TWS true wireless earphones - $75 to $100
4.5 STARS - Little wireless earbuds under $100 get as much hype as the Nothing Ear (a). Do they deliver beyond the looks? And how do they stack up against the other best $100 earbuds? Review and comparison time!
Nothing Ear (A) specs and features:
Bluetooth 5.3 with AAC and LDAC codec
IP54 waterproof (rain and dust proof)
6 - 9,5 hours on a single charge (ANC on/ ANC off)
Charging case can charge earpieces fully 4 times
Multipoint connection (2 devices), ANC, Transparency mode
Comes with 3 sets of ear tips, USB-C cable, English manual
$100 - See price on Amazon US or your Amazon country
In and underneath this Nothing Ear (A) review, you will find comparisons with the Redmi Buds 5 Pro, Realme Buds Air 5 Pro, OnePlus Buds 3, and Samsung Galaxy Buds FE.
Update August 2024: Due to increased competition, the overall score has been adjusted from 5 to 4.5 stars. Check out the best $100 wireless earbuds here.
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Design, comfort and battery life
The yellow version of the Nothing Ear (a) looks absolutely stunning in promotional shots and reviews from YouTubers, but the black version Scarbir.com tests today doesn't quite have the same appeal.
The case draws attention with its transparent lid and the earbuds laying down inside on their sides a bit. Just like the original Nothing Ear, this is a looker - much more inspiring than the many AirPods Pro-like presentations. That said, the lid itself wiggles a bit and especially the shiny black on the bottom of the case is a fingerprint and dust magnet.
While stylish, the charging case easily atracts dust
The charging case can only be charged via USB-C and not wirelessly, but it does pack power. By fast-charging the earbuds for mere minutes, you provide the earbuds hours of new playtime. All in all, it can recharge the earbuds four times fully before needing new power.
Each charge gives the earbuds 6 to 9,5 hours of playtime. You get the ‘worst’ battery performance with Active Noise Cancelling on and the LDAC audio-codec activated (Android only); the most with the AAC codec and ANC off. Especially with the rapid recharging, these have fantastic battery life.
The earbuds itself continue the beautiful, distinctive and recognisable Nothing Ear design, attaching the transparant and tech-style stem to a matte ear piece that comes in the colour of the case. Even though Nothing mounts stiff rubber tips, the earbuds sit snugly in your ears, don't feel too big, and are comfortable to wear for hours.
App support, Controls and connectivity
The Nothing Ear (a) has the full feature set you may expect for $100 in the start of 2024. Next to Active Noise Cancelling, they also have extensive app support and multipoint connectivity. The latter means you can connect them up to two devices at the same time.
Unfortunately, the Nothing Ear (a) has Google Fast Pair. This gives a nice pop-up screen on Android phones, but also requires you to re-establish the connection manually after you've turned your phone or Bluetooth off, or entered flight mode.
Once you've connected two devices, you can switch back and fourth between the devices by pausing the music or your video on your first device, then press play on the other to switch between the devices. Happily, incoming calls are automatically picked up.
Other parts of the controls and connectivity are solid too. The Nothing Ear A keeps a stable Bluetooth connection to around 10 meters away from your device, and the earbuds automatically pause when you take an earbud out.
The Nothing Ear A controls by pinching the stems and this work mostly well. The stems pick up your commands without too much effort. The ‘click’ you hear and feel by pressing it, makes it feel like an actual button. Great work.
You pinch once to play/pause, hold to switch between ANC modes, and pinch multiple times to skip or return tracks - it works well so far.
That doesn't apply to the volume controls you can add, via the Nothing X app for Android and iPhone. You can only tie them to the double-pinch-and-hold motion, but that one's very hard to operate. You'll likely switch between the ANC modes instead.
Control options in the app
Adjust the level of bass here
A handful of EQ presets
The Nothing X app for Android and iPhone looks slick and is easy to operate.
It lets you switch between sound EQ's and adjust the bass (more on that later), setup the controls, switch between ANC modes, (de)activate auto-pause, (de)activate the gaming mode, and let you switch between audio codecs on Android - AAC for longer battery life, LDAC for the support of higher audio quality.
With its cumbersome volume controls and Google Fast Pair issues, this isn't the most user-friendly TWS to use.
Phone and video calls
The Nothing Ear (a) is a good choice for phone and video calls.
The microphones pick up your voice naturally and clear. Sudden sound effects like door slams and loud laughter can interfere with the clarity with your voice a very short time, but most surrounding noises are suppressed well. Your voice will still outweigh them. The earbuds also treat wind noise well; wind doesn't sound too loud in calls and it doesn't drown your voice too much.
