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In a nutshell: Nothing has introduced its second-generation Ear (2) wireless earbuds. The formal successor to the Nothing Ear (1) (and not to be confused with the sophomore Ear (stick)), the new Ear (2) buds feature a dual chamber design and custom 11.6mm dynamic drivers. They’re Hi-res Audio certified for playback up to 1 Mbps and support up to 24bit / 192kHz and LHDC 5.0 for high-res streaming over Bluetooth.
The buds also deliver active noise cancellation up to 40 dB with three levels to choose from. Like Nothing’s other products, they utilize transparent plastic for a unique look.
Each bud measures 29.4 mm x 21.5 mm x 23.5 mm and weighs 4.5 grams, slightly less than the original’s 4.7 grams. The charging case is also smaller and lighter, measuring 55.5 mm x 55.5 mm x 22 mm and tipping the scales at 51.9 grams.
Speaking of the battery, Nothing claims its new buds can last about 6.3 hours with ANC off on a single charge or four hours with ANC enabled. Factor in the juice stored in the charging case and you are looking at up to 36 hours of playback with ANC off or 22.5 hours with it turned on.
The charging case can be recharged using USB Type C or wirelessly with a Qi certified charger. A 10-minute fast charge can result in about eight hours of ANC-disabled listening.
Ear (2) is compatible with Android 5.1 and newer as well as iOS 11 and above. To control playback, simply squeeze the stem of the bud. A single squeeze will play / pause and answer or hang up calls, a double squeeze can skip forward / reject calls and a triple squeeze will go backwards one track. Squeezing and holding will toggle ANC modes.
The Nothing Ear (2) wireless earbuds will be available to pre-order starting March 23 priced at $149 and should begin shipping on March 28. They are offered in just one color – white – but that could change down the road.
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Blythe Mischke