Nothing Ear Stick in the test: The AirPods for Android?
With its Nothing Ear Stick, the manufacturer wants to compete with the Apple AirPods. In return, the company dispenses with some of the functions of the well-known Nothing Ear (1). We tested whether the new in-ears can justify their price of 119 euros.
Contents
Nothing Ear Stick: The scope of delivery
Of the Nothing Earstick comes in a paper box that does not use plastic. The entire packaging can therefore be easily recycled, which is very positive. Since the headphones are half in-ears, no eartips are required. A USB-C cable is included in the scope of delivery. This serves its purpose, but is a bit short.
The Nothing Ear Sticks have an almost climate-neutral packaging. Image: BASIC thinking
design and processing
The Nothing Ear Stick have an extraordinary design. This applies to both the headphones and the case. The headphones are transparent in places, which is why individual connectors and pins are visible. It looks refreshing and stylish. Meanwhile, a white head sits on the “stick” and is placed in the ear. There are two loudspeakers and a sensor that checks whether the headphones are in the ear.
The Nothing Ear Stick has a lipstick-like case. Image: BASIC thinking
The case not only resembles a lipstick, the name also resembles it. It can be turned up, which also puts the headphones into pairing mode. The entire case is transparent, and the USB-C port is on the top.
The workmanship looks high-quality, but the case gets dirty quickly. However, the turning mechanism works reliably. A snap provides feedback once the case is fully closed. The headphones are also IP54 protected against dust and water.
Nothin Ear Stick: Comfort
The wearing comfort of the Nothing ear stick is very personal. It took me a few days for my ears to get used to the headphones. But they still don’t fit me perfectly. My ears are used to in-ear headphones.
A friend who wears AirPods almost exclusively had no problems with the fit. But if you do a lot of sport or want to go jogging with the headphones, I would recommend headphones like the Soundcore Liberty 3 or the Pixel Buds Pro from Google.
The ear sticks are quite loose in the ears. Image: BASIC thinking
Nothing Ear Stick: Battery life
The Nothing Ear Stick has a good battery life of almost seven hours without intermediate charging. The case provides up to 29 hours of audio playback on the go. Ten minutes of charging allow around two hours of music playback. This battery life is significantly better than average. This is also due to the missing ANC.
Sound quality and ANC
The sound of the Ear Stick is surprisingly well balanced. It doesn’t matter whether it’s rap, house or pop: If you expect a strong bass, you will be disappointed with the headphones. This is also due to the fit, because the half-open design means that a lot of bass is lost. But there is an equalizer in the app that uses a bass booster to get some sound out of it.
The Nothing Ear Stick have a transparent design. Image: BASIC thinking
However, the headphones do not have ANC. This is also due to the design of the headphones, but could be an advantage for some who like to ride a bike with their headphones and thus want to be able to keep an eye on their surroundings. But if you walk through a big city with the ear (stick), you will inevitably hear a lot of noise and the subway while listening to music.
App and smart features
The Nothing X app is pre-installed for all Nothing Phone (1) owners, all other customers can download it from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store. The app has a clear and modern design, and the headphones also offer a “quick setup” for Android phones.
The Ear Stick app is modern and clear. Image: BASIC thinking
The Ear (stick) are controlled by two physical buttons on the headphones, which give good feedback and are intuitive to use. If you take headphones out of your ear, playback stops automatically. The commands can be individualized in the app, even for each individual headphone.
Nothing Ear Stick Pricing and Availability
The Nothing Ear Stick costs 119 euros and is available immediately from the manufacturer’s website as well as from popular retailers.
Nothing Ear Stick: Conclusion
The Ear Stick are good semi-in-ear headphones for those who don’t want to be completely isolated from the outside world. They have a modern, technological design and many features that make them stand out. But if you are looking for headphones for sports or with a strong bass, you should rather use the Ear (1) or other headphones.
The Ear Stick differ significantly from the Ear (1). Image: BASIC thinking
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