The Realme Buds Air 5 Pro shows more surrounding noises but also puts your voice through clearer, while the OnePlus Buds 3 fares even a little better overall. However, this is a great performer for the price.
Video and games playback
Playing videos on all major video services, like YouTube and Netfix, is a flawless experience on the Nothing Ear (a).
There's a dedicated low-latency gaming mode you can (de)activate in the app. Sadly, a challenging game like Call of Duty mobile still has a noticeable delay in sound effects like reloading and shooting.
ANC quality test of Nothing Ear (a)
It seems that Active Noise Cancelling on wireless earbuds under 100 dollars get better and better. The Nothing Ear (a) follows the trend of the Redmi Buds 5 Pro and Edifier TWS1 Pro 2 to boast strong and very usable noise reduction.
ANC is on by default on the Ear (a), and you'll immediately notice the dampening of all your surroundings. Lower tones like electronic humming disappears completely, higher sounds like birds chirps are heavily reduced in volume, and middle sounds are reduced very well too. Keyboard clicking, door slams, or a radio playing in the background? They're almost gone.
Chatter, especially that of lower male voices, can still be heard, but the Nothing Ear (a) seems to push voices further away than the mentioned competitors. Really - it may actually feel that they're further away.
The ANC is intelligent too, toning down when you're walking, running, or cycling in order to leave out annoying wind noise. Wind noise can still be heard, but not in that annoying mechanical way.
The Transparency mode on the Nothing Ear (a) works well if you want to hear (brighter) traffic sounds while listening to music. It's too weak to have a conversation while you're playing music.
Also read: The best wireless earbuds under $100
Sound quality of Nothing Ear A:
detail in darkness
It seems the sound tuners of Nothing don't really like treble. The original Nothing Ear felt a bit cold and muted in the highs, and the recently released CMF Buds by Nothing needs tuning to awaken the highs. The same goes for the new Nothing Ear (a): it doesn't have much spark higher up.
Happily, you don't need tuning this time around. Straight out of the box, the Nothing Ear (a) has a smooth, warm sound that's easy to listen to. Most of its attentions goes to lower mid-tones. Darker electronic tones and drums are heavily lifted, and typical center mid-tones like guitars and piano play tend towards the lows as well. The Ear (a) has a dark tonality.
Even higher male and female singers don't refrain too far from the lower-mids. Vocals sound full and warm, and roll off way before they reach the higher notes. Even Björk's otherwise squeaking outbursts in It's Oh So Quiet! have a full and warm underlining. Comfortable for sure, and you don't have to be afraid for harsh or sharp edges either, but the treble could have been more lively.
There's still a good amount of detail in this sound picture, with above-average separation: individual instruments and details clearly come from your left and right. Even though entire songs seem to come together in the lower frequencies, vocals, instruments and basslines are well separated.
The bass itself isn't as excessive as on the CMF Buds by Nothing, but it's definitely weighty. Even with the Bass Enhance option from the app turned off or the slider set to the lowest level, the mid-bass pushes out strong and deep thumps. The sub-bass (darkest bass you can feel as much as hear) in James Blake's Limit to Your Love has a intense, dark, yet round rumble. Despite the fullness of both the mid- and sub-bass, tones don't last too long and don't bleed too much into the lower-mids.
You can tweak the sound a bit by the Bass Enhance slider and five EQ options. The standard Balanced EQ and More Bass EQ are already described. With the Custom three-point EQ option, Voice EQ, and More Treble EQ's you can shift some of the lower mid-emphasis to the lower treble, giving vocals more air and reach, although Nothing never takes their warmth and fullness away. This just isn't a very clear pair of earbuds.
The warm, dark tonality and the full bass may not give the Nothing Ear (a) the most balanced or vivid presentation, but it's sound is comfortable to listen to for hours, and definitely has something going for it too. The Ear (a) can go loud, and on active listening volume levels, this sound character can give music a big, stadium or cave-like sensation.
—> These are the best sounding wireless earbuds from $25 to $100
Nothing Ear A comparisons
Nothing Ear A vs OnePlus Buds 3
Just like the Nothing Ear (a), the OnePlus Buds 3 is one of the most versatile earbuds under $100. Its Active Noise Cancelling isn't as strong as that of the Nothing Ear (a), however, letting through more noise in the mid-tones. Both earbuds excel in phone call clarity for the price, even withstanding wind noise. They also both have controls on the stems, but the Buds 3 requires less ‘force’ to operate and has volume sliders that work easier than Nothing's controls.
