This year alone, several audio products from Nothing and CMF have been launched. Last July, Nothing also launched the Nothing Headphone (1), which is the company's first headphone. Now Nothing is back with their TWS flagship, the Nothing Ear (3) with several new features. The average user of Nothing's TWS flagship is satisfied with the product and is the Ear (3) capable of doing the same.
Nothing Ear (3)
Type In-ear Headphones
12mm Dynamic Audio Driver + Aerospace Construction
Microphone 3x microphones
Auto pause sensor
55mAh earphone battery
500mAh frame
10 hours continuous
38 hours with charger
Bluetooth 5.4 tethering
Google Fast Pair
AAC, SBC, LDAC codec
USB-C charging
10 Minutes for 10 Hours of Use
Nothing X app support
Touch Control
IP54 waterproof capability – Earphones
Selling Price RM759
Design
I'll start with the name of this product first. If you haven't followed the company's developments, you might think this is their third-generation TWS flagship, which is consistent with the name given. But in fact, this is the fourth generation of their flagship TWS because Nothing Ear last year was the third generation. However, I'm grateful that they returned to using the name and number again on this flagship TWS.
The design of this Ear (3) does look similar to the previous Nothing flagship TWS models. If I put all the Nothing earphones next to each other, I might not notice which one is the newest. The different thing about this Ear (3) is its charging case using aluminum construction with a gray color that makes it feel premium but if you choose black it might be difficult to see the difference. The earphones also use aluminum but not the entire body.
The obvious thing that can be seen on this Ear (3) is the Talk button and also the microphone located on the charging case. This is the latest function that Nothing offers, which is Super Mic. Apart from that, everything still looks the same as the previous model. For me, this same design is not too bad because it maintains the Nothing design concept, which is a transparent design that is the identity of this company.
Both earphones still have red and white dots to distinguish left or right. These earphones also use controls by squeezing the earbud stem and I like that when squeezing these earphones it produces a clicking sound indicating that the control has been successful. In terms of durability, the Ear (3) has IP54 waterproof and dustproof support which may be a bit lower than its competitors.
Audio Quality
Ear (3) is built with aerospace materials (PMI & TPU) and upgraded 12mm dynamic drivers to create accurate and wide hearing. In terms of sound tuning, Nothing does not use other audio companies like Headphone (1) and only uses their own proprietary tuning. It is also equipped with LDAC and Hi-Res Audio support as a flagship audio product.
The audio quality produced by Ear (3) is very good even without changing the sound settings using EQ. The bass produced sounds very good and not extreme, it is as if this bass sound can be felt and heard at the same time. In post hardcore genre songs, every drum and bass guitar sound feels very dense and energetic.
Due to the good bass production, in the mid-frequency it does not feel submerged or settled. The treble produced is also quite good as a result of the use of the latest construction materials. Sounds like guitars sound bright and clear from every passage produced. The singer's vocals are also balanced and not too submerged whether male or female singers.
If you want a sound that is more to your taste, I highly recommend using the Equalizer in the Nothing X application. This is because the sound produced by the Ear (3) is very balanced which may not suit your taste.
In terms of noise cancellation quality, the Ear (3) is also quite excellent. It is not the best like the Headphone (1) but as a hardcore user of the very noisy Kelana Jaya LRT it is still able to eliminate external noise well. When playing a song, the sound from outside is less audible, ensuring that you are in your own world. The transparent mode is also quite good with the surrounding sound very clear but it has the same issue as the Headphone (1) where my own voice seems to be muffled but the voices of the people around are still good.
The combination of Ear (3) and Nothing X produces a very good user experience. The application interface is not dizzying and is also easy to use. There are several useful features to produce the best audio quality on Ear (3) such as Advanced Equalizer. This is a feature that can be used to change the sound results on Ear (3). If you do not understand how to use this EQ, you can use the EQ that has been made by other users that is specific to Ear (3).
Another new feature is personal sound. As the name suggests, this feature produces sound according to the results of the hearing test. That result is a comfortable sound in your ears. After trying it, the sound produced sounds the same as the stock sound on Ear (3) for my own ears.
Super Mic
The latest feature loaded on Ear (3) is called Super Mic. This feature was created to overcome the problem of the sound quality of the microphone produced by the earphones. Nothing inserts a microphone into the charging case of Ear (3) for better sound because it will focus on the user's voice and not capture environmental sounds like the microphone on the earphones. It can be used when making calls or can make voice notes that will be sent directly to Essential Space if you use a Nothing device.
In my test, the Super Mic works well and produces much better sound quality than the earphone microphone. However, don't get me wrong because the sound produced is not like most wireless microphones on the market today but it is enough for basic tasks such as answering calls or recording voice notes. This function also makes using the Ear (3) feel more fun.
Sound test using the Super Mic
Battery
The battery capacity on the earphones has increased to 55mAh compared to 46mAh on the Ear. This battery increase also provides longer use on the Ear (3) which can last up to 3.5 hours with LDAC support and ANC function. If used once with its charging case, it can reach up to 22 hours of use. I only used the ANC function when in the LRT, the rest of the time in normal mode only and I only charged the Ear (3) once after 5 days of opening it from the box.
As a flagship audio product, Ear (3) supports wireless charging and has fast charging where 10 minutes of charging can last up to 10 hours of use with its charging case. Throughout the period of use, there were also no issues in terms of charging this Ear (3).
In the Box
Here is what is included in the box;
1x Ear (3)
1x Additional ear buds of various sizes
1x White USB-A to USB-C charging cable
1x User manual
Conclusion
In conclusion, this Nothing Ear (3) provides a very good experience throughout the review period. Despite having the same design as the previous model, it is still not a big issue because it still displays the Nothing identity, but this is also subjective according to each person's taste.
All the improvements and new features, namely the Super Mic, have made the selling price of this Nothing Ear (3) increase slightly at RM759 compared to RM659. If you are looking for a flagship TWS with good audio quality, an attractive design and features that other TWS don't have, the Nothing Ear (3) is a great one to consider.
Pros
Good ANC system
Melody and balanced audio quality.
Nothing X is easy to use
Interesting Super Mic feature
Battery that lasts quite a while.
Using aluminum construction materials
Cons
Sales price increases
Overall design still looks the same
Black color option seems to have no change in terms of design
Super Mic function is enough for basic use only