Photo: Nothing.
After releasing two excellent in-ear earbuds in the Nothing Ear and Nothing Ear (a) earlier this year, Nothing has decided to tackle the open-ear segment with the Nothing Ear (open) earbuds.
The Ear (open) earbuds have an interesting shape reminiscent of the very old Apple wired earbuds, which weren't all that comfortable, so it's fascinating to see that Nothing has opted for this design. The earbuds also come with silicone ear hooks for added security, so these can be used while exercising without worrying about them dropping out. The earhooks use a three-point balance system for extra stability, and even with them, the earbuds only weigh 8.1g per side.
Photo: Nothing.
The charging case has a clear cover in line with Nothing's transparent aesthetic, and it's incredibly slim at just 19mm thin. It offers 22 hours of battery. Coupled with the 8 hours of battery life that these fully-charged earbuds deliver, we have a total battery life of around 30 hours.
Inside the earbuds, Nothing has engineered a stepped 14.2mm dynamic driver for better sound consistency. There's a new, patent-pending custom diaphragm for the driver that cinches and flattens in the middle rather than at the ends to reduce distortion and deepen low frequencies.
The diaphragm gets a titanium coating for added rigidity so sound can be more accurately reproduced, especially at high frequencies.
Photo: Nothing.
With the drivers tilted at 50 degrees to obtain the optimal position over the ear, the Ear (open) can minimise sound leakage by pairing it with the Sound Seal System that generates reverse sound waves at the rear acoustic ports to cancel out sound from the front acoustic ports. This, in theory, should lead to more precise audio transmission from the earbuds into the ear and prevent sound from leaking out.
All in all, the new Ear (open) looks like an interesting take on open-style earbuds. It might not have active noise cancellation like Apple's new AirPods 4, but its striking design and more secure fit might be enough to win users over.
Availability and pricing
Photo: Nothing.
The Nothing Ear (open) is S$239, with an exclusive limited online drop happening on Limited Edt's official online store on 28 September. Pre-orders start on 1 October at Nothing's Shopee and Lazada stores, as well as at Challenger, Courts, Popular bookstores, and Metapod. General sales will start on 14 October onwards.
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