Nothing Ear (a) review: Strikes the right chords

Remember Nothing? I mean the brand, not the nothing nothing. Well, how could you forget? Carl Pei, the man behind this pack of tech renegades, sure knows how to keep his company in the spotlight. And their latest offering, the Nothing Ear (a) earbuds, is no exception – they are transparent, have some things that many would call gimmicky, and also come in a new funky yellow colour.They remind me of Pikachu, Carl.
What’s so different about them? In a world where wireless earbuds are a dime a dozen, the Ear (a) aims to stand out from the crowd with its playful design and affordable price point. But with so many options vying for your attention, it's natural to wonder if these funky little earbuds have what it takes to be in your ears. Wait, I have the answers. I kept my AirPods inside the drawer and put the Ear (a) in my ears daily for two straight weeks, so you won’t be in doubt. Let’s read on to know if you should splurge your money on the Ear (a) or skip it.

Like every single product from Nothing, the Ear (a) is transparent, too, as if the timeline would break if they brought something you can’t look through. It's become a signature design element for the brand, and it's hard to imagine a Nothing product without that see-through aesthetic. Jokes aside, the transparent design is what catches the attention, and the new yellow colour is icing on the top.
The yellow buds are like a burst of sunshine in your ears, adding a playful and vibrant touch to your everyday carry. The bits of transparency in the design allow the yellow to really pop, creating a striking contrast that's impossible to ignore. There are also white and black colours, but yellow is my favourite one, and while black does look the classiest, I find it a little boring compared to the other two colours.
The Ear (a) 's design isn't just about aesthetics – it's also about functionality. The earbuds are lightweight and ergonomically shaped to fit comfortably in your ears. The transparent stems not only look cool but also make it easy to grip and adjust the buds when you need to. The indent on both the buds, exactly where you need to press or tap to control them, makes things much easier than figuring out where to tap.
The case is shaped differently than the usual square mould that Nothing had and has opted again for the Ear, though it also gets in on the fun with its transparent lid. It’s essentially a rectangle frame that sits around the bubble inside which the buds rest. It’s compact, cute, and also yellow on the inside (it’ll basically be the same colour as the earbuds, so it can also be black or white)
While everybody will appreciate its cute funky aesthetic, there is one thoughtful that deserves the most attention, the red and white dots inside the case. These dots correspond to the red and white dots on the earbuds themselves, making it super easy to know which bud goes where. So, no more fumbling around trying to figure out which side is which - just connect the dots.
One thing that irked me over the last few days is that the earbuds and case are made of plastic and gets scratched quite easily. It’s only been two weeks, and there are scratches that I can’t look past; only time will tell how it’ll look after a few months. Another thing is that it also gets smudged easily, so you’d find yourself cleaning them quite often.

When it comes to earbuds, comfort is key – after all, who wants to wear something that feels like a pebble in their ear? Well, as said before, the Ear (a) are quite comfortable, so much, you'll forget you're even wearing them.
The earbuds come with a selection of silicone ear tips in different sizes, so you can find the perfect fit for your unique ears. P.S. You can also run the fit test in the companion app, Nothing X, to check if the fit is perfect. Once you find the right size, the buds will sit snugly in your ears, providing a secure and comfortable fit that won't budge, even if you're bopping your head to your favourite tunes. And because they're so lightweight, you won't feel weighed down or tired, even after hours of listening.
The buds have an IP54 dust and water-resistance rating, you can wear them during your sweatiest workouts or get caught in a sudden rain shower without worrying about damage. Just be careful with the charging case, though – with an IPX2 rating, it's not quite as invincible as the buds themselves. So, maybe keep it away from any impromptu pool parties or water fights (unless you're feeling extra adventurous, of course).

