 2 and the Nothing Phone 1. Optimal experience and access to the full feature set are achieved when using these two devices in tandem.
Nevertheless, apart from a few exceptions, you can still have a satisfying experience when pairing the Nothing Ear 2 with smartphones from other brands. One notable exception is the advanced LHDC codec, which I could only utilize with the Nothing Phone 1. The audio quality noticeably improves with the use of this codec, and although LHDC is technically compatible with various other devices, making it work might be challenging depending on version compatibility with those devices.
Utilizing the Nothing Phone 1 as my source device, streaming high-resolution tracks from Apple Music provided a remarkably impressive experience, especially considering the fact that this is a true wireless headset priced at Rs. 10,000. While the initial sound wasn't to my liking, I discovered that the default equalizer preset enhanced the bass. Switching to the Balanced preset, representing the natural sonic signature of the Nothing Ear 2, significantly improved the sonic signature and fidelity, elevating the overall audio experience.
Listening to the remix of "Lavender" by Frenchfire, the Nothing Ear 2 demonstrated its capability to keep up with the fast-paced, progressive start of the dance track. It smoothly navigated the quick changes and sudden bass attacks, delivering distinct and sharp high-frequency electronic elements. The overall soundstage had a strong sense of direction, adding to its appeal.
The low, catchy beat maintained clarity, blending well with the intricate details. The same track sounded nearly as impressive when paired with a different smartphone using the AAC codec, retaining a balanced and versatile sonic signature. However, the LHDC codec brought out more distinct and striking detail levels and extensions.
Throughout my review, active noise cancellation was enabled, and there were moments when I questioned if it was functioning. On certain tracks like "E Samba" by Junior Jack, the soundstage and imaging felt exceptionally open and wide, almost tricking me into thinking the transparency mode was accidentally activated on the Nothing Ear 2.
Increasing the volume notably enhanced the overall audio experience, with the best results achieved at over the 90 percent mark in terms of detail and attack. However, the heightened detail and deep punch in the lows at such high volumes became fatiguing quickly, prompting me to lower it to a more reasonable level. Fortunately, even at the 50 percent mark, the enjoyable sound quality persisted.
While the active noise cancellation on the Nothing Ear 2 is acceptable for a headset priced under Rs. 10,000, it doesn't reach exceptional levels. Both indoors and outdoors, the reduction in sound wasn't substantial, with ambient sounds like the whirring of a ceiling fan and the hum of an air conditioner still faintly audible. Additionally, the ANC created a noticeable vacuum effect, often misconstrued as a sign of effective noise cancellation, despite it being quite the opposite.
Certainly, the Nothing Ear 2 provides sufficient noise reduction, making it more comfortable to enjoy content even at moderate volumes. The impressive soundstage may help distract from the slightly unsettling vacuum effect experienced during active noise cancellation (ANC). While the transparency mode performs reasonably well, the added amplification can become fatiguing over time, prompting users to take off the earphones for relief.
In terms of battery life, the Nothing Ear 2 aligns with the performance of the Nothing Ear 1. The earpieces deliver approximately four hours of usage on a single charge with ANC enabled, and the charging case contributes a little over four additional charges, resulting in a total runtime of around 22 hours per charge cycle. Despite the smaller charging case, this is a decent overall figure, and users can further extend it by disabling ANC when not needed.
Final Thoughts on the Nothing Ear 2
The Nothing Ear 1 made a significant impact with its launch price of Rs. 5,999, even after the company later adjusted it to a little over Rs. 7,000. In contrast, the Nothing Ear 2 doesn't come with a surprisingly low price tag, and it doesn't need to. Priced at Rs. 9,999, it stands as a highly commendable pair of true wireless earphones, offering good value for its cost.
Competing against slightly more expensive options like the Oppo Enco X2 and OnePlus Buds Pro 2, the Nothing Ear 2 holds its ground in terms of sound quality and overall performance. The only potential drawback is its optimal performance with a Nothing Phone, especially for utilizing the LHDC Bluetooth codec. Nevertheless, with its appealing design and satisfactory performance even with other source devices, it becomes a worthwhile consideration for those with a budget of Rs. 10,000.
Comments