Nothing Ear 3
RTINGS' current mid-range pick, a genuine consensus slot in the most measurement-driven guide.
Consolidated from 71 cited sources across 57 outlets
Where the cited sources landed, as we read them
- 34 positive sources
- 28 mixed sources
- 3 unconvinced sources
Pros & cons
- ✓ RTINGS' mid-range pick, slotted directly beneath the Sony flagship
- ✓ Strong endorsement from the most lab-driven outlet in the field
- ✓ Cheaper alternative that could sound better than AirPods Pro 3
- ✓ Pitched as 'The AirPods Pro 3 Killer'
- ✗ Comes with trade-offs
- ✗ Confusing lineage (Ear, Ear 2, Ear, Ear A, now Ear 3)
- ✗ Support is mostly one high-profile video
The sources behind this ranking
We searched the web and YouTube for what has been published about this product, then read the articles, video transcripts and comments we found.
Evidence 28 articles, 41 video reviews and 2 community sources
34 positive sources
Sure, I'd say the new Nothing Ear (3) are they still among the best earbuds of the year – but one option in the duo of buds they replace has dropped so low in price that they've actually jumped into our best budget earbuds buying guide . So you see, to build a case for paying quite a bit extra for the new Ear (3), they'd need to be quite a bit better – and that's where I'm struggling.Read T
Los Nothing Ear (3) han llegado para demostrar que la estética y el sonido de alta fidelidad pueden ir de la mano. En este video, Jota García y Miguel García de Blas de Topes de Gama analizan a fondo la tercera generación de auriculares de Nothing.Watch S
The Nothing Ear keeps things simpler but more effective. Their three-mic system, combined with AI noise reduction, delivered cleaner calls overall. In my testing, background noise—especially wind and street sounds—was much less noticeable compared to the Ear (3). While voices were a bit muffled, intelligibility was consistently strong.Read M
These are the new Nothing Ear(a) and from my testing, they performed exceptionally well for their price.Watch A
The main superpower of the Nothing Ear (3) is Super Mic which is a microphone built into the charging case so that if you’re taking calls in very noisy situations, you can pull it out and speak into this mic close to your mouth instead of relying purely on the earbuds’ mics.Read J
These are the Nothing Ear3 earbuds, and they are changing the game for true wireless earbuds by bringing back something that most true wireless earbuds have completely forgotten about, the ability to be heard clearly. and they do it with something called super mic.Watch H
We’ll be fair and admit that there are nice upgrades here. The new earbuds feature metallic accents on the charging case, a new Super Mic feature that lets you use the charging case as a microphone, and a new 12mm driver.Read S
They're actually quite good at making earbuds. I mean, the Ear series has consistently delivered excellent sound quality, robust companion apps, and some pretty cool retro tech aesthetics. But, the latest model actually has a new trick up its sleeve, or rather up its case, and is something that I've never seen before in wireless earbuds.Watch T
If you want cool-looking, sci-fi-inspired earbuds, the Nothing Ear (3) are a no-brainer. Unlike Apple's AirPods which, more or less, look the same, the Ear (3) carry the British brand's trademark futuristic design.Read S
What exactly is new? And is this even worth taking a look at? Well, yeah, there are some cool things about it. And the big feature and the most standout feature I think with the Nothing Ear 3 is the super mic feature. But what does that mean? Well, basically Nothing has put a dual microphone system right in the charging case.Watch I
One of my favourite things about the Nothing Ear (3) earbuds is their design. They’re sleek, sound superb, and the innovative Talk button actually turns out to be more than a gimmick.Read T
More bass, better improvement, more control, customization, integration to the essential place on nothing phones, which makes it even more unique. But the functional option of using the case as an external microphone with better microphones than the earbuds themselves provides us a very unique way of interacting.Watch P
Nothing also promises improved call clarity on the earbuds, better noise cancellation through AI, and deeper bass across all audio compared to its last-gen earbuds.Read B
same on the outside, there are some noticeable changes that have taken place under the hood, such as the reduction of the size of the earbud drivers down from 11.6 millimeters to 11 millimeters with the drivers themselves actually being made out of a ceramic material - which can be considered superior to the graphene and polyurethane combination that the Nothing Ear (2) drivers were made out of.Watch S
