The main change here is the improved wideband ANC, which Nothing claims reduces up to 45dB of noise and works effectively up to 5kHz. Whether it’s accurate or not, I found the ANC on these headphones to be pretty good for the price. It’s not going to beat the AirPods Pro 3, but it’s as good, if not better, than anything else at this price point. It’s also almost as effective as the ANC on the more expensive Nothing Ear (3). In everyday life, on public transportation and in busy cafes, I struggled to find situations where the extra $80 would have bought much more quiet.
There’s also an adaptive ANC mode and a transparency mode, and both are decent rather than exceptional. Adaptive mode sometimes behaves a little strangely, although it worked quite well most of the time. Transparency mode is usable for quick conversations, but it doesn’t feel very natural and you’ll probably want to leave it off most of the time. Apple is still the king here.
Connectivity is also quite strong. The headphones connect via Bluetooth 6.0 and support multipoint across two devices and LDAC alongside AAC and SBC. Multipoint worked reliably between my phone and computer, and LDAC at this price is rare.
The headphones connect to the Nothing X app, available on iOS and Android. I actually like this app. It’s pretty easy to navigate, and it supports features like custom control mapping and, thankfully, “advanced” EQ that was previously only available on Nothing’s more expensive Ear (3) headphones.
Perhaps the most unique feature these headphones offer comes in the form of recording. The Ear (3a) offers 32MB of built-in flash storage, enabling a feature nothing calls Audio Snapshot: pinch both earbuds together and the earbuds capture up to a minute of everything you’re listening to, including audio from Before you triggered it, like a screenshot for sound. The same mechanism records up to two hours of phone calls directly on the headphones, then synchronized with the application.
Technically everything works fine, but it’s worth noting that in some areas it’s illegal to record a call without the consent of both parties. An audio signal is played to the person on the other end to alert them that you have started recording, but it’s always worth keeping the legalities in mind if you plan to use it. You can disable the feature entirely in the Nothing X app, and if you don’t have any professional use for it, you may want to do so.
There are actually two different levels of transcription offered. There is a standard version, which works for free on your phone, but there is also a Pro version which uses cloud-based processing for more accurate transcription. Pro Transcription is included free for three months when you purchase the headphones, and you’ll be able to transcribe up to 120 minutes per month in the Nothing X app. After this free trial, however, you’ll need to pay a Pro Transcription subscription fee. Unfortunately, we don’t yet know how much this subscription will cost, but I suspect we’ll find out soon as users near the end of their free trials.