If you have read until now, you might think the Ear (a) 's are all about style over substance. But oh, how wrong you'd be! Put these on, and you might be surprised by how good they sound, especially considering their affordable price point. Nothing's audio bohemians have done a credible job tuning the 11mm drivers, delivering a sound that's both clear and balanced. Let's dive a little deeper, shall we?
Starting off with the bass, the Ear (a) delivers a punchy low-end that will get your head bobbing and your toes tapping. But don't worry, it's not the kind of overwhelming bass that drowns out everything else – it's just the right amount to add some depth and richness, and you'd realise that listening to tracks like The Weeknd's "Starboy" or Billie Eilish's "Bad Guy," with the bass hitting you at the right time, but you’ll still be able to hear every nuance of vocals.
The mids and highs are also well-represented, with good detail and clarity. You'll hear the intricate finger-picking in José González's "Heartbeats" and the soaring instrumental solos in your favourite rock anthems. The soundstage and imaging are decent for earbuds in this price range, providing a fairly immersive listening experience.
While the Ear (a) sounds well-controlled and natural out-of-the-box, the moment you try to squeeze more bass out of it (yes, you can do so by turning on the Bass Enhance or choosing the bass preset), the low-end can sometimes become a bit too boomy. Some might find the sound slightly muddied in the lower mids, especially when listening to bass-heavy genres like hip-hop and electronic dance music.
It might sound like I am nitpicking, but highs can also be slightly harsh when the volume is cranked up to the highest And there’s no support for advanced codecs, as well if that’s something that concerns you. Nevertheless, the Ear (a) are one heck of an earbuds that’ll satisfy people of a wide range of music tastes, from the intricate prog-rock of Pink Floyd to the catchy pop melodies of Taylor Swift.
Nothing (pun intended) is more annoying than the constant chatter of the outside world while trying to enjoy your favourite tunes. That’s where the noise cancellation comes in, and Ear (a) is pretty good at cancelling it.
Ear (a) has three levels of ANC sensitivity so that you can adjust the level of noise cancellation based on your surroundings. Need to block out the world altogether? Crank it up to the highest. Or, if you're in a slightly quieter environment, I'd still suggest you keep it at the highest if you are a little too sensitive to background noise. While the earbuds effectively cancel out the noise indoors, they let you slip in some outdoors, but once you have the music on, you'll hardly notice any noise.
If you want the outside noise to let in clearly, you can turn on the transparent mode, but it doesn’t really work. The outside noise feels clouded, and you can hear better in the normal mode. Nothing says it is improving the transparency mode, but it remains hardly usable for now.

The Nothing Ear (a) earbuds have a companion app called Nothing X that lets you customise the listening experience. The app is easy to use and has a clean, simple design.
The Ear (a) earbuds have touch controls right on them, so you can play, pause, skip songs, change the volume, and switch between noise cancelling and transparency modes just by tapping or holding the earbuds. The controls work well and are easy to use. The earbuds also pause the music when you take them out of your ears and start playing again when you put them back in, so you don't miss anything.
The Nothing X app lets you change even more settings, like adjusting the noise cancelling or changing the equaliser to make the sound just the way you like it. You can also simply select from the given sound presets. There’s also an option to enhance bass, dubbed “Bass Enhance,” and as the name implies, you can turn up the bass from here up to 5 levels.

All earbuds, including the Ear (a), can invoke the digital assistant of your phone, but the Ear (a) goes a step ahead and let wearers invoke ChatGPT. So how do you do it? Well, you’ll need to head over to the Nothing X app, and then choose ChatGPT instead of Google Assistant. Now, pinch the earbud stem, you’ll have the ChatGPT speaking right in your ears.
It's seamless and works as advertised. Whether you need a quick answer to a question or just want to chat with an intelligent virtual assistant, you can do it. But ChatGPT can't help you with basic tasks, like making a call, sending messages, setting alarms, or other things that you could do hands-free with Google Assistant. So, that’s a trade-off you’ll have to keep in mind when having ChatGPT as your digital assistant. Also, the ChatGPT sounds a little cranky inside the buds.
While the ChatGPT came as an Ear and Ear (a) exclusive feature, Nothing has now updated all of its earbuds to enable the capability to invoke ChatGPT.
The Nothing Ear (a) provides a reliable battery life, offering up to 5.5 hours of playback with ANC enabled and 9.5 hours with it turned off. The charging case holds additional charges, giving you a total of 24.5 hours with ANC and 42.5 hours without, which is sufficient for a full day of listening.
The case supports fast charging, allowing you to quickly recharge the buds when the battery is running low, making the Ear (a) a convenient choice. Sadly, there is no option to charge them wirelessly though.

The Nothing Ear (a) is a really good option for anyone looking for affordable wireless earbuds with a unique style and solid performance. Their playful design, comfortable fit, and impressive sound quality make them stand out in a crowded market.
While there are some compromises, like the lack of wireless charging and the slightly less durable case, the Ear (a) more than makes up for it with its playful vibes, quality sound, and a rather affordable price of Rs 7,999.
If you're tired of the same old boring earbuds and want something that looks as good as it sounds, the Nothing Ear (a) is definitely worth checking out. These colourful little buds are sure to put a smile on your face and a spring in your step.