If you were hoping the Nothing Ear (3) could replace your lav or handheld mic for content creation or interviews in the wild, you will likely be disappointed.Read A
NOTHING ear fared much better than I expected.Watch T
The Nothing Ear 3 are a good-looking set of Bluetooth earbuds with a few party tricks that make them stand out against the boring crowd.Read A
Now, I think it's a great idea. And why it's better than simply taking out your phone and using your phone's microphones is that you don't have to unlock your phone and tap multiple times to switch inputs. You can simply take out the case, press and hold the talk button to speak, or double press the talk button to toggle it for longer conversations. But what makes this microphone super is that eveWatch S
The Ear (3) has the advantage of a microphone case, ensuring clearer and more accurate calls in noisy environments.Read E
Build quality on the buds themselves is solid for the price. The case though, I'll be honest, it's light, almost a little too light, but and that transparent finish is a fingerprint and micro scratch magnet over time. I experienced that with some of the previous versions. So you're you're still going to want to be a little bit careful with it.Watch T
Nothing is back with its fourth pair of flagship wireless earbuds, confusingly called Nothing Ear 3.Read P
The Nothing Ear 3A are pretty solid upgrade over the previous generation, the Ear A Ear A. Ear A. But, they just have some pretty annoying bugs that I didn't really expect from Nothing, which I think can be fixed. But, with the budget earbud market being so competitive, you can't really make mistakes nowadays.Watch M
They're comfortable, stylish, and support high-resolution Bluetooth audio codecsRead N
could be one of the best buys right now.Watch T
For the complete breakdown, read my full Nothing Ear (3) review.Read N
>> On a more personal level, I found the quality on the sound output of the Ear 3 A's to be very, very good. Very biased on bass and low-end, which is my preference. Overall, very, very good. Sound is crisp and connection to things like Bluetooth devices has been flawless. In fact, even multi-connection, so connected to the MacBook >> and the daily driver phone has been great.Watch R
I Finally Ditched my AirPods. The Nothing Ear (3) is Why.Watch L LeechTM LeechTM · 19.2K subscribers · Apr 2024
And it’s a banger of an Earbud, in terms of Sound, ANC and functions.Watch A
Now we’ve got two high-end earbuds, each boasting top-notch noise cancellation, smart features, and impressive sound. But which one is really the better pick for you—the sleek, refined AirPods or the bold, futuristic Nothing Ear? Let’s dig in.Watch S
If you want more control, more detail, Ear 3. If you want your music to be smoother and easier to listen to, the Ear A is more your speed. But that's not really a full story because these aren't just about better or worse. They're different in very specific ways. I want you to close your eyes and imagine two cars. Not faster, not better, just different. You got a BMW. It's tight. It's controlled.Watch M
The Nothing Ear earbuds bring active noise cancellation, Hi-Res audio with LDAC and LHDC, punchy bass, a multi-mic setup for calls, and long battery life in Nothing's signature transparent design. In this review I cover both the Nothing Ear and the newer Nothing Ear (3), going over the sound, the ANC, call quality, comfort, and whether they are worth it against other earbuds in the price range.Watch T
✅ In short: Choose Sony WF-1000XM5 if you want the best sound and noise cancellation. Choose Nothing Ear (3) if you want modern design, lighter buds, longer total battery, and a lower price.Watch C
They're quite good. They feel good. The bass feels punchy. There's good separation. I'm not sure the vocals are particularly standing out from the mix. But the mix sounds good. Like the instruments sound good. Her vocals sound better than his. Yeah, the guitar's quite overpowering, but it sounds rich. I'd say that the separation on the background is really good.Watch
28 mixed sources
Its battery life and noise cancelling may not be the best going around, and the super mic may be a bit of a gimmick, but I’d argue that these are the most comfortable buds I’ve worn in a long time, and they produced some truly excellent audio thanks to LDAC support. Plus they look the goods, and the Nothing X app is a great tool to elevate your listening experience.Read B
