Following the high-profile launch of the Nothing Phone (1) smartphone back in August this year, London-based consumer tech company Nothing is now back with a new pair of TWS earphones that comes at an even more affordable price than last year’s Ear (1) which had garnered plenty of positive reviews since it’s launch.
The new Nothing Ear (Stick) builds around the same winning formula of tucking in a stylish design along with an affordable price point which make the earbuds an attractive option especially among the younger consumers. However, does it really have what you’re looking for in your next your TWS earbuds? Let’s find out from our Nothing Ear (Stick) review!
Design & Wearing Experience
The first thing that probably catches your attention is perhaps the design of the new Nothing Ear (Stick) which sit inside a transparent cylindrical-shaped casing which opens up via a rotating door. It’s a rather portable which can be slotted easily into the pocket and carry around with you.
Contrary to the Ear (1) which adopts an in-ear design with silicone ear tips, the new Ear (Stick) settles for a more comfortable open-ear design which felt pretty light when wearing it in the ears thanks to it’s featherlight weight of just 4.4 grams (on each side).
During my testing, the earbuds had no issue keeping itself in place even when I was doing intensive workouts. That’s partly due to it’s ergonomic-centric design which helps to ensure a secure fit while offering a comfortable wearing experience. To be honest, I hardly felt their presence after putting them on for awhile.
As with any other Nothing products, the Nothing Ear (Stick) features a semi-transparent exterior that gives you a peek into it’s working components. This is a really cool implementation which sets them apart from other earbuds in the market.
Also, let’s not forget that the earbuds are also IP54 rated for dust and water resistance which basically means that the earbuds are able to survive minor splash of water or even light drizzle.
Controls
Moving on, the Nothing Ear (Stick) has an intuitive set of pressure-sensitive controls along the edge of the stem that allow you to control music playback without having to touch your smartphone. For instance, squeezing once will allow you to either play/pause a music, while squeezing twice allows you to skip the current track.
Speaking of this, you also have the ability to customize the controls via it’s companion app – Nothing X – which can be downloaded via the Play store for Android devices and App Store for the iPhones. Besides customizing controls, Nothing X also allows user to customize EQ for a more personalized listening experience.
Audio Performance
The Nothing Ear (Stick) might not be an expensive pair of earbuds, but they do offer surprisingly good audio quality with excellent mids and highs. The only area where the earbuds fell short is the quality of bass due to the open-style design adopted by the earbuds. Despite that, it still punches above it’s own weight considering it’s price.
One thing to note here is that Ear (Stick) doesn’t comes with any form of noise cancellation, be it passive or active noise cancellation. The idea is to allow user to retain situational awareness even when wearing the earbuds which could be beneficial for certain work environments or those who frequently cycle along roadside or crowded pathway.
Battery Life
The Nothing Ear (Stick) is able to provide around 7 hours of music playback at a single charge which is pretty much similar to what other earbuds (of the same category) are offering. In the event that the battery runs out, the case battery is able to provide another 22 hours of listening time with another three charges.
Verdict
The new Nothing Ear (Stick) is a fantastic pair of earbuds that feature perhaps the coolest-looking design with great audio performance and battery life. It’s definitely a great option for those looking to get an affordable open-style earbuds that pack a punch.
Those who’re interested can purchase the new Nothing Ear (Stick) from Nothing’s online official store at just $169.
