This is what the second-generation Style earphones can do

A year and a half after the Ear 1 was announced, Nothing presents the second generation of its ANC earbuds. At first glance, the Ear 2 looks little different from the Ear 1, but the company has made some changes and improvements. In addition to active noise cancellation, which we’ll detail below, the new earbuds also support high-res audio.

Ear 1 and Ear 2 are externally designed quite identically. Their cases are both designed by Teenage Engineering and feature transparent case elements. Like Apple’s Airpods, for example, they have a stem with integrated microphones, which according to Nothing are better protected against wind noise on the Ear 2.

Nothing has also updated the Bluetooth connection from version 5.2 to 5.3 and “significantly improved the antenna structure”. The Bluetooth connection should now be more stable to experience seamless music playback. However, the differences in the signal are hardly noticeable, since the Ear 1 already has a stronger Bluetooth connection than some other earplugs. The Ear 2’s microphones provide good sound quality in video calls as well as in telephone calls.

As with the Ear 1, Nothing relies on 11.6 millimeter drivers for the new model. According to the manufacturer, the Ear 2 has been specially made and now has a two-chamber design with a larger sound volume, which is intended to ensure that “frequencies sound clearer and brighter” and “low frequencies go even deeper”. The membrane materials are also new: According to Nothing, they consist of a combination of polyurethane (PU) and graphene.

Nothing has reduced the weight of the Ear 2 a bit: a plug weighs 4.5 instead of the 4.7 grams that the Ear 1 weighs. The charging case has also become lighter and more compact and now weighs 46.3 instead of 57.4 grams.

Apart from the optimized hardware, Nothing has improved the codecs and the software. In addition to the standard codes SBC and AAC, the Ear 2 also support the high-res audio codec LHDC 5.0, which is supported by the Oneplus Buds Pro, for example. The codec transmits frequencies of up to 24 bits/192 kilohertz at a speed of up to 1 Mbps.

The earbuds can also be customized with a sound profile via the Nothing X app, which does affect the audio quality. The calibration takes a few minutes, but is definitely recommended.

As far as the battery life is concerned, our experience shows that it ends after a little less than four hours with continuous ANC operation. Then the Ear 2, with their 33 mAh batteries each, have to go back into the case to charge, which in turn contains a 485 mAh battery. After a short reload, the earplugs are sufficiently charged that they can be used again for a few hours. In our test, the Ear 2 in the charging case could be recharged by 30 percent within ten minutes.

For comparison, we use the similarly priced Linkbuds S. These have more staying power in terms of runtime and, thanks to the larger batteries, usually last more than six hours in ANC mode.

At this point it should be mentioned that the runtime of both earbuds can also be longer (or shorter) depending on the connected device, volume and other factors. The software version of the earplugs also plays a role. When I tested the Ear 2, I had an older version installed that was only updated today and, according to the changelog, should have a positive effect on the runtime.

As with its predecessor, the Ear 2 charging case supports wireless charging with up to 2.5 watts and can also be reversibly charged via compatible devices such as the Nothing Phone 1 (test) or Google’s Pixel 7 (test).

Since they are extremely comfortable to wear, it is not a problem to wear the Ear 2 until the batteries have to be put back in the charging cradle. They are – at least for my ears – definitely more comfortable than the Ear Stick (test) with a semi-open design.

The Ear 2 are also suitable for sports activities, as they are protected against sweat according to IP54. The charging case has the protection class IP55.

If the earplugs are optimized for your own hearing and you have Hi-Res Audio at the start, for example via Amazon Music Ultimate or Apple Music – Spotify still does not offer this option – the Ear 2 deliver a high-quality sound that is audible differs from the Ear 1. The Ear 1 didn’t yet have support for Hi-Red audio on board; however, as more and more earplugs are offered with the appropriate support, it was only a matter of time before Nothing followed suit.

In terms of sound, the Ear 2’s sound profile is still neutral, just like the Ear 1’s. Nothing says that we want to reproduce the music as unadulterated as possible and let it sound like the artists intended it to.

However, the Ear 2 deliver a wider stage and more brilliant sound than their predecessors. The mids are more prominent and the highs are a bit more defined than before, although there is still potential for improvement. The Ear 2’s bass is restrained, but still audible – you can use the equalizer in the Nothing X app to mix in a pinch of bass or treble if necessary.

Even if the sound of the Ear 2 is not quite at the level of the more expensive Pixel Buds Pro (test), Sennheiser TW3 (test), Airpods Pro let alone the B&O Beoplay EX (test), nothing has done a solid job.

While the sound has been audibly improved, there is still a bit of a lull in active noise cancellation. The algorithm filters out dull tones, but all other noises still penetrate the ear almost unfiltered. Only the silicone plugs are used for passive noise suppression.

In comparison, Sony Linkbuds S, which are located in a similar price segment, perform better active noise cancellation. However, both cannot match the ANC kings of the earplug world, Bose’s QCII, which also cost around twice as much.

The transparency mode, with which the integrated microphones let external noise through, for example to understand conversations, has been implemented better than the active noise suppression. Switching between transparency mode and ANC is possible directly on the Ear 2 handle. Nice detail: When the ANC function is switched off, a sigh of relief sounds as an auditory indication of the mode change.

Speaking of operation: Nothing has improved with the new generation. Instead of a touch-sensitive surface, the Ear 2s need to be squeezed together on the stick for volume control, play/pause, or to switch from ANC to transparency mode. Apple, for example, relies on a similar operating method for the Airpods Pro. The control of Sony’s Linkbuds S is less flexible in comparison, and the Bluetooth signal isn’t as strong as that of Nothing.

The whole thing works extremely reliably and definitely better than the touch operation of the Ear 1. In addition, some pressure gestures of the left and right plugs can be assigned independently via the app according to your own wishes. This means that the scope of operation can be expanded directly on the earplugs and the smartphone can remain in your pocket.

It is also pleasing that the Ear 2 support dual Bluetooth, so you can connect your smartphone and notebook at the same time. However, you have to activate this function in the Nothing X app, as it is not activated by default. In the app, you also specify which are the two main devices if you are using more than two devices.

By the way, the auto-play and auto-pause function is sometimes a bit sluggish: When you remove one of the plugs from your ear, the system needs a few commemorative seconds before playback is stopped.

Nothings Ear 2 can be understood as an evolutionary update of the Ear 1. The manufacturer has worked on some criticisms such as the lack of high-res codecs and multipoint Bluetooth, and the sound has also been improved compared to the Ear 1s.

There are no big jumps in the runtime and the less than four hours in ANC mode are not particularly long. On the other hand, it is pleasing that Nothing has improved the operation, which was a bit too unreliable and fiddly in the predecessor.

The ANC function, which filters out less ambient noise than other models in the same price range, could be improved. This could possibly even be improved with a software update. On the other hand, the clear transparency mode, with which the outside world can be clearly perceived, is pleasing.

The bottom line is that the Ear 2 are stylish, distinctive earplugs with excellent wearing comfort and good sound, which stand out from the crowd thanks to their distinctive design. Especially in the price range around 150 euros, which cost the Ear 2the competition is great.

If you don’t want to spend 200 to 300 euros for true wireless headphones, want a slightly different design and can handle a moderate ANC, you should be quite satisfied with the Ear 2.

The Ear 2 will be available on nothing.tech from March 22nd. From March 23, the earplugs will be available at the Nothing Store Soho in London and exclusively in Deutsche Telekom stores. From March 28, 2023, the new earplugs will be available from all global Nothing partners and Germany-wide from Mediamarkt/Saturn, Cyberport, Amazon and Otto.