I n Low Lag mode, the latency is 120ms, which is not the best in the segment. Now letʼs talk about the sound quality. The Ear (a) comes with 11mm drivers and HiRes LDAC support. Now, if you remember the Nothing ear 2 had LHDC support.Watch P
Most of the updates to the Nothing Ear (3) concern the charging case. Both the new case and earbuds pack more metal under the transparent plastic than before, which makes them look and feel better. This is particularly pronounced in the case where a significant portion of the bottom is clad in metal. I really like it.Read S
The closing noise, honestly, not very good. Kind of harsh. Cool transparent industrial design. You can actually see the device from the back, both of them. On the most familiar-looking side, there is a USB-C port, a LED light for indications. No breathing. And a microphone.Watch A
The Nothing Ear (3)’s style stands out, and while its new Super Mic feature does go some way to improving audio pickup, these are otherwise slightly ordinary bud headphones given their asking price.Read S
The bulb is pretty big, and they really give you that plugged up feeling when they're in your ears, which some people might have issues with. If you're not sure what I mean, stick your fingers in your ear and talk. That's what I mean by the plugged up feeling. >> It's kind of like you're underwater. Now, the cases are where things start to diverge.Watch R
Even if the addition of a dedicated Super Mic fails to deliver, the Nothing Ear 3 still offer decent sound, an eye-catching design, straightforward software support and competitive battery life.Read S
Still, for bass heads and casual listeners, there's a lot to like about what nothing has done here. And if you don't really like a feature of either of these responses, you can deal with it pretty effectively with the inapp equalizer.Watch G GSMArena.com Michail · reviewer · Oct 2025
The short answer is yes, these are arguably the best earbuds from the brand to date, but we'd also take some of the maker's claims with caution. Read on for our full breakdown.Read S
But there's just one issue that's keeping this from a slam dunk recommendation. Nothing is known for making flashy products and it doesn't disappoint here. Coming in white, black, yellow, and now pink, the Nothing Ear 3a has something to offer for the more fashion conscious of you out there. Or not, I don't know you or your love.Watch D
Overall after much extensive listening to music, Master L came to the conclusion that the Nothing Ear (3) offers an unique design, comfortable fit with excellent sound.Read T
I’ll also touch on the limitations — the slightly slower Super Mic trigger when using multipoint, and where the ANC could still be better.Watch T
Bouncing from high-end earbuds to lower-cost ones is always a bit of a whiplash experience, but the Nothing Ear (3a) softens the blow in some interesting ways.Read T
They don't necessarily blow the previous generation out of the water, and yes, there's a price bump, but with a solid design and sound signature, they're still the best wireless earbuds you can get in this price range. Let's take a deeper look.Watch P
Not a huge loss, that's an awkward feature to begin with. But if you happen to be among the few that use it, know that it's not here.Read C
And I've got to say, having used these for high-intensity workouts and casually, these are built more for the comfort side. They are nothing like something like the Beatsfitit Pros that like go deep into your ear canal, sit and get real tight so that they don't come out when you're, you know, running on a treadmill.Watch H
Clear assessments of tradeoffs help you weigh options between models like the Nothing Ear (3) and competing alternatives.Read T
🎯 Bottom Line: These aren't perfect, but the sound quality with proper EQ tuning is genuinely impressive. That talk button might seem weird, but I actually found myself using it more than expected for voice notes. ANC is just okay though - don't expect AirPods Pro levels.Watch S
A more grown-up take on Nothing’s steadily evolving wireless earbuds, with some unique – and welcome – additions.Read P
Is the Nothing Ear (3) a true AirPods Pro replacement or just a transparent gimmick? In this 2026 review, I answer the 10 biggest questions—both positive and negative—that people are asking on Reddit and the Nothing community.Watch N
The Nothing Ear (3) is a great pair of earbuds, and I love the transparent design.Read R
And this might be one of the most confusing earbuds you could buy. And that's not necessarily a bad thing because on paper, they don't try to beat the competition. They don't try to chase a flat audio profile and they definitely don't play it safe. Instead, nothing did what most brands are afraid to do.Watch C