The OnePlus has a clearer sound, with further extended highs and more air around female and higher male vocals. Violins and trumpets also sound more lively, while the Nothing has a stronger, fuller lower-end. The Ear (a) has a stronger bass that feels less loose than OnePlus’ offering.
Around $100 on Amazon US or other Amazon countries
Nothing Ear A vs Samsung Galaxy Buds FE
The Samsung Galaxy Buds FE is the pair of sub-$100 wireless earbuds to beat in sound quality, with excellent clarity and detail in vocals and center mid-tones. Higher vocals, guitars and piano play are more forward and show more nuances, better placement on the Samsung. The Nothing Ear (a) boosts lower mid-tones even further, creating more of a stadium-vibe, and it sounds smoother thanks to the earlier rolled-off treble as well.
The Ear (a) has comparable, yet slightly stronger Active Noise Cancelling, and handles outdoor calls better than the Galaxy Buds FE. It's also more comfortable to wear. The Samsung limits its multipoint connection to devices from the own brand, the Nothing Ear (a) can be linked to more types of devices.
Around $80 on Amazon US, Amazon UK or other Amazon countries
Nothing Ear (a) vs Realme Buds Air 5 Pro
The Realme Buds Air 5 Pro has the same multipoint connectivity setup as the Nothing Ear (a), meaning you have to set these earbuds up via the app in order for it to work well. There are more similarities: both have comparable battery life, clear calls even in challenging situations, and good app support. The Nothing has slightly stronger ANC, pushing still audible conversations and noise further to the background.
The Realme has clearer vocals and more open, vivid treble, while still staying away from harshness. It also has a tighter mid-bass. The Nothing sounds smoother, but also lacks the center mid-detail of the Realme. This is on high level listening, however. If you mainly play music on background to moderate volume, the Realme sounds a bit flatter; the Nothing Ear (a) shows more dynamics on lower volume.
Around $80 on Amazon US, your Amazon country or AliExpress
Nothing Ear A vs Soundcore Liberty 4 NC
The Nothing Ear (a) beats the Soundcore Liberty 4 NC when it comes to versatility. The Nothing Ear (a) offers slightly stronger Active Noise Cancelling against voices, and offers clearer outdoor calls as well.
The Liberty 4 NC has a punchier mid-bass against Nothing's rounder offering, while sub-bass feels fuller on the Ear (a). The Nothing has more emphasis and detail in the lower mid-tones, while the Soundcore lifts upper-mids more and sounds more energetic in its higher vocals and instruments - although also more metallic than the more comfortable Nothing Ear (a).
Around $80 on Amazon US, Amazon UK or other Amazon countries
Nothing Ear A vs Redmi Buds 5 Pro
The Redmi Buds 5 Pro competes with the Nothing Ear (a) for the strongest Active Noise Cancelling on earbuds under $100. Both dampen noise across all frequencies strongly - the Redmi in a more natural way; the Nothing reduces voices even more. The Redmi is more forgiving in its multipoint connectivity setup, while the Nothing Ear boasts more personality in its design and comes with clearer phone and video calls, both indoors and outside.
These earbuds differ quite a bit in their sound character out of the box. The Redmi has more emphasis on treble and more extended highs. It sounds crisper and clearer than the Nothing, which has a vaster bass and fuller lower mids. That said, you can bring them quote close to each other with EQing via their apps, but these both offer a smooth ride in what they do best: the Redmi in clarity, the Nothing in lower frequencies.
Around $80 on Amazon US, your Amazon country or AliExpress
Verdict: Nothing Ear (a)
The Nothing Ear (a) is yet another a great pair of wireless earbuds under $100. It sets itself apart with its design and its warm and immersive sound. On top of that, it convinces with outstanding battery, great comfort, clear calls and solid Active Noise Cancellation.
The tricky controls and some multipoint connection issues on Android prevent it from gaining the highest possible score.
4.5 STARS - GREAT
Buy Nothing Ear (a)/ check price:
Buy on Amazon US
Buy on other Amazon countries
I bought the Nothing Ear (a) for myself to test and review. My reviews are 100% independent and non-commercial - read about it here.
Consider buying this earphone? I'd really appreciate it if you use the links in this article. It won't cost you extra, yet it will financially support me a bit in my ongoing quest for great affordable audio. <3
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Guide: The best earbuds under $75
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