Nothing Ear (a) review

Ear (a) bring Nothing's see-through design to a $79 price. Nothing lists smart noise cancelling up to 45 dB with four modes: high, mid, low and adaptive, which tunes itself to your surroundings. Sound comes from an 11 mm dynamic driver, and the codec list covers AAC, SBC and LDAC, so Android phones with LDAC get the higher bit rate. Nothing quotes up to 42.5 hours with the case and 9.5 hours from the buds with ANC off, and a 10-minute charge gives 10 hours of ANC-off listening. Its spec table shows much shorter figures with noise cancelling on, so heavy ANC users should plan on charging more often. Each earbud weighs 4.8 g, the buds are IP54, and the case is IPX2. Dual connection, Google Fast Pair, Microsoft Swift Pair, in-ear detection and pinch controls round it out. Nothing does not list wireless charging, and the 45 dB cancelling depth trails the Soundcore, CMF and EarFun pairs.

Who it is for

Buyers who want a distinctive design with solid noise cancelling and multipoint.

Price

$79 at the Nothing US store.

Yellow $79 Add to bag
Quoted from the vendor pricing page on November 7, 2026.

Key features

• Smart ANC up to 45 dB with high, mid, low and adaptive modes
• LDAC, AAC and SBC codecs with an 11 mm dynamic driver
• Up to 42.5 hours with the case and 9.5 hours from the buds with ANC off
• Dual connection, Google Fast Pair and Microsoft Swift Pair
• IP54 earbuds and a 10-minute charge for 10 hours with ANC off

Strengths and weaknesses

• Strength: Light at 4.8 g per earbud
• Strength: Four noise cancelling modes, including adaptive
• Strength: Dual connection plus Fast Pair and Swift Pair
• Weakness: Battery drops sharply with ANC on in Nothing's spec table
• Weakness: No wireless charging listed
• Weakness: 45 dB cancelling is the lowest of the ANC pairs here

Key facts

• Price: $79
• Battery: Up to 42.5 hours with case, ANC off
• Noise cancelling: Up to 45 dB, four modes
• Weight: 4.8 g per earbud

Where it ranks

Nothing Ear (a) is No. 4 in our Best Budget Wireless Earbuds verdict.