Expanding its ecosystem and transparent design philosophy, the London-based tech startup Nothing launched Ear 2 TWS. The Ear 2 succeeds over the previously launched Ear 1. So, let’s find out the changes and the upgrades in Ear 2.
Design
The second-generation earbud from Nothing holds a similar design to its predecessor. Although there are a few minor changes in the design, which only someone who has used Nothing Ear 1 earbuds can identify. The case has become more compact and offers more angled edges. The company has also reduced the size of the dimple used to hold the earbuds. The bottom side of the case is more transparent now, as you can see the back of the earbuds when they are placed inside. The case on its right side holds a USB-Type port for charging and a physical button to enter pairing mode.
The case is beautiful to look at, but it attracts scratches. If you keep the case in company with other objects in your bag, there is a high chance that the case will have lots of scratches. So, it will be advisable to keep the case totally separate if you want a clean look.
The earbuds look very similar to their predecessors, with the only discernible change being that the side-mounted touch-sensitive gesture area has been replaced with pressure-sensitive buttons. The earbuds and case are both water-resistant. The earbuds are IP54 rated, while the casing is certified IP55. This model is an improvement over the prior one, which only gave the earbuds an IPX4 rating.
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The earbuds fit the ear very well and feel very light on the ears. The earbuds can be comfortably worn while working out. We personally liked the glossy design on the inner design of the earbuds, which makes it easy to clean and keeps the shine intact. The pressure-sensitive buttons have their cons too, as when you try to remove the buds, there are high chances of pressing the sensors which on occasion seems irritating.
Connectivity and Features
The new Nothing Ear 2 is easy to pair using Bluetooth, and just like every earbud, we would suggest using the dedicated app for better connectivity and control. One can install the Nothing X app for iOS and Android, which gives options to change the ANC settings, the touch gestures, and the audio effects, as well as access features like low latency mode, personalized ANC and sound profile, and find my earbuds.
The Nothing Ear 2 buds fit the ear very well and feel very light on the ears. | Photo Credit: Haider Ali Khan
The ANC includes three manual adjustment levels and a fourth adaptive option that adapts automatically to your environment. Also, there is a customised ANC option that tests your ears and the surrounding environment to adapt the ANC frequency response. Ear 2 also has a custom EQ in the app, which Ear 1 still does not have. .
Also, you can modify the choices for pinch gestures. The left and right earphones might have different settings, but both earbuds have access to the same choices. The single pinch gesture cannot be altered at all, and not all options are accessible for all motions.
Audio Quality
The Nothing Ear 2 comes with updated drivers over its predecessor. It comes with the same 11.6mm dynamic design, but the diaphragm has been updated with a new material that uses graphene and polyurethane. The interior of the earbuds has also been updated with a new dual-chamber design. The earbuds also support LHDC 5.0 (also known as LHDC-V) in addition to SBC and AAC.
The sound quality has improved when compared to its predecessor. The bass sounds punchier and more accurate and has a significantly faster onset and fade than Ear 1. The earbuds do not sound bloated or overwhelming and are one of the more pleasing bass tunings. Moreover, the mid-range of the Ear 2 exhibits significant improvement. The Ear 1 mid-range was a little crowded and fuzzier in sound, but it only supported the bass and treble ranges. On Ear 2, the mid-range sounds significantly fuller and more in tune with the other frequencies. Here, there is a lot more distinction and detail than there was previously.
Call Quality
The performance of the microphone is good, as it allows you to make clear voice calls. The background is suppressed quite nicely, and the person on the other side of the call heard very little noise from our end.
Noise Cancellation
The Nothing Ear 2 comes with 36 hours of music playback after a full charge of the charging case with ANC turned off. | Photo Credit: Haider Ali Khan
We feel the noise cancellation on the Ear 2 is decent, not great. Even at high volume settings, some sounds managed to sip in as the ANC’s effectiveness constantly changed. The ANC continues to modify its settings very noticeably every few seconds, even when manually set to the High preset. It doesn’t even seem to be adjusting to the surroundings; rather, it moves in a random pattern.
Battery
As per the company, the new Nothing Ear 2 comes with 36 hours of music playback after a full charge of the charging case with ANC turned off. The earbuds individually outside the case have almost six hours of playback with ANC turned off and three to four hours with ANC on. The case of earbuds also supports up to 2.5W wireless charging and can reverse charge on compatible devices, Phone 1 also.
Verdict
The new Nothing Ear 2 is a true upgrade when it comes to delivering superior sound quality. The buds are tiny, comfortable, light enough to wear for long. Clear call quality is another positive for the TWS. The ANC reduces lots of noise, but not all which is manageable at this price point. Going back to the pressure-sensitive controls in the Ear 2 doesn’t seem idealistic for me.
Selling for ₹9,999, the Ear 2 has freshness for new users joining Nothing’s ecosystem with its compact, transparent design while the Ear 1 holders get few add-ons in the new TWS. Overall, the Ear 2 justifies the features it has got under the sub-10k TWS segment.