Improved battery life but still not greatRead A
Some people will love the style, some people won't. I think compared to the Nothing Headphones, which are really kind of ostentatious and out there, these are just that little bit more subtle. I think I like the design slightly more, but tastes can of course vary. They're IP52 rated, which basically means, yeah, you can sweat in them.Watch 1
However, I do feel that when the mids and the bass are playing at the same time, it tends to get drowned out by the bass. Like, for example, the live performance of HadesTown. All the audience clapping, it's super crisp and clear. And it's really highlighted by that little bump in the treble.Watch T
The case does have a little bit of play, and does rattle, so it's not as satisfying as the case of the AirPods Pro 3. But, it doesn't affect charging or how securely they're held, but it was something that did notice. Overall, first impressions are really positive. Comfort is another area where Nothing has done a great job. But, before we go into that, let's talk about the design.Watch B
The microphone quality of the earbuds is decent. It reduces wind noise well, but it is not perfect as the voice is occasionally cut off. Since a microphone that cannot properly capture the voice cannot be called a microphone, it feels like it has improved but taken two steps back.Watch R
After using deeply for 3 months, I can say for sure you can't treat the Nothing Ear (3) as a cheaper replacement for Apple post 3, but my take is this. It is a very, very interesting pair of ear buds and yeah, let me tell you why. First, my main take on these ear buds is this. They feel like a very well-made toy.Watch
3 unconvinced sources
It is so dissappinting for me. Was expecting the 3 to be amazing after how happy I was with the first one. I might be crazy saying that the number 1 had much nicer ANC than these? I remember trying it clapping with ANC on and my clap got hidden! Now with the 3 I listen basically all apart from low frequencies. It is very very sad.Read thread N r/NothingTech u/uspigcar · owner
happens to mine past few months and I've just decided switched to samsung earbuds rather the poor build quality on nothing earbudsRead thread T
ANC is just okayRead
6 stance not read sources
I've been testing the new Nothing Ear (a) earbuds since launch. I took them on a ten-mile run, worked with them deskside, and commuted on the subway with them plugged in to my ears. One question that informed my initial testing was: Can the sound of these buds be as good -- if not better -- than its sleek looks? Keep reading to find out.Read F
It's your boy Floss back again with another video and today we're going to take a look at the Nothing Ear 3. Now, you can pick these up online. I'll throw the link up in the description. The price on these 180 bucks. All right, so let's get right into it. First things first, shout out to White Shoes back in the building. >> Calm down. Okay, nothing ear bucks.Watch M
And in many ways, they're the absolute best earbuds for most people, offering impressive sound quality, great comfort, battery life, features, and even better A&C than the more expensive Nothing Ear 3. And these offer a very useful feature that I've just never seen on another pair of earbuds. More on that in a minute. But first, let's take a step back and start off with the design.Watch T
Yeah, nothing 3, third gen. They fixed the the name and went back to having numbers again. So, yeah, this is the fourth gen Nothing ear 3. Confusing.Watch H
I like that there’s more white accents with a hint of black compared to the Nothing Ear, which is much more two tone. Compared to the main Ear, the Ear (a) buds look and feel identical. The only difference is the texture of the shells.Watch H
After 2 years with the Nothing Ear (2) as my main set of earbuds, I finally upgraded to the new Nothing Ear (3). With a design refresh and improved battery life, it was the perfect time to upgrade. But with the increased price tag, was it worth the buy, and should you buy one yourself? Find out in the video.Watch
Frequently asked questions
It ranks #12 of 24 on our earbuds tier list, in C tier. That placement draws on 71 cited sources across 57 outlets.
3 of the 65 sources with a clear view are critical of it: r/Earbuds, r/NothingTech and T3. Comes with trade-offs. Confusing lineage (Ear, Ear 2, Ear, Ear A, now Ear 3). Support is mostly one high-profile video.
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