The Nothing Ear 3 is one of the best value products in the wireless earbud category, offering the latest features like Super Microphone, enjoyable sound quality, and decent noise-canceling performance at a very attractive price.
With Aesthetic Design
The Nothing Ear 3 comes in a square case with a transparent cover that allows you to easily see the earbuds. This makes it easy to find them even if you lose them.
There is also a window on the bottom of the case so you can quickly check if the earbuds are inside.
The transparent case cover has several grooves to hold the earbuds in place, and the three circular design looks just like Mickey Mouse.
The Nothing Ear 3 sits at an angle in the case, and the charging pin is located on the elongated handle rather than on the earbuds, unlike many other competing products.
Connectivity and Performance
Like the Nothing Ear, the Ear (3) offers various features such as Google Fast Pair, multipoint connectivity, wear detection, low latency mode, and active noise cancellation.
The manufacturer claims that the Ear (3) can block up to 45 dB of noise thanks to the three microphones built into each earbud. The ANC effectively eliminates background noise, and the transparency mode is also suitable for short conversations.
In addition to these three microphones, it features a new bone conduction voice pickup unit (VPU). It is said to transmit voice clearly and reduce ambient noise by following the vibrations generated when speaking.
The microphone quality of the earbuds is decent.
It reduces wind noise well, but it is not perfect as the voice is occasionally cut off. Since a microphone that cannot properly capture the voice cannot be called a microphone, it feels like it has improved but taken two steps back.
Considering the effort Nothing put into these additional features, the recording quality of the Super Mic was much worse than expected.
Its sound quality was even lower than the earbuds’ built-in microphones, with just one exception. In quiet environments, the charging case microphone performed better than the earbuds.
However, in everyday situations, the Super Mic failed to properly block background noise. Even when noise was blocked, my voice sounded muffled despite the receiver being clearly visible.
The VPU is judged to be superior in terms of voice pickup and ambient noise cancellation, and the Super Mic appears unnecessary as its usefulness is unclear and noise cancellation and voice clarity are not optimized.
It should also be taken into account that the Nothing Ear (3) is more expensive than the previous model.
Battery Life and Fast Charging
The battery life of the Nothing Ear(a) is comparable to that of its competitors.
Actual usage time varies depending on the features being used; Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) and the LDAC codec are major contributors to battery drain.
Playback is possible for up to 10 hours with ANC turned off. When ANC is turned on, usage time is reduced by about half to approximately 5.5 hours.
Usage is possible for about 4 hours when making calls with ANC enabled. Heavy use of the Super Mic shortens battery life.
On the positive side, the Nothing Ear 3 presents impressive figures regarding fast charging. It is said that a 5-minute charge provides 1 hour of playback (ANC off), and a 10-minute charge provides 10 hours of playback (ANC off).
Charging is possible via the USB-C port on the case, and it also supports Qi wireless charging.
Apps
The compatible Nothing X app provides software updates, control settings, and more.
In addition to the basic equalizer function, there is a Parametric EQ feature that allows for value adjustment; given that Nothing tuned this for these earbuds, this feature is very useful and necessary.
Both the earbuds and the case feature IP54 dust and water resistance, and as before, you can use ChatGPT integratedly when using the Nothing device with the earbuds.
However, features typically used with a voice assistant, such as adding calendar events, sending text messages, and calling contacts, are still not available via ChatGPT.
Final Opinion
Nothing continues to make an impressive mark in the audio field with its Nothing Ear (3) earbuds, which are affordable and easy to purchase at a reasonable price of $149.
While the battery life and noise-canceling performance are not top-tier and the Super Microphone feature might be somewhat exaggerated, they offer the most comfortable fit of any earbud I have used in a long time and boast truly excellent sound quality thanks to LDAC support.
Furthermore, the design is excellent, and the Nothing X app is a useful tool that further enhances the listening experience.
If you are considering a Christmas gift, giving Nothing Ear (3) earbuds on December 25th would be a good choice.
Also read: Vision Ears PHoNIX Final Edition Review