Nothing’s Pink Ear (3a) Buds Make $100 Sound Good

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Nothing Ear (3a) earns 4.5 out of 5 from ZDNET for combining a distinctive design, strong sound, and features rarely found in $100 earbuds. The main caveats are that the transparent pink styling will not suit everyone, and some recording features require a subscription.

After testing Nothing’s first-generation Ear (a) several years ago, I was eager to try the company’s third-generation earbuds. I spent a week using the Ear (3a) while working, exercising, and listening to music. The verdict: they are well worth the money, with a few limitations.

Pink design and all-day battery

The pink version is easy to spot in a backpack or room, and it drew compliments and questions when worn in the office. The charging case is transparent, as are the earbuds, while a bright pink finish and LED status light show battery percentage, connectivity, and other information.

The earbuds remain comfortable and secure, helped by four included ear-tip sizes. Battery life is also competitive: the case provides up to 42 hours of playback, while each earbud lasts up to 10 hours on a single charge.

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Bass, noise cancellation, and recording features

Nothing added a new 12mm driver that increases bass by 5 dB. The richer low end was noticeable even before I knew about the update, while the earbuds still delivered clear sound. The Nothing app also makes it simple to create custom EQ settings.

Noise cancellation now works across a wider frequency range and offers low, mid, high, and adaptive modes. The high setting reduced most of the screeches on New York City’s subway. Transparency mode was also effective, allowing enough environmental sound through to maintain awareness without overwhelming the listening experience.

Nothing’s fixed spatial audio added another layer of immersion. While listening to Ariana Grande’s no tears left to cry, the effect made the track feel as though it was playing in a church with strong acoustics.

The earbuds include 32MB of flash storage for two unusual features:

• Audio Snapshots record up to two minutes after both earbuds are pressed.
• Call recording can capture up to an hour of a meeting or phone call.

Recordings appear in the Nothing X app. Unlimited recordings and transcriptions require a subscription. In testing, Audio Snapshots captured parts of songs and videos with a quick press to start and stop. The reviewer had not tested call recording but saw potential uses for students recording and transcribing virtual lectures, as well as for meetings and interviews.

ZDNET recommends the Ear (3a) for buyers seeking sound quality comparable to higher-end models such as the AirPods Pro 3 or Samsung Galaxy Buds at a significantly lower price. Its bold design also offers a welcome alternative to more conventional earbuds.